How to be job ready before completing your graduation?

Corporates in India often cite their biggest concern for today’s youth, and that is they are not – ‘Job Ready.’

Every year India churns out lakhs of graduates across tech and non-tech domains, but unfortunately, many of them are facing unemployment. This is because the college curriculum, today, isn’t enough to become job ready. You need more than just getting marks to sustain in the world of cut-throat competition.

The task of becoming job ready starts during your college years and here are some of the things you can do to ensure that you are prepared to get jobs after graduation –

1. Plan your career goals

Career goals include both short term and long term plans and ensures positive career growth. Once you know where you want to head in your career, you will know the steps to take towards it. It is the first step towards becoming job ready. It’s like a map that you make for yourselves and follow for a lucrative career ahead.

2. Learn hard and soft skills

Both tech and non-tech graduates should focus on gaining hard and soft skills. Every profession requires skills, whether you are an engineer or an HR professional. The best way to get ready is to ensure that you get certified in these job skills. If you have relevant certifications on your resume, your future recruiters will be assured of your skill level even without testing you themselves.

3. Get a mentor

A mentor is someone who is experienced in the particular field you wish to gain expertise in. You can have mentors who are your professors, teachers, seniors at college, or even industry professionals who you have met through networking. But be aware that getting a mentor does not mean someone who will tell you exactly what to do. It simply means having someone who will guide you.

4. Start networking

A significant factor in becoming job ready before graduation is by getting into networking. Networking with a purpose can be complicated. People who are shy or intimidated about talking to senior professionals might find it tough.

But this is the time when people will be ready to help you as a student. You should join alumni societies, industrial societies, and gain advantages of being a student member.

5. Stay updated on trends

By trends, we don’t mean ensuring you are on top of the current Game of Thrones episode (on a side note that might be cool if your future recruiter is a GoT fan too!). But we mean that you need to know what are the trends impacting the industry you want to make a career in. During your college days, you will have time to follow the news, blogs, industry blogs, etc.

6. Clean up your social networks

College life means inundation of social media with all the party pics and crazy memes share and some crazy stuff you don’t want your future recruiter to know. Make sure you clean up your social profiles, remove any hateful stuff and ensure all your privacy controls are on. Also, an important step in being job ready is having a LinkedIn profile.

Also Read: Social Media Mistakes That Can Cost You Your Job

7. Gain references

Many jobs ask for references, and the best ones you can get are from your teachers. You can do this conveniently while you are in college as you are on the top of their mind. It will be challenging to get hold of them later; after graduation. Also, references might come handy during applications for higher education courses.

8. Get your resume ready

Imagine you have started applying to jobs but got stuck at the stage where you have to send a resume; because you don’t have one!

The most critical step in becoming job ready is to have an impressive resume available. You can use a tool like Resume Buddy to create a resume within minutes!

9. Become interview ready

Soft skills and interview skills are not learned overnight! You cannot prepare for a job interview after you get a call for an interview. The preparation of applying for an interview starts in advance during college itself.

The best way to get prepared is to do a mock interview; you should use Mock AI to undergo a mock interview. You will get feedback on your communication skills, voice modulation, and body language and it will take you ahead of your competition.

10. Don’t forget to study and ace your exams

While all these steps are important in becoming job ready, the most important is not losing sight of your college degree. Attend college regularly, take all the exams and pass them with brilliant marks.

Any backlogs of papers will only harm your chances of becoming job ready before you graduate! So study hard and be prepared to join a job after graduation.

Another essential thing to do is take the AMCAT Test which will set you apart from your competitors and make it easy for you to find your first job on AMCAT Jobs after your graduation.