Tips for getting your dream graduatejob

We are living in an age where information is, quite

literally, at the fingertips of students looking for

careers advice. As well as the more traditional

careers advisers and jobs fairs, this wealth of

resources now extends to smartphones via email,

the internet and an ever-growing array of social

media networks. But it seems that university

students still see parents, friends and family as the

most useful for counsel on their future careers.

A recently conducted survey of 1,400 UK students

at various stages of their degree from more than

100 universities, exploring their attitudes to the

world of work.

One of the standout findings was that current

undergraduates, across all years of study, rated

their personal networks as the most helpful source

of careers advice: parents and family (56%) or

friends (52%).

Surprisingly, only a little more than a third (37%)

said that they found careers advisers the most

helpful, and even fewer cited employers (30%).

For employers, who want to attract top talent to

drive their business in the future, this feedback is

valuable. The same survey showed that by the end

of university, only one in 10 students still had hopes

of landing their dream job after graduation. It

shows that businesses need to think harder about

how to support students in their jump from

academia to a professional career.

Following are the tips for getting your dream

graduate job

Start out by really understanding yourself

Identify your personal strengths, spend time

reflecting on what really motivates you, on what

you enjoy and on what you don’t like doing.

Ask those who know you well – your teachers,

friends and family – what they notice and value

about you. There are also many online resources

such as quizzes and personality tests that are a

good starting point.

Challenge your assumptions

Keep an open mind when researching different

careers; speak to as many people as you can, and

challenge your own perceptions. Don’t rule yourself

out of a sector or industry until you’ve really

explored it.

Use the tools on offer

A key point that comes across in the survey is the

need for companies to be more specific about what

a job entails, and also that students would like

contact with those already doing the job.

Many companies are creating online tools to help

students understand a typical working day and to

help guide them through the sometimes complex

and unfamiliar recruitment processes take

advantage of them.

Look for an employer that fits both your skills and

your values

Find an employer that will invest in you;

somewhere that you can leverage the skills you

already have and equip yourself with more that you

need to develop.

Does their overriding purpose, ethos and culture

resonate with you?

Get as much work experience as possible while you

are still studying

Relevant or not, it doesn’t matter. Any work

experience will help you throughout the

application process and provide you with valuable

experiences to draw upon when you start work –

not least a better understanding of yourself and a

sense of how to work in a teamwith others.

Focus on long-term goals

Don’t let perfection be the enemy of starting your

career. Look for the job (and employer) that gives

you themost options in the future.

It isn’t a disaster if your first employer isn’t

ultimately the right choice for you. Be prepared to

work hard, seek out learning opportunities and

keep focused on your longer term goals.