Normally finishing university is a big sigh of relief, all the exams are over, the nights upon nights of revision are finished and you have now got an enviable qualification which will enable you to get the job of your dreams – surely the hard work is done and dusted? Well, actually, no. The hard work is just beginning.
It is probably just as hard, if not harder to start the job hunt once you have graduated.
As you will probably already be aware, the job market is pretty saturated. There are more people than ever fighting for the same job and a lot of these people are highly educated. With this in mind, a lot of effort will be required in order for you to stand out from the crowd.
You’ll need to stop those all nighters, retire from binge eating kebab duties and start to save money if you’re being serious about getting on the job ladder.
Of course the very best way to get job hunting and get yourself out there is to make sure you are on top of vacancies. Set up alerts to your email so you know immediately when an applicable job comes up. You should also keep updating and improving your CV; always be on the look out for tips to make your CV stand out from the crowd. This is the one time you can really go to town on yourself, other than in interview, and make them realise why you’d be such a great asset to their company.
Speaking of making your CV stand out from the crowd, if you can say that you are an active volunteer whilst you are looking for work, this will always be a bonus for any prospective employer. Volunteering is the best way to get noticed. It highlights to a future employer that you are keen to get into work and are willing to work from the bottom up in order to achieve your goals. It also shows that you are keen to further develop skills whilst you await a job opportunity and highlights that you have initiative and a get-up-and-go attitude. You don’t even need to volunteer at a job specific company, volunteering anywhere will give you a head start as it shows that you are not bothered about the kind of work that you do, so long as you are working.
You should also try to get some work experience under your belt at companies where you will eventually be applying for jobs. It’s all about getting your name out there and making an impression. If you work hard and the company are impressed with your ability, they would be stupid not to ask you to stay on.
You will also need to get very active on social media. Use platforms such as LinkedIn so that you are connected with people in the industry and they can give you the heads up should any opportunities arise. Prospective employers who may hear about you on the grapevine will also be able to check you out at the touch of the button so it’s definitely worthwhile.
In this day and age it is never going to be easy to get straight into your dream job; there is far too much competition. This doesn’t mean you should give up your dream though. You should maybe go down a different path to get there and, should you show both determination and perseverance, you will definitely get to where you want to be.