{"id":2770,"date":"2017-07-12T14:20:27","date_gmt":"2017-07-12T13:20:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/careers\/?p=2770"},"modified":"2017-07-12T14:25:45","modified_gmt":"2017-07-12T13:25:45","slug":"the-four-habits-of-successful-graduate-jobseekers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/careers\/the-four-habits-of-successful-graduate-jobseekers\/","title":{"rendered":"The Four Habits of Successful Graduate Jobseekers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guest blog by Select Jobs<\/a><\/p>\n

According to Select Jobs, a UK Job site, with the number of graduates achieving a first increasing from 17% to 24% over the last five years, competition for graduate jobs is now stronger than ever. Here\u2019s an exclusive insight into the four habits of successful graduate jobseekers.<\/p>\n

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  1. Gain Your CV Some Serious exposure.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The days of printing 50 copies of your CV and trawling your local area have long gone. In order to receive the greatest possible exposure, modifying your CV<\/a> to offer you the best possible visibility online is now absolutely critical.<\/p>\n

    Including a section within your CV containing a list of your expected job titles, key modules, and exercised skills is an absolute must. By simply registering your CV through any online portal, you\u2019ll instantly have the chance to be discovered when recruiters run a \u2018CV Search\u2019, and you want to make sure you\u2019re appearing in as many relevant<\/u><\/strong> searches as possible.<\/p>\n

    If you\u2019ve simply included \u2018BSc Hons Web Design & Development<\/strong>\u2019 within your CV, the chances are, you\u2019ll only appear in a few searches. If you\u2019ve included the skills you\u2019ve exercised, alongside a few prospective job titles, such as: \u2018BSc Hons Web Design & Development, CSS, HTML, Photoshop, Illustrator, Junior Web Designer, Trainee Web Developer\u2019<\/strong>, you might see your luck start to change. It doesn\u2019t take a rocket scientist to understand which CV will gain the most visibility!<\/p>\n

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    1. Research & Target.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Everyone values their time differently. Some love to read, some love to write, some love to go to the pub. Either way, this next little tip will offer you some more time to do any of the above!<\/p>\n

      Applying for hundreds of jobs at once can be pretty soul destroying and time consuming. It\u2019s 11:30PM and you\u2019ve just applied for you 174th<\/sup> job for that day. The chances are, you\u2019re feeling deflated, defeated and desperate. In order to avoid any of these emotions, it\u2019s absolutely key that you research the organisations within your chosen sector, look at their range of graduate\/junior vacancies, and research what they\u2019re looking for from their prospective applications.<\/p>\n

      Take between 5-10 of these vacancies per day. Once you\u2019re comfortable, write a short, personalised cover letter, stating some of the core values their organisation holds, with a brief explanation as to why you feel you\u2019re perfect. Don\u2019t copy and paste. Be quirky, and show you\u2019ve done your research in the first few lines. Things like:<\/p>\n

      \u201cBy the way, I love the idea of the new project (XXXXXX) you\u2019re working on, I think it\u2019s great the way you\u2019ve done (XXXXXX).\u201d<\/p>\n

      \u201cGood afternoon, before I tell you how I feel I\u2019m perfect for the role, I saw your mission statement on your website and I can see how you\u2019re addressing this with your (XXXXX) product. Great work.\u201d<\/p>\n

      You may think it\u2019ll be a long-winded approach, but let\u2019s be honest; if you\u2019re the candidate that follows it through, we both know who will be the one raising the eyebrows of the Recruiter.<\/p>\n

      By limiting the amount of jobs you apply to each day, not only are you increasing the impact of each application, but you\u2019re staying positive, and releasing more time to head down to the gym, or catch up with friends, or whatever you\u2019re into! After all, let\u2019s be honest; five well written, personalised and tailored applications to the right job will hold twice the impact that 100 generic applications will.<\/p>\n

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      1. Give & Take.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        After spending years with your head in books, stressing over dissertations and sacrificing your time to better yourself, you may have certain expectations surrounding salary from day one. Never <\/strong>be afraid of a short period of unpaid employment, or an internship. It\u2019s proven that 60% of interns are offered full-time employment thereafter<\/strong>. Why? They know they\u2019re perfect for the job, and offering a chance to show that to an organisation at absolutely no financial risk is a hook, line and sinker.<\/p>\n

        Think of it as a free trial. Everyone loves them, within any industry, and Recruiters are of course the same. Even if sometimes there isn\u2019t an internship listed, proactively approaching a Recruitment team with your proposal will leave them blown away with your confidence, enthusiasm, and the ability to think outside the box (just don\u2019t say you\u2019ve read it online as a good idea!).<\/p>\n

        If your internship doesn\u2019t result in full time employment, the worst-case scenario is that you\u2019ve networked with top-tier managers within successful companies in your selected industry, and you\u2019ve achieved some solid experience to put onto your CV. It could be a lot worse, right?<\/p>\n

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        1. Cool, calm and collected.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Nerves are a fantastic matrix of panic and desire. Everyone gets them, at any age, in multiple scenarios. As expected, interviews are one of the likely culprits of generating such a feeling.<\/p>\n

          On one hand, being nervous at interviews, will show that you care, and are keen to secure the job. On the other hand, they could hinder your thought process when listening and answering questions. The most successful graduate jobseekers will learn how to reduce the presence of nerves and here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n