When students and recent graduates embark on their job search, they often encounter various challenges and pain points. Understanding these pain points can help students navigate the job market more effectively. Here are some common pain points for students as they look for new jobs:
Lack of Work Experience: Many students and recent graduates struggle with a lack of work experience, which can make it difficult to compete with candidates who have more extensive professional backgrounds
Finding Opportunities: Another pain point is finding job opportunities that align with their skills and interests. Students may struggle to identify suitable positions and may feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of job listings available
Staying Motivated: Job searching can be a lengthy and challenging process, and it's common for students to experience a lack of motivation along the way. Rejections and setbacks can dampen their spirits and make it harder to stay motivated
Lack of Skills: Students may feel that they lack the necessary skills or qualifications that employers are looking for. This can lead to self-doubt and uncertainty about their ability to secure a job
Uncertainty about Suitable Jobs: Many students struggle with knowing what type of job or apprenticeship will suit them best. They may feel unsure about their career path and worry about making the wrong choice
Experience Journey of a Student Graduate Looking for a New Job
Meet Sarah, a recent college graduate with a degree in engineering. After completing her studies, Sarah is excited to enter the job market and put her skills to use. However, she soon realizes that finding a job is not as easy as she thought. Sarah encounters several pain points during her job search journey:
Lack of Work Experience: As a fresh graduate, Sarah lacks significant work experience in the engineering field. She worries that this might put her at a disadvantage compared to candidates with more internships or co-op experiences
Finding Opportunities: Sarah spends hours searching online job boards and company websites for engineering positions. She feels overwhelmed by the sheer number of listings and struggles to find opportunities that match her skills and interests
Staying Motivated: After several rejections and unanswered applications, Sarah's motivation starts to wane. She begins to doubt her abilities and wonders if she will ever find a job in her desired field
Lack of Skills: Sarah worries that she may not possess all the skills and qualifications that employers are looking for. She questions whether her college education has adequately prepared her for the demands of the industry
Uncertainty about Suitable Jobs: Sarah is unsure about the specific engineering role that would be the best fit for her. She is torn between different specializations and fears making the wrong career choice
What Employers Look for in an Engineering Graduate
Employers often have specific criteria and expectations when hiring fresh college engineering graduates. Here are some qualities and attributes that employers commonly look for:
Relevant Work Experience: While work experience is often a pain point for students, employers value candidates who have gained practical experience through internships, co-op programs, or part-time jobs during their college years. This demonstrates a candidate's ability to apply their knowledge in real-world settings2.
Technical Skills: Employers expect engineering graduates to have a strong foundation in technical skills relevant to their field. This includes proficiency in programming languages, software tools, and engineering principles2.
Problem-Solving Abilities: Engineering roles often involve complex problem-solving tasks. Employers seek candidates who can analyze problems, think critically, and propose innovative solutions2.
Teamwork and Communication Skills: Collaboration is essential in engineering projects. Employers value candidates who can effectively communicate and work well in teams2.
Adaptability and Willingness to Learn: The engineering field is constantly evolving, and employers look for candidates who are adaptable and eager to learn new technologies and techniques2.
How can Job Seekers utilize Google Alerts to get notified about jobs!
Here's a step-by-step approach for setting up job alerts using Google Alerts that can be useful for job seekers, along with a scenario for searching for a Java developer position:
Scenario: John is a computer science graduate who is looking for a Java developer position in San Francisco. He wants to receive job alerts that match his skills and interests.
Step 1: Create a Google Alerts Account
Go to google.com/alerts and sign in with your Google account.
If you don't have a Google account, create one by clicking on the "Create account" button. Step 2: Define Your Search Terms
In the "Search queries" field, enter the job title and relevant keywords related to your desired position, such as "Java developer", "Software engineer", "San Francisco", etc.
Separate each keyword with a space or comma. Example: "Java developer San Francisco" Step 3: Choose Your Alert Settings
Under "How often do you want to receive alerts?", choose how frequently you want to receive alerts - "Everything", "Once a day", "Once a week", or "Once a month".
Select the time frame for which you want to receive alerts - "Last hour", "Today", "This week", "This month", or "All time".
Choose the sources you want to receive alerts from - "Everyone", "Webpages", "News", "Blogs", or "Videos". Step 4: Customize Your Alerts
To customize your alerts, click on the "Customize" button next to the "Search queries" field.
In the "Keywords" section, add or remove keywords related to your job search.
In the "Exclusions" section, add any irrelevant keywords or websites you don't want to receive alerts from. Step 5: Review and Save Your Alerts
Preview your alerts by clicking on the "Preview" button.
Make sure your alerts are set up correctly and reflect your job search criteria.
Click on the "Save" button to save your alerts. Step 6: Monitor Your Alerts Regularly
Log in to your Google Alerts account regularly to monitor your alerts.
Read through the alerts carefully and follow up on any relevant job openings.
Here's an example of what John's Google Alerts setup might look like:
Search query: Java developer San Francisco
Frequency: Daily
Time frame: Last week
Sources: Webpages, News, Blogs
Keywords: Java, developer, San Francisco, software engineering, programming, internship
Exclusions: Non-job-related content, irrelevant companies
Creating Contextual Resume and Including Github and Public Portfolio Links
To become relevant for recruiters and hiring managers, engineering students can create a contextual resume and include Github and public portfolio links. Here's how:
Contextual Resume: A contextual resume is a tailored resume that highlights the candidate's skills and experiences relevant to the job they are applying for. Engineering students can create a contextual resume by customizing their resume to match the job description and using keywords that align with the employer's requirements.
Github and Public Portfolio Links: Github and public portfolio links can showcase a candidate's technical skills and projects. Engineering students can create a Github account and upload their coding projects to demonstrate their proficiency in programming languages and software tools. They can also create a public portfolio website to showcase their engineering projects, internships, and other relevant experiences2.
By creating a contextual resume and including Github and public portfolio links, engineering students can demonstrate their technical skills and relevant experiences to recruiters and hiring managers. This can increase their chances of securing a job in their desired field.
Specifics About the Code in Github and Public Portfolio Links and Networking in LinkedIn
When creating Github and public portfolio links, engineering students should ensure that their coding projects are well-documented and showcase their technical skills. They should also include a brief description of each project and highlight their contributions to the project. This can help recruiters and hiring managers understand the student's technical abilities and experience. Networking on LinkedIn can also be an effective way for engineering students to connect with professionals in their desired field. Students can join industry-related groups, participate in discussions, and connect with professionals who work in their desired field.
By making your GitHub profile public, recruiters will be able to view your repositories, contributions, and other information on your profile, increasing the likelihood of them connecting with you for potential job opportunities. It's important to note that while making your profile public can enhance your visibility to recruiters, it also means that anyone can see your activity and information on GitHub. If you have concerns about privacy, you can explore other options such as limiting the visibility of specific repositories or using private repositories for sensitive projects.
In addition to making your profile visible, there are other strategies students can employ to stand out to recruiters on GitHub:
Showcase Your Best Projects: Highlight your most impressive projects and contributions on your profile. This can demonstrate your skills and expertise to recruiters2.
Provide Clear Project Descriptions: Include detailed descriptions of your projects, explaining the technologies used, your role, and the impact of the project. This helps recruiters understand your experience and accomplishments2.
Contribute to Open Source Projects: Actively participate in open source projects to showcase your collaboration skills and demonstrate your ability to work in a team2.
Engage with the Community: Interact with other developers, participate in discussions, and provide valuable insights. This can help you build a strong network and gain visibility among recruiters2.
Link Your GitHub Profile on LinkedIn: Add your GitHub profile link to your LinkedIn profile, making it easily accessible to recruiters who visit your LinkedIn page. This can further enhance your visibility and demonstrate your commitment to your craft5.
As student, you need to effectively document your contributions to open source projects on GitHub, consider the following approaches:
Commit Messages: Write clear and descriptive commit messages that explain the purpose and impact of your changes. This helps other contributors and maintainers understand your contributions when reviewing the project's commit history.
Pull Request Descriptions: When creating a pull request, provide a detailed description of the problem you addressed, the solution you implemented, and any relevant context. This helps reviewers and future contributors understand the purpose and impact of your changes.
Code Comments: Add comments within your code to explain complex logic, algorithms, or any other parts that may require additional context. This helps other developers understand your code and encourages collaboration.
Documentation Updates: If your contributions involve updating project documentation, ensure that your changes are clear, concise, and well-organized. This helps users and future contributors understand the project and its features.
Issue References: If your contributions are related to specific issues or feature requests, reference them in your commit messages or pull request descriptions. This helps maintain a clear connection between the issue and your contributions.
Maintain a Personal Blog or Portfolio: Consider maintaining a personal blog or portfolio where you can showcase your open source contributions. Write blog posts or articles that explain the projects you contributed to, the challenges you faced, and the solutions you implemented. This helps potential employers and recruiters understand your skills and expertise.
Participate in Project Discussions: Engage in discussions on the project's issue tracker, mailing list, or chat channels. Share your insights, provide feedback, and help other contributors. This demonstrates your active involvement in the project and your commitment to its success.
Include Contributions in Your Resume: Highlight your open source contributions in your resume. List the projects you contributed to, the nature of your contributions, and any notable achievements or impact resulting from your contributions. This helps recruiters and potential employers recognize your active involvement in the open source community.
By following these approaches, you can effectively document your contributions to open source projects on GitHub. This not only helps you showcase your skills and expertise but also contributes to the overall success and growth of the open source community.
By implementing these strategies, you can make your GitHub profile more appealing to recruiters and increase your chances of getting noticed for job opportunities in the tech industry.
How Improv Could Help Students Tailor Their Resume and Get More Interviews
Students can tailor their resume and get more interviews. Improv is a web-based platform that uses artificial intelligence to analyze job descriptions and provide personalized feedback on resumes. Here's how Improv can help engineering students:
Sentences that help you align the resume with the job description
Quantifying your experience
Identify missing keywords which are required in the job description.
Grammatical or spelling mistakes.
Resume Summary
Email to Hiring Manager
By using Improv, engineering students can create a contextual resume that aligns with the employer's requirements and increases their chances of getting an interview.
Try Improv and Increase your chances of getting interviews! Click here to learn more
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