A fresh graduate may be in a disadvantaged position if his/her prospective employers require a work experience as a job qualification. Given this criteria, a college student may consider the following suggestions in order to improve his/her competitive edge in the employment sector.
- take your practicum/OJT seriously and point out its highlights in your CV
- spearhead major projects in your organization
- work as a correspondent/contributor to your campus paper or in a publishing company
- accept speaking engagements
- apply/volunteer as a member of a conference secretariat
- work as a face-to-face/online tutor
- work as a student assistant in your campus or a research assistant to your professor
- attend conferences, seminars and trainings (your department/program may even serve as sponsor)
- do not compromise your academic standing in the process
Many employers would consider some of the foregoing activities as tantamount to actual job experience and indicative of the applicant's overall work ethic.
