Think Carefully Before Making That Call

Missed a call? Do you think about who it could be before calling back? Do you even call back? Whether during a graduate job search, or just in general, it is so important to do this.

Firstly, if you have missed a call and there is a voicemail then listen to the voicemail. It will contain information on the caller and the reasons behind the call as well as possibly a direct line for you to call. This will allow you to prepare and seem organised and informed when calling back.

Also think carefully about your phone etiquette when calling into a company, our consultants advise that lines such as ‘Hi, My name is…I had a missed call from…earlier on today/yesterday etc. Is it possible to speak to them now?’ are always winners; it sounds professional and gives a great first impression.

Especially when applying for jobs, make sure you answer your phone professionally and with an engaging tone, never screen your calls and always call back using the best phone etiquette, you never know when it will count.

Top 5 Tips For A Successul Study Period

We know it’s not easy to remain focussed when revising for those all important exams, especially with so many distractions around at university. With the study period well underway and exams looming we have put together 5 of what are, in our opinion, the best tips to improve your chances of studying success.

1. Start Early. Sleeping in and revising late will leave you sluggish, unmotivated and distracted. Starting early will ensure you feel you have achieved and also have some time to relax with friends.

2. Put a timetable up and send it to your friends. Then people will know when you are supposed to be revising, which will lessen distractions and increase motivation.

3. Go Old School. Print all the information you need from your computer then switch it off. With technology comes many distractions, take it old school with paper and colourful pens for increased success.

4. Utilise what you are learning. Don’t just sit and stare at facts until you think you have memorised them. Answer practice questions and write mini essays about what you are learning to ensure you truly understand and can use your knowledge.

5. Potassium. Eat bananas to enhance focus and increase energy. Don’t fall into the trap of living off caffeine, go for a slow energy release and feel sustained for longer.

Good Luck!

Is Your CV Up To Scratch?

With the incredibly high volume of applications received by graduate employers and recruiters alike, the presentation and content of your CV is of the upmost importance. Here are some simple things you can do to ensure your CV doesn’t ruin your chances at that dream role.

Ensure all your personal and contact information is clear and correct. Make sure you have included an up to date mobile number, a home number (if applicable) and email address, and that you have written them correctly. If you miss numbers or use an old university email address then you are not contactable.
Provide all information clearly in sections and make sure elements are shown in reverse chronological order and that this is kept consistent throughout your CV.

Declare your A level or equivalent results, not just subjects studied or they may be assumed to not meet the requirements. Also provide a predicted final grade (or actual grade if already achieved) for your degree, along with a couple relevant module results.

Finally, avoid paragraphs and mini essays of information within your CV. These days it is so important that potential employers can recognise your achievements, both academic and extra curricular, quickly. If you have provided this within a half a page of writing it isn’t clear and won’t show you off to your full potential.

For more information on CV’s please refer to our CV guide: http://www.grb.uk.com/cv_makeover.0.html

Be Patient

We know it isn’t easy to be patient when it comes to your graduate job search but it is important for a number of different reasons.

Firstly, be aware that you won’t be the only applicant for a role. It may take a little bit of time for you to receive feedback, do not chase progress after a few hours or a day, they probably haven’t even had time to look at any applications yet. It’s always good to be keen, but you don’t want to risk annoying your potential employer and seeming high maintenance.

Secondly, if you have any questions that’s great, but don’t expect an immediate answer. Questions about the role will more than likely be easy for the interviewer to answer, but if it isn’t and they have to find out give them time to do so. Questions you have after an offer of employment may also be simple to answer, but there are many variables here, such as number of new employees, number of the years the company have run the role and logistics of the job. It can be frustrating if you do not have all the answers immediately, but remember, they want you to work for them and you are in a great position. They will be doing their best to sort everything; it just may take some time.

Finally, everybody will receive rejection at least once before finding the graduate job for them, do not get disheartened. Be patient and keep going, you will succeed and it will be worth it when you do.

Always Make A Good First Impression

Sounds pretty obvious? Good. Then you are more than likely making a good first impression. But as recruiters we have seen and heard of our fair share of bad first impressions. And when we speak of first impressions this is with anyone involved in your graduate job search, both recruiters and graduate employers.

Make sure you have an appropriate voicemail set up; we recommend you check this regularly, you never know who has got hold of your phone. Graduate recruiters and employers alike won’t find things funny like your friends do; it could cause irreparable damage to your application. In fact, make sure you actually have a voicemail set up; the inability of a recruiter to leave a message may stop your application dead in its tracks.

Even more importantly, think about the first impression you are giving at your interview. Make sure you are dressed well and appropriately. No dresses or skirts above the knee, no low cut blouses, no unbuttoned shirts. If you are taking laptops or folders make sure they are clean and tidy, not run down and tattered. When sat waiting do not sit on your laptop, read through notes, but make sure you are able to react in an instant to the person arriving. Sit corporately, do not lounge around in their chairs, no matter how comfy they are. Finally, if you want water, accept their offer of a drink, do not take a sports bottle and swig from this throughout an interview.

With an ever increasing pool of talented graduates being produced by universities, these tips are of the upmost importance, no matter how obvious they may seem.

Being Numerically Minded

This week's tip comes from a recent graduate, Arnab Datta. Numeracy is one of the key skills needed to secure most graduate jobs, along with writing and IT skills. A basic knowledge is assumed for most jobs but of course there are certain career paths that required a more detailed understanding. So, how important is it to develop numerical skills during your studies?

A recent study has revealed that STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) graduates earn on average 4.47% more than other graduates. This report aimed to ascertain the ‘labour market value’ of qualifications, but other research has shown even greater discrepancies in favour of STEM graduates ranging from 18.8% to 33%. Still, there is not complete agreement over the value of science and engineering degrees, since other statistics have conversely shown that the salaries are lower.

Although a salary should not be your sole motivation for a graduate job, it is a fairly good indicator of the demand for graduates with certain degrees, and will help to assess your job prospects. The main reason why STEM graduates are in greater demand is that they have developed transferable skills, which can also be used in careers like Finance. Also, some STEM degrees enable a greater choice of modules at university and give the opportunity to learn more about business. This helps to create more well rounded individuals who develop both a theoretical grounding in their subject and a commercial awareness that they can take into the workplace.

Still, the most crucial message outlined in these types of research is the general importance of numeracy, since employers think that this is one of the skills that graduates lack most. Even if you do not study a Maths related degree, you should still try to keep your basic skills up to date. This will be useful for any career, since usually there are work plans and budgets to complete or proposals, which all require calculations. Making a mistake in the office could be costly, so you need to ensure that you are accurate. Indeed, numeracy skills are linked to IT, since a lot of work is done in spreadsheets. Therefore, developing considerable experience of this will definitely help in the future.

Overall, don’t worry if you are not that numerically inclined, since the key is to develop the core skills that are regularly used in the majority of careers. Still, it is worth bearing in mind that if you do manage to develop these types of skills, then it will not only help you to secure most graduate jobs, but will also put you more at ease in the workplace.

Rejection From A Graduate Job Interview – A Worthwhile Lesson

Chances are at some point you will have to face some sort of rejection from a graduate recruiter, but it is how you deal with this rejection that sets you up for your interviews for future graduate jobs. Criticism can be a good source of useful information, as long as you can take it on board and learn from it.


If you receive, or do at some point in the future, a rejection from a job application always ask for feedback. It doesn’t matter what stage of the process you are rejected at, always request the reasons behind their decision. Once you have this do not let it negatively affect you and your motivation, instead use it as an excellent means of improving. Now that you know what your stumbling block was you can set actions in place to resolve it, whether it is something on your CV, your attire or perhaps even something you said during an interview. Criticism can definitely be a worthwhile lesson, just make sure you take the good from the bad and move forward.