In the current job market where unemployment rate is high, fresh graduates and school leavers should be realistic in their search for jobs. They should not have high hope in getting the 'right' job at their first attempt, but should aim to gain worthwhile experience from their first job.

Indeed, the chances of finding the 'right' job at the first time are small, unless for graduates whose qualifications decide specifically what kind of job they are going to do after graduation. In the real work life, we see many people change their jobs several times particularly during the early part of their career.

As long as one does not change his job every often, e.g. every year or less, changing a job can be seen as a healthy scenario, which means his skill or experience is much needed despite the economic downturn. However, in order to get worthwhile experiences at work, a job seeker is advised to stay at least three years upon his acceptance of any job offer.

Preparing Yourself For The Competitive Job Market

Do not think you can solve problems that arise in job search all by yourself. The price to pay for ignorance or passive attitude is too high to bear. You may end up not getting any job offer after attending many interviews and sending out many resumes. Without proper guidance, you will find not only frustration, but constant failure in your job search.

Fresh graduates should get career counselling or professional advice from the university about techniques to apply for jobs, which organisation to contact, arranging interviews, organising visits, or making contacts with the personnel in charge.

If you are not so sure about what you want to become, try to discuss with parents and friends who know your characters. Tell them which career you want to go in for, why you chose to pursue a certain degree or course, what makes you think you can do better than others in certain jobs, what is your future plan besides working for an organisation, and ask their opinions about your plan. All these are important bearings that help you focus in your career, so do not shy away from talking about them.

Besides your plan, your interests and hobbies outside your studies are important indicators of what you want to achieve in career and in life. And since you are fresh from campus and have no previous work experience, this is one of the many yardsticks which a prospective employer has of judging your initiative and your ability, apart from your academic achievement.

Particularly valuable are those activities in which you had some organising functions, and where you had to get along with and work with others. Examples of such activities are various clubs, sports team, debating society, youth group, college magazine, voluntary service and charity work. Unless you are ask to comment on certain political issues, try to keep off the subject of political activities as this could set up a strong prejudice against you.

Last but not least, see yourself as a unique person with desirable characters – someone who is honest, hardworking, responsible, caring, helpful, disciplined and open-minded. Only when you see yourself as a valuable person, you can have pride in yourself and convince others of your value. After all, being jobless at this downturn of economy is not necessarily your own fault. See things positively so that you open up yourself to more options while learning painfully from your job searching experiences.