Ten Weaknesses of a Fresh Graduate and how to Overcome it

Ten Weaknesses of a Fresh Graduate and how to Overcome it

Ten Weaknesses of a Fresh Graduate and how to Overcome it

When making the move from a University student to the life of a graduate, it is super exciting because right now you have your whole life ahead of you plus a world of possibilities. However, your graduate dreams will not always pan out exactly how you want them.

Most Nigerian graduates tend to face difficulties when they are making the change from student life to the career world. It is only very few people that are capable of landing their ideal jobs without any stress.

There are some weaknesses that fresh graduates face when seeking jobs and in this article, we will be highlighting some of them and giving you tips on how to overcome them.

Weaknesses of Fresh Graduates and Overcoming Them

Some of the common weaknesses that fresh graduates face and how they can overcome them include:

1 Living the faux dream

One thing you must note is that there are lots of challenges that graduates face when they come into the real world. However, it must be understood that the education you receive in the university does not in any way prepare you for real life.

While you may have educational knowledge from school, getting a job and holding down the job demands a different type of skills. When in school, you can make easy mistakes, speak with the lecturer, and even have the opportunity to retake a test.

But, in the real world, you will make hundreds of mistakes and you will barely have the chance to fix them without accruing any consequences. While your lecturer may help you succeed, you must be prepared to meet up the professional needs of your job.

2 A Lack of Direction

As a fresh graduate, you will more than likely be confused about the direction you want your life to take. You may likely be torn between beginning your career or furthering your education. The truth is that there is no simple solution for this issue as every individual’s journey is different.

But, with time, everything will become clearer. For now, you can overcome this by trying out new things, meeting people in your career path, and seeking popular professions amongst recent graduates while searching constantly for new jobs. In time, something will surely click.

3 Facing Unemployment

As a fresh graduate, the major weakness to overcome is unemployment. This is because the bills will never pay themselves. Even though the pandemic has made it harder to earn a living, some things will surely pull through for you.

The issue of unemployment is highly prevalent in Nigeria and graduates are left with little to nothing. However, there are different things to take up online and businesses to start. All of these will help with the issue of unemployment.

4 Behaving Like a Child

If you never knew, a deficit in maturity is a huge downfall for most fresh graduates. Fresh graduates who have not had a taste of the corporate world may likely not have a sense of what responsibility truly means.

What this means is that fresh graduates may not be capable of dealing with the everyday demands of a job, being told what they should do and the expectation that you must do it. When the pressure is too much, a fresh graduate may want to act like a child when he or she does not get what they want.

The main possibility for this is that they have not had to deal with authority figures asides from their lecturers and parents. As a fresh graduate, you are to act your age and have the understanding that in the real world, everything will not go as planned. You are to handle things as an adult.

 

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5 Terrible Self-Promotion

A poor self-image is a huge weakness for fresh graduates that are seeking jobs. The fact remains that, most fresh graduates have not completely figured out how to represent themselves in an ideal way both online and offline.

If you never knew, it is common to find prospective employers surfing through the social media handles of potential employees. As a fresh Nigerian graduate, you can handle the weakness of bad self-promotion by removing pictures and tweets that will not represent you in the best possible light.

The reason why most potential employers do this is that, even though they have the understanding that their prospective staff has a social life outside work, they want to make sure they hire the best persons to represent their company.

One piece of advice for fresh graduates is that you will need to clean up your social media accounts before you begin applying for jobs.

6 Expectations that are inflated

One issue for fresh graduates is that they have a down to Earth thinking since they believe they are fully entitled to their dream jobs just because they have gone to school for roughly four to five years for it.

To overcome this expected inflation, you must realize that there are lots of factors that go into the hiring process. These factors exceed more than your college credentials.

 

7 Unsure how to negotiate benefits and salary

A common weakness of most graduates is that they have no idea how to adequately negotiate their salaries. This weakness is well-known because they are scared that they will not get the job if they ask for more money.

Understand that, most of the potential employers expect that you negotiate. They tend to provide lower than they are expected to pay so they can have some room for negotiating. As a fresh graduate, you should brush up on your skills of negotiating.

8 Terrible Interview Skills

Since the university does not prepare you for this, it has turned into a weakness for most fresh graduates. Most graduates believe that if they have the drive, skills, and degree, they will always land a great job.

The reality you must face is that the interview is highly important. From the moment you step into the room, the interviewers are already judging you. If you give any wrong answer, you may likely miss out on an amazing opportunity.

You can overcome this by practicing how to answer interview questions. Before you embark on your interview, you should carry out some research on the company.

9 Relocation Issues

Most of the fresh graduates are reluctant to relocate out of their comfort zone for a job. However, understand that you cannot afford to be very choosy. Based on your degree and area of interest, there may not be lots of positions in your home state.

Besides, the employer in another state may offer a more appropriate salary and more chances for career growth and development. You should consider relocating if a desirable job offer comes in your direction.

10 Little to no work experience

Finally, a weakness most fresh graduates encounter is the lack of professional experience. When most graduates are out in the real world, they will not have enough time to gain much experience in their chosen field.

While this can be challenging, the ideal way to find a job is for you to be open to newer experiences and be motivated to make your personal decisions. You can gain experience by completing an internship, as this will allow you to have chances of being hired for a full-time position.

Conclusion

On a general note, getting your first job after University must be seen as a huge move into the life of an adult. While you may encounter lots of weaknesses, we have provided you with some ways to overcome them.

You can surf the web, practice diverse presentation speeches, research your company of interest and keep in touch fully with people who can help with your career growth.

In all, keep a positive mood always.

 

 

 

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