3 Ways to Stand Out When Applying for Graduate Jobs

Photo from StockSnap

This week we’re discussing some simple steps you can take to stand out from the crowd when applying for graduate jobs/internships.

If you’re a soon-to-be graduate looking to give yourself nightmares, Stephen King has nothing on job hunting statistics. To snag any given graduate role, you’re going to have to fight off thirty-eight other applicants, and that number only rises if you’re applying for a particularly competitive industry or particularly prestigious employer.

Of course, some of these competitors may quickly rule themselves out of the running with low grades, sloppy professionalism or general incompetence. But many won’t. And while polishing your CV and honing your interview technique will certainly put you ahead of less dedicated job-seekers, it won’t elevate you above people as prepared as yourself.

Luckily, there are ways to stand out from even the most experienced, conscientious and competent crowd. Using the methods below won’t guarantee you a job, but it’ll definitely up your chances.

What is the recruitment process like at a startup or SME?

Considering working for a start-up or SME? Find out what their recruitment process is like in this week’s blog post.

Over the past few years, there’s been a noticeable increase in the number of university leavers pursuing a graduate job at a startup or SME (small or medium-sized enterprise); over 50% of graduates now say they would rather work at a small company than for one of the larger, more traditional graduate employers. And it’s easy to see why, given working for an SME can be a great way of kick-starting your career. You’ll be given the opportunity to develop a wide skill set, take on high levels of responsibility and get the chance to really have an impact on the business and its development.

Staying In:Leeds

This week, Contemporary and Professional Studies student Roland talks about the In:Leeds day which took place in March, and gives you a glimpse of the reasons why you should consider staying in Leeds after graduation.

As part of a team of six, we pitched an idea on the final day of the inaugural, Leeds-New York Leadership Programme. The idea would see an organisation set up, with the specific purpose of ‘retaining and attracting SMART talent in Leeds.’ We figured if talented students are made aware of what Leeds offers, they would decide to stay in the city post study and be the drivers of innovation, change and development that the city will need if it is to achieve its stated desire of becoming a global economic powerhouse. This project was titled In:Leeds!

Staying safe online in your job search

Who’s been using my phone? by Chris Isherwood. Image licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

As with most things, job hunting these days is largely done online.  Whilst the connectedness and ease of finding information online is undoubtedly useful, care is needed with how you approach your online job search.

There are many career-related advantages to living in such a connected World and we talk a lot about the ways social media and other online platforms can help you; from networking, to exploring career ideas, to developing your own professional presence, among many others.

As with most things, there is also a potential flip-side.  With recent reports mentioning a huge increase in the number of job related scams, and that many of these target students and graduates particularly, we thought some advice on things to be aware of is timely.

Finalists: 3 things to do this year

If you’re about to start your final year at university, it can be an exciting – and potentially daunting – time. However you feel about it, the year is likely to fly by.  Here are 3 key things we would encourage you to do this year to ensure a successful future – whatever you want that to be!

 

Adapted from “Compass” by Walt Stoneburner

 

Getting some clarity in your interests and goals is really valuable.  You do not need to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life – in all likelihood this will change throughout your working life – focus instead on what next after university.

Talk to people, attend events, explore what’s out there.  Our Autumn Fair on the 10th October is a fantastic opportunity to do this, but keep an eye out for all the other events – university-wide as well as things happening in your school or faculty. These can give you invaluable insights into a whole range of careers.

The gig guide: A new model of work?

Gig Economy Graphic by Mark Warner

Hoping for long-term, secure employment with one organisation? Or perhaps you’re planning to build your career on a freelancing model? Whatever your personal preferences, the world of work is changing, not least in the extent to which people are employed on a permanent basis.  In this post, Careers Consultant Marc Steward looks at the rise of the so-called Gig Economy and the implications of this.

If you’ve spent any amount of time around campus you will, by now, have come into contact with Uber; either through ordering a ride home after a night out, or simply by trying to avoid being run over by one of their more “excitable” drivers. Ubiquitous, they are!

You may or may not know, however, that Uber are probably the best proponents of the Gig Economy, a business model where “…temporary positions [of work] are common and employers contract with independent workers for short-term engagements.”   Whatis.com.

3 ways LinkedIn can help you find potential employers: Part 3

This is the final post in our 3-part mini series outlining 3 key ways LinkedIn can help you find potential employers, whether this be for jobs, experience or placements.

You may already have a dream employer in mind, but are struggling to identify similar organisations to broaden your options.  This can be particularly difficult if your interests are quite niche. This post shows how you can use two features of LinkedIn to do this.

Part 1 of the series outlines how the advanced people search function can help you identify potential employers.

Part 2 of the series outlines how you can use the company search feature to identify employers by location and sector.

Whether you’re looking for experience, placements or a graduate job, it can sometimes be hard to identify potential relevant employers.  This is particularly so if you’re looking outside of the large multi-national organisations. Opportunities with other types of employers, or in other sectors, may not be as widely advertised, and many people actually find jobs and experience by pro-actively approaching employers of interest on a speculative basis.