How should freshers apply for jobs (2023)
With more students graduating every year, finding a job is becoming tougher for freshers everywhere. Hence freshers need to look into different and creative ways to apply for the jobs they want.
If you are a fresher and getting a job is your priority, you might be confused about how to apply, and understand the different options available to you. This blog aims to provide you with clarity about the different ways of applying for jobs and how you can get more success with your application.
This blog has five parts. So make sure to read all of them to understand which options work best for you.
Linkedin is the one-stop shop for everything related to job search. It helps find opportunities, apply to jobs and research companies, identify the decision-makers, network with team members, and share a virtual resume through your profile.
It is a great idea to optimize all the above-mentioned features instead of just sticking to one. You never know which one might work out.
A few ways you can look into are –
- The Job portal in Linkedin is a good place to start. It gives an idea of what the job market looks like and what companies have openings.
- The job descriptions mentioned will help you make the perfect resume, highlighting the skills they are looking for.
- You will also get to know who the recruiter is and try to connect directly as well.
- You can look for particular companies you might be interested in and research them. Try to connect with their existing employees, maybe find a mutual network who can refer you. In case there isn’t a mutual connection you can still connect with a decision-maker within the company by adding a thought-out note on your connection request.
If you dont have a Linkedin profile, you will definitely need one. Those days are gone when we use to submit a hard copy of our resumes and have walk-ins interviews. In today’s age, all the recruiters are using Linkedin to advertise jobs and judge their candidates. Your Linkedin profile basically acts as your virtual resume. So it is important to keep it updated and brisk.
Also read – How to get an Internship with no Experience
Company websites
A lot of the companies tend to have job opening updates on their website itself. They usually have a career tab, under which you would find more details. Information about the organization, the work culture, employee benefits, and even employee testimonials are also mentioned usually.
Then details about various job openings will be mentioned. The position, location, and the experience needed are usually mentioned at first. Then further details such as job descriptions, responsibilities, and the skills needed are stated.
Once you have gone through all this information and found one which is a good fit, you can fill out your application. Here all your basic information will be needed (Name, address, educational qualification, experience). You will also need to attach a resume and a cover letter. It would be a good idea to customize your resume and cover letter for each organization you apply to, based on their requirements.
It usually takes about a week or less to get a response. If your profile is a good fit and you meet all the necessary qualifications, you will receive the details about the next interview stage in the mail. In case you are not selected for further rounds of interviews, it will be intimated about that as well.
I would strongly suggest that you keep an eye on your inbox to see when your application has been received and processed so that you can follow up if necessary. It’s also a good idea to keep a record of all the companies you have applied to and the date you applied on, so that you can make sure you don’t miss any deadlines.
Social Media
In today’s day and age, most companies have a social media presence. Whether it is Instagram, Twitter, or as we spoke about it before, Linkedin. This provides you with a great outlet to engage with their content.
You can follow the organizations and also the recruiters to stay updated. If you find a post that you have valuable insights on, you can try and connect through that.
Now let me make it clear, the idea here is not to ask for job opportunities in the comment section. What we can do instead, is to interact with their content by adding value. This way you can get noticed by the right people in the organization and make a good impression. So when you finally approach to enquire about job opportunities you will have an advantage.
Another bold move is to display your skills on one of these public platforms. Like Avkash Shah did, to bag an internship with CRED. The 21-year Graphic Designer made a video posted it on Linkedin and tagged CRED’s official page. The video got viral and caught the attention of the right people. He was soon offered the internship. You can read more about it here.
Direct Email
Usually, organizations mention an email id you can contact for career opportunities or for support. You can use this information to reach them directly as well. The idea here is to stand out and make an impression. Hence you can send a personalized email with your resume attached, that fits the requirements they looking for in their candidates.
The email you write should emphasize the role you are looking for, your skillset, and why you want to join that organization. Do a quick search on Linkedin or Google to learn more about the organization and its culture. Use some pointers you found in the email to show that you have done your research.
If you don’t get a response to your initial mail it is important to follow up. They probably receive hundreds of mail every day, so sending a reminder is a good idea. No response doesn’t mean rejection, and in the end, persistence might just pay off.
Job portal
Probably the most common outlet for job search is Job Portals. There are many such websites and apps where recruiters usually put up information about job openings. Based on your experience, skillset, location, or designation you can look for possible job opportunities.
Job portals are a great place to understand the job market. It gives you an idea of what kind of jobs are available for your experience and what kind of salary is being offered. It also usually comes with job descriptions which allows you to understand the job role.
The downside of job portals is that it is the most common method of finding jobs. Hence it makes it tougher to stand out. Your resume is the only way to communicate with the recruiter which limits your options. But you can still use these websites to find out the various job openings and use some of the above-mentioned methods to stand out in the selection process.
Conclusion
Getting started in a new field is always difficult. You are stepping into unknown territory. If you are looking to get a job as a fresh graduate, then you need to understand that not all jobs are the same. There are different types of jobs and the application process may also be different. There are many students who are graduating year after year and they are all looking for jobs. In this blog, we took a detailed look at how to apply for jobs as a fresh graduate. Everyone’s situation is different and we hope that you can find the job that is right for you! The job search process can be a challenge. We want to help make it as easy as possible for you.
We hope you enjoyed our article about how to find jobs when you are a fresher.
If you have any other ideas please leave them in the comments section below. We would love to hear them. Thank you for reading, and good luck!
