- 14May2014
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School Leavers and University Graduate Careers Advice
Confused about your career? Not sure what your next step will be after you graduate? If you’ve been putting off your job hunt because you don’t know where to begin and you think it is too late, now is the time to take stock and get started. We have collated some tips and career advice for all you leavers and graduates to help you along your way.
First Step
Examine your values and think carefully about the things are that are most important to you in terms of a career. Are you looking for security, adventure, variety, money, travel or to help others? For example if you value your social life, don’t join a company which expects you to work 15 hours a day or a profession where you could be commuting internationally every week.CV’s and Covering letters
One of the most challenging aspects of applying for a job is to get yourself noticed. So often there are loads of candidates out there with similar degrees and work experience therefore it’s difficult to make yourself stand out. The best bet is to work on a really strong cover letter and strengthen your CV so that it is clear and concise as well as visually appealing.Interview Prep and Interviews
Give yourself plenty of time to research the role and the organisation. You must evaluate how well your experience, interests and skills fit the job and the organisation. It’s an idea to research current affairs and trends in your job sector. You should anticipate questions you might be asked, then prepare answers to these questions. Also prepare a couple questions of your own to ask them at the end of the interview.
In interviews, nerves can make you forget to do simple things such as smile and listen, which can result in being thought of as unfriendly or inattentive. You’re more likely to be nervous if you’re inadequately prepared so as well as following our advice above the best thing is to take a deep breath and relax in the interview and you can always pause before answering a difficult question in order to give yourself time to think.We are asked our Managing Director a few questions about what she looks for when recruiting:
What are the top things you look for on a CV when recruiting?
Work history and experience, education and qualifications, how often the candidate has changed roles, extracurricular activity and individual interests.What is the best advice you would give someone looking for a job?
Managing your online reputation- Most would see this as common sense but now with all the many social media platforms available it is so important to make a good impression on them too. Most employers will do a check on facebook, twitter and browse instagram, so use them wisely as they are a reflection of your personality and could be the cost of a job!
- 14 May, 2014
- Gail Freedman
- 0 Comments
- advice, careers, cover letter, cv, graduates, interview, job, Leavers, next step,