Help With Graduate Recruitment

So you have graduated from University and have began to apply for the Graduate Vacancies that you have seen, thinking that it would be easy to land that Graduate Job, but as yet the Graduate Recruitment hand hasn't grabbed yours and your still out of work.

There may be reasons for this, reasons with a little focus can ensure that you have a better chance of being somebody's next graduate recruitment.

Your Application Criteria

You may well be applying for too small a range of graduate jobs. Of course keep to your subject matter, but you may also have developed other skills that will potentially open up more interesting and perhaps more well paid avenues. If you see a vacancy advertised, consider what additional skills and traits that you have to offer, you may be in a much better standing that you initially thought. Always remember though if you are applying for something that is slightly more “out of the box”, make sure you have applied some logic to your decision!

For some industries, such as those in the media, you may well need to do a stint of volunteer work to gain valuable “Industry experience” that so many employers crave. If you need to do this, explain to mum and dad, they'll should be willing to help you out financially for a few months!

Your Application and Interview Technique

First things first, don't send a constant barrage of CV's and application forms with a generic duplicated covering letter, it shows that you haven't made the effort and your application is likely to find its way to the special filing cabinet, known as a waste paper bin! Always take the time to research the type of work offered and the company itself.

Interviews are a notoriously tricky affair for many people, this is your chance to make a good impression and you only get one chance of making a good first one! Try to remain focused and be positive about what you can offer your potential employers. Think of any skills you have developed in University, or a part time job, or even voluntary work. Many of these skills can be transferred across to a graduate vacancy. If your not successful, ask for feedback, it may help in the future.

If you have a slightly inconsistent past record to the graduate vacancy that you are applying for, use it to your advantage. Explain why issues arose and what you have done to overcome them and further skills that you have developed. You can't change the past, but you can show how your approach and character has progressed since then.

Additionally, if you are a graduate with disabilities, please visit SKILL (National Bureau for Students with Disabilities).