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Fear of not being able secure 1st permanent job after graduation.....

Discussion in 'General Support and Advice' started by teluphone, Jul 6, 2014.

  1. teluphone

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    I'm going to be graduating this time next year.

    Some background info, I'm currently doing my summer work internship at a financial institution involving asset management (the internship would end on 31st July 2014) and it's a bit hard to define my working relationship with my supervisor as he often does yell at me at making mistakes from time to time which i totally understand and try to rectify them. Towards the end, my supervisor doesn't use the presentations/spreadsheets/layouts that i spend days/weeks preparing after a lot of scolding (as i was even willing overtime 3 hours at work everyday to try and get it complete) for the final product that was used in the event....

    but with all this aside we are generally on friendly and casual terms as we do converse and greet each other quite often and i do listen to what he instructs me to do (even though i can be a bit clumsy with some of the stuff he wants since i'm majoring in engineering not accountancy) but i do question whether my supervisor likes me or not especially since i haven't been kept up to date with a lot of stuff/event that's going on in the company (I often have to approach and ask him myself) and i can't help but think (perhaps overthink) he doesn't think i'm smart enough to pull off the tasks he assigns to me which is why i'm suspecting he ended up not using the work i prepared in the end. :icon_sad:

    My parents urged me to ask two things from my supervisor, 1) A referral letter 2) and whether the company would be hiring next year. However, i have constant doubts because of the uncertain working relationship with my supervisor as i feel if i'm not able to secure a permanent job after getting my degree, it's the end of the world. :help:

    So for my questions i was wondering

    1) How do you go about asking a referral letter and job opportunities within the company for next year from your supervisor? :confused:
    2) Can anyone care to share their experience with finding their first job after graduation (or maybe even during their final year)? I don't really have particularly stellar grades which concerns me about the job prospects drastically reducing.....i have this depressive nagging feeling if i don't secure a job, i'm proving myself to be very worthless to society in general :bang:

    Sorry if i was rambling a bit back there, i definitely needed to get off my chest so thanks for reading my long post :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:
     
  2. bryaninau

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    Hey bro I know where you are coming from, securing a job after graduation can be nerve racking. if you are looking for referral letters they don't half to be from previous employers it can also be from teachers, coaches, etc I got one from my schools transfer admissions office because of all the work I have done to help them out. You also don't need to have the best grades to get a job employers don't ever see your grades they see you degree and if you have honors at all they will see that. I am not graduating yet it will come next year but I will share my thoughts on what I believe you should do.
    Kinda listen and look for an opportunity when you boss seems likes hes in a good mood and ask him about the opportunity of further employment and the recommendation letter. That's what i did when I got my brother hired for his first retail job. if you really want to get ahead of the game for employment network , its become more of who you know not what you know, linkedin is a great site to use for networking and a lot more companies look there first to hire. Also get a few letters of recommendation 3 always seems like a good number, do extra activities at school, and if you can try to get any certifications prior to your first job. you can only do so much before you get your first job but keep your head up and you should do fine. You are also not worthless if you have trouble it just means life has thrown you a challenge to see how you can over come it. hope this helps.

    ---Bryan
     
  3. Monraffe

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    Of all the important events that I would say have defined my life, getting a job isn't very high on the list. It seems like it should be, so much time is spent at work, but work is what you do so you can have the resources to do the really important things in life.

    It sounds like your boss is really stressed out. There's a good possibility his reaction toward your job performance isn't personal. If he doesn't say you are unsatisfactory then don't assume you are. Ask for the letter the same way you would if you thought he loved your work. Also, you don't know why he didn't use your work so don't assume it's because he didn't like it. He may have had other reasons.

    When looking for work, stay positive and act competitively toward every job opportunity. If a position isn't open suggest they create one for you so that they can benefit from your skills. I've done that myself a couple of times and ended up getting a job with one of those companies later on.

    Luck is when opportunity meets preparation so learn all you can about a business before interviewing with them. Demonstrate your good points more than just stating them. Instead of saying you are a hard worker show examples of your work. Showing you know a lot of facts about the company says "I'm interested" a lot better than just saying it. Don't worry about looking self confident, just stay alert and that will take care of itself.

    Finally, don't go on about what you can do for the company if you are hired. They will be able to judge that for themselves. It's called lathering and unless you are really skilled at it, it can hurt your chances. If you are truly a good fit and have demonstrated it in the interview there shouldn't be a need for the hard sell.

    Looking for a job is fun and exciting. You get get to meet so many interesting people and learn a lot about companies in your line of work. Even if you don't get a job this time it's common for interviews to lead to other jobs later on.
     
  4. teluphone

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    Yeah true about what you say. I noticed my boss eyes are a bit bloodshot and i received an email from him sent from the office at 1am!!!! My boss did compliment on my work (Nice job on this part and good job on this and that) which is why it kinda surprised me he ended up not using the material i spent days preparing, i just try not to let it emotionally affect me as i'm still an intern in the company and my boss probably has his reason for not using my work. For my internship, i have been able to accomplish several task under my own initiative while some of the other remaining tasks couldn't be accomplished (like arranging affordable bus transportation within 3 days). My friends keep telling me all of this is supposed to amount to the full learning experience of the internship and would definitely help me in the long run.

    The thing is this marks my third internship. Coupled with several part-time jobs i did during my time (Event manager for a charity event, survey caller for telemarketing), the freelance work i do (i write for the campus newspaper reviews section both online and print publication and also do a ton of videography work in my spare time) and i join a ton of sports and non-sports clubs (Debate) etc.....i'm still so uncertain with all those qualifications i can compete with those with almost perfect GPAs (and have no qualms bragging about it to friends either lol).

    Maybe i kinda view finding a first permanent job a giant stepping stone to become a mature adult especially since my parents moved out of Singapore years ago.....it feels like i'm going through this scary adult world stuff all by myself :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

    Thanks for the taking the time to reply to my post :slight_smile:
     
  5. Monraffe

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    I know what you mean about becoming your own man for the first time but that's not really important right now. You can think about that after you get the job. There are no "B" teams in companies so start right now focusing on getting into the mindset that you fit the job better than anyone else applying and you can't wait to get started. If you have any doubts about that you may be looking for a very long time. Put you efforts into convincing yourself you would be better at that job than anyone you can think of and be prepared to say why if asked.

    I've been a VP for two IT start ups and have interviewed countless programmers fresh out of college. It's as frustrating an experience for the interviewer as it is for the applicant. More so probably. When you are interviewing all you think about is the future but all you have to go on is the applicants past, and if they are just getting started there's not much past to go on.

    If you don't have an inside connection with the company the interviewer will be looking to see if you may be a diamond in the rough - a great employee no one has discovered yet. This is often the best kind of employee to have and interviewers pride themselves in being able to spot them. Your job is to convince them you are that guy.

    So don't worry about the other candidates. If all the interviewer wanted was the guy with the perfect GPA they wouldn't waste their time interviewing you. They are interviewing you for one reason; they think you might be a good fit. So provide them with the perception that you are and let them draw the conclusion for themselves.
     
  6. teluphone

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    thanks for the advice :slight_smile:. I have made connections with countless people associated with the broadcasting company....I feel making connection is the easy part....ask them for a favour in convincing their boss to give a potential job opportunity is another thing in my opinion.

    I'm still figuring when and how I should phrase asking a referral letter and potential employment to my supervisor though....
     
  7. teluphone

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    When I asked today to give me feedback on my performance he told me.....you do have some good initiative and smart ideas but.......in order to do my job you need to have exceptional IQ and EQ which is something you are unfortunately lack in.

    That really really sting tbh
     
  8. the gypsy

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    I'll tell you right now that the job market is going to hurt you, depress you, stress you, and scare you.

    Don't go into it with any preconceptions or expectations about where you should be or what you should have at any such time.

    Be direct. Ask for what you want, say what you feel and what you mean, don't lie. It's going to take time, but building a reputation for carrying yourself in a professional and honest manner will help you out a lot in the long run. Don't ever take anything personally when asking for performance feedback like what you got there-- Take it as an opportunity to improve. If they tell you that you lack in an area for that job then take it upon yourself to actively try to grow stronger in those areas.

    That's dedication, there. Nobody can ask any more from you than that.

    Most of all, if you can keep a cool head, you'll always be fine. No matter what your difficulties at the moment are, stressing out will only cause you to make rash decisions and will make your problems worse. Try to focus on taking a breath and staying calm and collected under pressure, and think through everything and I mean EVERYTHING before taking action. You'll be under pressure a lot in life after graduation, and if you learn to handle it with grace and poise you'll find yourself succeeding where you never believed you would and maybe even where others never believed you would.

    I know this is all very non-specific, but it's done a lot for me in life and I really hope it can help you too. You seem to have really put yourself out there in a lot of ways and places and that's one of the best things you can do. Try to make connections with people through your internships and such, your parents are absolutely right that you should ask for referral letters and professional references.

    Keep your chin up. You can do this. Don't be discouraged if it doesn't work the first few times because it may very well go that way. It doesn't mean you're a failure, it just means you're finding your groove.

    Anyway, sorry for rambling as well. To sum it up..

    Do the best you can do. It doesn't seem like he dislikes you but it's common to worry that it's personal at first. Be appreciative, show enthusiasm, and just ask him straight out about referrals and further employment opportunities. At the very least it will show your willingness to adapt and to work, which is the lion's share of what counts.

    Good luck!
     
  9. teluphone

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    Thanks for the encouragement. I had to sulk a bit over the bad feedback.....the reason why i even started this thread in the first place i keep pondering whether i truly have the capabilities of office work if i did indeed made one too many mistakes along the way

    As i was being a bit vague about the last post, there was a mix of good and bad attributes he mentioned of my performance but i did sort of beat myself over the bad attributes so much i actually forgot all about the good qualities that got mentioned *facepalm*

    he told me the biggest problem is trying to be outgoing in the office environment which is a bit problematic for me since i'm an engineering major interning at a business firm with the majority of the people either talking about news on finance or talking about their superiors.....i'm already fairly awful at socializing with others in general but to socialize under this context is very hard to achieve (I did manage 1 on 1 relationship buildups)
     
    #9 teluphone, Jul 11, 2014
    Last edited: Jul 11, 2014
  10. AAASAS

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    I dont know how it is over there, and it really does depend on the industry.

    But who gets hired, and gets promoted...etc, really is bullshit. It doesn't always mean the most qualified, but hte most liked person.

    Your boss likes you, you should be happy.

    My boss hates me, thinks Im a complete moron, and looks for mistakes I make. I barely make mistakes at work, am pro at my job; it's fuckin easy as shit and involves a lot of paper work and "office work" even though I work in the retail industry.

    But my boss hates me, so I know there is no room for advancement, getting more hours, or responsibilities. He has been cold to me since he got hired. I've actually been doing my job longer than he has been doing this. I am more familiar with people we work with, the products, and vendors. But he still hates me.

    He gives better hours to people he likes, one of which is the worst employee ever. Doesn't do anything, makes mistakes all the time, and basically causes problems for me. He approaches me to do things that SHE forgot.

    My boss knows I'm fully capable which is why he hasn't fired me; I have given him a thousand reasons to fire me I have given him attitude back, been late for work, late for lunch, I leave work whenever I want and run errands, and have had a general I fucking hate this place attitude. But he still keeps me around, why? Because he knows I will get the job done better than the rest of his employees.

    But when it comes to recommending someone for a raise, or promotion, or award, I will never get it, because of our relationship.

    It is very important, I notice people that are even higher up in the company aren't as educated as I am, or familiar with our job, or even as good at dealing with customers, but they got the job because they kissed as and their boss liked them.

    Customers know me, they approach me only if they recognize me. There are even a few that actively seek me out when in the store because I bend over backwards for anyone, I will be someones personal shopper and spend as long as they need with them. My boss knows this, he hears customers compliment me, a couple of them have gone to the manager to say I am a great worker, and it's not weird for me to be told that I basically was the most helpful person they have ever dealt with. But I still am going no where there; dont want to, because he doesn't like me.

    He's going to give one of his buddies a better position. This is how the world works, and it fucking sucks.

    I guess I am not very likeable. I have social anxiety, so I can come off as a complete asshole at times.

    There are very few jobs where rapport doesn't matter. And they are mainly in the scientific industries; the ones were intelligence matters.

    Sorry but working in finance doesn't require a special kind of person, just like retail, and people are going to hire those they want to work with and be around.

    So I think you are good, as long as your rapport with your boss is good, you should be good. I am basically just waiting for the day I get fired for the stupidest mistake because my boss really doesn't like me.
     
    #10 AAASAS, Jul 12, 2014
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2014