1987 & 2020 - Story of Two Years

1987 - Post Graduate Diploma in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations from XISS, Ranchi. I was finally entering the great Indian job market. The campus recruitment that year was bad and we just had 3-4 companies visit our campus. With no job offer in hand, the job search journey kicked off. Those were the years of no internet and no naukri.com. What we had was a weekly paper called Employment News and of course the weekly job ads in newspapers. There was no other means of reaching out to companies or know where the jobs were. So what does one do? I traveled to Delhi to stay with my brother and knocked on the doors of several companies. Every day another batchmate of mine and I would step out and do this. These visits were about meeting the receptionist and dropping a hard copy of our CV, and we were sure it was going into a black hole. The first job finally happened after nearly 10 months of wait and that too through a job ad in the newspaper. Some 10 of us got hired as HR Trainees at a stipend of Rs. 2000/- per month. The year was 1988.

Fast forward to 2020. The world has changed significantly. There is internet, there are job portals, there are career platform on company websites, there is social media to connect with people, there are alumni networks, etc. Yet, the passing out batch this year has been hit hard by the unprecedented pandemic for which no one was prepared. Job offers have dried up or have been withdrawn. Very few have been lucky to join a company post the campus offer. So what do those folks, who have no job offer in hand, do. A few takeaways from my own experience.

A. Acceptance. Accept that the offers are not going to happen for sometime. And that there is a genuine reason for it. At this juncture there is no point holding yourself responsible for a no offer scenario. Simply put, there are no offers. And there is no time limit for this crisis to get over. So think ahead and think next.

B. Generate alternatives. Given the above scenario, what options do I have. A serious introspection and research needs to happen to list out possible options. Rather than sitting idle, an exercise like this will give hope. What all can I do to utilize this time more productively? That's the big question to be addressed.

C. Financial buffer. A job offer would have given the ultimate financial freedom every youth aspires for, especially after doing a 2-4 years course. Now that this is not happening, what do I do next. Can I stay with my parents or relatives who can support my financial needs for some more time? Can they provide that much needed buffer to tide away the crisis. Stay put with them if possible.

D. Enrich yourself. I might have done a 2 year course or a 4 year course. That should not stop me from picking up some short certification courses. I already see many do that. That's the best way forward. The online options for such courses will only grow. Again, I find this generation having a lot of support from these options.

E. Network. There could be folks one could look at connecting in such times. One, your mentor during the summer internship (which for many has been online rather than on-site). Build your own connect with your mentor and keep in constant touch with them. The other network option is to to connect with folks on LinkedIn. That's one professional platform that can come handy.

F. Leverage alumni. If you are from an institute that has well placed alumni out there in the corporate world, then this is the time to reach out to them and keep in touch with them not only for professional guidance but also getting information of possible job opportunities. In the world of Whats App, this again is easy to do.

G. Think entrepreneurship. In times of crisis, we tend to think more. And herein lies the opportunity to explore. Go beyond being a job seeker. What else can one do? Pursue a passion that one always wanted to do? These are times to identify problem areas and think solutions around it. And therein could lie your shot at entrepreneurship. Become a job creator. Get connected with like minded folks and generate ideas.

H. Stay fit. At the end of it all, this is a battle that you are up against. It can only be fought if you keep yourself supremely fit in all ways. Whether it's mental or physical or social, you have to be on top of it all. Have the mental resolve to see this through. Have the body in shape, to wade through this. Connect with your near and dear ones to have fun. This too shall pass.

I hope the above helps you to stay afloat in these unforeseen times and may you swim across the turbulence. Never for once allow the thought of sinking enter your mind. That's easy to do. The key is never to give up. Fight it out. There's a huge life out there beyond this year. All the best!