Graduate guide to job hunting

As a new graduate you are unlikely to have years of relevant experience under your belt but this doesn’t mean you can’t secure your dream job. We have put together some specific tips and advice for graduate job hunters.

1. Create a LinkedIn profile
If you don’t already have a LinkedIn profile we advise you sign up as many recruiters use LinkedIn to headhunt relevant candidates. As a professional social media platform LinkedIn can help you build a network of relevant contacts and your profile can act as an online version of your CV that can be sent to prospective employers.

2. Optimise your social media profiles
Social media is a great way to connect with friends but don’t let the content of your profile negatively affect your employability. Review your privacy settings; anything you don’t want a potential employer to see should be locked down so only your friends can view.
Read more here.

3. Expand on your education if you don’t have much work experience
As a new graduate you are unlikely to have years of relevant experience on your CV but this doesn’t mean you don’t have valuable skills to offer an employer. Think about your university course and the subjects you studied, did you deliver a presentation or complete a group project? Write about the practical skills you have acquired that are relevant to the workplace such as team work, presentation skills, working with a variety of personalities, managing busy workloads and working to strict deadlines etc.

4. Email job alerts
Sign up for email job alerts so you are the first to know as soon as a suitable role is available. This way you can be one of the first to apply. Some jobs have a quick turnaround and require someone to start virtually straight away so it can pay off to respond quickly to a job advert.

5. Search for skills not just job titles
When you are searching job boards for open vacancies don’t forget to include skills/technologies in your search, this way you will find a variety of roles you may not have thought of.