India is a county of youths. As an estimated figure, around 15 million students graduate every year in India, and that is indeed a terrifying figure. With fewer job opportunities and cutthroat competition, it becomes tough for a fresher to get a job. Not just the competition, nearly every job profile needs candidates who have experience in the field, and that makes the whole process even more stringent. But you don’t have to worry about it anymore; we are listing down a few of the significant things that you have to keep in mind while doing job hunting so that you can grab the job of your dreams.

1. Set your priorities straight: Now while there are very constricted job openings in one particular sector, there are many job sectors available these days. It can get overwhelming for a student, and that is why it is imperative for you to set your priorities straight. Sit down and ask yourself why you need a particular job? Is it because it will make you happy? Is it because you need money? Or is it a stepping stone in your career? You need to be honest with yourself.

The second step is, inventory your skills. Take a sheet of paper and think of all the things you’re good at. It can be singing, dancing, cycling, anything. It does not have to be something appealing to a job, just the things you’re good at in life. The third step is, list your transferable skills. Transferable skills are the skills that you have, that you transfer over in another area. For example, in general, life skills like being good at managing people, communicating with people etc. are really appealing to certain sectors of jobs. Now the last thing is, educate yourself. Let’s say for instance that your job skills don’t match the position you’re seeking. Educating yourself is always a wise option. Hustle. Make yourself worth the position.

2. Build an enticing resume: Researches show that on an average, a recruiter spends not more than 6 seconds to go over a resume, accept or reject it! This gives you 5 seconds to be noticed! While this seems like a short time, you can do wonders in it if you do things right. Now, what brought you to this article? Wasn’t it the title/heading of it that intrigued you? If you build a resume with an enticing headline, you immediately get noticed. Add a cover letter and enhance your chances of selection. Now in the skills section, don’t waste the precious 5 seconds in monotonous and generic skills like hardworking, loyal etc., nobody is interested in that. Instead, mention how you plan to add value to them. Try to avoid objective statements like what you want from the job, instead of saying things like what you can offer to the workplace.

3. Do targeted research: With so many varieties of job sectors opening up, one might find it really confusing to determine what to go after, and most of the people end up keeping their legs in two boats simultaneously and not getting to the destination by either. The bottom line is, you know your skill set, you know your interest,  jot down a list of job and job sectors you see yourself working in. Do thorough research about the company and the job profile and focus on what value you can add to the company being in that position. In this way, you can eliminate the confusion and get to your job quicker.

4. Spread the word: While earlier people used to keep job hunting a low key and somewhat secretive procedure, it is in fact very crucial to spread the word that you’re job hunting now. It might reach to someone who actually has a job offer at the moment or someone who can write you a recommendation letter. It is very beneficial to have a recommendation backing you up in the cut-throat competition.

5. Attend nearby job fairs: A job fair is a hub of potential employers who are looking for freshers just like you! A job fair is hosted now and then by cities and universities, and it is an excellent opportunity to interact with people who are on the same boat. You can learn from their experiences and share your encounters with them. Also, you can meet a lot of recruiters and see what they’re looking for and build your resume accordingly.

6. Train to gain: There are so many short courses available that train you for a skill set for example computer courses, body language courses, C+++, Python etc. In case you’re falling short on the necessary skill set required for a job, you can acquire the skills by these short courses and present yourself as a passionate individual. Don’t wait for the company to teach you a specific skill under the ‘training period’ once you’re hired, learn the skills yourself and hence be well equipped for the job. Nobody would prefer a candidate who needs to be trained while paying them over a candidate who is already a learned person.

7. Direct approach: Even though almost everything is online these days, conventional methods never go out of style. Rather than sending resumes over and over again online, you can visit the office personally and enquire. You might get a chance of an on the spot interview! It would make you come across as a dedicated and hardworking candidate. One thing you must keep in mind post interview is a follow-up. Sending a thank you note after interview via email is a nice gesture and it makes you look like a good human being that you are.

So if you are a fresher looking for a job, do not feel held back by the ‘fresher’ tag,  rather feel proud because it means that you’re a candidate with fresh ideas! Being a fresher becomes a drawback the moment you think it is the things holding you back, rather, make it your asset! There are two different terms relating to job hunting, one is experience, and the other is a qualification. While you might not be experienced in doing a certain job, you are definitely qualified, and that’s the reason you’re applying for it in the first place! Always make sure you have got great things to the table, that’s how you get people to hire you.