A gentleman’s guide to getting a graduate job

Getting a graduate job isn’t as easy as it was in the old days. Back in the 70’s there were more jobs than there were people and one simply swanned into them from university. Now days your shiny 2:1 won’t get you far, even if it is from Oxford or UCL – getting a graduate job is far trickier than anything you ever faced in the lecture hall.

KNOW THYSELF

If you don’t understand yourself or know what you want to do with your life potential employers will see it and will not offer you a job. You need to know what you want to go into, why you want to go into it and show a passionate interest in the sector. It’s often the case with graduates that they apply for jobs that they have no interest in and ultimately they fail because the interviewer asks them; ‘Why do you want to work here?’ and they simply don’t have an answer.

INTERN, INTERN, INTERN!

Internships are a luxury that not all of us can afford – but those that can afford to do internships definitely should. An internship allows you to explore the parameters of a profession and get an objective view of what it’s all about. Interning allows you to experience the day-to-day grind of office life – without the pressure. Try to do a few internships in areas that you think you might like to get an idea of the respective workplaces.

PRACTICE INTERVIEWS

It always comes down to the interview – ultimately it’s the only thing that counts and that fifteen minutes you spend nervously talking to one or more people inside an under-lit office is what stands between you and a job. Some people are naturally nervous, some people are born confident – but whoever you are, you need to practice interviews.

PLAY THE NUMBERS GAME

Ultimately it’s not a case of applying for one or two jobs, or even 10 – most graduates find themselves applying for at least 50 jobs until till they find a position. It may seem disheartening at first but everybody must deal with rejection until they eventually hook that job. Some jobs have hundreds, sometimes thousands of applicants – it’s a very competitive world out there.

DON’T DISPAIR

It can get depressing if you find yourself applying for lots of positions, interning at lots of companies and failing to secure that job. It’s essential to keep a balanced perspective on the life and keep yourself positive even if things aren’t going your way. While you try to get a graduate job, keep yourself occupied with a stopgap job which will keep you in a healthy, productive routine.