Education Talk by Jeffrey Nehi First of all, Congratulations to our recent graduates from tertiary institutions across PNG. BEFORE YOU START ON YOUR JOB HUNTING JOURNEY, I THOUGHT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU MY EXPERIENCE… I faced many struggles after graduating and started seeking employment. After graduating from UPNG in 2010, I had higher expectations that yes I did it. Next is to secure a job and make my parents proud after all that they had done investing in my education. UNFORTUNATELY – it did not turn out that way. It was quite a challenging and painful experience for me to have an extended resume with years of experience, which was what most employers were looking for which I simply did not have. Even in some of the jobs I applied for and got interviewed for, I felt that I was more than qualified and fit for the job but yet employers overlooked that. In one of the assistant positions, I applied for, they still wanted someone who has 3-5 years of experience.
I felt that the world was crashing down on me, I had no one to supervise me on how to produce a job-winning application. I learned it myself by improving on my past job applications and interviews I attended. I was a liability to those that I lived with, in Port Moresby after my graduation and was searching and applying for jobs. Sadly, by the time I secured my first job (just two fortnights into my first job) my father passed away. I was so heartbroken and frustrated. I should have secured a job straight after graduating. By then my dad would have enjoyed the benefits of his hard work before passing on. It took me almost a year and a half not to look for but apply for jobs. Realizing the reality, I opted by starting small and then made my way up over time by building on my career experience through sacrifice, commitment, and getting myself into learning as much as I could. YES! IT PAID OFF. After 12 years and looking back, I have no regrets as I have made mistakes, learned from them, and improved. I am still learning and there will always be room for more to learn whatever comes on my professional and career pathway. KEY MESSAGE THAT YOU CAN TAKE FROM MY EXPERIENCE... From my experience, I can honestly point out that, the current job market is highly competitive and a university degree is not an automatic ticket to getting a job. It is very difficult for new graduates to find employment. “the job market is often flooded with qualified job-seekers possessing higher levels of experience than recent graduates. And unfortunately, gaining valuable experience is equally difficult when you find yourself as a new beginner with zero experience at all. Another challenge is competing with the number of graduates looking for the same job. For example, a Bachelor of Business is quite popular and thousands of students do the same degree. After 3 years when the students graduate, thousands and thousands of students are put into the workforce all with the same degree which makes it so competitive. Next : The Journey Of A Janitor To A Double Degree Holder : Story Of Betani Ruhup Share your Inspirational Stories, Education Issues, Education Talk. Let your voice be heard: Send us your stories to us: email : pngedunews@gmail.com Share this
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