Landing your first job can be a challenging task. The job market is highly competitive, and it’s even harder when you don’t have any prior professional experience.
7 Expert Ways to Make Sure You Land A Well Paid First Job
Transitioning from studying to getting your first full-time position isn’t easy, and you need to focus on a number of areas to present yourself as the best candidate for it.
The good thing is that getting hired in a well-paid first job isn’t impossible, and investing your efforts in the right area can help you achieve that.
Here are seven tips that can help you climb the professional ladder:
Enroll in an online program
Perhaps there’s no better way to improve your employment prospects than obtaining extra qualifications. Even if you’re studying or currently working on a part-time job, you shouldn’t hold yourself back. Getting a degree through an online program is an excellent way for professionals to improve their career advancement prospects.
Online degree programs are relatively more affordable than traditional programs and you can complete the degree and obtain your qualification from anywhere. With 44% of online students reporting improvements in their employment standing, online learning is worth considering.
Explore the job market
You aren’t going to find out which jobs are better if you don’t know what’s out there. Most candidates make the mistake of focusing only on traditional channels, such as the newspaper, to look for open positions.
You need to expand your efforts and explore various job search platforms to explore different listings. It can be challenging to determine which job search platform is the best, but some of the best ones are LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Monster.
When you explore listings, you shouldn’t apply for them immediately. Get an idea of the kind of jobs available, whether they’re a fit for your skills, and how much they typically pay. I’d you’re interested in a position, you can find out how you’ll qualify for it.
Present yourself as an expert
HR departments in any company are on the lookout for candidates that have the skills that are the best fit for a position. When you possess the knowledge relevant to a job, the next thing you need to do is show that you’re an expert in the field.
Even if you have no professional experience, you can still focus your efforts on other areas to give yourself an edge over other candidates. You can:
- Create informative content and post it on an Insta page or a YouTube channel
- Write about your field on a blog
- Post on social media regularly
- Make sure you know the latest trends in your field
- Refine your leadership skills
Improve your leadership skills
The job market changes rapidly, but one skill that’s always going to be in demand is leadership.
If you’re still studying, make an active effort to take up leadership positions, such as by leading a group project, becoming the head of a club or organization, getting an on-campus job so you can add those to your resume, and talk about them in your interview.
Apart from this, you can volunteer outside of school to take up leadership roles for events and charitable organizations.
An essential aspect of leadership is to develop your communication skills, so you learn how to manage people and convey your needs and expectations effectively.
Research the financial health of companies
Researching the company you’re applying to is a critical aspect that many potential candidates tend to forget. It’s essential to be aware of how a company stands financially before applying for a job position.
The more stable a company’s financial position and health are, the more likely they’re going to pay you well.
If you’re considering a public company, the best way you can assess its financial health is to analyze its quarterly earnings reports. Positive trends in net sales and profit margins are typically good indicators of financial growth.
For a private business, you should go through company reviews to determine whether they’re suitable for career development and compensation.
