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Louisa’s Top Tips

Getting your first job out of University can be a daunting experience. Though you’re unlikely to get an ‘Apprentice’ Claude Littner style grilling that’ll leave you crying in the lift on the way out, you should prepare yourself and be ready to sell yourself to potential employers.

So, although you may know the steps you need to take, how should you go about it?

Getting Started

Prepare a CV – tell us what you’ve studied, any previous work experience, skills you have and a bit about yourself. Then get someone to proofread your CV - it’s really hard to spot your own errors, no matter how many times you read it. Most career guidance departments in School or at University will be happy to do this for you. Most shortlisters won’t even consider you if your CV has wording, spelling or grammatical errors.

Apply only for the job(s) you want

CV Casting to numerous adverts can be dangerous, you should be reading Job Descriptions, researching the company and only applying to those jobs that really appeal to you. If you do cast and you are lucky enough to get an interview, never ever say to the person who calls you up ‘What job is this again’? or ‘Is it possible for you to send me the JD’? Every time I hear this it knocks several points off the potential hire scale.

Using agents

Don't underestimate the impact of recruitment agents, they have access to great career opportunities and most companies use them. So do some research and sign up to one that best suits you and the sector you wish to work in. By doing this, your chances of getting interviews will increase.

The process

There are often several phases in the recruitment process: you may have a telephone interview first, for example. Also, don’t be put off if the initial recruitment process includes a technical test or task – remember the potential employer probably has loads of applications, they are just trying to narrow the field down to those that have the best potential and most relevant skills for the job. Prepare and focus at each stage – if you are capable of doing the job – you’ll be fine. Don’t be afraid to show some personality, you want them to like you and remember you for the right reasons.

Be true to yourself

Make sure the company values align with your own, and remember these are individual to you and are probably different from other people you know. Try to balance perks and salary with culture and purpose, especially if you are looking for a long and rewarding career. Trust me, there is nothing less motivating than working somewhere that doesn’t share your values or negatively impacts your desired work/life balance. Plus the novelty perks will soon lose their shine.

Interviews

If you make it through to the interview stage – you’ve done really well! You’re probably up against 4-5 others but are the top out of 100’s and you should be proud of yourself. The best thing you can do at an interview is to be yourself. However, you do need to be your best self, so this means dressing smartly, being on time and being prepared to talk about yourself, even if this is a little out of your comfort zone. Read the instructions given to you about the interview so that you know where to go, what to bring and who to ask for. If you aren’t familiar with the location, aim to get there early and work out where you need to go. If you are more than 10 minutes early go find a coffee shop or have a walk around - there’s no need to turn up for an interview more than 10 minutes early. BUT don’t be late, if you are going to be late due to travel problems try to call ahead and inform them but you should really be factoring in any traffic / train delays and giving yourself plenty of time to get to the interview.

Selling yourself

Answer all questions to the best of your ability and give examples of any experience you have, for example: Are you an organised person? They are probably looking for a little more than a yes/no! Be honest, remember you will have to actually do this job! Try to relax, the person interviewing you wants you to do well – they have tons of work and teams who really need extra people. They need to fill the post and you have as good a chance as any.

Offers

After your first interview (possibly) or after several interviews (depending on the process) you’ll be offered a role - congratulations! Someone told me once that you should never accept on the spot and always say you need to ‘think about it’! If you genuinely need to think about it, then you should - it’s important to you and the company that it is the right decision, but don’t feel the need to ‘think about it’ for the sake of it, accepting on the spot shows genuine interest in the role and excitement to join the company – these are positive things and will please your future employer.

And finally…

Remember recruiters are only human – so be prepared but don’t be afraid! Good Luck with your future careers.