Top 4 Mistakes Most Graduates Make In Job Applications
By Elizabeth Benu
How easy is it to make mistakes in your first job application as a graduate? Very easy! You have done everything right in college from acing your tests, doing two internships to learning a foreign language.
You spotted the job that just feels right and your qualifications match in every way, but just before you apply consider reading the following mistakes most graduates make in job applications:
Only applying for THE IDEAL jobs
An ideal or perfect job has all the following: a to-die-for salary, huge allowances and a load of benefits. When making applications to such jobs only, you are most likely to miss out on many opportunities because you are not yet qualified for such a job yet.
If the job only offers a salary without the benefits and allowances, take it! Do not overlook it because there will never be a perfect job as an entry level candidate.
The second mistake that most graduates make in job applications
Too much emphasis on one skill set
Every employer is looking for expertise in a specific field be it Accountng, Administartion or IT but at the same time they want a well-rounded candidate. Even the most technical jobs require some creative thinking and communication skills. This can be done by joining networking groups or engaging in volunteer activities.
“Use your network persons wisely, do most for the work for yourself, this includes having the right CVs and cover letters do not wait for them to ask you to update your CV or do the right cover letter, you are the one who needs the job, their work is to just push you in the right direction,” Martin Githaiga, a HR Associate at Jumia Kenya, advices.
The most common mistakes most graduates make in job applications
Applying for all jobs with the same CV
You might be angry that employers do not give feedback after sending so many applications, but sending a standard CV everywhere does not give you any chance for a job.
Kenyan employers are looking for graduates with initiative. Blind applications may seem okay but to employers it comes out as laziness and lack of attention to detail.
Think about what you want to offer an employer as opposed to what you want to get from them. This will allow you to make the best CV and not the same old dry CV you had since your first year.
Setting High expectations
Majorities of graduates are set on landing jobs with big corporate instead of focusing on gaining experience first.
When making a job application, apply for a job where there is less competition such as SMEs and gain experience.
The better paying job at the big corporate will come soon after you gain the relevant experience.
Avoid all these mistakes for an easy job search and to land more interviews and maybe a job.
