5 Simple Job Hunting Tips for Fresh Graduates

So, you’re ready to step into the professional world after your graduation – exciting times ahead! Job hunting can be overwhelming, but worry not, I’m going to share with you 5 simple, yet useful job hunting tips that will help you navigate this challenging yet rewarding journey with confidence and ease. From crafting a stellar resume to acing your interviews, I’ll cover it all. So, grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and remember, you’ve got all the potential in the world, and with the right approach, you’ll land that perfect job in no time. Stay positive and let’s make your job hunting experience a success!

5 Simple Job Hunting Tips for Recent Graduates

1. Be honest with yourself:

You’ve now got your qualification, so it’s time to talk about your experience and build your CV. Talk about what you have learned and the skills you have gained, but be sure to differentiate what you learnt at Uni, and what you learned professionally. I always say “don’t be afraid to sell yourself!” but I always follow that up with, “don’t try and over sell”. You might be qualified, but you probably won’t be experienced in the industry you’ve just graduated from.
This also applies to applying to jobs at your level. If you apply to jobs that require more experience than you have, be prepared for disappointment. When you graduate, you are going to need to start at the bottom and work your way up.

When applying for a junior role, always remember that the hirer probably doesn’t expect you to know everything. They expect you to have enough knowledge to go in with something, but they will want to train you and teach you the ways their company rolls. This fires back to “don’t over sell yourself”, you don’t want to be a “know-it-all”. Most of the time, hirers know what experience you’re going to graduate with and they know what was entailed in your degree. What they won’t know if you how passionate you are about the industry, how much work experience you did and what additional training classes you completed.

Never forget that your drive, interest, knowledge and experience will be as valuable to the company as the successes they hope you’ll achieve and that you’ll be wanting to find a company that fits you culturally as well as suits your career choice. Think about what you’d like in a company, and what kind of environment you’re looking for. Some prefer easy going without much pressure, and some thrive in a fast paced environment whilst under pressure. Most employers base their hires on experience and personality, so be yourself! You don’t want to pretend to love sports, or put on a posh accent. They’ll hire you for you, and if they don’t? Then it’s not meant to be.

2. Gain some work experience:

The second most valuable thing you can do while at Uni is Work experience. Work experience is a wonderful way to get first-hand experience as a trainee, into the industry you’d like to get into. You can use it to build skills, contacts and experience which will become very useful when you’re looking for your first job. Many people get their first industry jobs from work experience they have on their CV. It looks good to your future employer because you have volunteered your free time to gain experience, it shows passion.

Gaining work experience is like adding valuable tools to your job search toolkit. When you have hands-on experience in a particular field, it not only boosts your resume but also showcases your skills and capabilities to potential employers. Employers often look for candidates who have practical knowledge and exposure to the industry, and having work experience can set you apart from other applicants.

By gaining work experience, you get the opportunity to learn new skills, build a professional network, and understand the dynamics of the work environment. This helps you grow both personally and professionally, making you a more attractive candidate for job positions. So, don’t underestimate the importance of work experience – it can truly make a difference in landing your dream job!

3. Take all the advice you can get:

You are going to meet so many people that know a lot. Learn to learn from other people’s specialisms, experiences, mistakes and successes. Take as much advice from you peers, managers, and teachers. They’ll be able to give you some good solid hands on advice that they have also had to learn from, which will hopefully benefit you.

Use creative ways to get your application to stand out when applying to roles in the creative industry, show off all your charitable volunteering work if you’re looking into the charity sector, and send your CV in cake form to the bakery you’ve always wanted to work in. After you send your CV, give them a call to follow up. That’ll help you stand out and keep you on their radar.

4. Stay active on social networking sites:

Social media is a fantastic platform to connect with old, current and (hopefully) future colleagues and employers. Websites like LinkedIn mean you can learn about job roles, companies, and live jobs that you can apply for with your profile. LinkedIn also have groups and hold seminars that can help you as a job seeker. That is why we always recommend that job seekers must use LinkedIn.

Facebook can also be a good platform to connect professionally as well as personally. There are groups on Facebook that you can join that allow employers to post job requirements to a targeted audience rather than a platform such as LinkedIn which publishes job ads to all sectors.

Networking events are also a brilliant way to learn about new emerging things about your industry, such as the Recruitment Industry Expo for recruiters, or The London Textiles Fair for fashion labels, and clothing.

5. Learn new skills:

During that quiet period of your job search, try and always keep up to date with your skills. Attend training courses, keep networking and always keep a fresh batch of skills for your next employer. This goes with your job search too, practice for your interviews using interview questions online, talking with friends and family and prep with your recruitment consultant.

You know how important it is to stay competitive in the job market, right? Well, learning new skills is a must when it comes to landing a job. Imagine being able to showcase a diverse set of skills on your resume – employers love that!

By learning new skills, you not only expand your knowledge but also show potential employers that you are adaptable and willing to grow. Whether it’s mastering a new software program, taking up a language course, or learning a new coding language, each new skill makes you a more attractive candidate.

So, my friend, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and start learning something new today. It might just be the key to unlocking exciting job opportunities and taking your career to new heights. Good Luck!