Five Ways To Nab Your First Job After Graduating

You’ve finished university and you’ve watched way too many films. The appeal of an endless holiday has evaporated and the bills are mounting up.

Time to get a job – but what’s the best way to do it?

Try your hand at volunteering

Half of employers feel graduates don’t have the skills to start work, so getting work experience is vital to get your foot on the career ladder. Volunteering is a great way to boost your CV by learning new skills and trying out real life work in an industry you think you want to go in to.

By volunteering you can also gain an accreditation, feel valued as part of a team, help others and meet new people. As a bonus, many volunteers say volunteering has had a positive impact on their health.

Get your CV sorted

Your CV is your chance to sell yourself and show employers why they should hire you over anyone else. The average employer spends just 8.8 seconds reading a CV, so keep it concise and no longer than 2 pages.

Make sure your contact details are up-to-date. You may have spent your final year doing a placement out in Barcelona, but if you don’t live there any more, your employer won’t be able to get in touch. Not a smart way to miss out on a potential interview!

Also, don’t over use buzz words. You’ve got good communication skills if you’ve got a degree, right? Well the same is true for the hundreds of other applicants you’re up against, so demonstrate your gift for the gab with strong examples instead. Maybe you’ve led on a project, showing you can deliver instructions effectively to your team; or maybe your public speaking is so good that you can deliver killer presentations.

Go network

As the old saying goes: “Opportunity won’t come knocking at your door.” It’s time to shut the laptop and head out.

Networking events offer an opportunity to chat to like-minded people, and most events provide a relaxed informal environment to get the conversation flowing. You can pick up valuable advice, share your own ideas, and make contacts that may help you out in the future.

If you’re still not convinced, most events tend to be free and many offer complimentary food and drink. Be warned though… Face-to-face meetings make lasting impressions so don’t scupper your chances by over doing it on the alcohol!

Send out as many high-quality applications as you can

On average, you have to apply for 27 jobs to get just one interview. That’s a lot!

However, remember quantity isn’t the key here. Quality applications are more likely to land you an interview. 98% of job seekers are rejected at the short-listing stage, so make sure your application is the best it can be before you submit it.

This means that your job search may take a while, but Google have recently launched a new feature on their search results to speed up the process. The AI-powered search engine lets you look for positions across all the major job sites. The clever bit is that the Google tool removes any duplicate postings, saving you valuable time.

Be prepared to take a job that isn’t your first choice

You may have your sights set on becoming a CEO one day. It’s good to dream, but you’re going to have to work your way up first.

Find work even if it’s not something you want to do for the rest of your life. Being employed makes you look like a stronger candidate, so think outside the box.

CEOs Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, and Sheryl Palmer, of the home-building company Taylor Morrison, began their careers by working at McDonalds. Both say working at the fast food giant taught them valuable job and life lessons.

Also, three out of five graduates are in jobs they are over-qualified for, so don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re too good for a menial job. Taking one on may be just what you need to help you get your career started.

Happy hunting!

Inspiring Interns is a graduate recruitment agency which specialises in sourcing candidates for marketing internship roles and giving out graduate careers advice. To browse graduate jobs and graduate jobs Manchester, visit their website.