It can get stressful spending your final semester in school dealing with the pressure of making the right CGPA to qualify you for graduation. For a few others like yourself, attaining a good class and the anxiety that comes with landing a well-paying job after school must be beginning to dawn on you. I totally get it. It has always been a daunting prospect for many people and truth is, there are a lot of graduates out there still struggling to land their first jobs. However, the good news is that you’re still in school and you might just have enough time to try out some of these simple tips and strategies. These tips do not guarantee you a good job after school, but it sure does increase your prospects of landing one before the frustration and depression sets in.

Your school’s alumni association can be a helpful place to start.

Go to your school’s alumni office and ask for a list of companies with vacancies and reach out to them to intern or volunteer for a role you are interested in until they can find a permanent candidate to fill the role. If you perform creditably and show your employers that you possess potential for growth, you may end up landing a job before you even step your foot out of school. Your aim however should not be about filling the role permanently but rather to gain some needed experience and have a foot in the door for when you eventually ready for the work world. Work experience is one of the most valuable assets employers look out for and being able to glean a few before leaving school could shoot you up there or there about.

Bin the generic resumés and start writing targeted resumés and cover letters.

This is probably one of the most common mistakes first time job seeker make. As you begin to get a clearer understanding of the areas your skills and abilities will fit, develop different versions of your resumés that are targeted to specific job roles where those skills will fit. Make sure to sell your skills, experiences, and especially for first timers, related coursework that are relevant to your future job and career objectives. Also, rather than using a generic cover letter, spend time writing targeted cover letters to make a special case for new roles you are applying for. You can get professional help to help you write them or simply seek feedback from professionals who understand how these thinks work.

Register on Jobsites.

Also check out for local jobsites collecting CVs and resumés and send yours. In Ghana, www.thejobmanor.com is one of the best jobsites that help you generate job leads from top hiring companies. All you need to do is to select the specialized industry or niche you like, take a few assessments to validate your skills and abilities and leave the rest to them. They will market your skills to hiring companies and contact you when an employer shows interest in your skills. You can simple just check out jobs posted on job boards and apply directly. Guess what? Jobmanor also provides one of the best and well crystalised job boards and job search engines in Ghana. So go ahead and send them your CV. You never know.

Start Networking.

Networking can be one of the most casual but effective ways to land your first job after school. In fact, a LinkedIn survey conducted in 2016 found that networking in university contributed to 85% of all jobs. So go on and join those clubs and professional associations that interests you, register as a student member and attend the meetings and events. The next person you talk to might be your ticket to landing your first job. In my experience, I have found that most times the informal approach to be more effective in such cases. So instead of directly asking people to hire you or find you a job, rather ask for information about companies or friends hiring within their network and ask if they can set you up for a meeting. Take their email address and ask if you can send them your CV and portfolio. If they like themselves, chances are that they will send it to people within their network who are hiring. Make it a point reach out to your friends, faculty or just that guy or lady you meet at the last event you attended and ask for information about your areas of interest and what new jobs are available.

Take advantage of social media platforms.

Recently virtual networking has become an effective tool to finding jobs. Behind all those beautiful accounts and profiles are people who have powerful connections in the real world. You would be surprised how far a word you put out there could go. Follow as many people that share similar interests as you and keep your eyes up for some opportunities they put up on their pages. LinkedIn and Twitter can are good platforms that you can use to find a job. And oh, be nice to people online and observe basic courtesies. There’s no reward in being rude to people, especially when you do not know them. Even when provoked, try to make your point in the most respectful way as possible and never be shy or apologetic about selling yourself well to your ‘audience’. Some people are definitely paying attention.

Finally, finding a perfect match during your first job offer is highly unlikely, but applying these five steps could accelerate your quest at landing your dream job faster.

Let Jobmanor help you find the perfect job fit. Join the growing list of highly sort after talents in Africa. www.thejobmanor.com