5 Reasons Why Visiting The Careers Advisor Might Actually Pay Off (Literally)

Nowadays, with the plethora of information right at our fingertips, the careers advisor might seem like a outdated concept.

At this point, it might seem like a guy sitting in an office filled with motivational posters can’t tell you anything you can’t easily find on Google.

Even the association of teachers and lecturers think careers advice needs a makeover. However, the careers advisor may hold some merit. Here’s a more positive outlook on careers advisors, with some tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your meeting with them.  

They’ve got personal experience and not just in their own field

Although university staff can seem disconnected and out of touch at times, they were students once and can have valuable insight from a first-person perspective.

Careers advisors are also often invited to meetings, weekends and seminars with some of the biggest student employers out there. Therefore, they  possess valuable insight on how certain assessments are run and organised.

There’s nothing wrong with getting some insider information on what certain employers look for or value. When it comes down to the last few candidates it just might give you an edge!

They are resourceful

You may have access to a stable internet connection and the university library but the lost library of Alexandria it is not. Contrary to popular belief you can’t find everything online and your careers advisor may have access to materials you didn’t even know existed.

Your university may have subscriptions to certain careers websites that can hold useful training scenarios and assessment preparations or may be subscribed to certain premium student job sites. The careers advisor can inform you of any additional university resources and help you to find and use them efficiently.

The most important thing to remember in careers advice is that if you don’t ask, you don’t get!

Getting your CV reviewed won’t hurt

You may be very proud of winning that creative writing competition way back in 2010 but whether that particular achievement needs to be on your CV or not is up for debate. A careers advisor is specifically trained in what to cut, making your survey more streamlined and professional.

You may think “I can just find a survey template or instructions online!” but the bad news is that employers can too. Therefore, it’s important to take a more personalised approach and get a real human to help you make your CV more unique. A real person can also check for spelling and grammar mistakes, something even the fanciest Microsoft word template can’t do.

Careers advisors can also give you a leg up early in what societies and extracurricular activities will look best on your survey. A survey of university graduates found that 64% of respondents did not attend a careers session until third year, which means they’re missing out on the opportunity to get a head-start on filling your CV with employable skills.

Instead, try visiting careers at least once each year of university, just to help you stay on track.

Getting ahead of the game can give you the edge

Most students visit careers fairs and sign up to jobs websites under the misguided notion that they will be immediately notified when job openings arise. However in some cases, this simply isn’t true.

Many employment schemes can open as early as August/September, meaning you could and should be applying before you are even back at university! A careers advisor can help you plan your applications and help you submit as early as possible.

A government study found that having a career plan and conducting focused job searches were two of the most important factors in graduate employment success, so setting up a game plan at the end of second year with a careers advisor could be the best decision you make today.

Opening up new possibilities

So you’ve got your heart set on one particular job, that’s great! But that doesn’t mean you couldn’t benefit from some careers advice, in fact it could give you a better chance of working in the sector you’d like.

In 2016, Finalists made an average of 7.3 applications each to employers, so if you want to be successful you can’t just apply to that one business that you have your eye on. A careers advisor can help you broaden your scope and find similar opportunities to give you a better chance.

A careers advisor can also illuminate some choices that might not have crossed your mind as possible alternatives to a graduate job. For the first time in seven years, more students than ever are applying to study a postgraduate course, and teaching courses are now offering an attractive bursary, so go ahead and explore other options!

Inspiring Interns is a graduate recruitment agency, which specialises in sourcing candidates for internships and graduate jobs.