5 ways to ensure you get a job after graduation

It can get pretty difficult to get a job once you are done with University, but this does not mean, with a few tips, that you cannot increase your likelihood of this happening for you.

1. Know what you want: In the name of trying to keep your options open, a lot of students make the mistake of trying to apply for anything and everything. This is not the way to go. Having a focus gives you a chance to take your time to research on that career path, know the organisations that will best suit you and build professional relationships. Remember, do not rely on just your passion when it comes to choosing a career. Most people have a lot of passions. Just look at something you in your life that you put a lot of effort in, and think how you can make a career out of it.

2. Build an online presence: This is 2015, employers will not only look at your CVs to determine if you will be hired. Having an online presence on platform like Linkedin, or having a blog, will give them more idea about who you are. There are a lot of competition out there, and these days, employers can base their final decision on how you come across online, even before they meet you.

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3. Don't be money-obsessed: We are all so eager to get out of school and start making money that sometimes we get blinded. How about you consider an unpaid internship for a few months? This is a great opportunity because it gives you the needed experience that you will need for a well-paid job in future, it gives your employer a chance to know you on the job, even employing you, and it gives you a chance to get acquainted with employee life without the immediate pressure to perform. Organisation now have internship programmes for this purpose because it gives them a chance to train you and know how you fit with the team before making the commitment to hire you.

4. Find a mentor: You have to find someone who is doing what you want to do. You can try advanced search on LinkedIn for the company and field where you want to work. For instance, if you want to work in marketing and MTV is your dream employer, enter those two search terms (Marketing and MTV) and see who comes up. Contact them and as for a chance to meet. This could feel like a long shot, but try with as much people as you can, you only need one "Yes." If you get one mentor, it can change everything for you

5. Double-check your application: Before you hit submit, triple-check everything for spelling, syntax, and grammar. Also, be sure that you have the right details in the right applications. Create separate folders on your computer for each company so that you don’t proudly state how excited you are to work at Company X when your application is for Company Y.