I was lucky enough to get offered a job for the company I really wanted to work for when I graduated. When I heard of Fresh Egg and checked out what they did, I instantly knew I wanted to work for them. They oozed passion and expertise in the digital field, and that was exactly where I wanted to be. I applied for a role there, with little experience in Search Engine Optimisation but hoped my passion for the industry and company would be enough for them to take a chance. So, based on my success here are my top 6 tips for getting a graduate job!
1. Be passionate about an industry - It's one thing saying you want to work in business, but you need to be more specific, and develop a genuine interest in a niche sector where you can obtain work. For example do you want to work in finance? Specifically Accounting? Management Accounting? It's best to find a sector you can become passionate about, and this will really come through in your interview if you do your homework.
2. Be passionate about the company - Find companies you want to work for, and go to them, they won't come to you. Show your passion for what they do, and why you should work for them. If a company see a spark in you and you show an interest in what they do, that's a really good way to attract their attention and one of the principle reasons why I think I was offered a role at Fresh Egg. I showed them that I knew what they did, who their clients were, what they could offer them over other agencies, and what they could potentially be doing in the future.
3. Have experience - It sounds really obvious, but you need some relevant experience in your industry. I was lucky enough to have digital marketing experience from my placement year at Rank Interactive. If you don't have any, then be proactive in your search, by offering volunteer work at companies, and again show your passion for why you want to work there. Places like the The Chamber of Commerce are always looking for enthusiastic people to help them out. If you can do things from home to improve your chances; such as building a portfolio or blogging, it will help getting noticed. A portfolio is a great tool to show off what you are made of. Just comprise examples of your work, samples of your blog, and projects you have worked on.
4. Be proactive - Keep looking for work in any situation. You don't have to rely on just websites posting jobs. You can email companies directly, find links and email addresses in press releases and in the local business news. Being proactive shows that you care and have intuitive, and employers can see this as a very strong indicator of a person. Whilst securing my job at Fresh Egg, I continued to stay in touch and arrange interview dates and do anything to move the process forwards.
5. Don't get hung up on salary - People sometimes worry too much about the pay they are initially offered. If it's a good job you want to do, the salary should be an after consideration, as you will be doing something you enjoy. The salary you want will eventually come, but it may not be instant.
6. Network - Always use opportunities to meet business people. You can use websites such as LinkedIn to connect with other professionals, and attend conferences and networking meetings to talk to employers and get a good grasp of the local business scene in your area. You can also follow people on Twitter who work for or own companies you like. You may hear of job openings or new opportunities as well as getting great chances to talk to the people who work at these places.
I hope these steps have been useful and given you some food for thought. You can follow me on Twitter @hybrdoriental or connect with me on LinkedIn. In effort to build my portfolio, you can check out my URL shortening website nowtweet.it and follow the blog, and Twitter @nowtweetit
