As a graduate,
you’re probably following all the standard internship/graduate hunting advice. You
have an updated CV, you've perfected your online professional profiles, and
you are daily searching job sites for roles which might be right for you.
However, there are some pearls of wisdom you may not have heard of before,
but which could be the key to helping you find your first graduate job
– a job that will be a catapult for your future career.
Here are 4 Tips For Job Seekers To Find Your Internship Opportunity :
Don’t pigeon-hole your job search
At the moment, you may be doing what many other graduates do in your position
– focusing your job search on roles which clearly reflect your degree course
or previous work experience; because you think these are most relevant to you
and your skills.
Don’t just focus your job search on big brands
Big brand names can look great on a CV, and many will offer brilliant entry
level graduate positions. Don’t, however, dismiss smaller, lesser known
companies when job searching.
Companies which are smaller in size are often less bureaucratic. You will
therefore have more autonomy than you would have in larger organisations, with
a greater possibility of pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone and
finding stretch opportunities within your role. By starting your career in a
smaller business, you will also have more accessibility to senior management,
giving you the opportunity to build some key relationships which may work in
your favour later down the line.
In short, working for a smaller business can really give your career the boost
it needs during its infancy. So, don’t just focus your graduate job search on
big brands.
Maintain a job search routine and stay motivated
Periods of unemployment can take their toll on anybody’s well-being,
especially a recent graduate going through the transition of student to job
seeker, working hard to find their first graduate job.
It is therefore important that you maintain a routine so you stay upbeat and
motivated. Get up early and fill your days with productive activity such as
job searching, upskilling and networking. Having said that, make sure you
take regular breaks to do what you enjoy doing, from seeing friends, to
pursuing hobbies and interests. Exercise is also a great way of relieving
the stress of finding your first graduate job, and something I highly
recommend.
Don’t compare yourself to your friends
Lastly, don’t compare yourself to your peers, especially if they have
already found work. I still remember that fear of not finding a job after
graduation and getting left behind. I wish I had realised how many other
people felt exactly the same. Just have faith that you are doing the best
you can, you simply haven’t found the right opportunity for you yet, but
that’s no need to give up or lose hope.
My over-arching advice here is this: Don’t just sit on job sites applying
for “safe” sounding jobs that you know you can do. Discover your hidden
skills, and get out there to expand upon them. Build your network, get some
experience and learn from others. Consider opportunities which you may not
have previously considered. All the while, look after yourself, take breaks,
and don’t try to compete with your peers. Rest assured that you are doing
the best you can by following the above advice, and before you know it, you
will find yourself in the perfect role for kick starting your post-graduate
career.
Source:
