Job Hunting Tips For Graduates
Finding a job when you graduate can be a challenging task, it is never as easy as you are led to believe when you are at University. It can be daunting knowing where to start, it is also not a very good job market at the moment. We’ve put together some job hunting tips which might make the experience a little more enjoyable for you:
Have A Rough Idea Of What You Want
One of the most important things to do is think about what you will do and what you definitely won’t consider. Don’t be too fussy as until you actually start work, you won’t really know what you would enjoy and what you won’t so be reasonably open minded.
Know What You Want From A Job
Coming straight out of education, this may seem like a daunting question but you do need to know what the basic requirements you need i.e., minimum salary, opportunities for progression and or training as well as where the employer is located and does the Company and its services/products interest you.
Spend Time Boosting Your Employability
Obviously you’re going to be lacking in experience so what you need to do is to put your time and energy into upselling and boosting your employability. Whether this is completing internships, completing online skill courses or doing temporary work. Everything you do will make you more employable.
Create A Standout CV
One of our top job-hunting tips is to make sure you have an up to date CV and cover letter. This is your first chance to impress an employer and ultimately allow you to progress to the next stage of the recruitment process. Spend some time building a CV that sells you in the best way possible. The CV should be no longer than two pages and any work experience you have should always come before your education. Your degree is important but only when supported by work experience whether it is relevant to the role you’ve applied for or not.
Have A LinkedIn Profile
Make sure you are on LinkedIn. Many employers use LinkedIn as their primary research tool, so it’s important that your profile is professional, sleek and showcases all your achievements. Don’t be afraid to sing your own praises on your profile, this is your opportunity to list everything you’ve accomplished and sell yourself to a potential employer.
Be Realistic
Be realistic about what you are looking for, just because you’ve done a degree in TV Production doesn’t mean that the BBC are going to snap you up and give you their next big series to produce. In most instances when you start work you will start at the bottom and have to work your way up. A degree is not a golden ticket to success.
Register With An Employment Agency
Applying for jobs can be overwhelming so why not try an Employment Agency, they will do all the dirty work for you i.e.: select suitable jobs, help you with your CV, contact employers on your behalf and arrange interviews. Approach an Agency as you would an employer in a professional manner and make the Agency your friend.
Search For Jobs Yourself
It is a very competitive job market at the moment so get looking. The obvious place to look is at job portals and there are lots of those around but don’t rely solely on job portals and Agencies. Research Companies online that you are interested in working for and look at the career section on their website. If the Company has nothing on their website why not contact them directly to enquire about graduate roles – what have you got to lose?
Prepare For Any Interviews You Get
To successfully get a job it’s critical to stand out against the competition and believe me for any graduate role there will be plenty of applicants so you need to make a great impression. Prepare for every interview! Read your CV, dress appropriately, know where you’re going and most importantly, research the Company and understand the job you have applied for. Prepare questions to ask at the interview, these questions should be focused on the job. NEVER ask me, me, me questions i.e.: about salary, holiday, promotions etc. Until you get a job offer, these questions are irrelevant.
Learn From Each Application
Your job hunt will most likely not be all plain sailing, there are likely to be bumps in the road and you may be rejected from roles and miss out on getting jobs you really wanted. Learn from your experiences, identify where you went wrong or what you lacked. Look at your CV, perhaps it needs polishing up or you need to be better prepared for interviews. Learn, learn and learn! Eventually, it will all come together.
To summarize, if you thought it was hard in education, getting on the career ladder is going to be harder. Focus on yourself and don’t compare yourself to others! Job hunting is hard work but the rewards at the end will be worth all the effort you put in.
Good luck!