SUPPORTING GRADUATES INTO THE WORKPLACE

www.journeytowork.net

Staying Motivated in your Search for a Job Looking for work always seems to take forever, and maintaining a positive attitude throughout this lengthy process can sometimes be difficult to manage. Not maintaining an upbeat approach is one of the reasons many job seekers fail to find their ideal job, they give up too soon and take the first job that is offered to them. If you have studied hard to find a job in a particular field or organisation, or you have dreamed of working within a specific sector, perhaps finance or engineering (both industries that are difficult to enter), why should you give up all hope of securing the right job for you? It is possible to stay motivated during your job search process by developing a strategy and taking the right positive steps to ensure your job search strategy is both realistic and proactive in its approach. Many job seekers like you deploy tactics that keep them busy, i.e. create a CV, make a list of potential employers etc, yet these are activity based tactics and not performance based strategies that will get you an interview. If you have been searching for a while, perhaps you have applied for many positions and still you wait for a response, perhaps now is the time to try something different. Here are some tips shared by the career consultants at Journey to Work…. Stay Focused Never lose sight of your goal and ensure you remain positive that your goal is achievable.

Give yourself time, be realistic, and also reward yourself for hitting milestones such as ‘finished my CV’; ‘got my first interview’; ‘registered with a recruitment agency’.

Be Proactive Many job seekers begin their search by spending all day every day searching the internet

for suitable positions and sending generic CVs to multiple employers. This is a very reactive approach and rarely does this type of approach work. Instead take a proactive approach, here is an idea to try…

1. Make a list of the companies you wish to work for 2. Visit their websites and read their ‘careers section’ 3. Apply for any suitable jobs that interest you 4. No suitable jobs? Then read their ‘about us’ section and try and find a suitable

contact 5. Research this contact using the internet to find out who they are, what their

background is, think about how you might best approach them 6. Research yourself and determine how your education and/or experience fits with

the company’s culture and/or potential job vacancies, and work out how you could show that you are a good match for their business

7. Email or telephone this contact and talk to them about your hopes of working for their company (you will need to be prepared for this!)

8. Request an information interview; this is where you visit them and ask about working for their company. This highlights your interest in their business and demonstrates motivation

9. Don’t give up! If your contact says they will call you next week and they don’t, then call them! Rather than worry that you might be disturbing them, instead think how motivated, passionate and committed you appear in their eyes

SUPPORTING GRADUATES INTO THE WORKPLACE

www.journeytowork.net

Be Realistic Don’t try and spend all day everyday searching the internet and applying for countless

jobs, you will soon get very frustrated and also put yourself in danger of not remembering which job was for which company. Instead spend part of your day reading industry related news, this will keep you motivated and will help you highlight your knowledge in key areas when you do finally get an interview.

Volunteer If you have no or very little work experience now is the time to be volunteering.

Volunteering gives you the opportunity to learn new skills and develop existing ones. We are not talking about technical and professional skills, but transferable skills such as communication, time management and customer service. These are the skills that all employers want to see in candidates, especially in graduates.

Network Networking is vital, without it you really will find it difficult to secure yourself your dream

job. Firstly think about your current personal network and then consider how your existing network can help connect you with other potential networks; networks that will land you the job.

Volunteering is a great way of networking; many companies now get involved in

Corporate & Social Responsibility. You could be painting a school fence with the HR Director from your dream company! How amazing, relaxed and easy would that introduction be?

Take Ownership Most graduates think that their degree is all they need to secure their dream job and are

shocked when, after 6-months of more they are still searching. You need more than your degree; you need the following to improve your chances of securing employment within the shortest possible time:

1. A CV that you are proud of and that separates you from the crowd 2. An in-depth understanding of your core skills and individual USPs 3. Polished interview skills and an understanding of the many techniques used 4. A large network and a 100% complete LinkedIn profile 5. Work experience and/or demonstrable employability skills 6. Access to the ‘hidden’ job market

You may be thinking that the above advice sounds lengthy, painful and could act as a distraction to your focus on finding a job through the normal channels, but taking ownership of your problem and making the steps to do something different will enable you to reach as result much sooner than if you continue with your normal methods and standard approach. Go on, try it – what have you got to lose?

Get careers advice early and often, and don’t panic!

Follow us on Facebook for regular careers advice and job search tips