Searching for Graduate Jobs After University

Jobs After University - Blueprint For Disaster

Many graduates can find searching for jobs after university quiet daunting, but not Bella. Bella left university with a graduate degree and an elaborate resume she created using a CV template. Before starting her job search, she stumbled upon the chance for her dream job through an alumna who edited a top design magazine. With all the assurance of a newly-minted graduate, she felt that if she showed up for the interview with a CV in hand and a name to drop she would be offered the job.

Unfortunately her over-confidence at the interview came across as arrogance made worse by poor preparation. She blew it and a few months later settled for a less exciting job at a lower salary.

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How Bella Got Her Groove Back

A little older but much wiser, our graduate learned what she should have done in the first place. Bella ditched her clunky CV template for a new online CV format on iProfile, polished her interview skills, and prepared to launch a more successful graduate job search.

Luckily, her university career advisors were able to help revamp her job search by providing CV writing tips and conducting a mock interview to improve her performance.

From CV Template To iProfile

Every graduate job search needs an excellent CV. But the old method of using a CV template is passé with today's online, digitised job searches and listings. The iProfile CV template increasingly favoured by employers and recruiters uses a clear, standardised CV template.

Most recruiters working in HR distill a CV to its bare bones before the decision-makers even see it. A graduate CV created on iProfile has already extracted these key elements from the original CV and organised them into a universal, easily-digested presentation.

Updating the iProfile CV is simple too. As your experience grows, you can add, edit and customise your iProfile to match any prospective job or to position yourself for a career change.

Sending a Prospective Employer an iProfile CV

With iProfile, graduates can deliver a professional CV with little hassle, which helps when looking for jobs after university. An iProfile online CV can be printed to hard copy before an interview, sent as a URL link or a PDF file directly to the recruiter. Customising an iProfile CV is so easy that you'll quickly be able to do what many career advisors recommend: tailor your CV to each specific job description.

And because so many recruiters use the iProfile system, chances are good they'll find your iProfile before you even know there's a job opening.

Graduate Job Search Resources

You've created your iProfile and brushed up on interview skills; now it's time to look at potential channels for job leads.

  • Begin early. Most universities offer career services to help their graduates find jobs after university up to one or two years after graduation. Often universities maintain profiles of alumni willing to give graduates career advice, which can turn into valuable job leads.
  • Be Internet savvy. Online graduate career sites like milkround.co.uk or uknetguide.co.uk list jobs and employers.
  • Find your niche. Not only will recruiters find you on iProfile, but you can seek them out online as well. Sites like agencycentral.co.uk list recruitment agencies by job-specific categories.
  • Keep reading. The major newspapers - The Times, The Telegraph, and The Guardian - plus local and regional papers report on the job market and salary levels. Each industry has trade journals covering industry trends and opportunities for graduates looking for jobs after university.
  • Reach out. Jobs can be found even before they're advertised through networking with business and/or personal contacts. However, remember that a networking interview or an informational interview is just that - an exploration for information, not an overt job application or interview. A networking interview can allow more open discussion than a regular job interview - use this to gain expert industry knowledge. Remember to ask for further contacts, and always send a thank-you after the interview.

Tips For A Great Interview:

  • Do your research, be organised, well-dressed and on time for your interview.
  • Good first impressions at an interview are established with a pleasant smile, direct eye contact and a firm handshake.
  • Be clear and confident, not superior or overbearing.
  • Be positive and avoid negative remarks, especially about previous employers.
  • Ask a few questions of your own during the interview, and make sure you mention any aspects of your experience that are relevant to the job.
  • Be likeable, but remember: You're an applicant, not a supplicant!
  • Ask when you might expect to hear from them. And thank them at the end of the interview.
  • Top Tip: If you haven't already created your free iProfile, get started now!