5 Steps for Career Management
You might not realize it, but your career has already begun! Your decision to be here and the myriad of choices you will make over the course of your degree will largely determine your future. Career Management is a self-monitored process of structured planning based on your ability to set career goals and formulate strategies to achieve them. You should engage in this fundamental process as soon as possible.
Explore Your Path
In the economy of the 21st century, a career is no longer a linear process. The definition of what constitutes a career is changing. In this context, it is imperative that you expose yourself to a diversity of disciplines and topics. Devote yourself to explore, discover, try, adapt and adopt. Choose courses and extracurricular activities carefully, as they will become the fundamental building blocks of this educational journey. What are your values? What are you interested in? Are you a leader? What academic and transferable skills do you wish to acquire? By asking these questions, you will begin to carve your own unique path to the future.
Understand Yourself & Industries
Deciding on a career is a daunting prospect to many. It is important to evaluate your possibilities by assessing yourself, your interests, your strengths and your values. Answering these questions will lead you to gravitate towards the classes and extracurricular activities most relevant to your interests. Also explore which industries appeal to you. Information technology, banking, accounting, FMCG, manufacturing or new media may well require a set of specific skills, but they also demand candidates with transferable skills that can work across fields of expertise.
Gear Yourself Up
Finding a job is to market yourself. You have plenty of marketing tools at your disposal. Cover letters, resumes, a carefully crafted social media presence and solid references are part of your communication arsenals. Polished, engaging and error-free, these expressions of yourself should clearly explain why you are the best candidate for the job. From CV writing to mock interviews, our career services are there to facilitate that your job-search toolkits will help you increase the chances of being shortlisted and offered coupled with your own efforts. Gear yourself up by consulting online career resources frequently, attending seminars and talks to engage with industry professionals, reading industry news and by keeping abreast with the latest employment trends.
Search for Opportunities
Organizations ranging from government to multinationals are seeking to hire talented, and ambitious graduates. Make sure to elaborate a search strategy that best suits your interests and set of skills. Consult with the various career services we offer, but also explore all possible avenues, from professors, alumni network to family contacts. Network, participate in professional associations or organize business events, but stay visible. Every social interaction can become a node to career opportunities you are not aware of.
Jumpstart Your Career
Ready for the real world? Your internship morphed into a permanent job? Starting a career can be as intimidating as it is exciting. Always remember that your employer has invested in you, and thus wants you to succeed. You are obliged to remain accountable for launching a successful career. Professionalism, humility, and dedication are qualities that will serve you as much as any of the academic qualifications you have garnered over the years. The ability to decode and adapt to the company’s culture is fundamental to your success. Be ready to change first before thinking of changing others. Please stay engaged with us! You are now an alumnus.
