Interview focus
To help university gradates find jobs, the Guangdong government hosted two job fairs at Jinan University last month.
There were plenty of jobs on offer - but it is not easy for graduates to get a job if they don't know what they are looking for.
Chen Baixi, who graduates from Guangdong University of Foreign Studies in June, attended the fair. But she has no idea what she wants, or what she is good at. She has sent her resume to different kinds of companies, but got few replies.
'I really don't know what post I should look for. I keep sending out resumes and going to job fairs - it's physically and mentally exhausting,' she says
Su Qianxin, on the other hand, has a clear career goal. She wants to be a magazine art editor, but she has no idea what to do to get the job. 'Every time I face interviewers, I become nervous and I don't know what to say to them,' she says.
Hong Xiangyang, a senior consultant for professionals, has some suggestions for graduates. 'First, know yourself. What kind of job do you want to do? What kind of job can you do? What do you want to get from your job? Can you meet the company's demands?
'It's necessary to get the answers before applying,' Hong says.
Second, write a proper resume. 'List any experiences relevant to the post. If your qualifications don't meet all the criteria, at least show your passion for the post. Keep your resume brief and honest,' he says.
Third, master interview skills. 'In an interview, you should spend half the time speaking and the other half listening. When you answer a question, speak for no more than two minutes. Graduates should focus on what they can contribute to the company, and be sincere with the interviewers,' he says.
Hong says students shouldn't give up. 'It's natural to fail interviews,' he says. 'Just learn from the failure and prepare better next time. An opportunity is just around the corner.'
