CHAPTER ONE:

How to find a graduate job
Perhaps finding a job that starts after Uni can feel like one of the most daunting and stressful things you may ever be faced with. Everyone would like to be successful in their chosen field but sometimes that pressure to succeed can feel at times overwhelming and getting that first foot in the door seems almost impossible.

Sometimes just knowing where to start can be difficult in itself!

We know there are lots of options for advice from lots of different sources. But we'd like to think this is grass roots practical advice which has worked for many of us who work for graduate-jobs.com and who have also worked at other SME's, large companies and who joined graduate training schemes not so long ago!

We have consolidated all the best ideas, tips and strategies we have heard over the past six years in graduate recruitment into a handy guide. We aren't here to preach and what we recommend is simply based on real life personal experience from those who have worked at graduate-jobs.com over a number of years. If you prefer the 'official line' we suggest you visit your University careers service.

We know that occasionally trying to approach things scientifically in a logical way is all very well and good but sometimes...I JUST NEED A JOB! In some cases that can just be any job that will get you in the door! Hopefully this guide can help you with that as well.

If you want practical real life advice and tips then read on.

First, how to deal with the pressure:
Recognising and being able to deal with the pressure is an important first consideration. Looking for work is a stressful and pressurised activity, you need to recognise that you are putting pressure on yourself, fellow graduates also looking, parents and relatives are adding to the pressure (unwittingly) and there are quite a few unknowns (little things like), "what am I supposed to do for the rest of my life?", "am I prepared to re-locate?", "I have no work experience and I have no idea what I want to do!", "I've never done a 9-5 before for a long period of time!", "if I don't get a job in the next 6 months will I be competing with a whole new graduation year out of Uni?" It’s easy for these questions to cloud your judgement and spiral out of control.

If you are drawing blanks for some or most of these questions don't worry...you are not alone. Most of the candidates we meet do not have a clear idea of what they want to do. Why should you? You chose a path of academia, when you left school so it’s no surprise you're not an expert about the world of work and careers – it’s to be expected. Okay, you might have a reasonable idea if you've had some work experience, but you see our point.

Solution: What you need is a PLAN. To a certain extent this is what this whole section is aiming for you to create - a plan. A plan will help you focus your ideas and energies into positive results, without a plan you'll be jumping from one idea to the next with no true direction or chance of a realistic end product.

The Plan
You need to start thinking of yourself as a product - a product that a company might like to buy or certainly invest in, because essentially that's what they will be doing. The product needs to display what it can do, what the benefits are of having it and what it’s better at than alternative products on the market.

If we can help you get enough of these elements clear enough and in the right mix a you'll stand a better chance of a company making a purchase and you'll be accepting offers and starting your new job before you know it.

A systematic approach like this will be your best chance of success.

Remember keep strong and stay focused (oh ah, we'll help you with that as well!)

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