This is a simple guide aimed at fresh graduates and also would be fresh graduates. It is divided into three sections: pre graduates, graduates and post graduates.

Obviously the guide in here is not exhaustive, and also some of these are already discussed in various other topics, so do check there. Please feel free to contribute your thoughts in here.

Also, it is worth noting these are based on my experience in the UK so it may not be directly applicable, but should still be useful.

Simple Guide for Pre Graduates
Should I start looking for jobs even before I graduate?
Major companies tend to start their graduate recruitment even before the actual graduation date. Also, they tend to do more than one recruitment rounds, so if you missed the 1st one, you can still wait for the second one.

For July graduates, some recruitment process starts around November/December time.

Why should I start looking for jobs so early?
You don’t have to if you prefer to take a few months off after you graduated. However, graduate scheme in companies tend to fill in quite quickly so if you missed one window, you’ll need to wait for another.

Also, by starting early, you get more opportunities to experience the selection process thereby helping you to build up your skills.

What else can I do?
For final year students, the university or companies would usually run career fairs and exhibitions. Visit these to find out what are the options available out there.

Also, speak to your seniors and your lecturers and think about what you want to do. They can usually recommend a few good companies for you to join. Whilst this is debatable, my opinion is that your first job matters so think hard about that. We’ll come back to this shortly.

Also, you university should be able to help you brush up your interview skills, and to give you a feel for what to expect in an interview, carry out mock interviews, preparing your CV etc. Speak to them.

What do I need to do in an interview?
This has been discussed in great length in the pinned topic. However for a short summary:

- Make sure you know your company, do some research, understand where they operate in etc.
- Prior to the interview, prepare a list of questions interviewers would most likely ask.
- Dress smartly, but don’t overdress and nothing fancy. Chose dark coloured or white/blue (traditional colour shirt). Obviously this may not be applicable to all circumstances, so adapt as you see fit.
- Arrive 10 minutes earlier prior to your interview, if you’re running late, call up the company and let them know you’re running late.
- Don’t ask about money or benefits. Wait until you’ve got the job.

There is still a lot to talk about in this list but that’s not the point for this topic. So do check out the pinned topic.

Simple Guide for Graduates
I’ve got more than one offer which job should I pick?
This is one of the most commonly asked question, and also one of the more debateable ones. Obviously there is no one size fit all answer to this question, but you should consider the following:

Your first job is not to make money, as you would be joining a company with 0 experience. The company will be paying you to learn. So don’t expect or pick a job just because they pay more than the other.

You should think about what you can learn in your first job. The key point is what you can learn now to enable you to progress further in the future. Think about how you can develop yourself in the company you work.

Be a bit careful about joining a field that is too specialised as a fresh graduate. It is not bad, but think about how easy it would be for you to move around in the future, and whether is there a market even in other countries. For fresh graduate, it would be better to try and gain experience which is as diversified as possible.

After graduating, does it mean I don’t need to learn anymore?
Even after graduating, your learning process will not stop. You will learn in your work and you will gain experience. You may not need to take formal learning such as those in the university, but you certainly should continue to learn and develop yourself.

Think about taking evening classes, part time studies to Masters level, a second qualification, language etc. Continuous improvement is the key here.

Also, you could also think about taking none work related courses, such as art, music or something that interests you. This would help break you away from your daily routine and should also help you meet new people, and experience new things. Work is not your only life, you need life outside work too.

Simple Guide for Post Graduates
The following are stuff that I have discovered and learnt over the past 4.5 years from working. These are based on my experience, advice from others and from reading books. I find them particularly useful as these are considered as ‘soft skills’.

1) It is a common mistake by graduates where they try to do more, i.e. things not related to their work. This is not a good idea, just do what the company pays you to do.

Whilst it may be great to try and be helpful, being too helpful will send signals to people to dump things onto you. Also, you may be able to do A, B and C perfectly. However, if you have to do A, B and C simultaneously, can you still do a good job with all three? Else, if you do a bad job, it may backfire on you.

2) Learn how to say no. This sort of relate to Item 1 above as I personally find saying no to be rather difficult at first, especially when people start complaining or have a go at you. For example, if someone ask you to do something outside your job scope, you can say No and give them a reason such as you are busy or you don’t know. If you are in a situation where you can only say yes, then make sure the person knows that you are doing them a favour.

3) If something doesn’t work, don’t just say it doesn’t work. Always offer alternative solution or idea and always show that you have tried finding out why it doesn’t work.

4) The glass is half full or half empty. There are two ways for you to talk to people:

a) No, you cannot do this. To do this, you will need to do A, B and C.
b) Yes you can do this by doing A, B and C.

The key point here is to be positive and show a realistic can do attitude. It doesn’t mean saying yes to everything when you can’t deliver.

5) If it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing. This is a quote from Mythbusters but one I find applicable to my work. If you are asked to do something, don’t do a half-hearted job. Give it your best + extra to try and match + exceed the person’s expectation. This is how you can get noticed.

6) Be nice to everyone, and also be nice to the receptionist or admin. A smile is free, so don’t be afraid of giving them out.

When someone is behaving unprofessionally towards you, the last thing you want to do is to respond in the same way. Remember the inverse rule, the more unprofessional someone is, the more professional you should be and the ruder the person is, the more polite you should be.

7) A wall is there to let you show how much you want something.

8) Be open to criticism. People criticise you because they care. You should be worried when people stop criticising you as this means have given up on you.

Even when faced with unconstructive criticism or people bent on putting you down, just smile and go away or ignore it if you can. Don’t engage in a prolonged argument as it is a waste of your time and often, it does not reflect well on you.

9) Remember please and thank you, they go a long way.

10) Always carry a mini notebook with you, when people teach you something, write it down.

11) Avoid making mistakes but understand that mistakes cannot be avoided. What you need to do is learn and make sure you don’t make the same mistake twice. This is tough, but when you make a mistake, be sure to own up to it as soon as you can as there might still be ways to contain the damage. Keeping quiet will help no one.

12) Don’t be lazy, always do your homework before asking a question.

July 2011 Update

13) Everyone dislikes whiners, so either do it and don’t whine, or don’t whine and don’t do it. Instead of whining to your boss, don’t whine, be proactive and propose solutions to a problem.

14) Talk less do more. People like a man of action or someone who can make things happen instead of just talking about them.

15) Ask and you shall be given. It took me some time to do this, but if there’s something you want, ask politely. More often than not, you will be able to get what you want.

16) WIFY – What’s in for you? This is negotiation Rule 101. If you need something for someone, think about what the person wants in return. Bringing something to the table the other person wants would more readily get you what you want.

17) Don’t hog the credits and spread them to those around you whom you worked with.

18) Do what you’re paid to do and don’t be a busy body. You may notice your colleagues or your managers are goofing around etc. Unless if what they are doing stops you from doing your work effectively, stay out of it and don’t go around complaining etc. That’s your boss’s problem as that’s what he is paid to do, not you.

Communication (July 2011 Update)
How to tell people they are wrong?
There are times you need to tell someone they made a mistake in their work. Never ever gloat over someone else's mistakes because remember, you will make them one day too, including silly mistakes.

There are two ways for you to tell people they are wrong:

a) This is wrong. You should do it this way. Follow up, why have you done it like that?
b) What do you think if we do it this way?

My personal preference is (b) because it gets people thinking and two heads are always better than one and from time to time, the other person would surprise me with a new insight. However, remember there are times you need to use (a), if you’re in a hurry but always remember to have a follow up discussion afterwards.

The key point here is to focus on the work and not the person. People can get defensive if you’re not careful with your words because they feel their intelligence etc is under threat.

Remember, you’re there not to interrogate them, but to discuss and find the best solution. So don’t behave like you’re interrogating a criminal.

How to tell someone you don’t know and still look good?
First off, let’s face it that you don’t and can’t know everything. Anyone who tells you they do is probably lying or delusional and you know what to expect from them. If someone ask you something and you don’t know, don’t try to act smart and wing it because it will bite you back.

There are three ways how you can answer about something you don’t know:

a) I don’t know.
b) Good question! I don’t know BUT I can find out the answer and get back to you by the end of today.
c) I am not entirely sure, but my recollection is …………. I will confirm this to you later today. (Only use this if you are uncertain with your answer instead of not knowing it).

Answer (a) is an unhelpful answer and you get ‘points’ deducted if you answer to people like that. Answer (b) and © show that you are honest and at the same time proactive. Anyone worth their salt will appreciate that we don’t know everything and would appreciate your answer.

Remember though, the answer above only works if you can’t answer 2 out of 10 questions. It will back fire on you if you use them more than 20% as people will think you’re actually incompetent.

KISS and jargon, jargon and jargon
Let me tell you how to spot the fakers and the NATOs (No action talk only) when you’re talking to one: Jargon.

People who hasn’t got a clue what they are talking about likes to throw around complicated words, jargon etc. Anyone who understands something can explain them in clear simple terms you and me can understand.

Remember when either writing or speaking, use simple terms people can understand. Don’t use jargon and technical terms and assume everyone understands. Also avoid short forms such as POPP, TIPPS, CDO etc unless if you absolutely need to. Even if you do that, be sure to explain it, for example, we need to speak to PTM, people that matters concerning this.

No, no and NO!
The last thing a client want for an answer is no and it’s the easiest way to upset someone. I’ve sat in meeting where people got so crossed when the other party just said, no, no and no for all the questions. You’ll be seen as unhelpful and that will be the last time people work with you.

The wrong way to answer when you’re asked to do something:
A: Can you do this?
B: No.

The right way to answer:
A: Can you do this?
B: When/What/Where etc do you need to get this done?
B: To do this, the fee/resources etc would be xxx.

The key point here is unless if it’s sending someone to Mars, most things can be done if you throw enough money, time or people at it. The question is whether the client wants to do it or not and whether can they afford it.

Replace client with your boss and the same rule applies.

Truth and perception
You need to learn how to manage perception. For example, the truth is you’re hard working but your colleagues' perception is that you’re not. Try guessing if you’ll get a pay rise or a promotion. Another example is that you’re really intelligent (truth), but your colleagues' perception is that you’re so so (perception) because you rarely demonstrate your intelligence well enough.

The key point here is to understand the difference between the two, you may think you’re doing an important task but in actual fact, the perception by the company is that the task is really easy.

This post has been edited by Geminist: Apr 29 2014, 01:20 AM

Good guide.. should be pinned up instead..

Wow superb. I agree this shld be pinned

Finally, a mentor for our fresh graduates.

a helpful tips for all graduates. thx

- Don’t ask about money or benefits. Wait until you’ve got the job.

However, i do believe during the interview, they will ask about the expected salary from us

This post has been edited by kl87: Dec 13 2010, 12:34 PM

Even when you have 0 experience and therefore 0 bargaining power?

My concern with people asking this question is you might be seen as going after the money instead of the job. Whilst this is true in practice, i.e. you need the money, but it doesn't mean you should make it so obvious.

PS, it's great to see people finding this useful. It is not aimed at providing all solutions, but to help get the ball rolling and to get people thinking. Hopefully, some of the stuff in there would save you having to find it out the hard way or to spend time discovering it.

This post has been edited by Geminist: Dec 13 2010, 07:23 PM

i beg to disagree.

this form the essence of employment.

however, i agree that do not compare with other friends. it's a marathon... u never know what will happen 2-3 yrs down the road. Some jobs start a bit high but climbs slowly, while some will start low but has good increment

I also beg to disagree. As a fresh grad I have been asked "What is your expected salary" by at least 65% of the companies that have interviewed me.

My answer was always "I'll let the company decide on my value as I am a fresh grad, therefore I do not have any power to demand nor bargain salary" but they still insist on providing a number or range.

I agree that the first job isn't about money. I know people who will say otherwise but in essence, I feel that the first job should be selected based on how much you think you can reap from your employers in terms of knowledge and experience.

@kobe8bryant
well, there are ambitious ppl who look for both. Why shouldnt this job pay me well and allow me to learn at the same time? In my personal opinion, "nobody is going to pay you well if the job is easy as everyone can do it" and "you get paid well doing jobs that can only be done by certain ppl".

Of course as a fresh grad you will not be doing extremely difficult task but in essence, you join the company to earn more and they will throw you those difficult task sooner or later otherwise it isnt worth paying you so much.

It really depends on the profession you are in, I believe. In the profession I am in, either your employers train you well or they don't train you at all. So picking a wrong employer and then making a heap of mistakes could be a confidence shattering career move. I admit I don't know how all employers train their staff but based on my experience and hearsay of my friends, I do believe that it'd be better to pick the job that trains you more. That is you have to choose between salary and experience/training.

a huge company owner once told me..
if you want to have a good 1st impression during interview, when they ask you about expected salary..then tell them like this, juz pay me based on my performance..

might get that t job since they expect you to be good..

i got an offer from a company in subang jaya last week but i didnt received any offer letter from the company yet. when i call hr, they inform me that the offer letter still pending for MD signature.

is there a chance that the offer will be turn down by the company?

quite confuse here,,pls help

few month later, i will graduate and start my working life,
thnx for all of these guide, it is very helpful to me,
i need to prepare myself right now to survive in the future

Most probably not, it could just be a simple case that the MD isn't in the office. MD's barely care about new recruits unless you're applying for a high ranking position within the organization.

AGREE! i waited for 3 months after interview b4 they finally confirm to me that they'll take me. i called couple of times to follow up previously and it seems that MD is always overseas or not around (but after i joined only i got to know they previously already offered some1 else, but dat fella didn't last long so they call me back). i got my offer letter only after i've worked there for 2 months...hell of a HR dept in some companies...

---

Added on January 11, 2011, 11:08 pmand so true...they will surely ask IF you didn't state it in your resume. if you've stated your expected salary, they'd most probably NEGOTIATE with you instead. so be prepared. i'd normally ask them how much they're looking to offer for this position. some companies fix a range for certain position. well, some of them will say something like depends on qualifications, experience etc. and i will normally ask them "based on my qualification and experience, how much do you think the company would offer me?" hear what they say.

btw, would anyone really go for a job with sal way below their expectation? maybe i should ask, would they be happy with the job considering the salary is way below the expected?

This post has been edited by craze fad: Jan 11 2011, 11:08 PM

well written and very true

Thx Geminist for sharing your experience.

I very much agreed for Point 1 and 2. I currently facing this situation. Always try to act in good faith by helping others. In the end, they start to push the work to you and won't even thank you for helping them. Thus, sometime we really got to learn to say "No".

By acting in good faith at time won't bring us any goods.

Another point i wish to highlight is that never take the words of management for granted. As they might chance their decision from time to time. If not, the higher you expect, the deeper you falls. Just do your work within your responsibility unless the task(s) assigned by superior...

Just to drop my opinion here. Both might apply, but it is highly dependable on each individual's discretion and situation.

I actually second kl87 on this (personally - in my case). In one of my previous interviews (I was still pretty fresh back then) I actually asked what are the company benefits (honestly, not that I care but I find that I have nothing to ask so the question just popped out of my mouth) and the boss replied, "All the basic benefits you find in other companies..." and he gave me this 'look'. lol it kind of indicate "what a stup*d question" that I asked.

I realized then and there that this is indeed not a wise question. I mean, there are people who actually place company benefits into heavy consideration on whether to accept a job or not, but since it's not something crucial for me (as long as it's 14 days AL, MC claim etc - basic compensation) I noticed that I don't need to ask about it until I'm accepted for the job.

That's just my personal experience and POV ^^; it's normal to talk about salary (I always wait for interviewer to initiate the discussion about pay) but less likely when it comes to benefits. If the interviewer happens to highlight/ talk about their benefits, then it's fine to ask further question about anything that you're not clear with

Hmmmm sounds like you're being taken advantage of. It's unavoidable sometimes. I read in a blog somewhere that says it is fine to show that you have xx skill (eg. ability to use Photoshop) but do not accept extra responsibility pertaining it if it's not part of your responsibility. Must learn to say "no" and be firm on it, otherwise it'll be placed under your KPI before you know it.

Haha well it varies with companies on the management part. Some management team are very indecisive and they're not sure whether certain things would be feasible. Sometimes in order to keep a potential staff from leaving, they would promise all sorts of candy but once you stayed on you'll realize that it's nothing like they said.

Well, it sounds like my current situation, during the interview they promised to let me do the job related to networking. They also promised me that I will have the chance to handle company server. But since I started joining the company I've been doing alot of programming work, not even touching a single networking stuff. I thought that I will have the opportunity after being confirmed, but the sad is until now I'm still doing programming work I'm fine with the work as I minored in programming too, so why not treat this as a learning opportunity. I know I have make a mistake, I should say 'NO' at first but I'm too afraid to reject. But after being confirmed, my increment only RM100 as a programmer with basic RM2k only . Deduct the EPF and SOCSO my salary only RM1.8k, how am I going to survive as I need to support my family. Recently my company has upgraded the network as the new building has accomplished. The sad part is I was not invited to work with the senior to configure the network, if they don't allow me to join in, when will I have the opportunity to learn networking. I wonder do they treat me as a part of the team? I feel like being transparent all the time. They don't even bother to know what am I doing recently. Somehow these senior are so 'kiasu' people, whenever I ask them questions, they will answer in a short, "I know you can do it, that's the purpose company hire you". I've been applying for new job but till now don't have any feedback. FYI, this company is the listed company which dominance 80% of recycle business in Malaysia, situated in Penang. So people, if you are in my shoes, what will you do? Quit or stay on? Hoping a feedback from you all. Thanks for reading anyway.

This post has been edited by heartbreaked: Feb 10 2011, 09:56 AM