Congratulations, you have graduated…. Now what?

CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE GRADUATED…. NOW WHAT?

Firstly, well done and congratulations. Your adventure is about to begin.

As a graduate looking for a new role, you may feel like you are beating your head against a brick wall! I would like to think that your university or place of study will have well prepared you for the job search and equipped you with the skills.

Perhaps you missed that lecture! If so read on and you will find one or two helpful tips to get you going.

I HAVE APPLIED FOR 20 JOBS AND NO ONE HAS REPLIED TO ME?

Disheartening isn’t it, when you apply for roles and they don’t even bother to give you a rejection email or letter. This is becoming more and more frequent. Please don’t take it personally. It is rude, and you should get a reply, even if it is to say thanks but no thanks.

When you see job ads, bear in mind that the company already know what / who they are looking for, they have a tight skill range they need, perhaps they know they want a boy vs girl, but of course can’t say this, so automatically that’s 50% of the applicants discounted. Are you applying for the right roles? I suspect not.

READ THE JOB AD INSIDE AND OUT

Sounds basic, but very true. Read the ad for the role. If they say 5+ years, then they mean it. They will not entertain graduates with 0 years’ experience for this role. Perhaps if you had 3 – 4 years’ experience, then yes you are in with a chance.

If it is a role that says graduate or 1 – 2 years’ experience, then go for it.

DO YOU HAVE THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE ROLE?

So you studied law, but now you fancy being a graphic designer. It’s a great industry, but if you don’t have the training for the role you are applying for, of course you will get a knock back. If you feel like you studied the wrong profession, then retrain, or set future goals that will see you move into a different sector. For example, if you were the above law grad, try and get a graduate role in marketing within a law firm, this will keep you close to the brand and design elements, and perhaps you can do some after-hours additional work, training yourself up on the Mac, watching and learning from the designers. It really is about being adaptive and putting in the effort. Your first job isn’t your forever job.

ARE YOU PRESENTING YOURSELF WELL?

You need to present yourself appropriately for the role you are applying. If you are a web designer or graphic designer, then have your best work on a website. Make sure you check the spelling and the functionality, kill the loud music and the very large pictures of yourself.

If you are looking for a role in Account Management, have your CV presented neatly, no more than 2 pages.

Developers I do recommend that you have a website with your work links. Don’t worry we know design isn’t your forte, but it is so much easier to view all work from one place.

If you have an industry appropriate blog, twitter or website, add the link. Make sure your Facebook page is set to private, as some employers will look here to gain more insight into who you are.

GOOD LUCK.

The above information is not to be taken as legal advice. Copyright of this article belongs to The Creative Store.