28 July 2010
If you are a graduate and you are still unemployed despite your fervent efforts, you may want to take a look at your resume and the career path you are taking. It is either the former is poorly made, or the latter is not the ideal one for you. It is also important that you are very much aware of what the companies are currently looking for in their employees. Like any relationship, employer-employee requires a perfect match.
Sandwich degrees are so much better.
It is already a given fact that having a degree or a certificate of completion gives you an edge over those who never made it to college or vocational school. However, those with sandwich degrees will fare much better. A sandwich degree is a course that provides at least a year of on-the-job training for students.
This is preferred by many employees since OJT training can already be counted as a working experience. They usually hire those who already know the ins and outs of their jobs and those who demand less training and less company expenses.
People skills are highly demanded.
Take a look at all the job ads. You will notice that virtually all of them need people who know how to speak, write, and listen effectively. Even if you are working behind the desk from 9 to 5, you still have to interact with your boss, colleagues, and even clients. You have to convey the right attitude and people-skill to everyone.
All it takes is initiative.
Companies do train their employees to do the job better. They will also provide troubleshooting tips when the going gets tough. Nevertheless, you cannot expect business owners to be always reminding their workers about a certain issue. Initiatives then come in. Those who show such trait on the job are often those who get promoted. This is because majority of employees with initiative also develop leadership and interpersonal skills. These workers also have a high grade for communication skills.
You have to be an IT-educated person.
Brick-and-mortar businesses are already adapting technologies to speed up productivity and improve accurate data. Every business maintains at least one computer. Thus, if you are computer illiterate, it will be very difficult for you to land a job. On the other hand, you are on a good head-start if you have intermediate or advanced IT skills. Therefore, it is best to pick colleges and universities that incorporate IT in their curriculum.
If you’re applying on a job that does not primarily revolves around IT (such as being an accountant, office clerk, HR manager, sales representative, teacher, and the likes), your computer experience does not need to be topnotch. As long as you know how to operate the machine, then you’re good to go.
Work ethics still matter.
In spite of the many changes in the workplace, certain things still remain. It is essential for would-be employees to honor working schedules, to show respect to their heads and fellow workers, to offer support to their subordinates, to follow the rules, and to never engage in office politics and gossip.