Kick Start Your Search For Graduate Vacancies

We know that searching for graduate jobs can leave a lasting mark on your confidence and motivation but there are a few key tips to help avoid this slump and help you in your search for the right role.

Remember that finding graduate careers is like going to work, treat it professionally within a set time scale and leave it all behind at the end of the day to ensure a healthy work/life balance. Maintaining friendship and family contact is crucial to remaining stress free and happy, qualities every graduate recruiter wants. They’re also a great support system so don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Always set down clear goals and a plan. Think carefully about what you can bring to graduate programmes and what type of role you want so that your job search is focussed and purposeful. Make a plan of what you’re going to do and when and use your time wisely.

Stay healthy, eat well and stay active. Get the endorphins going and you’ll feel happier and be more productive.

Most importantly don’t let the hunt get you down, try to move forward everyday and remember practice makes perfect!

How To Answer THAT Interview Question For A Graduate Job

When applying for graduate jobs it’s the question that fills most interviewees with dread, the ‘what is your greatest weakness’ hurdle. Do you answer it light heartedly with a witty remark or do you remain brutally honest and sincere, what is the answer they are looking for?

Don’t worry, there are a few rules you can follow that will help your response impress the interviewer. Always be positive, graduate recruiters love a positive attitude. Sentences such as ‘I rarely think of myself in those terms but I do want to respond to your question’ are winners as they avoid the repetition of negative terms.

Avoid the use of superlatives. Terms like ‘worst/biggest weakness’ and ‘need to most improve’ suggest a number of weaknesses. A better response could be ‘If I had to come up with one...’ which avoids negatives and multiples. Replace absolutes such as ‘my weakness is...’ with alternatives such as ‘It could be...’ to avoid sounding like any weakness you may have is unchangeable.

Finally, be honest and humanise it. You could even ask friends or colleagues for their opinion. Make it singular, personal, non-absolute and real and you’re bound to impress, putting yourself in a strong position for those graduate jobs.

Phone Etiquette With Graduate Recruiters

Have you thought about the next stage of your application for graduate careers, when those all important phone calls start coming through? It is crucial that you are prepared and have planned ahead in a number of different ways.

If you have been applying to jobs it is likely you will receive calls from numbers you don’t recognise, don’t screen them, you won’t want to be missing that all important interview request.

Do you have a voicemail? If not, get one! How else can potential graduate recruiters let you know they have tried to contact you, they will be calling a number of people and may not try twice.

Also ensure that your voicemail is professional not a silly message recorded years ago as a joke, you won’t want an offensive or distasteful message to be the first impression they have of you.

Always answer in a friendly, approachable, upbeat manner - even if the number isn’t recognised, or you’re still in bed, so that you portray confidence and your personality shines through. A great tip is to ask how they are before they ask you if at all possible.

Avoid one word answers, make their job easy and you’ll get off to a great start for getting that graduate job.

Careers Fairs and Putting Yourself Out There!

You don't always have to put pressure on yourself to find a graduate job. Sometimes the right start could be as easy as just putting yourself out there by networking at any of the upcoming autumn careers fairs in the next few weeks. The GRB will be visiting The London Graduate fair from The Careers Group and Target Jobs next week on the 18th October. Don’t miss it, it’s a fantastic free event with 100’s of employers and workshops - take a look here. Another good step could be to get in touch with your department society, course rep or alumni. It’s never too late to get involved and learn more about your options. Perhaps you know of a friend or a peer that has already succeeded in securing a job? First list out everything you are doing and then take a look at their approach - is there something new you can add to your job searching technique? Remember, there is always something new to try, a new approach or a new area to research - your options are never exhausted.