A fresher's dilemma

ALL OF us have been freshers at some time in our lives. It's not merely unfortunate that one finds oneself in this Catch-22 situation - sometimes it gets even worse. Eager and enthusiastic, armed with CVs, one makes a beeline to all the companies that could possibly be listed in the yellow pages. It's just one's lousy luck that the organisation you applied to does not take trainees or interns anymore. Job-hunting, as a fresher, is also an art to be mastered by the time one lands employment.

Try recruitment ads and other sources: If you pass out from a reputed engineering college, campus recruiters will definitely track you. Though `hire the best' and `catch 'em young' seems to be the attitude of HR managers, that's not always the case. Recruitment advertising and referrals are also other reliable sources.

Grey matter does matter: Attitude and aptitude go hand in hand. A quick grasp and sound technical knowledge coupled with enthusiasm will take one a long way in finding a dream job. A consistently good academic record does get high points and it also scores over hands-on experience most of the time. If you have some expertise in your area of study and can provide substantial evidence to prove it, then there is no stopping you. Remember - grey matter does matter!

Be aware of your Achilles' heel: Bad communication skills are certainly a drawback. A second handicap could be lack of clearly defined career goals and planning. So make sure to steer clear of the pitfalls. Before attending an interview, find out what would be expected of you (your job description). At no cost, compromise on enthusiasm and confidence - unless you want the recruiter to overlook you.

Be prepared to work hard: Probably, every manager knows the fact that freshers are malleable and they could be sculpted to fit the requirements of the organisation. Be mentally prepared for a hectic work schedule and forget those-good-ole-fun-days. When can I go home? is a query never to be uttered!

Cut down on time lapse: Nearly every other fresher has to face a frustrating and disheartening wait till the job comes along. Your job waiting could stretch anywhere between 3 to 6 months. A wiser option would be to take up odd jobs, not to just earn some pocket money but also to fill in those long hours. Network with friends, send your CVs to the local placement agencies, try job sites on the Net and launch a full-fledged job- search from the day you bid adieu to college.

Be worldly wise: Once you get a job, make sure you stay informed of the current happenings. Be polite and decline gracefully when superiors try to bully you into working for them once too often - things which are not part of your job description. Freshers are also expected to do all the odd jobs in a new set-up. Make sure you do not end up doing just the odd jobs. Grow out of that stage and graduate to the tasks you were educated and trained for.

Dare to dream: An average student with fascination and interest for the field stands a better chance than someone with merely good grades. Good communication skills, enthusiasm and esprit de corps count for much more than what you can show on paper in terms of degrees.

So, take the giant step and then, there's no looking back for you.

Archana and Shalini

cclub@nettlinx.com