The Perfect Elevator Pitch

You may or may not be familiar with this term but an "elevator pitch" is a phrase to describe when you literally have 20 seconds to sell yourself or product. You never know who you may meet and when so in a graduate's case this pitch is a vital selling tool which you must perfect. Your content should outline who you are, what you do and why you're good at it. Ultimately the use of this pitch will make you come across as confident, focused and your passion unquestionable - a very important characteristic for employers trying to avoid the people that are looking at their industry as a second or third choice. You could also use this as your opening personal statement on your CV.

Questions that question your application

Are you asking the right questions? As we've said in the past - interviews are a two way process however there are some things you could accidentally hint which might bring doubt to your application. In its most obvious form this would be any question related to the role/company that was covered on the job specification/website - make sure you read everything extensively. Making sure they believe the role is perfect for you is the number one priority so don't ask questions about travelling or re-locating if you know the role hasn't suggested any aspect of it or hint at certain skills you would like to use when you know they are unrelated. Other questions like how much holiday do I get? or how often does everyone go out? could make you look unfocused

On a side note GRB are looking for questions from candidates to ask in a graduate employer poll. It must be a multiple choice question so they can vote and you will be accredited for it on our website! Submit your question here

Cut above the rest

It's firmly believed that if you want to guarantee success in this market you should always be on the look out to over-deliver. Remember, the expectations of a company are what they see as a benchmark so the people that come through the ranks are the ones that always look to blow away the competition through acts of sheer confidence and skill with the ability to bring evolution to standards. So how can you achieve this? Well one way is to first understand the needs of a role/company. Work out what ultimately is the end goal (usually revenue!) and come up with ways how you can not just support this requirement but actually better it using your skills. This understanding is crucial when writing your cover letters and even more so at interview.

Have a professional output

For an employer or consultant one of the most talked about "pet-hates" has to be the way in which some candidates choose to communicate. For example you should never be using the title "mate" when referring to them - "cheers mate" or "catch ya later mate" is just not the way to address people you a) don't know and b) are working with on a professional level. The same goes for using text language in emails like "thanx 4 ur email. every1 thinks id b really gud 4 this job". Also - smiley faces, joke email addresses and silly voicemails are a big no no! All these things are fine among friends but look very unprofessional in the graduate market and can really put people off - make sure you're projecting the right first impression.

Using your term break effectively

Now Easter is nearly upon us most of you will be on your term break. Surprisingly during these periods we normally see activity slow down as most students choose to either take it easy or tie up deadlines. If you're the savvy type you'll be using this gap to your advantage by re-assessing yourself and getting back into the job scene. Try taking one or two days out to look through feedback, read back through your CVs, work out where you have been looking and form a new direction which you haven't tried. Searching for a job online can be laborious when there is so much to get through, but in this marketplace it's still an absolute necessity if you want to find a good selection to apply to - especially if you're preferences are quite particular. Remember to always take notes on the different places you search, what industries are looking for, the jobs they have and the advice they may give - but form your own conclusions. It's these notes that can be re-worked back into your job search to help you become more refined.

How can your CV stand out?

CVs are not just about academic content. Presentation and individuality play a very important role as well - have you really thought about what you're putting out there? Some ideas for an original CV could include a link to your website (if you have one like a portfolio or blog), mention of industry related media you follow or have recently seen that impressed you, links to inspiration/articles or any evidence of your involvement in impressive projects that are just out of the ordinary - obviously nothing completely unrelated! Another thing to remember is that recruiters have to sift through a lot of CVs so make sure the entire document is not too wordy (two pages). Bullet point wherever possible and take out any unessential text. Write an opening statement of three or four lines positioned as the first thing they read. In it you should outline your career ambitions and why your skills are suited so they can instantly build a picture of who you are - think about it carefully to avoid sounding like everyone else.

Graduate Career Fair Events

With the spring season almost upon us it's time to set some dates in your diary for the wave of career fairs that fall over the coming months. Career fairs should be seen as a vital ingredient in your search so find out when your university and neighbouring universities are holding theirs as well as any national ones close by. Look into who's attending by either asking the organisers or visiting their website and get some background research done so you can impress on the day. Don't you wish that you could be given the chance to stand out from the pile of CVs employers have on their desk? Well you can because they'll be standing right in front of you! GRB are off to London tomorrow for our first one of the year and you can find out more details here.