3 Top Tips for Student Budgeting

January is a long month and it may take you by surprise how much you have spent in the last 5 weeks, but maybe being at the bottom of your overdraft with 2 months to go in the term is the push you need to get your budgetary matters in order. These are tips that you may have already heard, but now is the time to take notice and formalize an action plan.
Tip number 1: It is possible to save hundreds of pounds a year solely by being yourself; a student. Subscribe to all the online discount services such as wowcher, student beans, vouchercloud to name but a few. Also, every time you go to buy something, ask if they provide a student discount, remember that they won’t charge you more for asking so don’t worry about looking like a cheap skate.
Tip number 2: As grueling as it may sound, making a spread sheet of your monthly income and outgoings may well be worth the hassle. If you keep your receipts and can physically see how much your spending and whether your lifestyle is sustainable, it may give you the motivation to finally get on top of your finances. You can’t cheat the spread sheet.
Tip number 3: To get a little bit of spare cash throughout the term, if you find your text books from last year aren’t of any use to your module choices this year, sell them, set up an amazon or eBay account or even use the student VLE to flog your old books. Someone somewhere needs that second-hand selling price.

Be Kind, Unwind

As obvious as it sounds during the January exam period, having the ability to switch off, is of huge mental and physical benefits in the present and future. There’s nothing worse than spending your whole day in the library, to come home to a stressful, sleepless night and be living on coffee for an entire term just to stay awake in the core working hours of the day; it’s not healthy. The first piece of advice most students get when it comes to work load at university, is to treat your studies as a full-time 9-5 job, which leaves a further 8 hours a day for recreational, unwinding activities. There are many ways to calm your mind at the end of your day including stretching, meditation, reading a book, watching a film. In order to get a good night’s sleep which is essential in times of thick and fast deadlines, you must leave at least 2 hours before bed away from the books just to give your brain a bit of a break. It may make you feel comparatively lazy now, but if it avoids you burning out in the future, it’s more than worth it.

New Year, New Start!

We’re 7 days in to 2013 and by now most people have made various new year’s resolutions; giving up alcohol, going to the gym every day and start saving to name but a few. Although these goals may be achievable for some, they certainly aren’t for others.

This week’s tip - instead of setting over 10 goals for January which are destined to failure; set one, yes just one goal that can benefit every aspect of your life. So if you want to improve your fitness in the New Year, which is proven to help focus in the classroom, prepare you better for target driven environments in the work place and also improve health which are all incredibly employable qualities, make this your goal. If you want to start saving, get a hold of your finances, set up a direct debit to a closed ISA that you will meet on time, it will help you to cope when you enter the big world of work. If you want to quit drinking, try finding other activities that you and your friends can do that are non-alcohol related, increasing your list of hobbies will only help your CV in the long run, not to mention the long-term benefits of giving your liver a 6-month break.

New Year’s resolutions are more achievable if they are for a positive change, not negative ones. Think of doing exercise as keeping fit instead of losing weight. Think of stopping drinking as getting some really exciting new hobbies instead of sitting in the corner of a night club wondering why your there. Finally, think of saving as gaining a new found independence and control over your finances instead of ‘cutting back fun’.

Making The Most Of Recruitment Fairs

The season is almost upon us for recruitment and career fairs, these can be a priceless resource for your graduate job search and when approached well can really rocket your job hunt forward.

Firstly, make sure you dress appropriately. Ensure you make an impression by dressing smartly and appearing confident and professional.

Make sure you are prepared too, take copies of your CV with you. Don’t hand them out aimlessly, but if you are really interested in a role then ask if they are accepting CV’s currently.

Be careful not to take too many free items, you don’t want to appear as if this is the main reason for your attendance, and if you do take the free merchandise make sure you have a bag to stash it in, that way you keep your hands free for handshakes and accepting company literature.

Finally, practice your sales speech beforehand. You will have only a couple minutes to make an impression and inform the employer about yourself, going with a short, snappy pitch helps make sure you leave a lasting impression.

Also, collect business cards of the people you have spoken to and follow up immediately thanking them for speaking with you and reiterating your interest in the role you spoke of. You may not receive a reply but it could help bring your CV to the company’s attention.

Don't Forget You

It’s a stressful time thinking about finishing university and all the different elements that come along with it. There is so much to do and we know that sometimes it seems like there just aren’t enough hours in the day for everything and it is very easy to let everything take over your life, but it’s so important to try and retain a healthy balance between work and relaxing.

Don’t lose touch with your friends and your social life, these elements are actually just as important as the work. Achieving a good balance, ensuring you see your friends and maintain an active lifestyle will make you feel happier in general and therefore more productive, aiding your university work and your job search.

Planning your time and writing out a timetable can help achieve this balance, ensuring you utilise the time you have in the best possible way. This structure will ensure you are reserving some time for yourself, enabling you to relax and rejuvenate, ensuring you give yourself the best possible chance of success.

It's Never Too Late

A lot of graduates are now well in to their graduate job search, have begun interviewing and maybe even potentially have secured roles for the summer onwards. However, not everyone chooses to take this approach, some students prefer to focus solely on their exams and then think about their job search. Both approaches are completely fine, but if leaving it later, it is important not to lose motivation.

Leaving your graduate job search until after your exams avoids distractions, additional stress and timetabling conflicts between exams, revision and interviews. However, it also means that companies will have already started to fill their schemes and roles before you have begun looking, making your job search potentially more complicated, having to investigate less obvious avenues for applications. The most important factor is to not lose motivation; there are roles out there and a whole hidden market to discover. Join as many recruitment agencies and consultancies as possible to get the best overview of the job market as a whole and remember to always tailor your applications and avoid trying to cut corners.

Make The Most Of Every Opportunity

In today’s current climate it’s more important than ever for graduates to have work experience when entering the job market. Most commonly are summer internships and industrial placements whilst at university; both are invaluable when it comes to your graduate job search.

While at university, a lot of courses and universities offer the option of an industrial placement or, more and more commonly, require it to get the degree. Don’t shy away from this opportunity, leaving university with a degree that included a year’s work experience helps give you an edge.

For those who haven’t had that opportunity, the summer is upon us and a lot of graduates are still in the midst of their search for employment. A great utilisation of time would be to secure work experience in the form of an internship within a field of interest and that you are applying to. On your CV this shows a proactive approach to your spare time and helps ensure you have less of a gap on your CV as well as highlighting to employers that you will have the skills and attributes they are searching for.

Interview Follow Up

What do you do after a job interview? Do you go home and wait or do you improve your chances of progressing to the next stage and getting the position? Following up after an interview is a great way to make sure you stand out from the multiple applicants and here are some tips on how to write a great ‘Thank you’ follow up.

Always remember, a thank you is a nice touch, but it can be a great strategic move. Include anything you think of after your interview that you wish you had said in retrospect (not too much though, keep it short and sweet).

If there were any concerns shared about your suitability, address them and reiterate your reasoning behind this potential weakness not being a problem and your suitability for the role.

Finish by highlighting your three top experiences and qualifications and how they would benefit the company from what you learnt during your interview. Reiterate information you learnt and your increased interests and determination, promising to deliver in the role, as we are sure you will.

Do Something Memorable

Are you still unsure of where you want to focus your degree? Have you considered taking a gap year at the end of your studies to explore the world and figure out your next move? It’s a great thing to do to gain the life experience and soft skills companies love whilst giving you the opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of others.

There are a variety of different organised projects you could get involved with on your time out, for example Africa & Asia Adventures, a fantastic not-for-profit organisation offering amazing voluntary projects in a range of areas with fantastic benefit for the community in which you would live.

Recently more and more we are noticing an increased preference from companies for applicants who have been involved in extracurricular activities and voluntary projects in order to demonstrate the key soft skills they seek and a great personality fit for their company culture. Africa and Asia Adventures and other like companies are able to provide such experiences, offering you the ability to be truly involved with new cultures, living with the locals within a totally new community, whilst gaining work experience that truly makes a difference to both you and the people you are helping.

It would definitely be an experience you would never forget and ensure that you yourself are unforgettable.

Always Ask Questions

Everyone has experienced it, knows it’s going to be asked, or both. The question at the end of every interview; ‘Do you have any questions?’ The only answer to this question is ‘Yes’.

This is your opportunity to shine. Have questions prepared before you have even entered your interview so that you will have things to ask without fail, for example, ‘why is the position vacant?’, ‘what are the long term goals of the company and the department’, ‘what is the company culture like?’, ‘what is a standard day in this role like?’ and asking if the interviewers themselves like working there and why. Asking such questions shows your interest in the company and expresses long term intentions.

Also ensure you take a notepad and pen (in a folder, neatly presented, no chewed up old biros) into the interview with you so that if you think of a question from the interview you can jot it down to remember later. Such interest, preparation and organisation is sure to leave a great, lasting impression.

Do Your Research

Last week’s tip was to ensure you have researched the role you are applying to, and the career path you are set on. This week’s tip follows on in same nature; research.

Another element of research you will need to do is on the company to which you are applying. Ensure you have done this before applying, it will help you tailor your application to the company properly, helping you stand out from other applicants. You also never know when a company may call so doing this research at the earliest stage of the application will ensure preparation when receiving a surprise call.

When you are invited to an interview, do more research, don’t just rely on your initial research. This research will need to be far more in depth, and you will need to consider the external environment too, such as competitors and the market in which they operate. Doing this will enable you to tailor your answers, think of good questions to ask at the end of your interview and give a great overall first impression, making sure you stand out from the crowd.

Know What You Want

When applying to graduate jobs, in a time when too many people are falling into the trap of applying to any role, you need to know what you want. By this we don’t mean narrowing down your job search to only one specific type of career, we mean avoiding making a very common mistake; not truly understanding what you are applying to.

Research your chosen path thoroughly, just because you may have heard of the job role at university doesn’t necessarily mean you completely understand what that position entails. This may sound obvious, but it is a mistake we see regularly. As a job applicant you need to be able to answer what you understand about the career and role and why you are interested in it. For example, consultancy, there are many different types, yet more and more we speak to people who want to go into consultancy, but don’t realise consultancy ranges across every industry and therefore haven’t thought about which interests them.

Having a thorough understanding of the career path you want and the role you are applying to will leave any interviewer impressed and far more convinced of your interest, sincerity and suitability for their vacancy.

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.

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

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.

Be Aware Of Graduate Jobs All Year Round

A common misunderstanding amongst people these days is that graduate jobs are seasonal. This isn’t the case, a large amount of graduate recruiters have a continual year round recruitment process.


Graduates need to remain vigilant the whole year round for opportunities that match their skills and interests. If you don’t have a job offer after the initial August/September intake do not panic or let your motivation and confidence take a hit. There is no seasonal slow-down and we have been and will carry on listing new graduate jobs every day. The mistake most people make is giving up because they haven’t snagged one of the early recruiting graduate schemes. These are just one of your options for roles after university, so do some more research, consider direct entry roles and keep the applications going, there are plenty more opportunities available to you!

Know The Market Of Your Potential Graduate Job

A lot of people these days are sold stories on which graduate jobs are glamorous, which industries and sectors are the big money earners and which markets are the most stable. However, how much do you really know about the market of the role you have a graduate interview for?


Having an in depth opinion of the industry shows you know what you are talking about, truly know what the job entails and are passionate about it. Graduate recruiters don’t want to hire someone who wants to get into the industry simply because they know people who have said it’s good or they’ve heard about the success of others. Interviewers will be looking for graduates who can tell them what they like about the industry, recount its history and give an opinion on where they think it will be in 5 years time. It is also important to get an idea of the market too so that you know who the competitors are and what the market position is for the company you’re interviewing with. Being able to comment on such factors, or possibly even compliment, sets you in motion to establish common ground and build good rapport.

Believe In Your Dream Graduate Job

We all have our ideal graduate jobs in mind when we graduate, sometimes even before. Maybe it’s a graduate scheme with a big company or SME, a direct entry role into an area of great interest from your studies or even small jobs or voluntary work for taking some time off to travel. Even though they are all very different aspirations, all graduate recruiters will need to be equally impressed.


It’s all about the skills you have, the impression you make and your desire for the role. So what sort of impression do you make when you don’t believe in yourself? Graduate recruiters want someone resilient, with a great personality and optimism and if you don’t believe that you can provide them with what they want and need how are they ever going to believe it? So take a step back to when you were younger and willing to believe in everything and anything, don’t let the current job market bring you down, believe in yourself and others will believe in you too.

Everyone has a dream...what’s yours?