The Internet offers more than just entertainment, but only a few realize or even care to think about this once they have logged on to Facebook or Twitter or YouTube and enjoyed a song or two.
Who can blame them? The Internet, after all, is created to cater to people’s wants and needs — even if a large portion of it is devoted to entertainment.
Nothing is wrong with that.
However, if you’re a fresh graduate looking for opportunities online, then spending time on online entertainment will most likely be your least priority. So rather than spend sleepless nights liking and commenting on posts for sheer fun, why not invest on something that would guarantee more tangible benefits for your future career?
Below are five things you can do to start cementing your online presence and gain more contacts relevant to your field of specialization.
1.Build a Clean and Solid Online Profile
Why? Because the competition in all facets of job-seeking, corporate or not, is more than just tough. It’s a real battle with real-life consequences, so play your cards well. Now this battle has already gone online. Meaning, anything (and this includes any scandal and misdemeanor you might be involved in) employers could dig out of your online activities could either be used for or against you. So yes, building a clean and solid online profile can make or break your envisioned career.
2. Find the Niche You Love Best
It’s not enough to find a niche you’ll be willing to work for. What “real” business seeks are fresh grads who can work for a niche and love what they’re doing at the same time.
Skills can be learned, but passion is something unique for each individual. The best thing you can do is know yourself, identify what you really love (believe me, there are those who graduate without knowing what they really love to do, and it’s natural), and take time to do some research online.
Two heads are better than one, but if you can manage to find more, so much the better. Get out and meet people of the same interest. Talk to them and brainstorm. Again, know what you love and start off from there.
3. Reach out to People on Your Niche and Build Online Relationships
Social networking sites have been a very good example of building online relationships. People who are living miles and continents away are reachable with just a few taps on your keyboard. Different nationalities can converse and exchange views. People of different ages can be at par and talk about the same things with minimal reservations. Thanks to the Internet for making all these possible. Thanks for uniting the whole world.
Well, yes. A united world sure sounds great, but more often than not, unity among men is the last thing on our minds every time we decide to associate ourselves with people from different parts of the world.
You, being a fresh graduate, should be mindful of this. You should be aware of the importance of building relationships online. If you mean business, you should know how to filter people you want to be a part of your online niche.
Now this might sound mean, but being selective is vital in career-building, and knowing whom to select is a skill that can be learned. Knowing your niche means knowing the people in it, and it could take time. But once you have done that, the reward will be great both personally and career-wise.
4. Know the Trend and Find Your Opportunities
Trends, fads, craze — call them whatever you like, but the point is, they are just there, waiting for someone to tap the opportunities they can provide. The problem at present lies in the fact that there are a lot of them — so many in fact that the young generation (and that includes you, fresh grads) are overwhelmed with their availability.
We indulge ourselves in everything, forgetting about which matters most. This trend is dangerous, most especially for fresh grads, or to be more specific, fresh grads who are building online profiles.
Why? It’s because it hampers you from focusing on your niche and building your profile out of it.
Knowing the trend is a must, but choosing which can best give you opportunities to prosper is what matters.
Do it in three steps: (1) know the trend, (2) identify which of them are for you, and (3) know the people within that trend and connect with them.
You’ll be surprised by how well your niche focus can help you generate a lot of your desired opportunities.
5. Always Keep a Clear Goal in Mind
Nothing of what you are doing online could succeed without a solid goal to begin with. Do you want a job that pays well or anything as long as it doesn’t require you to report to office? Is a home-based job preferable than an office one?
Every decision you make will all boil down to the goal you’ve set for yourself. If you’re someone, for instance, who’s vying for a career in journalism, the decision on whether or not you’ll go for the local or national paper will largely affect the way you build your online presence.
As long as you have a clear picture of what you want to pursue, browsing and finding related information online will be much easier. Spend some time and think about it. Grab a pen and paper if you have to, and list down your goals. Narrow them down and be specific as possible.
The next thing you know, you already have a blueprint on how exactly you’d want to navigate your online activities. It takes time, but it’s worth it.
Now you might still be doubtful about this whole online arrangement, about building your profile and finding contacts, and that’s fine. It’s perfectly understandable. But then again, companies at present are going online. Just think about how it would impact your resumé once they see you active in things which are somehow related to their business.
It could make a difference. And once it does, it’s going to be big. So think fast and do the things I’ve suggested above. Who knows, what you’re looking for might just be around the neighborhood? You just have to knock.