What Employers Want
Advice from recent graduates who have entered the job market...
Graham Day, 25, is a recent graduate from Bournemouth University scooped a great job as a Junior Procurement Specialist and is very happy in his job. He says...
"Employers are looking for these things: 1. Ability 2. Confidence 3. Personal/Inter-relationship skills 4. Self-Motivation 5. Experience (University work placements are definitely beneficial!) If you do not apply you’ll never get the job. Make sure your CV is up to scratch and send it everywhere you may wish to work. In the past I have been put off by complex job descriptions used by employers. My key advice is don’t sit back and wait for somebody to give you a job, you have to be proactive!" |
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Neil Burchett, 24, graduated from Southampton Solent University and
managed to get a job as a Recruitment Consultant within 6 weeks of leaving University. He says …
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"Recruiters are looking for enthusiasm, confidence, drive and personality. Use job sites and networking, speak to as many people in your industry of choice as possible. The only way to effectively search for employment is to be proactive, a career isn’t going to fall on your lap – you have to go out and get it. You have to be willing to take a knock back and not be afraid or intimidated when entering an interview situation, some negative feedback is inevitable. Use sites like Milkround.com to do your searching " |
Rastko Miletic, 25, graduated in 2004 with an Economics degree from Surrey
University and is now in a high paid job within the Investment Banking sector. Currently working for Landsdowne partners. It took him almost 3 years and via two jobs to get this current job but it was well worth the wait. He says...
"A graduate has to distinguish themselves from other graduate competition. This means not just having a good academic CV but also the transferable skills gained through employment of some sort. A good grounding from summer internships and temping roles shows commitment to learn not just a job but the realities of the workplace. A sandwich year is invaluable in attaining the best graduate roles. But most of all the interview is a make or break as it will test the graduates ability to convince the employer of their place within the firm, after all these people have to see you more often than their families so a good personality goes a long way." |
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Andrew Mendes, 25, graduated from Southampton University and is also in a
well-paid job as an Analytical, Sales and Technical Engineer. Here are his tips…
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"Be confident, if you have a good personality and a keenness to learn new things, you’ll be fine. At the interview my best tip is to ask the interviewer lots of questions, i.e. how they got to their position? Everyone’s favourite subject is always about themselves!!!
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TIP: Like Neil, we also highly recommend using Milkround.com to look for a job after University.