Every year, millions of fresh graduates enter the job market for the first time with uncertainties lurking in their heads on how to take the first step. The job market is a competitive world and new job seekers should be able to keep up with the competition. With the Covid-19 pandemic, job search has become even more challenging as some businesses have closed shop, others are struggling, while many have transitioned into the remote work approach. The question is, what should a first-time job seeker do to effectively traverse his job search in this daunting word? Read on to find out.

1. Sell Yourself

Some applicants fail to see the importance of writing a cover letter. Writing a short but thoughtful cover letter is an impactful strategy for getting the attention of the hiring manager. Since a lot of people do not do this often, why don’t you do it to set you apart from the rest? This is where you briefly tell the hiring manager about your qualities that make you a right fit for the job. With the absence of experience, this will suffice in order for the hiring manager to get a feel of how passionate you are about getting the job. This is where you make your pitch and advance to the interview stage.

2. Activate Your Network

As a fresh graduate, you feel that you don’t have a network. Your friends, family members, professors, career advisers, are among the people you can reach out to when you search for a job. The more time you spend extending your network, the more chances you have to actually landing a job. Your conversation with your network need not be about directly asking help from them with your job search. Think of it as a way to gather information and make new connections that could benefit your job search. From these connections, you may find new opportunities.

3. Create a Personal Website

This is where you highlight yourself and showcase your qualities and abilities to your potential employers. With the lack of professional experience, you need to show that you are capable and passionate about everything that you do. This strengthens your personal brand and establishes your credibility by posting your resume, showing your sample works whether these are school projects or not, and other materials that you think the hiring manager may want to see.

4. Be flexible

As a first-time job seeker, the right job might not land on your lap at once. The goal is to find your first job and gain experience which you may use to switch to a new job later on. As you start working, your goals and interests will evolve through time until you find your niche. The initial opportunity could introduce you to a whole new universe where you could harness your ultimate potential.

5. Create a good online presence

As the hiring process evolves, some hiring managers opt to check out candidates’ social media accounts. You want your social media presence to reflect your true personality and the values that you live by. Crazy as it may sound, your social media presence can make or break your job search. With the competitive job market, hiring managers can easily move on to other candidates.

People go through many firsts in their lives and finding the first job is the most difficult one. The first step is to have faith in yourself that you can do it and let it show by being confident. Stick to your values and everything will fall into place.