Ok, so finding a graduate job is rarely easy but there are a lot of things that you can do to improve your chances.
Whether you are ready for the university bubble to burst or not, it’s got to happen and what happens next is down to you. It’s time to find a career that you can progress and succeed in, but when it comes to landing an excellent graduate opportunity, you’ve got some competition.
If you want to get ahead of your peers and set yourself up for a successful job search, here’s what you need to know:
1. Your CV is everything!
Your CV should be the first pit-stop on your job search journey. You need to make sure that your CV is up to date, well-formatted and shows off what you’ve got; qualifications, skills and experience. This is all you have to initially impress an employer and secure your invitation to interview.
Without a top CV, you’re going to fall at the first hurdle, so read all the CV tips you can and get friends/family/career advisers to check it.
Once you’ve perfected your CV, be sure to upload it to JobsGraduate so that employers can get in touch with you about relevant jobs!
2. You need to know what you’re looking for
Hats off if you’re a graduate that actually knows what you want to do. You have a clear focus for your job search. However, plenty of graduates struggle to even begin job hunting because they are unsure about what they are looking for. There are hundreds of options, so understandably it can be a hard decision to make.
You do need to have narrowed down your career choices before you properly commence your job search. To do this, start by thinking about what your strengths are and what you enjoy doing. Then, conduct some research around industries and sectors that are a good match to these. This should help you to pinpoint standout careers that you can target when you begin your job hunting.
3. Jobs are everywhere
Ok, so maybe jobs aren’t everywhere but they are in a lot of places! Don’t just stick to the usual job sites and rely on email job alerts from these sites. This is useful, but there is so much more that you can do.
Why not give job hunting on social media a try? Employers often post their opportunities here before anywhere else so you can get ahead of your competition with an early application. LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are the best sites to browse. Be sure to follow any exciting companies and recruiters that you come across. This way the jobs will come to you and you’re likely to find a lot of specific job search and career advice too.
4. A plan of action is key
A job search can take time and it can take effort. Naturally you may find yourself feeling demotivated after a few days of reading job descriptions and churning out covering letters. Having a plan of action is the best way to combat any job search blues. Try setting yourself small targets, for example how many jobs you want to apply for in a day and allocate set time slots and breaks to your job search schedule.
What’s really important is that you find the right opportunity for you. This can take time, but stick at it and all your efforts will pay off in the end.
Good luck job hunters!
