Another advices for students
I have received more emails from students asking for advices during this financial crisis. Many are really afraid for their future and do not know what to do. As students, you have no control over how the economy change or when companies are hiring but you do have control of your own minds. If you read news about the financial crisis and how many companies are preparing for bankruptcy, you will worry more. You need to know that what go up must come down and what is in the bottom will only go up, that is what life is all about, just like waves in the ocean or the four seasons: Spring, summer, autumn and winter. You must stay calm and use this time to prepare for your future than worry too much. In this crisis, every country is affected, especially developing countries where their economies are still immature with high number of people unemployed. As students, you will need to prepare to the challenge that you will face regarding employment and how to work in this changing time. Here are some advices that you may use.
Contents
1. University degrees & Education
A good education is a good start, as far as employability is concerned but degree does not always a guarantee for job, it only opens the opportunity door for you. An important thing to remember is that your education does not end with the receipt of your degree, it is just the beginning. You need to constantly improve your skills to keep up with the technology changes. If possible, take additional educational courses or professional training courses to demonstrate your willingness to continue learning. In a world that never stops changing, great workers can never stop learning so to prove to your employer that you are a person that keep learning is definitely a strong point,
2. Finding job opportunities when other doesn’t find.
As I mention above, successful students do not just compete for jobs but change the rules of the competition by having skills that other do not have. Instead of having the same degree, the same skills with others, they will differentiate themselves from others by learning new skills, especially skills that industry needs. They always learn new things by take additional trainings so they can be ahead of others. In global competition, knowledge and skills are the key discriminators in employment and job security.
3. Being the best qualified people for the position
You can not be just a good student. You have to be the best in the job that you apply for. If you want to work in software industry, you have to be the best software engineer, the best programmers, the best testers, and the best designers. Companies that typically hire “Average” workers will not be able to survive long in this crisis. Only the best companies will survive and best companies will only hire the best students. Focus on improving your abilities and prepare for the challenge because looking for job is a full time job itself.
4. Learning new things
There are more ways to learn than just go to class, you could learn a lot by attending conferences. Conferences allow you to learn many topics and techniques and give you the opportunity to meet many professionals. You could have a chance to meet potential employer there, many companies do send people to conferences to identify good candidates for their jobs. You also have a chance to meet many speakers who could give you good advises. Another way of learning new things is books, and given today technology you could learn a lot from professional websites but be careful because not everything on the website is correct. Before you think that you do not have money to learn new things, if you want to learn there is always a way.
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
