When applying for your first job, employers typically don’t have much experience to look at. At this stage all they could do is to look at the academic records, check any letters of recommendation and references you may be able to line up and read your personality.

All of this makes it very important that you are able to present yourself as a strong candidate and explain any education challenges that might influence this image. To be successful, first know what issues could trigger employers’ concerns. That in itself may be difficult for a young, inexperienced person who is lacking clarity about own skill levels, apart from advantages and disadvantages.

With that in mind, it may help to get some perspective from a friend, parent or a job counsellor who isn’t shy to let you know exactly what your obvious — and discreet — shortcomings are, and what you need to do to address them in an interview. Here are a few areas to keep in mind:

Education struggles

Your parents probably told you that a good education is the way to score a good job. But it is not all about the diploma, degree or certificate that you achieve at the end. In fact, employers may look at your education through earlier stages to determine the quality of education you received and your academic performance.

Although many may disagree with this approach, there is not really much you can do about how your education and performance prior to graduation are perceived by future employers.

The good news is that many people who struggle academically may be able to move on once they get a couple of years of experience under their belt. Until then, however, you must be able to show not only that you are aware of your education issues, but that they are not related to any character issues — like being lazy, irresponsible or unmotivated to work hard.

Assuming you have succeeded in completing your education and receiving a degree required by the job, get your professors to write you letters of recommendations that dispel any such concerns.

Personality

The jump from university years, where many feel on the top of the world, to the job market may feel like a fall off a cliff. Even if you were a superstar as a student, you are entering the job market as the least experienced candidate. This status could be hard to swallow, and arrogance definitely doesn’t help.

What you need is to learn to be humble without compromising how you demonstrate your confidence and positive attitude. All of this can be achieved by simple statements — and actions — about the willingness to learn, ability to function within a team, and actually learning to listen and follow processes.

Avoid being the know-it-all person at this stage, observe and learn before you suggest radical changes. In addition, show some respect for the more experienced staff members who may be threatened by your mere existence.

Some in this old-guard group may be unforgiving when you make mistakes, and you will. So be ready by building connections that are based on mutual respect and openness to suggestions and guidance.

Make an impact

Any entry-level job may quickly turn into a disappointing situation, where you are assigned many tasks that simply no one else wants to do. You should accept that as part of the job and know the more you focus on making an impact in doing core job duties, the more likely these routine, insignificant tasks will find their way to someone else.

Conversely, if you only complain about all the jobs that you don’t want to do, and the overall performance is average, you may find it hard to get any help or change in job duties.

In short, the quality of work is the best advocate for you at this stage — and in the later stages in your career. So, always start with doing the best job you can do, before negotiating a change in duties, a promotion or a pay increase.

 

The writer is a former Gulf News Business Features Editor and a Seattle-based editor.