The graduate jobs market is a competitive one. Make yourself stand out from other graduates with these ideas…
Your CV is your first opportunity to sell yourself to prospective employers, so it’s important to make a good first impression.
While having a degree should, in theory, put you in a better position to get a good job with a good salary, it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there and it’s not easy to get a foot in the door.
We look at how you can set yourself apart from other graduates…
Secure a work placement or internship
Employers like to see evidence of work experience. It shows you’ve got more to bring to the table than just your academic qualifications.
Internships and work placements are a great way to gain relevant skills by entering an organisation at ground level.
Make sure you detail the skills you’ve developed on your CV in a prominent position. Always try to make them relevant to the jobs you’re applying for, and ask your line manager to write you a short testimonial highlighting your qualities.
Volunteer
Voluntary work can be a useful stepping stone to getting your first job, and for some sectors it’s highly advantageous. Employers are well aware of the commitment you require to be a volunteer.
Volunteering enables you to gain valuable practical skills as well as teaching you about teamwork, communication and leadership. Giving your time to a worthy cause will also make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Get good references
When push comes to shove, references can make all the difference as to whether or not you get a job. Your referees should know you well enough to be able to write positively about you.
Ideally, your first referee will be your course tutor. As well as being able to comment on your academic achievements, they should be able to highlight your personal attributes too.
Your second referee is usually an employer who you’ve worked for part-time or interned for. Alternatively, it can be a sports coach or family friend with a responsible profession such as a doctor or councillor.
Learn a language
You might have ditched French and Spanish after GCSE, but learning a foreign language can really improve your chances of employment.
In jobs such as sales, marketing and IT, languages can open doors for you – and even add 10% to your salary. Many companies are crying out for interpreters as much of their trade is abroad.
Even if you’re not fluent enough for negotiations you could still play an important role by meeting and greeting clients in their native language to put them at their ease.
Learning a new language also shows prospective employers that you’re keen to acquire new skills.
Have your CV professionally written
It’s often hard to know exactly what employers are looking for. That’s why it might be worth investing in a professional CV writing service.
Recruitment experts can help you get noticed and make sure all the relevant points are included to give you the best chance of impressing employers and winning interviews.
A good CV writer will spend time asking you questions to extract all the important information.
Posted by The Secret Businessman