In the present competitive world, choosing the right career path can be daunting. Students have to go through several perplexities by being surrounded by an overload of information about new courses and jobs in demand today. The pressure of finding the right path is a little too much on young minds with pandemic-led accelerated digital transformation.
With technology moving at an unprecedented rate, several jobs have become automated or obsolete. This widely changes the career landscape and students have to explore a whole new world of opportunities. To begin with, it is imperative for students to follow a structured process that can guide them toward a successful career.
Run after skills, recruiters will follow
Today’s job market is competitive and in this tough war for talent, nothing but only skills can land you your dream job. Many students who are dedicated to their studies and career, make the mistake of applying for jobs soon after their graduation. However, it is equally important to develop skills to become employable in the market. Today, education and experience are sufficient to get a job but to be successful in the career, you should focus on developing skills that can help you in playing a crucial role in emerging job roles in the market.
Thanks to India’s mushrooming startup ecosystem that changed the outlook of recruitment and job roles. The digitally driven economy demands characteristics and skills that have the potential to add efficiency and productivity to a workplace. Therefore, students should run after developing relevant skills and the recruiters will automatically follow.
Connect and build a professional network
Students often feel they are not achieving their goals within a stipulated timeline. It is because of their weaker professional network. Many positions in the industry are filled through referrals than bulk campus hiring and there, building a professional network can help you in advancing and accelerating your professional journey. Furthermore, students also build their LinkedIn profiles to build a professional network, however, they lack consistency in maintaining it. As a result, they lose their hold on the job opportunities that they could have soon after completing their studies.
If you want to advance your career, start building your professional network from the very first day of joining your college. You can also start attending professional events to engage with industry players and pave the path to your success.
Internship and mentorships
Students often raise questions about knowing whether their career choice actually interests them or not. On a professional level, education or skills developed during high school or college are highly different from what needs to be applied during the job. Hence, there’s no better option than an internship that can help you acquire relevant professional skills as well as develop a solid foundation at the beginning of your career path. Once you graduate, an internship could prove to be an extremely important decision to begin your professional journey.
Apart from doing your part, connecting with a mentor can help you grow in your career’s early stages.
A mentor could be your college professor, family member or somebody from a similar industry. Your choice of mentor will have a significant impact on your career choices, especially in the initial stage or joining your first job.
Eliminate fear of failure
As a student, it is normal to be scared of failing. Humans make bad decisions that lead to failure but that doesn’t define your abilities and future. It is always better to be willing to change your mindset and start seeing failure and stepping stones to success. Only after making attempts whether right or wrong, one can find the right career path. With that being said, finances also play a crucial role in building a successful career. Hence, it is significant to choose a career that is aligned with your financial goals and not only your interests. Also, having limited finances should not make you hasten your choice. Learn how to budget and manage finances so that you don’t sink into education debt even after getting a job.
Bottomline
The career journey is full of twists and turns and in this roller coaster ride, students have to be confident and firm about their decisions. Having a mediocre life is easy, however, a successful career demands uniqueness in every decision made throughout the high school, college and internship journey. One should create the right structure can help finding their strengths and weaknesses.
