20 10 Tips about:

How to start your career after graduation?

and freelancing work…

years

Eng. Hany Saad Mostafa Senior Teaching assistant and lecturer

ITI – Assiut Branch hghiett@iti.gov.eg

What’s Next…?

What’s next after graduation?

“It's time to take your career seriously…”

You’ll get graduated in few months, congratulations

Tip No.1

Tip No.1:

“Focus on one Job field”

Tip No.1

Tip No.1: Focus on one Job field:

• Focus on the field that you like most, and you have more skills on it, for example: Software development, web development, mobile apps

development, network engineering, cyber security, graphic design, web design,… etc.

• You may combine maximum two related or frequently needed together fields.

• Review job ads in that field to know the topics and technologies most needed on it.

• Prepare yourself well in that field and its related topics, read and learn more about it.

• Keep yourself updated with all new technologies in that field.

• You may try to get a good training or get certificated in your field.

• Never Stop Learning, and keep updated on other related fields.

Tip No.2

Tip No.2:

“Technical skills isn’t enough, you need also strong Language and personal

skills.”

Tip No.2

Tip No.2: Technical skills isn’t enough, you need also strong language

and Soft skills:

• Technical skills are the key, but you need also strong language and personal skills, in professional and real work environment.

• You need to enhance and improve your English skills (or other

language according to your field and work place), and this includes: reading, writing and conversational skills.

• Also, you need to develop and improve you personal and soft skills,

such as: communication skills, soft skills, teamwork skills,… etc.

• You can find a lot of online resources for English and soft skills courses and learning.

Tip No.3

Tip No.3:

“Make a good CV right now”

Tip No.3

Tip No.3: Make a good CV right now:

• Make your CV right now, not tomorrow, not when you need it.

• Focus on key skills required for your field.

• Don’t write basic and minor skills that aren’t key skills for your field,

for example: MS office, Windows OS,.. Etc.

• CV presentation in very important.

• As a fresh graduate your CV must not exceed 2 pages as maximum.

• Tailor the CV to the role and to each job.

• Keep your CV updated.

• You may use CV building tools and websites.

• Prepare yourself for interviews.

Tip No.4

Tip No.4:

“Create a professional LinkedIn Profile”

Tip No.4

Tip No.5: Create a professional LinkedIn Profile: • LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking service, and it’s the

world’s largest professional network on the Internet.

• In 2016, total number of LinkedIn user reached 414 Million users, and number of active job listing on LinkedIn more than 3 Million jobs.

Tip No.4 (Cont.)

Tip No.5: Create a professional LinkedIn Profile (Cont.):

Tip No.4 (Cont.)

Tip No.5: Create a professional LinkedIn Profile (Cont.): • Create professional profile:

• Add your skills, work information and samples in details.

• Clarify your contact information and use formal and right Email.

• Use clear profile name.

• Use suitable profile photo.

• Customize your profile URL.

• Grow up your network, by connecting to your professors, colleagues

and friends.

• Ask your professors, colleagues to recommend you on LinkedIn.

• Follow known companies in your field, their job vacancies, and you

can apply to them through LinkedIn.

• Be Active In LinkedIn Groups.

Tip No.5

Tip No.5:

“Follow and create accounts on known recruitment websites”

Tip No.5

Tip No.5: follow and create accounts on known recruitment websites:

• Create accounts on known recruitment websites, and follow the job opportunities on it.

• Follow FB recruitment groups and pages.

• Some of most known recruiting websites in Egypt and Middle East:

• http://www.bayt.com

• http://www.egyptitjobs.com

• http://www.wuzzuf.net

• http://www.arabrec.com

• http://www.wzayef.com

• http://www.jobzella.com

• http://employermagazine.com

• http://www.jobs-eg.com

• http://www.recgate.com

• http://www.meait.com

Tip No.6

Tip No.6:

“Participate actively in Job fairs, technical events and online forums related to

your career field.”

Tip No.6

Tip No.6: Participate actively in Job fairs, technical events and online forums related to your career field:

• Participate in job and recruitment fairs related to your career field;

you’ll find a lot of good opportunities on it.

• Participate actively in technical events and conferences related to your

career field; you’ll gain a lot of knowledge and good connections from

it.

• Follow and participate actively in known technical forums (MSDN

forums for example), technical blogs and websites related to your

career field; you’ll gain a lot of technical knowledge and experience

from it.

Tip No.7

Tip No.7:

“Always ask yourself how you want to see yourself after 2, 3 and 5 years, and plan

for it.”

Tip No.7

Tip No.7: Always ask yourself how you want to see yourself after 2,3 and 5 years, and plan for it:

• Plan for your Next 5 career years at least from now and from your first

job.

• Draw and plan for your career path from now, and to at least next 10

years or more.

• Draw your career dreams, think how you can achieve them, then plan

for it.

• Begin to search for a new work, when you feel that you aren’t learning

or developing your skills from your current work.

• Work actively, and with passion.

Tip No.8

Tip No.8:

“Plan for Post-graduate studies”

Tip No.8

Tip No.8: Plan for Post-graduate studies :

• Plan for post-graduate studies during your career life.

• Plan for taking your first post-graduate degree (Master) during your

first 5 career years, because it will be valuable a lot for you during your

senior and later career levels.

• It’s not preferable to start your first post-graduate studies directly after

graduation, you can work for a year at least first, because during your

junior level career practical experience will be more valuable and

beneficial for you.

• Choose Post-graduate studies field relevant to your work field.

• You can search for scholarships in known universities.

Tip No.9

Tip No.9:

“Think about starting your own business”

Tip No.9

Tip No.9: Think about starting your own business:

• Think about being an Entrepreneur or a business owner.

• It’s not an easy way, don’t start it unless you’re ready.

• It may be a risk, and need special skills; so think, and plan for it well.

• Read about different entrepreneurs success stories; read well about the

reasons of their success or fail, and their advices.

• You own business can be: your own idea, your own product, or your

own company.

• There’s no specific time to start; you may start while you’re still

studying (specially if it’s about a software product for example), or

after your graduation directly, or later after you gain more experience

in work.

• Try to be different and innovative.

Tip No.9 (Cont.)

• Some of organization and venture capital (VC) firms that can help

you in starting your own business:

• TIEC: http://www.tiec.gov.eg

• Flat6labs: http://www.flat6labs.com

• Sawari ventures: http://www.sawariventures.com

• Tennra: http://www.tennra.com

• preneur-masr: http://preneur-masr.com

• Ideavelopers: http://www.ideavelopers.com

• Arab Innovation Network: http://www.arabinnovation.net

• Egypreneur: http://www.egypreneur.com

• Funders and founders: http://www.fundersandfounders.com

Tip No.10

Tip No.10:

“Freelancing, and working online is a very good option”

Tip No.10 - Freelancing

Tip No.10: Freelancing, and working online is a very good option:

• Freelancer, or freelance worker refers to a person who is self-employed and is not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term.

• Other related terms are “outsourcing” and “offshoring” that mean a company that delegates another company to accomplish some of its work or tasks.

• There’s a lot of websites that working as a broker between freelance employees and companies or individuals who offer work for them.

“Freelancing is the new normal -- and we have the numbers to prove it.”

By Sara Horowitz, Founder and Executive Director of Freelancers Union and Fabio Rosati, CEO Elance-oDesk.

Tip No.10 - Freelancing (Cont.)

• Freelancing and working online growth:

(34% of entire

workforce)

Tip No.10 - Freelancing (Cont.)

• Top requested services:

Tip No.10 - Freelancing (Cont.)

• Jobs posted growth:

Tip No.10 - Freelancing (Cont.)

• Some of most common freelancing websites:

• www.upwork.com (Formerly: oDesk and Elance - Top famous freelancing site)

• www.freelancer.com (One of the most famous sites)

• www.rentacoder.com

• www.vworker.com

• www.guru.com

• http://www.peopleperhour.com

• www.fiverr.com (For small services)

• Some of fast-growing Arabic freelancing websites:

• www.khamsat.com (For small services)

• www.ikhedmah.com (For small services)

• www.freelanceme.net

• www.mostaql.com

Tip No.10 - Freelancing (Cont.)

• How does freelancing websites work?

• Create a worker profile, and define your skills.

• Search for posted projects that fits your skills and bid on it (time and cost

quotation).

• The employer (project owner), will review the freelancer applicant, review

their profiles, and shortlist some of them for online interview, and

provide a final offer.

• If the employer accepted your offer, he’ll start the project for you on the

website, and notify you to start working.

• After finishing the project, the employer will close the project, and

transfer the agreed cost to you.

• The website will ask the employer to evaluate your commitment and

professionalism, and also will ask you to evaluate the employer.

Tip No.10 - Freelancing (Cont.)

• Project cost estimation:

• Hourly based: estimate the work hours in the project, and define a

rate for your man-hour cost.

• Fixed-price: estimate and fixed price for the whole project.

• Money withdrawal from your account:

• Payoneer.

• Skrill and PayPal.

• Wire transfer.

Thanks… 20 years

Hany Saad.