The document discusses the challenges a recent graduate in Colombia faces when transitioning from school to work. It describes the student's experience applying for jobs, including submitting multiple resume versions and struggling to stand out. Many of her friends found work through internships, but low pay is common. She feels unprepared for the job market and that her education lacked practical skills employers want. Transitioning to work is difficult, as the type of work available may not be engaging and experience is expected over fresh graduates.

1. EMPHATIZE AND DEFINE: SCHOOL TO WORK
TRANSITION IN COLOMBIA
The Perspective From a Student

2. SAY
• “It is a difficult transition, speacially because when you are about to
graduate, you don´t really know on which field of the economy you
would like to work in”
• “I had to change my resume three times to get more
inteviews, when you are looking for a job, you don´t know how to
make yours more attractive…”
• “Some friends got hired in the companies where they did their
internships, usually with a low pay”
• If you don´t stay where you did your intership it is gonna be a lot
harder to find a job afterwards.
• Some jobs seem to be really mechanical and you don´t have the
chance to create solutions or to grow or learn in the company

3. SAY
• The salary in many cases is really low, sometimes is because
first you will get hired by an outsourcing Human Resources
Company.
• It´s a lot harder to get a job when you live in the capital, in
some fields you have a better chance in other cities.
• You are supposed to have better chances if you studied at a
great university, but here they might tell you that you are
overqualified.
• If I could, I would start my own business, but I have to search
for a living right now and I intend to work on my projects in my
free time.

4. DO
• She takes about two hours, two or three times per week, to submit
resumes
• She takes advantages of internet websites, to search for jobs and
post her resume.
• She also uses the a platform from the counceling department of her
university, but there isn´t to many offers
• She has sent emails to her closest friends and teachers, in case
they get to know about a job offer that suits her profile
.
• She worked as a volunteer during her undergraduate studies hoping
to have some experience before going out from school
• She applies to jobs, even when she doesn´t has all of the
requirements for the position

5. THINK
• She thinks it´s difficult to get a job
• It takes a lot o time finding a job
• She doesn´t know how to sell her resume to the
companies
• She needs more experience
• Many companies already have their possitions filled
with promoted interns, as a consencuence she has
fewer chances to get a job.
• Trying to change your previous industry or field is
almost impossible

6. FEEL
• There´s a lot of people who can offer the same to a
company
• She feels school was mostly theoretical and not as
practical as she needed it to be
• She is anxious to get a job and learn more
practical stuff
• She feels she lacks “something”

7. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
A girl, who studied business and
finance, creative, eager to learn
and with leadership skills needs a
way to be challenged and learn
as much as she can because
she wants to have her own
business eventually.