Blogs:

The strife that the economic meltdown the world has been going through has only just started to abate. Most companies had put a freeze on expenditures and a big part of this was a freeze on recruitment. Data from the Labor Department indicated that employers are now slowly starting to open their doors to new employees.

This is especially good news for new graduates who are taking their first steps in the corporate world. Landing that dream job is on the agenda of every graduate. However in these difficult times, merely landing a job… any job has been a task. But there is hope. With the economy slowly finding its feet once again, there are a few tips that fresh graduates can keep in mind when they are out hunting for that first job:-

•    Make that personal connect – The deal with job hunting today is not making an impression at the interview, it’s about getting that interview. While the usual methods like scouring job sites and boards and sending out applications by the dozen still have value, what is important is to make a personal connect with the industry you intend to get into.

There are many industry specific associations which conduct seminars and workshops on a regular basis. For these companies it is a chance to get like-minded individuals together and this is a great forum for an aspiring employee to get into. Enquire about prominent associations hosting seminars and conferences and try to join them. This is a great way to start off on the networking process. Use business networking sites to keep in touch with the contacts made during such seminars.

•    Keep in touch with your school/college’s career centre – A lot of people are a trifle embarrassed to go back to their college’s career centre for help and information. The simple truth of the matter is that these people were there to help while the course was on and their main objective was/is to see you succeed. Even after their students graduate most colleges allow former students access to the career centre. Sometimes in all the hassle and chaos of job hunting, a calm voice of reason and experience will often help in keeping in touch with your priorities as well as provide job leads too.

•    Money vs. Interest – For most graduates it is the eternal question i.e. to take up a job which is intellectually stimulating but which offers less pay or to take up that high paying job with lesser appeal and poor designation. There are different schools of thought on this matter but the key to this is to figure out your priorities.

Conventional wisdom suggests one should follow the heart and take up an intellectually stimulating job. But not everyone has that opportunity. Things like student loans are a matter of heavy consideration for a lot of people who might purse high paying jobs because of financial pressures. 

These tips will not guarantee you a job but they are ways to narrow down and make a focused attempt at landing the job you want.