Put Your Degree to Good Use: Are you asking the question; How can I make my degree more valuable? Well, One common misperception regarding employment is that it is difficult for recent graduates to find work. Many people believe that earning a degree is not a sure method to acquire a job; nevertheless, the problem is not with the degree itself, but with the person who holds it.
You may not be able to practically save the world, but you will most likely want to put your degree to use. You want to be a source of positivity and inspiration in other people’s life.
The primary issue for recent grads is how to get work. They believe that by including their degree in their résumé, potential companies will be clamoring for their services. obviously, this is not always the case.
How improve your job search strategy As A New Graduate
New graduates make the mistake of relying on their degree for employment rather than putting it to work for them. If you’re a recent graduate, this post will teach you three things you can do to improve your job search strategy.
#1. Use your school connections to your advantage.
Make use of the people around you to assist you to get work. This is especially significant if you are experiencing difficulty finding work in your subject of study. Old coworkers, friends, and especially professors from your previous school may have some chances for you. This is why it is critical to forming long-lasting friendships while in school.
#2. Don’t limit yourself to just acquiring a job.
If you are having difficulty finding work, you may need to change your strategy totally. Start your own business, host events on relevant themes, attend conferences on related issues, and do anything you can to meet new people and form long-lasting connections. These are some things you can do and ways of thinking you can adopt if you are having difficulty getting recruited.
At some point, you should cease handing out resumes and reassess your current situation. Success is not a straight-line path; as long as you put in the effort, opportunities will present themselves.
#3. Looking for work is a job.
Planning is at the heart of all successful life endeavors. As a recent graduate seeking work, you should consider it more of a self-promotion campaign than a job search. Employers aren’t too interested in your degree; what they seek is a candidate who will fit in and assist them to solve their business difficulties.
Take a look at the industry you wish to work in from the perspective of the employer. Adjust your job-search strategy to capitalize on your hobbies, and utilize them to help sell yourself to potential employers.
4 Ways to Put Your Degree to Good Use
You’ve spent years studying, and now you have a piece of paper and a very important qualification to show for it. The question is what are you going to do with it now that you have all the hard work done? You have so many options to choose from but the path forward is not always obvious. If you’re a new graduate who is feeling lost, the following are ways you can put your degree to good use.
#1. Travel and Work
Having a degree opens up a lot of opportunities if you go traveling. You will have spent the last three or four years studying hard, so the lure of moving away for work and considering your options could be tempting. You don’t have to see it as a permanent move, but the beauty is that it can be if you want it to be. There are English teaching options across the world for degree holders, and if there are other specific career paths you want to take, research to see if there are any internships or available jobs to give you experience while taking in a new country and culture.
#2. Go Into Business/Get a Job
Going into business automatically conjures up images of entrepreneurs and creating your own business from scratch. That doesn’t have to be the case as most businesses are looking for the best graduates to join their team and drive the company forward. You should research areas that you may be interested in and are relevant to your degree.
If you’re interested in logistics and you have a degree in business administration, why not look for a job in that area? Take a look at a guide online that tells you everything you need to know about fleet management. It might just help you make up your mind. If you graduated with a degree in hospitality management, why not look for open positions in busy hotels in your city? You’ll be able to step slowly into the fast-paced world of hospitality and find what specific areas you’re most interested in.
#3. Teach
If you feel as if you want to give back, and have a strong desire to help others, then teaching might be the way forward. A challenging yet rewarding career path that will give you a sense of accomplishment when you see those you have been teaching succeed. There may be graduate schemes available for those interested in the profession or you may have to take some time to learn how to teach effectively. Teaching is a stable career path that will lead to other opportunities and the chance to advance if you have the motivation.
#4. Keep Studying
If you have had thoughts about making a career in the academic world, then continuing to study is the only way forward. It might be worth considering a year out before you embark on a graduate degree, you have already spent years studying and as much as you may love it, a break may give you time to relax and be certain in your choices.
This break can also allow you time to develop opportunities like how to get paid to go to school or change your living arrangements to better suit the next phase of your life. Postgraduate studies will also be more beneficial for those whose career paths may be highly competitive and so have higher entry requirements.
Top 5 Skills Employers Look For
Learn what skills employers look for before you commit to a college degree. The ultimate goal of going to college is not just to get the degree, but to land a career as well. Obviously, employers want to make sure you are qualified for the job by having the appropriate degree, but they also need to know if you have the skillset too.
The top 5 skills employers look for include:
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Professionalism and strong work ethic
- Oral and written communications skills
- Leadership
What Is the Importance of Critical Thinking?
Almost every job requires critical thinking. Employees must be able to assess evidence, question assumptions, test hypotheses, observe, and draw conclusions from a variety of data sources. Critical thinking is more than a skill; it is a habit developed to aid in problem-solving.
Although critical thinking can be taught in the classroom, it must be practiced during studies and real-world experiences in order to develop the habit of applying critical thinking in your daily life. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, an employer’s top priority when hiring someone is critical thinking skills. Despite the fact that critical thinking abilities are what companies want and value the most, the average employer believes recent graduates are only “fairly adept” in critical thinking skills. This means that, while employers believe critical thinking abilities are 99.2% vital, only 55.8 percent of graduates possess them.
How to Improve Critical Thinking Capabilities
Students will begin to apply critical thinking skills to their work by participating in active learning. There are numerous opportunities for active learning. Active learning, whether through a joint educational opportunity, an internship, practicums, labs, or field experience, immerses students in the situations they will face in their careers. The student not only obtains real-world experience but also has the opportunity to put their problem-solving skills to the test and genuinely begin to improve them.
Engaging kids in learning during class can also help to enhance critical thinking skills. By participating in class discussions, activities, and interactions with other students and the professor, you will not only improve your problem-solving abilities through collaboration, but you will also improve your teamwork abilities.
The Importance of Workplace Teamwork and Collaboration
While college group projects can be taxing at times, they will prepare you for your future professional environment. Teamwork is required for professions across the board. From construction to marketing, nursing to acting, teamwork, and collaboration are essential to the successful operation of any organization or corporation.
The organization or firm will grow and succeed if you engage and collaborate with your coworkers. Everyone brings a unique skill set to the table. You may get a better conclusion or idea by communicating with your coworkers than you would have on your alone.
When you arrive at your new job with strong teamwork abilities already under your belt, you will be one step ahead of the competition. Although many businesses thought graduates might enhance their critical thinking skills, cooperation and collaboration were skills that most employers admired.
97.5 percent of employers believe teamwork and collaboration are crucial in the workplace, while 77 percent believe graduates are proficient in exhibiting these abilities.
Another reason businesses seek graduates with cooperation abilities is that those qualities can enhance workplace unity, improve productivity, encourage work synergy, and create new learning possibilities.
Professionalism and a strong work ethic are required.
Every employer has one thing in common: they all want their employees to have a strong work ethic and to be professional. Whatever job or career you choose after college, your employer will expect you to be professional and hardworking.
Every business wants its staff to exhibit one trait: professionalism and a strong work ethic. Whatever job you get after college, your employer will want you to have strong, professional social skills as well as a strong work ethic. All employers evaluated “Professionalism/Work Ethic” as 100 percent essential in the Employer Career Competencies survey, while only 42.5 percent of employees exhibited these behaviors.
Professional and Work Ethical Development
You have the opportunity to continue growing your professional abilities throughout your daily lessons, activities, and job schedule. These abilities can be developed through simple duties such as punctuality and a professional demeanor. They may also be developed as a result of more time-consuming tasks.
Some of these responsibilities may involve doing your work in an efficient and timely manner. People who have a high work ethic are less inclined to delay on the task at hand and are the first to step up and take on new responsibilities. Employers will be more interested in considering you for promotions, new positions, or other beneficial results if you have a professional approach and a strong work ethic.
Communication Skills (Oral & Written)
In this day and age, sending a quick text to your friends or family may not include proper grammar, resulting in a loss in your written or speech communication abilities. Another factor that can impair your communication abilities is a lack of face-to-face interaction. While knowledge of digital technology is required for many jobs, it should not be used as the exclusive mode of communication. The quality of face-to-face talks in the workplace suffers as a result. Many grads can improve on these skills as well. Although 95.9 percent of employers believe communication skills are important, only 41.6 percent believe employees are proficient in such skills.
Improving Oral Communication Capabilities
Overcommunication is one area of improvement that is reasonably easy to address. The simpler the message, the more likely it will be correctly received. Keep your message brief, straightforward, and to the point.
Engaging your audience is another way to improve your oral communication skills. You can better express your ideas and concepts as well as hear fresh ideas, questions, or other information by not only talking but also starting a conversation.
Finally, be a good listener. You must first and foremost be a good listener if you want to improve your talents and communicate successfully. You can provide more intelligent responses and remarks if you truly listen to what others have to say.
Improving Written Communication Capabilities
Written communication abilities are just as crucial as oral communication skills in many professions. By structuring your thoughts, you can begin to improve your written communication skills. When you’re writing, proofread it to check whether it seems muddled, meandering, or like your thoughts aren’t flowing.
If this is the case, prepare an outline for your work first to ensure that your thoughts are in a logical order, and then start writing.
This will give your work a more professional appearance. Another easy problem could be a lack of confidence in your writing. If you are concerned that your writing does not sound professional, try a program like be a listener or Microsoft’s “readability tool” to check how your work sounds, whether you have structural mistakes, and so on.
You will not only become a better colleague but also a better leader if you improve your communication skills.
Conclusions:
At the end of the day, your career’s future is in your hands. “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” Albert Einstein reportedly said.
To avoid falling into the stereotype of graduates being unable to find work in 2022 and beyond, university graduates will need to be more inventive in their job hunt.
Incorporate these three suggestions throughout your current job search. Connect with people in your field you already know, try new tactics, and remember that looking for a job demands the same intensity as working at a job.