JobsBroadway Career Blog

The art of marketing your fresh graduate career during interviews

Are you lost of direction?

I have met a lot of fresh graduates which were lost after graduation – lost in direction. “Who would hire a fresh graduate?” “I do not have any experience” “What can I sell to the employers?” are a few common questions I received during my seminars. The fact is everything has its market and demand.

Art of Marketing
Fifty years ago, if you tell them that you are spending RM2 to buy a bottle of water, they would be shocked, as water is as freely available from wells and rivers. But now, I believe some of us would spend RM10 for a high-class, glassed, fancy-designed bottle of plain water. Funny isn’t it? That’s call the art of marketing.

Here are just a few tips to help the fresh graduates market themselves during their interview.

Tip 1: Pick highlights from your university years
This is my first advice. There’s always something behind every fresh graduates’ education, whether it is an excellent academic record, a distinction thesis, an award winning contest, an experience filled industrial training, or a handful of extra co-curricular activities.

They are your marketing tools. You have to highlight in your resume, your cover letter, and interviews.

Tips 2: List down your strength with examples
Now comes to the “design of the bottle”. After knowing your skills, you wouldn’t want to miss out any of those skills during your interview or your resume writing. It is often important to list down that strength with supporting examples.

This is the examples how you can elaborate using the correct matter. Say “leadership skills – team lead of 5 for the 3 months final year thesis….” This is what we call proof of skills. Other wise, handful of candidates would have “leadership skills” too, and what makes you so different from others.

Tips 3: Show your willingness to learn
Employers can accept that you do not have the experience, but every employer expects you to show dedication in learning and I mean fast learning. Seek advice; pick up skills as fast as possible.

Employing you might be budget, but you wouldn’t want to drain your employer’s pocket by letting them spend on your training because you are slow. During interviews, show your interest in the job, and always notify them that you are willing to learn.

Tip 4: Research on the company
Before any interview, researching on the company is essential. For fresh graduates, you must put in that extra bit of work to research about the company, products, market, competitors.

You might astound employers if they ask you about “How much do you know about our company” by having handful information about their technology, their products etc. Where do you get that information? The internet of course! It’s free and it has all the information you wanted.

Tip 5: Asking the correct question

Asking the correct question is often an extra bonus point to fresh graduates. Utilize the opportunity in the interview to ask about the job. “How’s the environment like working as the position of….” “I have read on the news that your company is expanding, there must be a great opportunity for fresh graduates like us to…” are some probe questions you can ask employers.

Show that you wish to seek for the challenge, the excitement but never about the salary that they are going to pay you.

“Fresh graduates are like flour and water, when you mix them together, you can mould them into any shapes and sizes as you wish and that is why you should hire me. I am always open to new learning and experience.”

JobsBroadway Career Blog @ Malaysia #1 Career Blog

Tags: Interview, Interview Tips, JobsBroadway, Jobseeker/Fresh Grad, Resume Tips, Sam Chee