What Pinoy grads need to know about finding a job today

Once you’ve thrown your cap, stretched the selfie stick, and celebrated with ah ma, ah ba and the rest of the family, it’s time to turn your newfound knowledge into cold hard cash.

If you didn’t automatically get accepted for a job after graduation, okay lang yan. There are plenty of resources to point you in the right direction. Most universities in the Philippines don’t teach you how to find a job you love or dress for an interview, but we can help you with that.

New graduates need to know how to search for a job before applying for one. It’s tempting to send 10 resumes a day and wait around sharing memes on Instagram. But every resume should be tailored to a job application.

Pluck out a few jobs you’re interested and tailor your resume to each one. Look at the website, what is their tone? Corporate? HR? A startup environment? Match your personality and skills to the job description. Let’s say a hundred economics students will graduate with the same class and marginally similar grades - how will they stand out?

Since you don’t have a lot of experience, make sure your CV has personality. That touch of personality gives recruiters a sense of how you fit within the organisation, putting you ahead of others in the consideration process. If you’re lucky, you might even make your recruiter’s day.

Even if your CV stands, out, it could get tossed in the bin without a final check. CVs riddled with mistakes shout sloppiness and do not sit well with recruiters. Proofread several times for spelling, grammatical and other formatting errors. A second pair of eyes can be helpful for spotting these mistakes you might have missed. Sound professional. It’s not, “I got a degree in marketing,” it’s, “I have a degree in marketing”.

For more advice on how to land your dream career as a fresh grad, download our FREE Graduates Handbook.