Making your own Opportunities - CareerAlley

Making your own Opportunities - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. After the highs and lows of University life all graduates are faced with the big question what next? (as well as the other big question how will I pay off that student loan!).If your decision is to enter the world of work it can be a daunting experience. For many students working during studies is a reality and, as such, the principle of working for a company may not be new to you but its likely that you want to find the elusive dream job for which you have been working hard towards for the past three or four years. For each generation this has been a challenge but with the current economy many reports are suggesting that Graduates face their toughest challenges yet to find work.This can be very disheartening when you have worked so hard to gain your qualifications, so what can you do to stay ahead of the rest of your fellow graduates. First things first you need to consider what type of work you want to do and in what industry.Whilst your qualification may point you in one area, consider your skills and how beneficial they are to different industries and roles and, as such, dont limit yourself at the outset. At this first stage of your career its important to not be led to believe that your dream job isnt achievable and that you should just take any job.Consider how you might make steps towards your chosen career can you work for a company that offers great prospects but perhaps in a lower role than you might have first expected, or perhaps not your ideal organisation or sector but a role that will give you great experience quickly which will allow you to move forward later on? All career paths have to start somewhere; dont lose focus, but remember that, whilst a clich, all experience is valuable and those early jobs are often the ones that help build strong foundations. In order to get any role you are going to need to submit lots of CVs and application forms.This can feel like a full time job in itself but is an essential part of the process.Employers can get as many as hundreds or even thousands of applications.They dont have time to read each one word by word and as such will skim to gain the information they need.Make sure your CV is clear, orderly, and free from spelling mistakes and details your achievements and experience.I know many people advise you to make them stand out its arguable whether printing them on pink paper or adding an interesting photo is an advantage.It may make the person shortlisting smile, but not always for the right reasons so know your sector before taking that route. Its important with CVs to talk about what you have actually done and achieved rather than using adjectives such as Im a good team player and I work hard.This does not provide the employer with any real knowledge about you you may not have lots of work experience, but provide details of those roles you have worked in and any volunteer work or sporting or university clubs.Most skills are transferrable to any role so dont hide your achievements as it is these that really make you stand out from your fellow graduates. It may be tempting but dont simply send out your CV with a generic cover letter to hundreds of employers.Far better to send fewer but to take the time to ensure each cover letter and CV relates to the role you are applying for.Highlight why you want to join their organisation and what you can offer, alongside your new degree, and link this to the role you are applying for. Another clich but your best asset will always be preparation; dont be tempted to wing it.Think ahead to what are your strengths, when have you demonstrated your organisational skills, dealt with a difficult situation, met a deadline and so on.Ensure you know all about the company too so you can link this to why you want the role and always havetwo to three planned questions to ask at the end its always odd as an interviewer when candidates dont ask anything. Most importantly prepare, relax and always be nice to the receptionist (they often get asked for feedback). If you dont get the role you can ask for feedback.Interviewers dont always like doing this and it may be generic but sometimes you will get someone (particularly if they liked you but you just werent quite right) to give you really useful feedback you can use for the future. Its a tough market out there so keep going, even after a few rejections, and take time to review previous applications and interviews to consider how you might improve for the next opportunity. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Neil McDiarmid is Managing Consultant at Workplace Law Career Network; a leading professional services firm specialising in the recruitment of personnel in facilities management, building services, health and safety, and human resources. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Visit me on Facebook