How to be career ready in the final year of your university

The thought of graduation may come across as abjectly terrifying to many soon-to-be graduates. Because when you step out of your university, you venture into a new phase of your life — which may just be the "great unknown" for you if you have not yet planned what to do after losing the undergrad title. Here is a four-step guide to help you become career ready in the final year of your university and secure your after-graduation future.

Find preferable opportunities

Many undergrads wait until they graduate to start applying for a job. However, because it takes a long time to find a completely new job suitable for you, it is crucial to start early. Starting at least six months before your anticipated graduation date gives you time to land your dream job.

Zeeshan Ahmed, Head of Brand Marketing at Shikho and former Brand Manager at Sunsilk & TRESemmé at Unilever, suggested, "Undergrads should converse with people from different backgrounds in order to explore what career options they have and which one will actually suit them." For instance, if you are a marketing major, do not think that your career options are limited to becoming marketing managers or sales representatives. There are other fields like product management, supply chain operations, or project management that you may consider when looking for a job.

Minhajur Rahman Joy graduated from Dhaka University in 2021 and currently works as a Territory Officer at British American Tobacco (BAT) Bangladesh. He said that in our country, we usually use LinkedIn or Bdjobs to search for job openings. "However, he states, "if you want to join certain companies, you should keep an eye on their 'career' pages to learn about job postings and skill-development workshops." Some examples of such career pages are British American Tobacco Global Careers, Unilever Careers, Nestlé Careers, etc. Moreover, almost every university career club organises career fests where different companies collect resumes from potential candidates. Minhajur believes that undergrads should take advantage of such opportunities.

Regarding finding preferable career opportunities, Zeeshan added, "When you have a company that you really want to work for, you can reach out to that company even if there is no job opening at that moment." One thing to keep in mind is that if the company recruits new batches of employees regularly, then you should probably wait till the next hiring season.

Develop marketable skill sets

No matter what career path you pursue, you should continuously build new skills to add to your repertoire. This is the only way to stand out from the crowd and create better opportunities for yourself. Regarding this, Zeeshan remarked, "The most in-demand skill in the job market right now, in my opinion, is communications skills — regardless of industry." Strong communication skills are essential when it comes to better understanding people, resolving conflicts, and building trust. 

According to Zeeshan, the second most marketable skill is presentation skills. By presentation, we do not mean presenting in classrooms with PowerPoint slides; presentation skills mean pitching an idea to your audience in a compelling and convincing manner. "And the third most in-demand skill is adaptability — how fast you can adjust to changes in the environment," added Zeeshan, noting that companies prefer employees who are able to learn and shift gears easily.

It is also a good idea to apply for part-time or virtual internships, especially at a company where you might be able to turn your temp job into a permanent one. It is one of the most effective ways to equip yourself with new skills and expand your network — all of which will help with landing a full-time job upon graduation.

Adding a different perspective to the discussion, Zeeshan recommended, "I would implore all the undergrads to try their hands at entrepreneurship, even if they are not from a business background. You can even start by selling small stationery items online." He believes that running a business helps determine your career path, as it requires you to have project and people management skills, as well as an understanding of supplier relationships and market demand.

Grow your network

Spend time building connections with professionals in your field of interest. These people can provide career advice and keep you posted with new opportunities. As per Minhajur, the most effective way to build your network is to participate in various career-related seminars and extracurricular activities. He shared that he used to participate in business competitions during his university days where he would meet students from different universities. He would also chat with the judges after they had conducted workshops and that helped him in building professional networks. Even if you are not attending a business competition, you can join conferences, strike up a conversation with the speakers at a panel, and ask to see if they are willing to answer more questions that you may have.

Zeeshan mentioned, "If you are interested in a specific company, use LinkedIn to find out the employees of that company and interact with them by commenting on their achievements or the like." They typically have advice on what the company is looking for and they may also be able to put you in touch with someone who can help you with finding job opportunities at that company.

Remember that the student card can get you far, so play it wisely and find an excuse to work with people from your dream company. For instance, you can visit a company and talk to the managers when writing a report on them for a university project. Of course, if you have trouble getting access, you can speak to your university professors. They usually have tons of connections to people in different industries. 

Prepare your job application materials

The most important part of your job application is a resume, and yet, it is also one of the easiest to get wrong. So, have a general format of your resume prepared — highlighting your work experience, skills, and education — that you can adjust based on different company requirements. When you have created your first resume or updated your old one, make sure to get personalised feedback to understand where it needs corrections. Also, get your LinkedIn profile set up and keep it updated because it can serve as your 'virtual' resume.

Once you have prepared your resume, write an effective cover letter that you can send with your resume when the recruiter asks for one. In your cover letter, explain why you would be a good fit for the position and provide evidence of what sets you apart.

Last but not least, have some references ready who can speak about your best qualities, skills, and qualifications. When you apply for a job, you may be asked to provide the contact information of at least three references. Always let the references know that you are including his/her name in your resume, so they aren't thrown off guard when suddenly contacted by recruiters.

However, if you want to work in the creative sphere like photography, web designing, or writing, perhaps your résumé will not matter as much as your online portfolio does. As such, building a portfolio that promotes your personal brand and showcases your best works is also a safe option.