By Pimnara Suksomjai, Alumna (Class of 2019)
Bachelor of Communication, The University of Newcastle, Australia
“Strive for any opportunities that may arise.” – Pimnara
After I graduated in November last year, I thought that I can take my time to find a job. I was also working on a couple of freelance design projects, so I wanted to start job hunting after completing them. Time flew by and it was only in March when I started sending out my resumes.
But as it turns out, the Covid-19 pandemic made job hunting harder than usual. After a rather long struggle, I finally landed a job about three and a half months later. The whole process was a rollercoaster ride for me, so I hope to share some of the lessons I’ve learnt and tips for students who are worried about finding a job after graduation, especially during this difficult time.
1. Start job hunting even before graduating
I have to admit that I underestimated the severity of the whole Covid-19 situation, and upon reflection, I wished that I had started looking for a job or sending out resumes immediately after graduation or even before that. I believe it would make job hunting way easier as there would be more choices, and I may even land my dream job.
However, one thing the Covid-19 pandemic has taught me is to adapt to survive. In this “new normal”, the nature of our lives and work has transformed, so I had to adjust my expectations too. It made me grateful to have landed a marketing role for an F&B brand, which mainly involves marketing activities to promote the brand and drive a constant growth for the company.
2. Upskill in any way that you can
Knowledge is key and if you want to further your studies, you should. My Bachelor of Communication course taught me how to analyse a company and find ways to improve it, such as through a SWOT analysis, as well as strategies and tactics. I also learnt ways to effectively communicate with my target audience and build relations with other companies, which is useful to my current job, as it requires me to liaise with different brands for potential collaborations.
The passion for learning doesn’t always come around for everyone, so I believe that if you want to do it, just do it. Don’t let the current situation stop you. But of course, only if you have the financial means to do so. And right now, there are a lot of schemes that can help you. For example, PSB Academy is offering financial support such as tuition fee waivers to local students through the Future Together initiative. How lucky for new and current students!
3. Open yourself up to various opportunities
If you’re a graduate, you must be worried about job hunting during this period but let me tell you that it’s okay. It’s okay if you don’t want to or can’t find a job in the field that you’re studying now, because the skills you’ve learnt can be applied to other aspects as well. Thus, try to expand your job search and strive for any opportunities that may arise.
Initially, I only applied for jobs that were related to my interest (graphic design), but I soon realised that looking for such a niche job would be very hard, especially during this period. So I started sending out resumes to other positions as well, such as marketing and public relations (PR).
4. Take up a temporary job while waiting for a full-time one
After graduation, I took on any freelance design project that I could find and even tried finding freelance jobs locally and overseas through different freelancing platforms such as gigworks.co and freelancer.com. Luckily for me, I found a client in Singapore and another in India, and they provided me with small projects once every few weeks. Even though they were just small projects that didn’t pay very well, I still worked on them to tide myself over.
5. Don’t underestimate the power of social media
The company I’m currently working at wasn’t one of those I sent my resumes to initially, but it was a company that I liked. I was following them on Instagram when I saw a post that they were hiring. I applied for the job and managed to secure it. I believe that many people are going through the same thing as me. Appreciating what I have now, I feel much more motivated to work harder.
It’s definitely a difficult period now but I believe that if you persevere and stay positive, things can go in your favour. Most importantly, never give up your job search and keep your eyes peeled for opportunities that may come your way. I wish you all the best with your studies and good luck with your job search!
Disclaimer: All views and statements expressed are solely personal opinions and do not represent those of PSB Academy or other people and organisations.
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