Finding a Job as a Graduate
September is always a good month to start fresh. Summer is over we are feeling relaxed, motivated and thinking about the future. This applies especially to recent college graduates. You may have taken the Summer off to unwind and de-stress and now you are ready to start job hunting. There is a lot to think about when applying for your first post-education job so here are some helpful tips of things to keep in mind.
Internships – internships are a valuable starting point for any new graduate. They allow you to ease yourself into a professional culture while also making your professional profile more competitive for other positions or promotion in the future. You will discover the work you enjoy doing and don’t enjoy doing before having to take a more permanent position.
LinkedIn – set up a LinkedIn account, this is how most employers, hiring managers or recruiters are going to find you. You might be using all of the popular jobs boards to apply for roles but not every role will be advertised there. Having a LinkedIn account will help recruiters and hiring managers find you which will double the odds of landing your dream. It can also be a good source to have for researching a company and employees during interview prep.
SME & Start-ups – when thinking about what companies you want to work with all of the big name brands will be popping into your head. You see and hear about them everywhere therefore they must be the best people to work for. Do some research, check out SME and start-ups as well. Working for a smaller company means your experience will be much broader than it would be in a large multinational. You will be exposed to all aspects of an organisation which will help you understand what parts of a role that you thrive in and enjoy the most.
Interviews – if you are selected for an interview but you aren’t entirely sure that this is the company for you, do the interview anyways. Repetition makes things easier, doing this interview will mean that you are more confident going into the next which could be a job you really want. Practice makes perfect!
CV – adapt and change your CV for each application, look through the job description and highlight on your CV the requirements that you have. And sell yourself, you have full permission to boast about yourself and your accomplishments on your CV.
Networking – networking isn’t necessarily about going to meetups and tech conferences. Networking could simply be talking to your neighbours or relatives. These are people who are out working everyday and have lots of connections some of which might be helpful for you.
Not your forever job – remember if you do land a job and a few months down the line you realise you don’t enjoy it or you think you might want to do something else – don’t worry. This doesn’t have to be and probably isn’t your forever job. You are a new graduate it is going to take some time to discover what you love to do so try out different things until you find what you love doing.
If you want to hear about all of our graduate career opportunities or are simply looking for some advice on how to start you career search call us today on +353 (01) 5461115 or email us at info@emtechrecruitment.ie.