Accounting Club FEP, UKM

SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR THOSE GRADUATES WITH LITTLE OR NO WORKING EXPERIENCE

Some fresh graduates who have little or no working experience may face a similar problem, in that they cannot get experience until they get a job, but cannot get a job as they have no experience. Fortunately, many large local and multinational companies, - most of them prestigious - have their own campus recruitments targeting fresh graduates who have no working experience. One of the problems that fresh graduates face is how to attract employers’ attention and make themselves stand out. Here follows some suggestions for becoming a successful candidate.

Firstly, candidates must try to avoid low level mistakes in their CVs. When sifting through hundreds of CVs, it’s far easier to find reasons to eliminate candidates than to grant them interviews. Spelling mistakes, lack of clarity and meaning will conspire to reward the application with instant rejection, because no employer wants to have to train someone in such fundamental skills. For those graduates whose written communication skills are weak, practicing frequently is a good way to improve the written skills.

Secondly, try to make non job-related experience count. Although fresh graduates have little or no job-related working experience, they are still likely to have much to offer employers. The secret is to think about the aptitudes required in the job and consider how well their campus and social experience might have prepared them. For example, working in teams, managing time, and dealing with difficulties are skills that can be developed in campus and social activities.

Thirdly, try to make the best use of the knowledge learned during college and ACCA studies. During the interview, an interviewer always asks some job-related technical questions, and candidates need to answer these questions by using the knowledge they have learned during their studies. Some important parts of accounting and finance knowledge should be prepared before attending any interviews, and impressive answers to the technical questions can be the key to successfully being offered the job.

As the global economy goes into meltdown, recruiters are under intense pressure to justify any expenditure related to hiring staff, and more people are coming on to the jobs market. Those who make recruitment decisions are in a strong position to raise the bar when screening candidates, so it’s important for graduates with little or no working experience to try their best to improve their employability in order to get the job offer they desire.