Never Say Never

It’s very tempting to ignore all the practical advice given by career’s services, recruitment companies and your parents, but eventually it comes to a point when you start think they may have a point. Our marketing team at GRB recently carried out a survey on students and found some really interesting results. Of the 590 plus students that responded to the question ‘What do you feel is your biggest weakness?’ over 50% of them said work experience, if you’re in this category, this tip is for you. In addition to this, of the 1000 plus students who responded to the question ‘If you were an employer who received a huge amount of equally good applications, how would you narrow them down?’ over 60% said work experience would be the dividing factor.

Never say no to looking for work experience in your 1st year, never say no to having for part time job in your summer or during term-time if your timetable allows, and remember that positivity is key. If you get a few rejections, always get back on the horse. Try, try and try again, yes to internships, yes to work experience, yes to societies and yes to reaping the rewards of hard work.

Get a Routine and Stay in a Routine

This academic new year, you won’t be a fool for having said something along the lines of ‘this year’s going to be different’ or ‘I’m going to live in the library this year’, then actually getting to university and slugging it out in the library for the first week followed by a year of partying to reward your hard work. At times like this the old saying ‘work hard, play hard’ springs to mind. 

The key for this time of year is figuring out a routine, treat your course at you would a 9-5 job but with a little bit of flexi-time. This way if you are having a lazy day, you can do as many hours as your attention span allows, so long as you make up for it on your next productive days. Being a full-time student means full-time so stay focussed from 9 to 5, or even 12 to 8. Get a routine, include society meetings and events, be the full-time student you know you can be! 

Do Your Field Research

This one applies mainly to those graduates and students applying to part time work, internships and graduate roles within commercial retail companies. You will need to have done your research on the company to who you are applying, but how about taking it further than a simple Google search?

Visiting the store to which you are applying is a great way to do extra research that shows you have really thought about your application and are invested in getting the role with them. Think about their market position, store layout, products and strengths/weaknesses so that in an interview you can show what you would bring to their company and how you would be a good investment. Such an in depth knowledge of their store operations would set you apart from the majority of applications, ensuring you are remembered after interview.

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.

Know The Hidden Market

There are loads of graduate jobs advertised directly from companies each year, however this isn’t the complete overview of what is available. In order to gain a complete insight into the job market it is important to consider a number of different avenues.

The internet is pretty much everyone’s primary resource these days, with instant ability to search for graduate jobs. But there are other useful sources, such as job boards and recruitment consultancies that can offer a broader insight into what is available.

Signing up to just one of these resources is not enough though, different job boards and consultancies will have different clients and therefore different jobs to recruit for, so signing up to as many as possible increases the opportunities available to you. These can be registered for either online or through events such as Fresher Fairs and Recruitment Fairs that the university will be holding at some point during your time there, so make sure you attend these and make the most of every opportunity available.

Tell Me About Yourself

It’s a very common thing for an interviewer to ask you to do at the beginning of a job interview, but are you answering it effectively?

This is a seemingly nice ice breaker but the employer will be looking for examples in your answer of how your history and experiences are transferable to their company and illustrate why you are the right candidate for the job.

Remember to keep it relevant to the job to which you are applying and relate it back at all times. For example, which university you went to, what you studied, the work experience and general experience you have done which has led to your interest in that particular role. If you do have any extra-curricular activities then they are great to mention alongside this. Be careful not to fall into the trap of cliché answers such as ‘I enjoy socialising’ and we definitely recommend avoid leading with ‘what would you like to know?’

Dress To Fit

How do you decide what you are going to wear to that all important graduate interview? It may seem obvious, the standard 3 piece suit attire of course, but is it really that simple?

When deciding on interview clothing there is a key thing you should consider that a lot of people don’t.  Firstly, what is the company culture at the company? If the dress code is smart, then the 3 piece suit would be a wise choice, however if the office is full of people in shorts and flip flops then it may be a bit much. We aren’t saying also wear shorts and flip flops but in these situations smart trousers, shoes and shirt may be more appropriate and ensure neither party feels uncomfortable. It would also show you have done your research on the company and demonstrate your ability to fit nicely into their company culture.

If after doing some research you are unsure about the requirements of how you should dress for the interview do not be afraid to ask your point of contact at the company, if anything they will be impressed by your organisation and attention to detail.