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Graduate Recruitment

Graduate recruitment

It can take time to get a job you’re happy with once you’ve graduated, so make sure you’ve got a few tricks up your sleeve with our graduate guide.

Finding a job

The first and most obvious step is to consider the area you’d like to work in. Some people know exactly what they want to do, but it can take longer to pinpoint your perfect job.

Begin your search by:

• Visiting your careers advisor – even though you have graduated, your uni’s career centre is still open to you, so take advantage.
• Searching in national, regional and local papers – many papers have days for specific career areas such as education, media or social care.
• Looking at industry papers/journals – keep up-to-date with industry news and check listed vacancies.
• Searching the internet – for recruitment and graduate sites specific to your chosen industry.
• Registering with recruitment agencies – they’ll know about jobs that aren’t advertised and help improve your CV.
• Looking for graduate schemes – fewer schemes are running these days, but they do still exist. Check recruitment adverts and contact companies directly.
• Using your contacts – tell friends and family you are looking for work – you never know who they might know.

Of course, it will take some people longer that others to find work, depending on who they are and what opening they’re after, but many graduates spend anything from a few weeks to a year searching for the right role. If you do find you’re in a situation where you’ve been hunting without any luck, here’s how you can improve your chances:

Get another job

It might not be what you want to do for the rest of your life but you can earn some money and gain new skills. For example, get admin temping work if you want and office-based career. Even if it’s seriously dull, you’ll build up skills that could help you land your dream job later, such as communication, teamwork and time management.

Get support

You may be entitled to benefits if you’re looking for work. If you haven’t claimed, start by checking out the Jobcentre Plus website or visiting Citizens Advice, who can do a full benefits check.

Directgov runs a free careers advice service: call them on 0800 100 900, request a free callback or send an email.

Work experience

Work experience will be an asset, whatever sector you are aiming for. It proves your dedication to potential employers, shows you already have a basic idea of the work involved and can give you the chance to grill people doing the job you want.

Review your CV

Your CV may need updating or boosting to its full potential. What skills, abilities and experience do you have? Are you effectively selling them on your CV? Here are some suggestions of things to improve your chances of success:

• Know yourself – do a skills audit. What exactly are you offering? Know the occupation you are going for – and the skills and qualities needed for the role. Doing this means you can think of examples to give your CV as well as at interview
• Know the company – you should always know more about them than they have already told you in the job ad. Look at company reports and their website
• Know about the sector in which the employer operates.

Further study?

Think about how you could benefit from more study. For some careers you may have to study to a certain level to ensure a job in the future, but it may not be the best option right now.

It may help to gain the relevant skills from an evening or part-time course. Just make sure you’re enrolling for the right reasons – Don’t do a postgraduate course to putt off job-hunting for another year, you might find yourself in the same position when you finish, only somewhat poorer.