CyberFootprint

The economy sucks, yet schools are producing hundreds and hundreds of graduates. The unemployment is rising. Differentiation from the mass of other students has become more important than ever and standing out no longer suffices. You have to be exceptional to succeed. There are two challenges you must overcome and both of them entail a radically different approach to job hunting. Let’s now look at two main reasons why graduates are unemployed.

The graduates are perceived as too expensive

The first and foremost challenge is to persuade the employer that you are worth not only your salary but also your training and development package. On average, every company (by Central European measures) spends about $10,000 and a year of time training the newcomers to fit the company standard. By definition, you start to be profitable for the company at the beginning of your third year.

The stark economic reality only underlines the fact that the employers would rather keep most of the graduates as interns or hire them as freelancers. To get past this antagonist approach from the prospective employer you must demonstrate that you will be great at your job and that your successes will earn enough money to the company. You need to brand yourself as an asset to win.

The graduates are seen as disloyal

The grads often do not know what they want and take some jobs just to try what it feels like. Given that you cost the company an arm and a leg, make sure you know what you want before you apply for the job. Take enough time to think about the job you really want to do. Appear steadfast in your conviction and consistent in your judgment when you get to the interview. There is nothing else that your prospective employer will hate more than your indecisiveness.

I can hear you exclaiming “I don’t want to commit to one career path while I’m so young!” I understand that, nobody wants to get stuck in a dead-end job. Luckily, there is a place called college where you will spend 4 years of your life. Spend them wisely and try to work through as many jobs as you can. By the time your studies are over you will have a better idea of what career path to pursue and what type of work makes you feel happy.

Next steps

What shall we do with this situation to succeed? Naomi Klein already gave us the solution. It’s “brand like mad” and it’s the only sensible option. Start blogging to raise awareness about you, be active on social media to enhance your personal brand, attend local events to extend your network and start building your portfolio.  Shift your mindset from “as long as I’ll get the diploma, I’m fine,” to “unless I start doing something now, I’m screwed.”

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