Just Graduated? Can’t find a job? You’re definitely not alone. The graduate jobs market is as crowded as ever and, according to the BBC, there are currently 88 applicants for every graduate job in the UK. Wowzers. So how are you going to land that dream job straight out of university? Here are 5 recommendations from job search engine Adzuna to get your career off to a winning start:
1. Twitter and Facebook are gold mines
You’d be absolutely amazed how many companies (big and small) are now posting jobs on twitter and facebook (and not on traditional sites like Monster and Totaljobs). Businesses are advertising vacancies on social networks because it’s a) Free b) Has lots of viral potential. Start by following the companies and prolific individuals within the companies you are interested in. Engage with these individuals (without being clingy) and show a genuine interest in what they are doing. Businesses are looking for smart, experienced people but they’re also on the look out for people that “buy into” their mission. This is a great platform to demonstrate your enthusiasm for a company or brand.
2. Do an internship (even if it’s unpaid)
Most students in the UK who have just graduated from university have a bit of summer work experience and maybe the odd pub job on their CV. Not that impressive. Doing an internship straight after university in the field you’re interested in starting your career looks outstanding on your CV. Not only does it demonstrate to potential employers that you’re passionate about their industry, it also will give you a valuable learning experience within your chosen field. Hell, if you’re really good, your internship might even turn into a full time job. You can find a complete list of internship jobs in the on the Adzuna job search engine.
3. Don’t mess up your job application
With 88 people applying for the same job as you, a typo or spelling mistake on your CV or application letter could mean your CV ends up in the bin after 5 minutes. In addition to sifting out spelling / grammatical errors, make sure you say something in your covering letter to make you stand out. Don’t be boastful, but be interesting. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a professional attribute or “claim to fame”, a quintessential nugget of information about yourself that sticks in the employers mind might actually get your foot in the door for an interview.
4. Don’t be ashamed to use your friends / family connections
Forget pride and a “i want to do it by myself” attitude. This market is way too competitive for that kind of thinking. Work your personal networks hard to get you into hiring companies. The average number of “connections” per user on Linkedin is 180. If you can find 10 family members or friends with a decent chunk of professional work experience, that will ultimately give you access to almost 2,000 connections (who are probably willing to help you out) in the professional arena. Work these folks hard to give you your first big break.
5. Don’t shoot for the stars too early. This is your first proper job after all.
Let’s face it, you’re not going to be a CEO straight out of the blocks. Often graduates aim to high and end up competing for a position with people who have 5 years+ experience under their belts. Be sensible and apply for jobs that you realistically think you have a chance of getting. Do your research and try to prune down a list of 20 “interesting” jobs to 3-5 which are spot on for you. You’ll get that dream job eventually and it’s important to start your career on the right course, but don’t be afraid of a bit of menial / low paid work before you get there!
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