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Going through a UG program from a top notch institution is stressful enough. Charting a career path after the UG degree becomes even more difficult if you didn’t have an end goal in mind when you decided to pursue your education. While most students would have understood their career options by the time they reach their final year, some of them start to feel the pressure and find themselves with no alternative. About 60-70% of graduates start looking for job opportunities immediately after graduation. The right strategy is to equip yourself while you’re already in college so you have a job in hand before you graduate or have developed a strong network to help you focus on the job search.

It is important to understand the prospects, competitions, job availability and work requirements before diving deep into a certain career. Having good communication skills and a positive attitude makes a huge difference in overall career development. Plus, you need to have a clear understanding of the skills and experiences that need to be developed in order to land a job you love.

Your network is your net worth – It is important to contact experts you can trust and seek their advice. You should work to build strong contacts with industry experts – this can be achieved by attending networking events, job fairs and using social media platforms such as LinkedIn to further your work. dream. Discover the path the professionals had created to reach their current role and title. Determine what training, certifications, and roles are required before you jump into the job. Reaching out to some alumni through various platforms to get their opinion is also a good strategy.

Dr. Vaidyanathan Jayaraman

Here are some tips for a successful career path after your UG degree:

• Do your due diligence to research and explore the various options available to you while you are still in college.

• Ultimately, choose a path that matters to you, not your friends or family.

• Look at career choices strategically, not for short-term gains.

• Take advantage of the opportunities offered by the college such as the professional preparation program whose goal is to prepare you for the job market.

• All good universities offer a professional preparation program (PRP). You need to make sure that you participate in such programs and that your CV is tweaked for local market requirements, attend mock interviews and read job descriptions published by companies.

• Take time, travel and think about the different options available to you. You can keep yourself busy by working on an internship/part-time job and also by volunteering with an organization for a good cause. In the end, it’s not just your intelligence quotient (IQ) that matters, but also your emotional quotient (EQ) and your spiritual quotient (SQ).

Now might be a good time to start your own organization. All it takes is a certain amount of confidence, tenacity and business acumen to develop your startup idea(s). Focus on the benefits of working alone, including:

a) Independence and autonomy to make your own decisions

b) Control of the type of work and with whom you work

c) Flexibility to adapt family and personal interests to work commitments

d) Wonderful opportunity to work on various projects that you love and cherish.

Before attending an interview, spend some quality time understanding anything and everything about the company and do your best with emotion. You should ask for the hardest job, not the package. It is important that you let go of your EGO and be successful with your LOGO and refrain from using fancy or buzzwords unless you know the depth and breadth of the company’s offerings.

In the end, all is not lost if you are still unemployed. You can seriously consider pursuing postgraduate studies which obviously demands your time and funding. However, you need to choose the right course, figure out how it will make you employable when completed, what additional skills/knowledge you will gain with the course, and something you are truly passionate about.

On a parting note, remember that in life uncertainties are inevitable, but worry is optional, panic is avoidable while planning is paramount.

The author is Global Dean (UG) – SP Jain School of Global Management and Professor – Supply Chain Operations, Data Sciences & Analytics.