Being a fresh graduate today is much more difficult than it was ten or twenty years ago. In the midst of fierce competition, a bachelor’s degree alone is not enough to get hired. Many companies now prefer candidates who are “work-ready” rather than those who still have a lot to learn. So, how can new graduates – with minimal experience – attract attention and “sell themselves” among thousands of other job seekers?
“Selling yourself” here certainly doesn’t mean degrading yourself or pretending to be someone else. It’s about how a person can show their value, potential and personality to companies that need them.
Build a Strong Personal Branding
The first step in selling yourself is to understand yourself deeply. What are our strengths? What are you really interested in? Do you have strong analytical skills, are you good at teamwork, or are you quick to absorb new things and adapt?
Unfortunately, many fresh graduates struggle to answer these questions during interviews. Instead of exploring their potential, they are too busy guessing “what the company wants” that they forget to highlight “what they can offer.” As a result, they seem mediocre. In fact, in the recruitment process, it’s not the perfect candidate who wins (because there isn’t one), but the one who is most authentic and relevant to the company’s needs.
As a practical step, try listing three strengths and three things you still need to develop as fresh graduate. Ask for input from friends, lecturers or mentors to make sure. This list can be the foundation of building a strong and convincing personal branding.
CV and LinkedIn: The First Stage to Sell Yourself
Your CV and LinkedIn profile aren’t just formal curriculum vitae documents – they’re your first opportunity to introduce yourself to the professional world. Don’t create a rigid CV that only contains academic data. Instead, highlight organizational experience, campus projects, internships, or volunteer activities that demonstrate soft skills such as leadership, communication, and persistence.
Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to describe the experience. Example: Head of BEM Events Division – Led a team of 12 people in organizing a national seminar with 500 participants, successfully increasing participation by 30% compared to the previous year. For LinkedIn, make sure to use a professional photo and create a catchy headline, for example: “Fresh Graduate in Industrial Engineering | Passionate About Data-Driven Decision Making”.
Don’t Just Apply for a Job, Build a Network
A common mistake fresh graduates make is relying too much on job portals and ignoring the power of networking. In fact, many vacancies are not published (hidden job market) and are accessed through professional connections.
Take advantage of your existing network, such as lecturers, alumni, speakers at campus seminars, and so on. Send a polite message via LinkedIn, asking for time for a short discussion or virtual coffee chat for 15 minutes. Focus the conversation on professional exploration, not directly asking for a job. Many successful careers started with a memorable casual chat.
Interview to Convince the Company
The mindset towards job interviews needs to change. A job interview is not just about answering questions correctly, but rather an opportunity to convince the employer that you are the best solution for their needs. Even if you are a fresh graduate.
“Selling yourself” in this context means first, conveying your experience confidently and clearly. Second, compose a coherent story about your career journey and ability to work in a team. Third, showing interest and enthusiasm for the position.
Prove It with Real Work
In the digital era, building a portfolio does not have to wait for formal work experience. For example, Communication graduates can create educational content on Instagram or TikTok. Informatics graduates can upload programming projects on GitHub. Or a Psychology graduate can write a blog about mental health. And many more examples.
This kind of portfolio is concrete proof that as a fresh graduate, you are not only good at theory, but also capable of producing work. Companies really appreciate this kind of initiative-in fact, sometimes personal projects are more influential than GPA.
Don’t Just Need a Job, Offer Added Value
Many new graduates think, “I need a job.” However, the world of work is looking for added value, not pity. Change your mindset to: “What can I give to this company?”
Don’t be Afraid to Fail: Selling Yourself is A Process, Not An Instant
Many fresh graduates feel insecure after a few failed interviews. In fact, selling yourself is not an instant thing-it takes a process of understanding the market, perfecting your delivery, and building a good image. Think of every rejection as feedback, not the end of the world.
Self-evaluate: Has your story been convincing enough? Does the CV you’ve created and submitted reflect your skills well? Don’t just answer the questions, but show that you’re worthy of the job.
Selling yourself as a fresh graduate doesn’t mean pretending to be an expert, but rather showing that you deserve your first chance. In a workplace that requires adaptability, passion, and added value, you can be the best candidate-if you know how to present yourself intelligently, honestly, and strategically.
Remember: the workplace is like a marketplace-a quality product that doesn’t know how to sell will lose out to an average (not unqualified) product that is able to stand out.
