The common question how do you do is, exaggerating a little, encountered as often as the question you ask yourself, namely what am I going to do after graduation, where can I find a job. True, the last question could reveal the fact that you’re perplexed. But what does it matter? The important thing is that now, here, in a few minutes, you can learn the thing about which you are currently confused. Thus:

Think about the fact that high school and college do not currently facilitate concrete answers to the questions you likely ask yourself in your first year of study: Which field do I want to pursue once I’ve received my degree? What will I do once I get my Masters? How can I pay my living expenses? Who would be willing to invest in my abilities and, ultimately, what are they? What do I best know how to do? You don’t need to panic, look on the bright side of things, namely the possibility to discover on your own account which profession best fits you. This is, most likely, a life lesson that can help you to best know yourself through the simple fact that you will feel and observe how you adapt in situations that necessitate a protocol, a communication strategy, a form of organization, a succinct message, and so on.

If you did not complete an internship during your studies or if you didn’t have a part-time job, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have experience. Projects done in college that involved collaboration with colleagues, extracurricular activities, or even different leisure-time activities (e.g. organizing trips with friends) may constitute evidence on which employers on the labor market can gain a concrete idea of your character, your skills, and the field which best corresponds to your profile. It is therefore important to promote yourself intelligently. This doesn’t mean to lie or to present things in another light, but pure and simple to bring up those projects, activities, and passions that take planning, teamwork, strategy, energy, and so on. Work is not found solely in a company, but also in sports, academic activities, and the examples can continue.

Which field do I want to pursue? This is a question that is often asked. A good answer can be assured through a search that is not necessarily rigorous, but should be at least rich and consistent. Also, along with using search engines, contacting a recruitment agency can be very useful to you. Why? Because you can present yourself and the details of each professional occupation corresponding to your studies and your abilities or to the goals you have set for yourself. Searching in the phone book for examples, you can see that there are recruitment agencies in your area.

What do I need to do in the first weeks of my first job? If I’m not doing well?

If you’re not doing well, you can still find out why this is so, and in the future you can handle correctly the different situations in which you may find yourself. You don’t need to believe that you won’t succeed. Think about the fact that in the company in which you’ll be working there are colleagues, perhaps professional training sessions, you will be able to use diverse technological instruments, in short, you won’t be alone. You should be courageous and ask for help or for a simple suggestion.

How do I know what salary is right for me?

Before any interview you have, inform yourself about the field or position for which you’re applying—consult financial newspapers, look it up on the internet, etc. Also find out what the principal responsibilities are that you’ll have, what the minimum salary is for the position, what the strong points of the job are. Also, in your first year on a job, concentrate on fulfilling your responsibilities and don’t think only about the fact that you have a small salary. Even if your salary expectations don’t coincide with the employer’s proposals and you see that they aren’t very open to negotiation, try to surprise them through your results, your attitude in the face of projects and dynamic activities. The best negotiation is, in fact, gaining a decent/satisfactory salary on merit.

What do I do if I don’t like my workplace?

To avoid any unpleasantness regarding your future place of work, such as abandoning it (which would delay the company’s plans as well), ask the questions to which you want answers while you’re still in the employment interview. Don’t rationalize that it will be possible to still ask questions at another time because you risk forgetting them or will consider them to be unimportant. Thus, if you wait until another day you risk not asking your questions at all.

What questions should I ask at the employment interview?

General questions you can ask at the employment interview may be about your future work schedule, overtime—if it’s done or not, the departments with which you’ll principally work, the short- and medium-term objectives you’ll be assuming with the signing of the work contract, etc.

How can I fulfill my responsibilities?

Through practice. For example, if you need to organize an event, you make a necessary—a list with the principle things you need. Subsequently, check the list every few days because you may need to add something. You will see how you improve with each event. If you need send emails to prospects (potential customers) to convince them to purchase services/products from the company which you represent, check the email twice before you send it to make sure it doesn’t contain any typing errors. If necessary, ask your supervisor to look over it as well.

What else do I need to know?

Indifferent to which field you choose, you will always need to note information: whether you participate at an operative meeting or whether you conduct an interview, you need to note down, succinctly, information given by your superior, by colleagues, by clients, etc.

I’d like to know a few fields that I could pursue. What is available on the labor market?

Among the most sought-after fields: Shared Services Center (secretarial, accounting, acquisitions), Construction (transport coordinator, field operatives agent, etc.), Communication and Marketing, IT, Development (grant projects), Agriculture, Sales, BPO, Translation and Interpretation Services.

I still have questions…can you wait a bit for me to think?

Don’t sit around thinking any more. It’s normal to still have questions—you always will. Use this article to answer your questions yourself and, subsequently, consult with trustworthy people or people who have experience or are experts in the subject about which you are concerned.

Silviu Botezatu

Human Resources Coordinator