5 Career Tips for Freshers
Often, while searching for a job, you would have come across descriptions requiring a certain number of years of experience. There is no doubt that certain jobs need a minimum experience level, however what about the jobs that are open to both freshers and people with experience? One is bound to think that people with experience will gain an edge because practical knowledge is gained not through books but by experience. However, this is not always the case- in many job profiles, freshers are given a priority over experienced people.
Therefore, if ever in a situation, when one has to interact with people who are way more experienced than one is, how can one make a difference? How can one narrow this gap and make it as an opportunity to learn and move ahead in one’s journey? Here are 5 important things that freshers should remember to climb the ladder of success.
- Come out of the comfort zone — Transitioning from life as a student to one in the corporate world can be an overwhelming experience in the beginning. The opportunities presented in the corporate world may not appear as straightforward and may be challenging to grab. However, one needs to step up and start taking initiatives whenever possible even if it means coming out of one’s comfort zone because one may never know which opportunity can turn into a breakthrough. Remember, every little thing that we do no matter how small we think the work is, it adds to our knowledge and steepens the learning curve. Moreover, in this rapidly changing technological world, no one can sit on the skills previously earned, there has to be continuous development with the changing surroundings and updating skills accordingly.
2. Curiosity is the key — Compared to people with so many years of experience, freshers usually find the corporate world intimidating at first. Everything is new and there may be times when one may feel completely lost and confused. However, there is nothing to worry about, because it is quite normal. We humans need time and space to adapt ourselves to the changing circumstances, and one of the main tools that can help in surviving and adapting is asking more and more questions. Let me share an interesting incident with you that happened with me. Once, while appearing for an interview, the interviewer asked me “Why should we choose you and not the other candidates who have so much more experience than you?” The prompt response that I gave was, “Being a fresher, I would show exemplary enthusiasm and zeal to learn new things which might not be the case with experienced candidates because they have been working in that environment already and probably know all the ins and outs”. (PS: I got selected for the job.) So, ask as many questions as you want to, because it is the first step in the process of learning.
3. Build on networking- As humans are social animals, we need emotional and social support and this need becomes altogether more important when we enter into an arena which is unknown to us. Most of us have already been hearing about the importance of networking in college. Networking does not only mean building strong relationships with your peers in the organization but to build a formal relationship with as many people as you can because one never knows at what point of time anyone can be of help to us or vice versa. No one wants to be the frog in the well but wants to be recognized as a butterfly that can fly places and win hearts of people.
4. No one is perfect- The phrase that no one is perfect leads to one of the most important things in both professional and personal life and that is to ask for feedback. There is always a room for improvement and this can only be done if one knows the weaknesses.
Not only can we learn from our own mistakes but also, the experiences of others can teach a person a lot, as to what to do and what not to. So, take some time out of work and ask people about their life and experiences along with trying to know if and how you can be of help to them. One should learn to differentiate between harsh and constructive criticism.
5. Setting objectives- Everyone wants to move forward in life but knowing in which direction to go is of utmost importance. Just as a compass helps one in finding directions when lost, similarly, writing objectives and goals of short or long term can help one to move in the right direction in one’s journey. There may be times when one can feel overwhelmed with workload and pressure, these are the times that require one to sit back and think as to what is one’s priority and why is one doing a specific work. If one has the clarity as to what one wants, then the path gets sorted automatically.
These points may not be the exhaustive list but can help freshers to build a foundation to lead to strong career choices ahead. Lastly, it is okay to make mistakes especially when one is new to something. So, don’t be afraid of them, rather try to learn because anyone can capitalize on profits but very few can earn profits from losses. I hope you and up being the latter one.