Be clever with the roles you apply for
With a shoddy economy and more university leavers than ever to compete with, let us take a look at new trends in graduate recruitment over 2012 and how you should respond.
Employers’ needs are more specific
Employers are now more picky about the qualities they expect from graduates. This has put pressure on students to start thinking about their careers and researching what employers in their field look for much earlier in their studies. Browse the vacancies on jobs boards or recruitment consultancies, nothing the required skills or experience. If you have an exact company in mind and they have a careers section on their website, research their ideal candidate and read profiles of current employees. You will find sectors vary considerably in the specifics.
Employers have become more innovative
Traditional methods of e-mail and job adverts still play a massive role in candidate attraction. So, screen e-mails carefully and learn which ones are more relevant. Recruitment consultancies will often personalise e-mails with really useful and relevant inform-ation for you and it is these that you need to prioritise.
Students only see the tip of the jobs market iceberg
Jobs and graduate schemes are available at a wide range of organisations. Small and medium enterprises are becoming more prominent in the graduate market, with an increase in the numbers of graduates being hired. Do not ignore the idea of working for them even if you have your heart set on one day working for a global, blue chip employer. They can offer you more prominent roles with early exposure to responsibility, instead of large, corporate structures.
Mass applications are on the rise
Mass applications are not attractive to employers. They will notice if you apply to all their jobs in every department and it will land you in the ‘no’ pile. So be clever with the roles you apply for. Make sure they are relevant and interesting to you, not just linked tenuously to your degree.
Digital literacy stands you in good stead of finding a job
Exposure and knowledge of technology and the internet is second nature to the current generation of graduates. Growing up with social media is a strong asset, compared to other generations who had to learn as it boomed. Use this point to your advantage in your CV and interview pitch. As a bare minimum, graduates should also have knowledge in standard Microsoft Office packages. Experience in software relating to your industry of interest is advantageous, such as Photoshop if you want to get into marketing or InDesign for publishing.
Students need to get work experience
Work experience is crucial. A common problem we come across is students leaving it too late to start thinking about their career and getting work experience. Take the initiative when you have the time in your first year of university to secure work experience, as your final year will be focused on the academia.
— The Guardian
