Written by Monica

Rista Monica Giarno Putri, or usually called Monica, is postgraduate student in Human Resource Management (International Development) program. Prior to study, she has several years of experiences working as HR professional in global consumer goods industry, fashion retail company, and local technology company in her home country Indonesia.

“Life after graduation is another critical journey to learn and develop ourselves in professional path, yet also challenging. We often dream to work in our preferred industry, company, or particular environment. To get there, we may feel exhausted as the process to get a job in an aspired company takes time, sometimes more than what we anticipated. Therefore, just like studying, searching for the right career for also needs strategy and planning to focus our effort and energy into the goal. Here are some tips for job search strategies I have used and observed back during my professional journey that helped me to land my job at my dream company.

Firstly, figure out what is your dream by listing the company, industry or role you want to work at. Not just leaving it as a list, write down why you want to work there. For instance, you aim for a technology industry, and that is because you are passionate in optimizing technology products in your daily life, thus, it leads to your willingness to also contribute your skill in product management at a technology company. Or another example, simply because you have researched specific industry players and you love the culture of openness and exposure to learning in the organization. To find this kind of information, go to official company website, or online job platforms. There are many where you can find out by understanding more about yourself and the job market.

The other influential step is to expand your network and learn from professionals in the relevant industry. We can upskill ourselves by connecting with relevant professionals offline or online, on job platforms like LinkedIn, personal blogs like Medium, or attending their webinars to get informed in the latest trend or insight of industry from their perspective. By equipping ourselves with sufficient knowledge, this will distinct us from other candidates as having better substantial preparation.

The third one is building our perseverance or mental resilience. Searching for a job can take huge energy and focus since it may take 3 months or even much longer due to fierce competition in the workforce. We may receive countless rejection after applying for roles. And that’s normal, we may not always succeed all the time in life and we must face the truth with the right mental model. We need to have the mindset to see rejection as valuable information to improve ourselves in the process, such as revising your CV, ensuring that when you apply online you complete all necessary information, or learning new skills to upgrade your portfolio. Besides, always hold on your initial purpose to give you hope, then keep trying. When one door is closed, there are other doors outside waiting for us. Do not lose the chance by being pessimistic and doing nothing.

Finally, while spending our time to focus on our needs, there is no harm for us to also help others. Join the force to give back to society, it can be volunteering in organizations or independently. I personally believe, when we give others something, it will bring kindness not just for people but also ourselves, maybe not now, or in 6 months, but it will.”

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