Job Profile of an Insurance Sales Agent
By: ANIRBAN DAS
Jobs for Fresh Graduates
For fresh graduates, finding a job at the right place is the ultimate dream. Freshers look out for opportunities through campus placements, job sites, newspapers and recruitment agencies. Entry level jobs are offered by all industries. IT, ITeS, Retail, HR, pharma, marketing and other industries have jobs for fresh graduates. However, in times of recession, it becomes an uphill task to find a job if you are a graduate and are looking for an entry level job. At such times, graduates have to put in a lot of extra effort to convince the recruiter to hire them. Though BPOs and the outsourcing companies have always readily absorbed fresh graduates, in difficult economic times, the hiring budgets shrink and it becomes difficult to get a job. However, IT companies are opting to hire fresh graduates and train them in-house rather than hiring experienced people on higher salaries. So, there are opportunities in the market still but one has to look for the right vacancies in the right companies.
Earlier, it was considered easier for IT graduates to find job but now new career fields have opened up for fresh non-technical graduates. It is no longer just call centres that offer jobs to entry level recruits but also fields such as retail. With big players springing up on the retail scene in India, job opportunities for graduates are set to multiply. Also, there are a wide range of opportunities in the hospitality sector, with fast food chains in the sales and customer care functions, in insurance and advertising sector and with MNCs.
However, in recession time, graduates should keep their salary expectations at modest levels and should focus on finding a stable job first. The priority should be given to gaining relevant experience in the field they want to grow as whenever the market opens up, they can cash in on the valuable experience that they gain now.
The ITeS industry does not just mean call centres. It has a lot more than that to offer. Outsourcing is done for many processes such as finance, HR (human resource), administration, healthcare, customer interaction services, technical support, telecommunication, manufacturing, medical transcription, back office operations etc. So, there are ample opportunities for graduates of different industries in these services.
In the insurance sector also, there are huge opportunities coming up. It is an untapped market and once the conditions stabilize, this sector will see a huge surge. In advertising also, there are a lot of entry-level job profiles. Fresh graduates are required in departments such as client servicing, creative department, media department, production, television and film, photography, market research, exhibition and event management, promotion and direct marketing.
So, the bottom line is that there are a lot of avenues open for fresh graduates but they must hone their skills and market themselves as better candidates in front of the employer. Jobseekers must identify the skills for the kind of jobs that they are looking for and spruce up those skills. This could include soft skills, computer proficiency, etc. Experts suggest that graduates should not take a vacation after college if they want to land a good job. Generally, it should not take more than three to six months to land a satisfactory job. Networking, keeping in touch with seniors is also a good way to land jobs. Some students get jobs through campus placements but not all are so lucky. Others have to try out all ways to find a job. One should not lose hope if good jobs don't come by initially. Patience and effort in the right direction are important. Getting advice from seniors and keeping a tab on the news and information from the job market also helps.
Graduates should work on skills such as communication skills, work ethic, teamwork skills, initiative and interpersonal skills. One could attend small courses that prepare the fresh graduates on interview and presentation skills. Another detail that should be taken care of is the resume. Since there is no prior job experience, one has to highlight his/her capabilities on the resume. Always attach the resume with a cover note talking about why you are fit for the job. Remember that there are many applications for the same job so you have to present a reason to the recruiter to hire you.
While attending the interview look and sound your confident best. If it is a walk-in interview, don't get intimidated by the number of candidates. If you have it in you, nothing will stop you. Let the interviewer know of your accomplishments at the school and college level. Talk of all the events that you participated in or helped organizing. If you have won laurels in extra-curricular activities, don't forget to mention those. Following these tips, one can land a good job at the entry level.
Some useful links: www.naukrigulf.com www.naukrigulf.com/ni/nijobsearch/loc-jobs-dubai/
Tags: insurance sales agent, job profile, job opportunities