The most real advice for any fresh graduate seeking job opportunities in business

By 2023, the number of university graduates worldwide will reach an estimated 300 million, double the number in 2013, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

However, with this surge in graduates comes a rise in unemployment. In 2023, The Sun reported that while there are 287,000 graduates entering the workforce in Malaysia, there were only 48,700 high-skilled jobs available, causing a mismatch between the supply of graduates and the demand of high-skilled labour.

Ayake and her friend at the Come Up Global Startup Festival 2023 in South Korea. Source: Hanna Ayake

Fresh graduates like Hanna Ayake are among those struggling to find job opportunities in marketing, PR, or sales and management, especially in France.

Ayake, who graduated from SolBridge International School of Business with a Bachelor of Business Administration focusing on Marketing, is still searching for job opportunities four months after completing her degree.

Her story is a testament to the experiences of many new graduates trying to stand out among thousands of applicants.

Apart from competing with thousands of applicants, there were other barriers preventing her from scoring a job offer, such as lacking experience in the eyes of the employers and requiring a visa sponsorship.

Ayake is still seeking opportunities in Marketing, PR, or Sales & Management. Source: Hanna Ayake

With so few job opportunities for fresh graduates, what can you do?

Born in France, Ayake grew up in a family of business owners, which naturally led her to pursue a business degree.

“I found my business classes relatively easy, and I enjoyed marketing more than subjects like economics and management. That’s why I chose to specialise in marketing,” she shares.

At 18, Ayake moved to South Korea to pursue her degree at SolBridge, a non-English-speaking environment that helped shape her resilience. During her second and third years, she studied abroad at California State University, Long Beach, and Nottingham Trent University, UK, which broadened her perspective.

Studying abroad helped Ayake develop essential skills such as adaptability, problem-solving, communication, and time management — qualities that are in demand by employers offering job opportunities. Her global exposure also made her more comfortable interacting with people from diverse backgrounds.

With the skills that Ayake has developed, she’s confident she can be flexible and adjust to changing factors, conditions, or environments.

She’s also open and willing to try new things and take on new challenges.

Pair these with her problem-solving, and Ayake believes she can respond quickly to changing ideas, responsibilities, expectations, trends, and strategies to meet the goals of the projects she would be working on.

Other than the soft skills she possesses, Ayake speaks five languages — Arabic, Chinese, English, French, and Korean—and has work experience in marketing, business development, accounting, and teaching English. 

Yet despite all qualifications and experiences, she has only received rejection letters from companies.

 

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The hardest part of job hunting: Facing rejection

Rejection can be demoralising, especially when you don’t know the reason behind it.

Despite getting turned down by several hiring managers, Ayake has received no feedback. 

 While she doesn’t necessarily expect this, she admits it would help her understand where she can improve.

“The point of internships or jobs is to prepare us for the future, but how are we supposed to learn when we don’t even get the chance?” she asks, frustrated.

There is ongoing debate about whether hiring managers should provide feedback to candidates.

Software developer and Django co-creator Jacob Kaplan-Moss argues that employers are not obligated to give feedback, which can lead to negative reactions. Deciding whether a candidate will take feedback constructively is often a hit or miss.

Nevertheless, many candidates like Ayake believe that feedback could help them improve their chances of securing job opportunities, and should be an option rather than receiving no communication at all.

Ayake believes that she has the skills, the drive, and the passion to succeed. However, without the experience, she feels like she’s being overlooked before she’s given the chance to prove herself. Source: Hanna Ayake

When it comes to job opportunities, ‘The struggle is real’

Internships are an important stepping stone in increasing job opportunities, as they allow students to build their resumes and apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings. The plus point of completing an internship while studying is that most universities offer credit at the end.

Seeing her friends secure internships at top companies motivated Ayake to start applying. However, she quickly realised how challenging the process could be.

“I didn’t fully understand what ‘entry-level’ meant at first, so I applied for everything, not just internships,” she says. 

Over time, Ayake refined her search strategy, targeting only internships and entry-level positions. Yet, after applying for over 1,000 jobs, she still hasn’t landed an interview.

Despite her setbacks, Ayake decided to share her job search journey on LinkedIn, which garnered over 4,500 likes and hundreds of comments. She quickly discovered she wasn’t alone—many other graduates also struggle to find job opportunities.

Due to the lack of job opportunities, Ayake is currently on a gap year and is trying to get involved in different projects, such as community management, to improve her skills. Source: Hanna Ayake

Many people commented, sharing their similar struggles with unemployment. One commenter pointed to artificial intelligence (AI) tools as a key factor in rejections, as many companies use AI to screen resumes.

According to a Harvard Business School and Accenture report, 75% of US companies, 58% of UK companies, and 54% of German companies use AI in their hiring processes, further complicating the path to job opportunities.

The use of AI in the hiring process has one major concern, which is algorithmic bias and a lack of human touch.

An AI may have historical data that contain implicit biases, which will be amplified when screening candidates. This can lead to potential discrimination, impacting the company’s diversity and inclusion efforts and also overlooking competent candidates just because they did not use a specific keyword or phrase in their resume.

One thing that Ayake wishes for is for companies to provide constructive feedback or offer just a little more transparency in the process. Source: Hanna Ayake

Advice for fresh graduates seeking job opportunities

Ayake cautions fresh graduates: “Don’t rely solely on job search platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, or Glassdoor when seeking job opportunities.”

She emphasises the importance of building connections, reaching out to companies directly, and tailoring resumes to each position.

“I thought participating in competitions and winning awards would help me stand out, but it turns out there’s more to it than that,” she adds.

In the past, Ayake has always considered starting her own company. Today, she is working on building her own creative agency. Source: Hanna Ayake

Employers hiring fresh graduates often seek skills like data literacy, critical thinking, time management, problem-solving, communication, and leadership. While mastering these doesn’t guarantee immediate employment, they increase job prospects.

Beyond skills, effort is a key trait that hiring managers value. Whether it’s researching the company or preparing thoughtful questions, showing genuine effort can make a big difference.

“If you apply yourself and practise these strategies, you’ll eventually land your dream job,” Ayake says.