Finding a Job was a pain.
Moreover, I felt uneasy when someone asked me, “Did you find a job?”
Maybe an engineer is supposed to have a job immediately after they have a degree in hand.
I think I had developed an ego about becoming an engineer.
In my mind, I had this notion that I could throw my degree at any company. And that company would gladly open its doors wide for me. Inviting me on a red carpet with music and band playing for my welcome.
I was completely mistaken. Even an engineering degree was just a piece of paper.
I had many lessons to learn.
This was the time to learn a very important lesson. And the lesson was to get clarity about finding a job.
First of all, I had to become clear about, what did I want in my career?
This clarity was important for finding a job immediately after completing my engineering.
Is finding a job easy?
In July of 1995, I completed my Bachelor of Engineering in Industrial Electronics. And I was expecting a job immediately on graduation.
I had interests in the field of computers or electronics.
Getting a job looked easy. I was thinking it is a five steps process,
- Find Listed Jobs.
- Apply for them.
- Get an Interview Call.
- Attend the Interview.
- Get an Appointment Letter.
None of that happened.
I was applying for a job in every possible company. And no one was calling me for an interview. Also, I did not know the reason for rejection.
After a month of trying I was totally frustrated, depressed and dejected.
I hung around without much hope.
Without a job, in hand, I started believing that my life is doomed.
My first lesson in Finding a Job.
It was time to learn my first lesson at the University of Life.
A silver lining came in from of my uncle, who was a General Manager of R&D at a well-known company at that time.
He asked me a very simple question, “Why do you need a job ?”. I fumbled to answer this simple question.
After having a heart to heart discussion with my uncle I realized that I was not clear about two things.
One is, why I was looking for a job?
Second is, what was I looking for in a job?
Discussion with my uncle helped me in getting clarity around my Job search. I landed a good job within weeks of our meeting.
Why I can help you with finding a job?
Today I have 20+ years of experience in the software industry. In this period I have changed my job several times. As a result, I have experience in finding a job.
Also, I have the experience of interviewing many engineers.
Based on my experience of finding a job and interviewing engineers, I have learned that job search has remained the same for several decades.
The challenges in finding a good job have remained the same. Lack of clarity is the number one reason why people don’t find the right job after completing graduation.
As a result of that, it is very important to gain more clarity around the job search.
Three Steps in Finding a Job
Probably you know by now what you need to find a job. To find a job you need to be crystal clear on what you are looking for in your next job. To identify that you can use this exercise.
Do this exercise to gain more clarity around your job.
Here we go, find a quiet place. Try to avoid all distractions. You can choose your favorite coffee shop or go to a park or beach.
Any place where you can sit a few minutes undisturbed to answer these questions. Carry a pen and paper avoid mobile, its distracting. Give enough time to answer each question clearly.
Start writing an answer to the questions below in the same order.
1. WHY: “Why do I need a Job ?” :
Ask your self “Why do I need a Job ?”. Take your time to think about this question. Maybe it looks simple it can be difficult to answer.
Make a list of all reasons you can come up with like,
- Become independent.
- Earn a living.
- Gain experience in the field of [YOUR FIELD OF INTEREST]
- Travel to the following [PLACES]
- Help the following [PEOPLE]
- Learn more about these [SKILLS or TALENTS]
Whatever are your reasons just list them down?
Arrange them in order of priority what you need most. It is fine to just have one reason.
For some people, money may be at top of their list. Other people may have some passion they want to fulfill. You should be listing what you think is important.
2. What: “What are the Skills and Talents I have ?” :
Every Job requires hard and soft skills.
Your skills should match with the job you are applying for this will improve your probability of finding a job.
You may have gained skills through education like going to college and getting a degree. Or you would have gained skills by the experience of working somewhere or for someone.
For example,
You may have gained your programming skills in college.
You may have gained event management skills as part of your hobby.
How to get a Salary Raise or Salary Increase within the same company?: Watch this video and learn more about the tried, tested and proven techniques to increase your salary within the next appraisal cycle.
Make a list of your Basic Skills, Soft skills, and Values,
- Basic Skills you have: Basic skills are those that are absolutely required for a Job. To apply for a software developer position you should have learned programming. This is the skill that will define what kind of jobs you can apply for. Be very clear and it will help you in landing the right job. Here are some examples of basic skills,
- Programmer
- Database Developer
- Writing and Editing
- Accounting
- Marketing and Sales
- Project Management
- Soft Skills you have: Soft Skills are general skills or competencies applicable to all jobs. Here are some examples of Soft Skills,
- Good in Communication
- Interpersonal Skills
- Presentation Skills
- Values you have: Values are personal qualities, habits, and attitudes that make you a good employee. These are the qualities that make you compatible to work with. Values are the labels people give us. Think about what labels perfectly fit you. Again be clear and list only values that you can justify. Here are some examples of values,
- Honest
- Hardworking
- Flexible and Accountable
- Responsible
3. How: “How am I going to find a Job ?”
After you are clear about your skills and values we move to this step.
These are a list of actions you are going to take to land a job. List down all the actions. All your actions should be related to your skills and values. They should be related to your area of interest.
Your list of action may look somewhat like this,
- Update my resume on LinkedIn and 3 Other Job Sites.
- Write a Cover Letter.
- Search and Apply for Job.
- Find References that can help.
- Respond to emails in 24 Hrs.
- Make Phone Calls based on Application.
- Prepare for Interview.
- Attend Interview.
Landing a job
The above exercise is designed to do two things. One is to get clarity around job search. Two is to keep you focused.
It is similar to creating a one-page plan to find a job.
Read this one-page plan every day.
It will keep you focused on the job search. And you will be able to spot and find a job more quickly.
What next?
I hope that you find your dream job.
But before you go, I have a video to share with you.
In this video, I talk about my frustrations and struggles. Moreover, you will also find out ultimately the way I found my first job.
Best of luck to all of those who are looking to find a job for the first time after completing their studies.