Getting the Job: Ways to Get Over the New Graduate Obstacles

You're walking across the stage, smiling at the dean of your university, posing for a picture for your mother, ecstatic that you finally made it through three years of exams, parties, and fast food. A week later you receive a copy of your diploma that has your name beautifully written on it and awards you the degree that you worked so hard to achieve. Two weeks later you are moving back into your parent's house enjoying your time away from classes, writing papers, and cram sessions. Just as you begin to get comfortable and relaxed, you suddenly realize that you really haven't prepared for the future and you have no idea what you're going to do next. You think about graduate school, just to remember that your grade is 2.2. You think about just hanging around at home for a while but as soon as you realize that your mother and father haven't changed and they still view you as their little pumpkin, the thought immediately leaves your mind. There is only one thing left to do: Get a job!

You smile at yourself because you are absolutely brilliant. You'll find a job in your degree field, after all isn't that why you went to school in the first place? Actually, it was for the football games and the parties, but finding a job is a benefit as well. You think to yourself, "I have a degree in Computer Science. The IT industry is booming and I'll have a job in no time." You go online, search for a job, and continually find that you're not qualified. Your grade is either too low or they want experience. How can you have a university degree that your parents spent tons of money on and not be able to find a job you qualify for? Something must be wrong!

You're right. Something is wrong. There are thousands of university students graduating each year finding out the same fact: a university degree does not necessarily equal graduate jobs. Either somebody forgot to stress to them how important their grade is for finding or a job or they believed that it would have no impact on an employer's decision. Or maybe you went to a school that didn't emphasize the importance of landing an internship or getting involved in the co-op program at the university. It may be that you have a wonderful grade and have internship experience under your belt. However, the company asks for experience in software programs or hardware that you were never taught in university. Whatever the reason, you're not qualified and you're unemployed. So, what do you do now?

Well, although your chances of finding a job in your degree field and avoiding the ever increasing trend of doing something totally opposite from what you went to school for look slim, they may be better than you think. There are a few things that you can do to increase your chances of landing a job that allows you to use a degree that it probably took you 20% of their lifetime to achieve.

First of all, one way to get around the low grade blues is to leave it off of your resume. This won't work for jobs that ask to see your transcript for proof before they call you in for an interview. However, for companies that have entry level positions open and state things such as "Good academic performance preferred" you will have a better chance of getting in the door, if you leave it off your resume. The idea is to get an interview. So use an educational resume, list the classes that are relevant to the position, and leave your grade off. During the interview, when, or if, they ask about your grade, have an excellent answer prepared to show them that there is a reason that your grade is low. Hopefully, you worked full-time or have some other legitimate reason as to why your grade is lower than they would like it to be. However, by leaving it off your resume you have gotten yourself into a position where you explain the situation to the hiring manager, are able to express to them the strengths that you do have that would make you right for the position, and have the opportunity to convince them that you are the person for the job.

Second issue, you don't have any experience. If this is the case, you may want to use a functional resume to highlight skills that you learned in your classes. Describe projects that you have worked on that are similar to the job description for the position that you are applying for. You want it to be very specific and detailed so that the recruiter who is looking at your resume and covering letter will find you qualified enough to send you on to the hiring manager for an interview. Again, the interview is the key. Once you are sitting down with the interviewer, you can explain to them how your projects relate to the position. Show them that although you may not have work experience, they can be confident that you can do the job successfully and up to the company's standards.

Finally, you have the grade and the work experience but don't know the exact software or hardware that the company asks for. When you are in the IT field, you never stop learning. Something that is new today will be old tomorrow. So you have to stay up to date. Check out what technology companies really want you to know and learn it. Go to a bookstore and buy instructional books on learning various software or hardware components. Keep yourself updated and refreshed. Maybe the job description says that you only have to have knowledge of certain software, not be proficient in it. So, the best thing to do is gain the knowledge. Getting your degree was only the beginning. Many schools only teach a couple of main programming languages, software packages, or engineering classes. However, in order to succeed in the IT industry and land that job, you may have to show them that you have learned other aspects of the field and that you are self-taught. This shows that you have initiative and that you are capable of quickly learning new methodologies that the company may train you on once you start working.

So, now that you know how to get around that low grade, your lack of experience, and your absence of knowledge on newer products, you can dive into the job search phase with a new outlook on your situation. Just get your foot in the door, prove to them that you are the right candidate, and you will be on you way to success in no time.

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Nick Peplow is passionate about investment banking internships and industrial placements