There’s no doubt that it’s a tough time to be a graduate – however, there are still plenty of fantastic opportunities out there for top talent. If you’ve recently finished your studies and you’re about to enter the jobs market, the online world is a great place to look for graduate job as long as you know how to maximize your opportunities. Likewise, for recruiters, graduates are attractive candidates in many ways, and therefore many companies offer graduate schemes to attract the best graduates to come and join their company following finishing university, however this is often competitive. If you can maximize your exposure online, you can make sure that you find the best graduate opportunities possible and make yourself more attractive to potential employers.
Overhaul your online profiles
Employers will check you out online so now is a great time to make sure that everything that appears about you online is professional. A social media profile that supports your professional achievements is great but if yours is filled with images of boozy nights out then it may be better to make it private. Social networking is a large part of this today, so making sure all your profiles, from Facebook, to Twitter, to LinkedIn, make you seem as employable as possible is more important than ever. Recruiters will be able to give you advice about this to make yourself seem more professional, and will be able to put you forward for more opportunities if your social profiles will help employers to take you seriously.
Upgrade your CV
A good CV is a maximum of two pages, concisely worded and clearly setting out key information, such as your qualifications and relevant experience. Once you’ve perfected this, you can start increasing your reach by uploading it to jobs websites – employers trawl these for potential candidates as much as jobseekers do for jobs. Recruiters will be able to guide you on where to publish your CV, but they will also be able to personally pass your CV on to more targeted employment opportunities depending on what you are looking for.
Research recruiters online
There are lots of options when it comes to recruiters online and if you find a recruiter with a great track record and plenty of insight into your chosen role then you’ll have an effective partner. When you find a recruiter who appeals, make contact online and find out what they could offer you in terms of opportunities and support. The best recruiters will be looking for as much information about you as possible to help them to provide the best options to suit your preferences and requirements, as well as proposing suggestions to you that you may not have considered or even seen online yourself.
Use the web to delve deep into your chosen industry
In particular, look at the major companies in that industry and identify those that you’d really like to work for. What makes them so appealing as an employer, what attributes does the business have and what opportunities could they offer you? This will not only help you to identify which employers you want to aim for but also focus your mind on what it is that will make any employer appealing. This is something that you can discuss with your chosen recruitment agency, to help them to find exactly what you are looking for and allow them to put you forward as a potential candidate for jobs that you are genuinely interested in and would excel at.
Look for opportunities to make yourself more employable
At the graduate stage there is often little to differentiate candidates who all have exceptional grades. So, look for opportunities online that could help you to appear more employable and stand out from the competition. That could be something like a blog or website that demonstrates a proactive approach and intelligent industry insights. You could also consider finding opportunities to volunteer or coach, or signing up for online qualifications to support your degree. Showcase yourself positively online and create a strong impression of professionalism, as this is what will make you stand out so that when your recruitment agency finds the perfect opportunity for you, you are already putting yourself ahead of other candidates.
If you’re looking for graduate opportunities we have the experience and knowledge to help – contact our team to find out what’s on offer in your chosen field.
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