Should I hold out for my dream job or take what’s available?

After Zahid graduated in Electronics from the University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore this year, he started applying for jobs in his chosen field i.e. Electronics. He sent out CVs to multiple companies and quickly landed a couple of interviews, but never got selected.

Zahid isn’t the only fresh graduate who was unable to find a job in accordance with his education and original career aspirations.

In the recent years, more than half of the millennials aged between 22 and 30 ended up taking jobs they didn’t want. They did so to cover their expenses. And those who rejected job opportunities that weren’t aligned with their career aspirations, remained unemployed for months. Besides, people who took jobs they didn’t love, often found it hard to pursue their goals outside of work and later felt completely aimless and unaccomplished in their professions.

So, if you are in a confusion of whether to wait for the “right job” or take the “right now” job, this article will help you get out of the rut.

Stepping up your game

Getting too many rejections? Sit back and evaluate yourself with a calm mind. Think about what you could do differently. Your problem could be as simple as inappropriate dressing or a bad resume, or maybe you’re not being able to properly highlight your abilities and academic achievements, during the interviews. Make sure to do extensive research on all aspects of the job role before you head out for the interview. Demonstrate your interest in the field by sharing ideas and discussing industry new. Besides, many millennials fail to convey their excitement for a job to the potential employers. Keep in mind that majority of the interviewers prefer excitement and passion over anything.

Setting a deadline

While you should certainly put all your efforts in trying to find a job that is aligned with your passion as well as your university major, there has to be a deadline to doing so. I know working outside your field is never going to be your first choice but you’ll realize after 5-6 months of unemployment that picking any available job is the smartest decision. According to many studies, a person who’s unemployed for 1-5 months is more likely to get a job offer as compared to the one who’s unemployed for 6 months or more.

Here I’m not at all advising you to bury your career aspirations and pick a career that is opposite to your goals. You’ve got to realize that working in an industry that’s unrelated to your college major is not a life sentence. You can still pursue your dream and hone your skills outside work—and that could help you build a career in your field of your choice later on. Because once certain amount of time has passed, accepting any reasonable job is better than staying jobless.

Also Read: How to successfully shift into a completely new field midway through your career

Taking the opportunity to reassess

Majority of the job seekers, after a long job search and no success would start feeling demotivated whereas others would do a deeper kind of searching. It’s natural for a person to feel discouraged when a job search lasts too long but keeping your eyes peeled for new opportunities can for sure land you a great job. You’ll certainly be surprised when you find something outside of your field that’s a good fit.

According to Steve Jobs:

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”