That’s all it takes for the one recruiter to decide your future. According to a biometrics eye-tracking study done by Ladders in 2018, headhunters only skim a resume for an average of 7.4 seconds. With such a small window of opportunity, coupled with rising graduate unemployment (Malaysia's unemployed graduates rose by 22.5% in 2020), you certainly want to stand out among the sea of unemployed talents in this rat race. But the question is: how?

    Simple. You start building your career. Career building refers to the process of thinking about your professional future, planning your action pathways, upskilling yourself through education and experiences while pursuing new opportunities over time. In short, it is the process of you moving towards your desired career.

At this point, you might be wondering: I am still studying and haven’t really decided what work I want to pursue in the future. Can I still start my career-building now?

    Definitely.

    In fact, Yin Ting from Taylor’s EY Campus Champs shared that it is never too early to start career building. Although this might seem daunting and complicated, fret not! In this article, we will be sharing 4 simple ways on how you can start career-building as a student:

    Still feeling unsure about your career path? You can start by building a network of any size and with anyone. It doesn’t even have to be the professionals or industry leaders related to your degree. For instance, you might be a Biomed student, but during your initial application, bioscientists won’t be the first ones screening your resumes. It will most likely be a headhunter, recruiter or a HR (Human Resources) associate.

    To build a network, you can simply interact with your coursemates, lecturers or strangers that you meet in a coffee shop. Who knows? They might be your future colleagues or employers. But if you are more introverted, you can create a LinkedIn Profile.

    Networking requires ongoing and continuous communication. You can’t just have one chat or create a Linkedin Profile and leave it there. You need to continuously maintain your offline and online presence. If not, you will be taken over by other hungry candidates who are vying for the same position that you are aiming for. Trust me, maintaining your networks is worth the effort. According to Jobvite's 2019 Job Seeker Nation Survey, 60% of jobs are found through networking.

    However, do note that once you identify your career pathway, it would be better to narrow down your network and connect with individuals who will definitely boost your employability. To illustrate, if you want to intern/work at Ernst & Young (EY) Advisory Services Sdn. Bhd., you can connect with their human resources employees or Taylor’s EY Champs themselves.

    As a frequent LinkedIn user myself, I’ve met several unprofessional individuals on that platform, so be careful of who you are connecting with. One simple method is to go through their profile and check how many mutual connections you have with that person. That being said, it is still better to build a network no matter how small it is than to have no network at all.

    With numerous clubs in Taylor’s University ranging from business and entrepreneurship, community-centric, media and arts and sports, you can join any of these organizations and find your niche. By going out of your comfort zone and taking positions unrelated to your degree, you might discover a passion for something that will change your career path. Besides, you can learn new skills that will give you an edge, and these skills will then result in an easier transition into the workforce.

    Through participating in various student organizations, you will learn the essence of being an independent and reliable talent in handling delegated tasks, and most importantly, how to be a team player.

    And If you’re thinking: Yeah, I get it that these will enhance my self and career development. But is this too much work for a single resume? How will the recruiters know my potential even if I list 101 clubs on my resume when they are going to look at it for a few seconds only?

    In this technologically advanced era, recruiters use both applicant tracking systems (ATS) and manually skim for resume keywords to increase efficiency. Examples of these keywords include detail-oriented, interpersonal skills and leadership. By joining various extra-curricular activities, you can then incorporate these keywords and the skills you have learnt into your resume. This demonstrates your ownership in your own learning and proactiveness as well as justifies why you are the most ideal candidate. Additionally, these recruiters may even contact representatives from the clubs you were involved in.

    Hence, with critical experience and proper resume justifications, you are making the recruiter’s job easier, and this increases the chances of you getting your dream job. Although I emphasized the importance of joining many clubs and activities, make sure that you are doing this within your physical and mental capacity, and not at the expense of your wellbeing.

    Are networking and joining extra-curricular programmes not really contributing to your career building? Well, then it is always best to speak to a professional in your industry (hint: lecturers). You can even consult Taylor’s University’s in-house Career Resources & Employer Relations (CaReER), which provides free services. They are always ready to hear your concerns and guide you in building your career.

    Fun fact: You can subscribe to CaReER and receive regular emails on the latest internship openings, webinars and also, a workshop by Taylor’s EY Champs on the 22nd of October.

    Last but not least, you can join workshops that cover topics like resume writing, personal branding and developing Linkedin presence. Still, feeling worried and unsure of where to even begin? Well, we got you covered.

    Taylor’s University EY Campus Champs is hosting their first workshop, Stand Out to Recruiters next Friday, 22nd October 2021. Ms Aisyah Hamid and Ms Eileen Pang, Campus Recruiters at EY Malaysia, will be sharing a few tips and tricks for effective resume writing and standing out during interviews. If you wish to join this event, register at http://bit.ly/eysotr. See you there!