So you have studied computers and technology for years and now, you have just graduated from university, congrats. It’s now time to move on to the next step of climbing up the corporate ladder; the hunt for a fresher job.
Everyone knows that landing a software job as a fresher is no walk in the park. It’s often intimidating to a fresher to get out there and try to convince employers that they are the ideal candidate for the job.
We have all been there. We have all been at that point where we had no experience working for anyone. You ask yourself, how will I ever become employed if every employer requires years of experience as a programmer, computer engineer or back end developer?
While the odds of landing a software job may seem gloomy as a fresher, we are here to tell you that it’s not all lost. You did attend college/university for years all for nothing, thankfully there are ways to work around the hurdles faced when you have no experience and you are looking for a job.
Understanding the job market
When you have no work experience and you want to get hired fast, you must ensure you understand the job market. As a newbie you need to ensure you get a clear understanding of what employers are looking for.
The amazing thing about technology is that it’s continuously advancing. This is good news to a fresher. If you have just graduated and you find yourself being turned down for job after job. It time to bring out the big guns. It’s time to play the technological advancement card. You see, as a fresher, one of the advantages you will possess over someone who has been in the IT field before you is that you will be up-to-date on all the recent technological advancements.
You definitely cannot go wrong by pointing this out to potential employers. The will love the clever analogy behind your statement.
Demand for new tech talent in 2018
On the upside, despite all of the usual challenges faced by freshers, we believe that 2018 is your year.
Unemployment is the lowest in 2018 than it has ever been in the past 10 years. While this may seem like bad thing, as we have pointed out, technology is ever changing. So essentially what a low employment rate means is that companies, especially those in the tech field will be on the lookout for highly skilled people.
They will need new talent to combat the ever changing scope of technology. With everyone becoming so complacent in their present jobs, there leaves lots of room for freshers to get in.
You see, when the job market is stable, people don’t feel that their jobs are threatened and hence they are not out their motivating others to look for new jobs out of fear that they may be hanging on by a thread at their current jobs.
So a bit of good news.
Artificial Intelligence and our jobs
We recollect recent surveys done where as much as 90% of us felt threatened by artificial intelligence (AI). People have recently began assuming that because of technological advancements, their jobs will be taken over by AI.
If nay, logical tells us that if or when AI starts affecting our jobs, software jobs may be the last to be affected if it ever is. Software professionals and by extension IT professionals are the creators being AI, so we believe it needs you to survive. It must be stated that we don’t ever foresee software jobs being affected by AI in any way, shape or form.
As a matter of fact, we may need to thank professionals who take software jobs and others in the IT field for recent developments such as self driving cars. These innovations really do make our lives easier.
Better paying jobs
As mentioned above, unemployment has been the lowest in 10 years and as such demand for highly skilled persons is increasing. While there has been a .2% growth in unemployment in June, we suspect the present employment rate may not rapidly take a turn toward the opposite direction.
With jobs not being picked up before they are even properly dropped; we suspect employers may have been increasing wages to make jobs offers appear more lucrative as a way of coaxing people into apply. According to recent June 2018 data, job incentive rose by .2%. While this percentage may seem small, it sure seems promising if it continues along this path steadily.
This is great news for the fresher as well. This means that new job seekers may have a shot at landing good paying jobs.
On the downside, be mindful of how you spend your earnings when you do land a job, since the New York Times has reported that inflation rate has increase for the third time in 2018 thus far.
2018 a good employment year
As many have reported at the start of 2018 based on 2017 data, this year is a good year for anyone searching for a job, regardless of which field your are in.
In short, if you are in any of the professions I am about to mention, then there is high demand for your skill, even as an entry level employee or fresher. Moreover, you can expect to recent a decent salary from these position. While starting salaries may vary depending a factors so as location, you are still lucky if you majored in any of the following jobs.
Jobs Starting Salary $
| Business intelligence analyst | $83,750 |
| Data Scientist | $100,000 |
| Database Developer | $97,750 |
| Hellp / Support Desk Technician | $32,000 – $48,500 |
| Network Administrator | $55,000 |
| Data Security Administrator | $100,000 |
| System Administrator | 64,500 |
The job market is your oyster this year, feel free to use it to your advantage. Now that you understand what currently happening in the job market, we will attempt to share with you a few strategies to ensure as a first timer, you get the job best suited for you.
Guidelines to landing a job as a fresher
Company Research
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when trying to land a software job, whether you are experienced of a newbie, is not researching the company you have applied to work for.
In our experience, employers are usually impressed when they learn that you took the time to properly research and find out what they company is all about. Doing research on your employer shows the interviewer that you are genuinely interested in working for their company.
It also shows your employer that your are an action taker, who thinks and stays a step ahead of everyone.
When someone takes time off their busy schedule to interview a potential employee, they usually don’t have a lot of time to play around. This means they will make a decision in a split second to decide who is potentially the right candidate for the job.
So if an interviewer asks you about their company, don’t be like the majority of applicants. Don’t make excuses as to why you can’t answer their question. Many applicants resort to flimsy excuses such as they didn’t get the time to properly read the company website and that they expected the information to be provided to them.
Making these mistakes will immediately take you off the potential employee list.
Less is more
This tip is more so a key player in getting to the first step; the interview. Generally the role is to keep your resume short, sweet and as detailed as possible.
You don’t want to include any fluff language in your resume. You want to highlight you best qualities as early as possible without seeming too eager. Since you will never be the only applicant for any given position, you need to ensure your resume does a great job.
Many of times, people who have no experience try to bulk up their resume by adding frivolous information.
Basically, place emphasis on the skills you have which the job requires.
Ensure you have a good online presence
Of recent times, employers have developed a habit of looking up potential employees online. Social media have become such a big trend that it even plays a part in whether or not you get the job.
It is important to keep a professional linkedin profile in the event potential employers decide to look you up. This is relevant even if you don’t have any work experience since linkedin is the premium professional platform. Further, try to receive endorsement of value. For example, an endorsement from your college professor is worth way more than an endorsement for a given skill from a former classmate.
It is also worth mentioning that you should also try to keep your other social media profiles clean. Some companies are very keen on who they associate their brand with.
Small projects can go a far way
Even though you may have no experience, freshers can use their experiences on campus as potential bate for landing a fresher job.
While you may have helped design the school news website or you may have been the leader in putting together a new firewall for campus computers, these are just small tasks are compared to what you will be required to get done in the new world.
So use these achievements as examples but make it clear to you potential employer that while you are proud of what you have done, you are aware that an actual job will require more from you. Let them know you are eager to get on the ball and to learn new skills while applying your university acquired skills in the workforce.
This sort of an approach will let your interviewer know that you are realistic and will to learning.
Look mainly for fresher jobs
This point is obvious but we just had to state it. So many persons make the mistake of thinking that they should or can apply for software jobs that require experienced level skills after they have graduated.
The reality is, university qualifications is theory, employers look for track record. Hence it will be much easier to even be considered for a job much less land a job if you apply for a entry-level skill set software job.
All you need is to first get your feet into the door of the company and then you can progress from there onward.
Ensure you properly introduce yourself
You have done your homework, you have now secured a job interview. While you must know that it will take a few downturns before you get hired, it is still beneficial to rehearse your introduction before the interview.
This is your chance to grab the attention of your interviewer and to keeping him interested. Most people will lose interest very quickly if you don’t make good impression as soon as you open your mouth to speak.
This may sound generic or cliche, but it is also important to be yourself while still knowing what to say and how to say it. If you be yourself, you will find that what you have to say flows naturally ad your passion for what you do will shine through. And your potential employer will sense it.
Also, remember to be positive. Make doubtful statements like “If give the chance” or “ If you grant me this job”, I will do my best. These types of statement makes it seem like you are doubting your potential to perform efficiently, which in turn may make the interviewer also doubt your potential.
Remember some things will be better seen than said, so do not make statements like “I love technology “ or “I am very passionate about technology.” These are aspects that should speak for themselves.
Confidence is also a major key in making a good impression on your interviewer, standing out from other applicants and finally, getting hired.
Conclusion
The 2018 job market across most fields is booming. There have been over 200, 000 new employees thus far and we expect that number to keeping increasing. With the more experienced workers locked in to their roles, it is now time for freshers to take a shot.
Companies are continuing to seek the best talent and the most qualified for the job. There are tech companies seeking to hire talent way ahead of time, so jobs are in your favor presently.
Now that you are equipped with all the knowledge you need to land your first software job as a fresher, what are you waiting for. Let the search begin.
