Hello, my name is Muna Hussaini.
I'm the chief of staff to the CTO
and the general manager for the Jobseeker Organization.
And ultimately, we focus on putting the job seeker first
in the features and support that we put on our website.
So thank you for joining our stream today.
That brings me to our tip of the week.
If you're a student entering the workforce,
strive to be prepared, practical, and flexible.
So what does that look like?
In my mind that involves three steps.
First, reflect on your needs.
For many people, the needs are different
now than they were a few months ago.
And some of these must-haves could be in conflict
with prior expectations.
You may find that being able to work from home
now is a top priority.
In some cases, this could mean pivoting industries,
considering a contract role, or a different salary
than you were expecting.
In other cases, you might need to find immediate work.
The types of jobs that are open now
may be different than what you were
expecting a few months ago.
Some people may now prioritize jobs with health care benefits,
while others may seek part-time jobs in order to balance
their new childcare schedules.
Think about what's important to you,
and make a full list of what your needs are.
Be open to the types of jobs that fulfill them,
even if they were different than what you were planning on.
The next thing we want you to do is assess your tangible options
with an open mind.
The range of job postings that you see now
might be different than the ones you were
looking at a few months ago.
So don't box yourself in.
Aim to be flexible in two key ways.
First, remain nimble and open-minded
when you're evaluating your skills.
The good news here is that graduation
is a natural pivot point.
Many people are just beginning their careers during this time.
So you're not stuck or boxed into what
you were doing before.
That means you don't need to restrict yourself
to a job or an industry.
Take the time to consider your transferable skills.
So what is a transferable skill?
It's a hard or soft skill or quality
that you may have acquired through a past job, a hobby,
or academic experience.
When you approach a job search with a skills-first
perspective, you may find that you
qualify for roles you hadn't previously thought about.
Another important way to stay flexible
is in the hiring process itself.
It's wise to prepare yourself for a different hiring process
than you expected.
You may be asked to interview virtually.
This type of interview can have its own unique set
of quirks and challenges.
Be ready to adapt to that.
It might require finding a quiet place,
ensuring that your monitor and your camera are set up,
turning off your phone, and ensuring
that children, or other interruptions, like your dog,
that they have a safe place to be away from your interview.
Your primary form of networking maybe through social media.
Check out professional interest groups,
and reach out to your connections
to leverage of network.
Luckily, this generation of graduates
tends to be best equipped to handle these changes.
But do consider focusing on building up
your online presence and network.
And your hiring and onboarding process
may also be a bit up in the air or slower than usual.
So it can be helpful to know that may change.
So finally, don't be afraid to brag.
Lean in to what's exceptional about you.
Your experiences, your skills, the qualities
that you think make you the best candidate for the role.
Craft your resume with that in mind, included in your cover
letter, and make sure that you're
ready to talk about those things during an interview.
Advocate for yourself.
I know bragging can be hard for some people.
Maybe it's not your personality, it's
not encouraged in your culture.
But no matter what, find a way that's comfortable for you.
If you're not sure what to say, ask a friend,
or a former co-worker, what they enjoyed about working with you
and what you might be able to brag about.
It'll help you articulate your value
because every manager wants to know
what are you going to do for me, what are you
going to bring to the table.
And on a final note, no matter what you decide to do,
it's important to acknowledge that as a new graduate,
you're facing challenges that many people will never
experience.
I hope you're proud of yourself for facing these challenges.
And above all, please do take care of yourself,
and the people around you as we all navigate this situation
together.
So all right.
That's it for the livestream.
Thank you again for tuning in.
Hope to see you soon.