How do I find a job?
Recently, a large number of college and pre-college graduates have contacted me seeking advice on getting a job or an internship. Colleagues, friends and associates have come to me over the years when I ran Gravitas in search of an internship, and I felt compelled to help them whenever I could as the journey from graduating to getting into a career or a job. is challenging. When I moved to NY, I was fortunate to have people who helped and guided me through the journey. I would like to help as many young people as possible.
However, the sheer number of people reaching out from the NY community, now London community where I currently live and also folks from LA, Phoenix, Mumbai etc. is astonishing. I even regularly receive unsolicited reach-outs from LinkedIn, email, and websites are quite astonishing. Made me think – what is going on?
Just as businesses and employers are struggling with the decision to ‘Hire or AI’, so too are young folks trying to figure out how to get a job, where to get a job, what job to get and then what to expect from a job.
Of course, there are set protocols for certain jobs in finance, law, healthcare, and technology industries, however, many graduates fall “in-between” choices – not knowing if they want to be an engineer or an entrepreneur, pursue a career in healthcare, or focus on wellness and longevity, work in fashion or film or in the AI technology revolutionizing those industries. Many choices, but difficult as the options are many more. Just like it’s easier to order in a restaurant with limited choices, when you are spoilt for choices, it’s often much more challenging to pick an option … and this is only way to get started, how many of them will stay in the role 2-3 years out?
What advice can I give, when not living the digital AI life they are currently immersed in?
One thing is for sure, I tell them to embrace AI for help with the search and recognize that humans remain a very important part of the process.
Things to consider
The job that pays you the most, may not be the job that you are most passionate about. If you are lucky to find both in one, perfect. However, don’t wait for it.
AI and technology cannot replace good old-fashioned networking – a valuable, yet often overlooked skill.
Have your story – everyone wants to know what you are about and where you want to go. Being authentic and personable is also important, as these are skills money can’t buy.
Pick a region; While remote work and digital platforms have increased flexibility, many industries still have geographic hubs where opportunities, networking and resources are most concentrated like Los Angeles for Film/Entertainment, New York City for finance and Silicon Valley for Tech Start-ups with Miami and Austin, TX emerging.
Keep working on side projects, whether it’s tutoring, working on startups or taking courses in agentive AI – not only do you learn by doing, but you also “network” with other people.
In summary, this is truly an exciting time for businesses – companies can get lots of work done without hiring a lot of employees. There is a true revolution going on which, will drastically change how we perform work and how we live. The early (ier) adopters will gain the “intelligence” muscle and enjoy advantages over those who don’t. Even if we go back to the 10,000 hours or 10 years benchmark for building expertise, the sooner you start, the sooner you build your intelligence, in using artificial (computer) intelligence.
About the Author: Jayesh Punater is a successful Entrepreneur, Investor, Fintech Strategist and Thought Leader. He focuses on bringing innovative technology and business models to the FinTech industry. Mr. Punater is the Founder and CEO of Nucleus DNA, a FinTech consulting firm and venture investment platform. Nucleus invests in, advises, and provides services to start-up and advanced-stage scale-up firms. Mr. Punater also co-founded Nucleus EMV – a venture capital fund that invests in LATAM financial technology firms.
