Get a Job as a Fresher in Planning and Development Sector
Most Important question and doubt for all the college pass-outs is “How to get a job”. We will provide you with a holistic approach for the same and set of steps that you should follow in order to secure your first job in the best possible manner.
Outreach to Alumni - Connect with your seniors, faculties, and alumni for the references
- This is the best way to inquire about a possible opportunity in any firm/organization.
- Connect with your alum, genuinely ask them what project they are working on / bidding on. In between conversations try to put your take and show interest in a similar field.
- The above practice is very common in the US and EU countries and all the topmost colleges in India are making a way to the same process.
- The placement cells in top institutes of the country coordinate with the alumni for onboarding of students and are a significant chunk of total placement offers.
Maximum Utilization of Social and Professional Network such as LinkedIn and other similar platforms
- When you have already tried your chance with an alumni network and still things are not working out for you, always go for networks, connections and professional relationships.
- Social media platforms gave us a great chance to understand what kind of skills are in demand in one particular organization etc.
- It also helps us to connect with people from various organizations. And at times it helps us in recommendations and gaining some kind of confidence in terms of their thoughts, experience and value additions which we often miss
- Don’t just write Interested etc, on every LinkedIn post. It never helps you to connect with the correct opportunity nor it helps you to communicate with anyone. It also shapes us in bad habits to indulge almost in every opportunity where the skill set is not even at par with the ask – Target few but Target good that too with relevant cover letter and resume curated to the Job description.
The Unconventional Way of finding jobs ( The Road Less Travelled ! )
- Look for the Upcoming Tender based opportunity/Tenders which are going to hit in the market and plan yourself accordingly.
- Also, If some organization is looking for senior-level positions there is a higher chance that project cost is on the higher end of the spectrum/ Or company might be bidding multiple projects, which can also insinuate that junior level positions might be required once the project is live.
- In spare time try to Write research papers and articles with peer groups in the field/ line of interest. Boost your chance of getting the job. (Acts as a Spike in your Resume/CV)
- Plan your thesis after assessing the future in-demand sectors. For instance, If the Infrastructure is growing at a high CAGR, a thesis oriented to water supply / Sanitation will help beat your peers in the market. Also, you can justify the selection and share the idea/ approach behind the choice.
- Upskill with relevant courses and certification programs
- There are many platforms that offer industry-recognized certification etc. which fast-track your chances of employment
- Edx, Coursera etc
- ADB, World bank etc.
Explore interdisciplinary fields – Research Associate, Development sector, Rural Development, Climate Change, Management consulting, etc.
- Try to look for all possible options out there as every sector is somewhere linked to each other in some or other way
- Stop looking for jobs just for Urban Planners or Environmental Planners etc, the market is not like this. Job roles are becoming multi-disciplinary and that’s where the growth is.
- Remember all the managerial positions are given to interdisciplinary people. So, why not start working from now for future big roles.
- Best part about the interdisciplinary field, it helps us to connect with other background students/people which increases our knowledge base and enhances overall thought process and personality.
- Also, interdisciplinary roles are given a high salary in particular sectors.
- Now you understand the importance of the interdisciplinary job roles, adopt skills as well which will make you a suitable candidate for the new roles.
- Fellowships – New Trend of Government Jobs
- Government is hiring young minds in the form of fellowships frequently.
- Fellowships does not ask for experience and pay well which is a best option for Freshers to start their career.
- These Fellowships gives chance to lead the project in an early stage of career rather than conventional jobs.
- These fellowships are giving the best possible exposure to young minds.
Don’t just mail or share your CV to employers –
- First Understand the Job description, whether you fit in for the position or not, and vice versa and your cover letter and resume should be aligned to the Job description.
- Remember Employer gets more than 200 resumes per position they offer. It's very difficult for them to read and understand your generalized profile and show interest in it.
- Approach the HRs and Employer first then apply for any vacancy. Confirm with them about roles and responsibilities and try to leave a good impression so that they recall that you have called and shown interest while evaluating your profile. Spikes your chances of selection by a few percent.
- When you understand the requirements of Job, now try to build your profile according to that. Your resume, cover letter, and mail text should not be generic in nature. Make sure your profile presents you in the best possible manner and is tailor-made according to the job description. Highlight similar skills,if possible try writing similar words to the skill sets asked in the requirement.
- After dropping your Resume and profile to certain employers try to follow up with them frequently in a few days itself while maintaining professional decency.
- Always keep count of the number of jobs applied, where you have applied etc. Remember less you will apply more focus you can give to one particular job suited for you.
Build your Profile – Email body, Cover letter, and CV
- Now you must have understood the importance of the profile in accordance with the job description
- We often observe there are outright huge mistakes in the resume of candidates that everyone can improve.
- Proofread- Review it with seniors and classmate before sending others
- Keep in mind the formatting and alignment of the text
- Try to keep your resume a maximum of 2 pages especially when you are fresher.
- Well-written and customized Cover Letter and Mailing text is what impacts the recruiter and HR the most
- It directly says whether you have read the Job description properly or not
- It makes short of your initial image/picture
- Try to keep it very unique and different, so that recruiters/HRs can remember you for a longer time rather than the generic cover letter everyone will be sending to them.
- Again, try to polish it as much as you can. Consult with faculties and seniors who can help you write better
- Finally, the most important part it should always be different for every job or it should be tailor-made to the job description
Government Town Planning exams
- Town planning jobs in various state governments are good opportunities if one prepares well can get the chance to work directly from the government side. These notifications are quite frequent.
- There is a different strategy to clear every exam. One should plan first then start studying to maximize their chances to clear these exams etc.
- Again, discussing with seniors who are already in these services can guide one better about exams and the interview.
Suggest and add more points in it which can be useful for everyone. In case of any suggestions and help write to us. we would love to help and support.
