While graduating from university is an incredible feeling, it can also feel slightly bittersweet, especially when you don’t have a job lined up. Finding a job is daunting and stressful, but we’re here to make things a little bit easier. We have created a short guide on the steps you can take to find a job after graduating.
- Start with the basics
Before you start applying, ensure that you have all the right tools to do so. This includes a professional email address using your full name (this may come as a surprise but your old ‘groovychick123@live.co.uk’ email address from early high school just isn’t going to cut it for a job application!) and making your job board profiles up to date. When doing this, you have to keep your digital footprint in mind. Be prepared for anything that is posted on the internet about you or by you to be visible to recruiters so make sure that it’s all appropriate. If necessary, make your social media accounts private.
- Create a CV
Quality over quantity is key for a great CV and if you don’t have the experience to fill it with, keep it concise and demonstrate your existing skills within 2 pages. It is important to keep it short and sweet – recruiters sift through 100s of CVs at a time so presenting them with too much information at once will only bore them. Make it user-friendly and highlight key details. For more CV advice, check out our previous blog post: 5 CV Tips for Language Graduates.
- Visit your university’s careers office
There is no better team of people to assist you in your job search than the career’s office at your university. The advisors can help you find a job relating to your degree, and they often keep an active list of companies who are hiring.
- Attend job fairs
Following on from keeping in contact with the advisors at your university, there are always opportunities to attend career fairs, either those held by your institution or organised separately. This involves numerous companies grouping together to scout the best talent for their open roles, so be prepared to answer a few questions and provide your CV.
- Be proactive
While we understand that, as a graduate, you may not have many connections that can help you with acquiring a job but that doesn’t mean you can’t make any. Maintain a positive attitude and approach recruiters/employees of the companies you are interested in on LinkedIn and spark up a conversation. It’s not always what you know, but who you know – so take advantage!
Additional to this, keep checking job boards such as Indeed and Total Jobs as many hiring managers post their active roles on there so it is worth having a look every couple of days.
It’s hard to find a job when you have just graduated, and with little to no work experience, it is understandable to feel like you don’t stand out against the crowd. Put yourself out there, don’t be afraid to network and you’ll find your dream job in no time! Check out the vacancies we have on offer too – https://bonbonlanguages.co.uk/jobs/.