6 Steps to Graduate Success

Congratulations! now you've got your degree.  So, I'm afraid there are no prizes for guessing there's a major difference between life as a student, and life in the world of work.  You've done the graft and you're ready to share your hard earned qualifications with the world.  But did you know a recent YouGov survey of 635 employers, including 419 directly responsible for recruiting graduates found that just 17% of employers focused on graduates’ university degree classification when hiring new recruits and only 8% cared about the university they attended.

Not only that but the stats also revealed that a growing number of students are finding themselves left without a job after finishing University because many students are lacking the essential skills required in the workplace. 

Apparently employers are not just interested in the fact that you've been to university. 52 per cent of employers surveyed said regardless of their degree qualifications, few if any graduate recruits were work-ready and 17% said none were fit for a job. 

So what are students perceived to be lacking?

· Communication skills

· Team-work

· Punctuality

· The ability to cope under pressure

So, for now I'm going to concentrate on the first item on that list - communication skills. Partcularly in the first meeting with an employer.

Question: How are you going to differentiate yourself from the dozens or even hundreds of other graduates with the same qualifications as you competing for the career kickstart you need?

Answer: Communicating by consciously creating the impact you choose.

Here are 6 steps to help you think about the impact you might make as you venture out and tell your story to potential employers.

Step 1 

Understand there's a 'gap' between how you perceive yourself and how others perceive you. In this instance we're talking about the 'other' being your potential employer. 

Online impact...Back in the day they'd ususally only have your written CV and a photo; these days they only need to look online to see straight through any BSCV you've written to gather a profile of you from any of the social networking sites you've plastered yourself over. It's crucial you begin to manage your on-line presence now... not tomorrow or next week, but today.

Step 2 

Humans expression involves communication using 4 distinct dimensions: 

* Physical... What are you doing?

* Emotional... What are you feeling?

* Intellectual... How are you thinking?

* Intentional... Why are you doing all of the above? 

Many graduates will naturally score high on the intellectual dimension. Consequently they may well believe that they 'are' what they 'know', and to a 'degree' they would be correct. However; unless you can also communicate your knowledge physically, emotionally with clear intentions you're only firing on one cylinder, and seriously in danger of delivering an unconscious one dimensional impact.

Granted not every single employer may looking for engaging, emotionally connected, trustworthy, likeable, energetic graduates with a high positive attitude; but 99.9% probably will be. 

Step 3 

The first thing we notice about another person is how they show up physically. The way they look, their handshake and swiftly followed by the sound or pitch and tone of their voice. Nothing is right or wrong in comunication, there's only cause and effect. The problem occurs when the the cause you've 'unconsciously' created produces an effect you didn't want. 

So take a look in the mirror and check out your clothes, your hair, makeup, jewellery, tattooes, even oral and physical hygiene, your posture, your eye contact. Is your voice tone conected to what you're saying, is your handshake saying what you want, are your facial and physical gestures congruent; even down to the detail of what is the kind of bag you'll take into your meeting saying about you? 

Look at yourself objectively and ask yourself this question: Am I physically communicating the message I want to convey?

Step 4

Emotional communication... or what are you feeling, and how do you want to make the other person or persons feel about you?

As sure as rain is wet, the most powerful influencing tool you'll ever learn to master is consciously deciding how you want people to feel about you and what you have to say and allowing that intention to determine how you deliver your message.

Do you know what the 'trip triggers' are that make you feel happy, angry, sad, uncomfortable etc. Do you know how to consciously trigger emotions in others so you can influence them to, at the very least, remember who you are and think about you in a positive light?

Step 5

Intellectually... or how are you thinking? Are you a big picture or nuts and bolts thinker? Do you think in images or words, colours or sounds, are you obsessed with detail and facts or are you a spontaneous and random thinker?

Once you've identified your core style, can you begin identifying what others' thinking styles are, and can you adapt in the moment to those styles so you can continue to influence their opinion of you in a positive light.

Step 6

What are your intentions? What has driven you to be sitting in that seat talking to these strangers about why you want they're offering. Are you really as clear as you can be about what you want, why you want it, and what you'll do with it if you get it?

If you can really focus on your intention then the other aforementioned dimensions, to a degree, may take care of themselves. 

If you ever believed that a CV and qualifications were what communication was all about, then think again, because it's you - a natural, organic, wholesome, integrated, 4 dimensional human being -  they will buy!

Good luck and I look forward to seeing you in the wonderful world of work! 

Ants

http://www.courageous-communication-partnership.com