Few tips for a successful career post your UG

Going through a UG program from a top-notch institution is quite stressful. Outlining a career path post the UG degree becomes even more difficult if you did not have an end goal in mind when you decided to pursue your degree. While most students would have figured out their career options by the time they reach their final year, some of them start feeling the pressure and find themselves left with no alternatives.

About 60-70% of graduates start looking for job opportunities immediately after their graduation. The right strategy is to get yourself equipped while you’re already in college so you have a  job in hand before you graduate or have developed a solid network to help you focus on the job search.   It’s important to understand the prospects, competitions, job availability, and work requirements before you deep dive into a certain career.

Having good communication skills and a positive attitude makes a  huge difference in overall career development. Additionally, you should have a clear understanding of the skill sets and experiences that need to be developed in order to attain a job that you adore.   Your network is your net worth – It’s important to reach out to experts whom you can trust and seek their advice.

You need to work on building solid contacts with industry experts – this can be achieved by attending networking events, career fairs, and using social media platforms such as LinkedIn to pursue your dream job. Find out the path the professionals had created to reach their current position and title. Figure out the training, certifications, and roles that are required before you embark on the job.

Reaching out to some of the alumni through various platforms to seek their opinion is also a good strategy.   Your guide to successful undergraduate admission in the USHere are a few tips for a successful career path post your UG degree:  Pay due diligence to research and explore various options available for you while you’re still in college.   At the end of the day, choose a path that matters to you, not to your friends or family.

  Look at career choices strategically and not for short-term gains.    Take advantage of opportunities that are provided by the college such as the professional readiness program whose intent is to get you ready for the job market.    All good Universities offer a professional readiness program (PRP).

You’ve to make sure that you participate in such programs and have your CV polished for the local market requirements,  attend mock interviews, and read through the job descriptions posted by companies.   Take time off, travel, and reflect on various options that are available to you. You can keep yourselves busy by working on an internship/part-time job and also volunteering in an organisation for a good cause.

At the end of the day, it’s not only your intelligence quotient (IQ)  that matters but also your Emotional quotient (EQ) and Spiritual quotient (SQ).   Perhaps, it’s a good time to get into forming your own organisation. All it takes is some amount of confidence, tenacity, and business acumen to develop your start-up idea(s).

Focus on the advantages of  working on your own that includes:  a) Independence and autonomy to make your own decisions b) Control over the type of work and who you work with c) Flexibility to fit family and personal interests with work commitments d) Wonderful opportunity to work on various projects that you enjoy and cherish.  Before you attend any interview, spend quality time figuring out everything and anything about the company and do your best with emotion. You should ask for the toughest job and not the package.

It is important that you surrender your EGO and succeed with your LOGO and refrain from using any fancy or buzz words unless you know the depth and breadth of the company offerings.   At the end of the day, not all is lost if you’re still unemployed. You can seriously think about pursuing a  postgraduate degree that obviously demands your time commitment and funding.

However, you should pick the right course, figure out how it will make you employable after completion, what additional skills/knowledge you will gain with the course and something that you are truly passionate about.   On a parting note, remember that in life, uncertainties are inevitable but worrying is optional, panicking  is avoidable while planning is paramount.   The author is Global Dean (UG) – SP Jain School of Global Management and Professor – Supply Chain Operations, Data Sciences & Analytics.

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