20 Apr 10 Is the Job Market Getting Better?
Although Britain is now officially out of the recession we are undoubtedly still feeling the effects, and those feeling it the hardest are graduates, many of whom are still unemployed or in part time work rather than a full time graduate job. The question that many of these graduates must be asking themselves is despite us apparently being officially out of the recession, is the job market getting any better?
The short answer is yes, it is getting better gradually. However, do not fret if you are one of those who are yet to have a graduate job. It is by no means easy or even standard to get a job now compared to what it was pre-2008.
The main point is to remember that it is slowly getting easier all the time. Day by day more and more graduate vacancies are opening up as the economic climate improves. Many graduates have recounted that it was near impossible to land a job in 2009, currently the job market is quite significantly better than it was in late last year so do not let the constant rejections from last year discourage you from job applying now.
There is the slight issue however, that the job market status varies from sector to sector. For example, reports suggest that graduate job vacancies in the technology sector are still quite low whilst there is a steady increase in graduate marketing jobs. This means that if your degree is technology related you may find it a little harder to gain employment than those pursuing a career in marketing, which is looking quite healthy in terms of graduate jobs available.
Apart from marketing, other graduate jobs that are in high demand are those in the engineering and sales sectors. Both of these have sustained quite well throughout the latter end of the recession and are especially popular amongst recruitment companies at present. With sectors like sales, the theory is that companies are willing to invest and speculate by hiring more employees in their sales team in order to gain that extra bit of profit and them out of the last hurdle of the economic crisis.
Yet this does not mean that those whose aspirations are to work in the technology sector should not try. There are after all, always jobs out there and it is very possible that you will be the person who lands one of them. If your CV shines and your interview technique is flawless then you will be the chosen candidate for the graduate job whether there are three people applying for it or three hundred.
Furthermore, looking to the future is reassuring. As previously mentioned, the job market is improving as each day passes and by the end of 2010 we may even have a fairly standard one. If you are still unemployed and looking for graduate marketing jobs then keep reminding yourself that today is more likely to be fruitful than the last.
Continue searching for the best vacancies in the graduate jobs market, including sectors such as graduate marketing jobs and find employment at graduate-jobs.com.
Tags: Graduate jobs, graduate marketing jobs, graduate-jobs.com
19 Apr 10 10 Skills Graduate Recruiters Look For
When going into any interview, it is important to know what your recruiter is looking for. For graduates, there are several qualities that the recruiter will want to see.
1. Commitment – When you are being interviewed, the first thing a graduate recruiter will be looking for is your willingness to commit to the role. They are asking themselves, ‘Does he/she have the drive?’ and ‘Will they apply themselves wholeheartedly to the role?’
2. Self-improvement – Graduate recruiters want to see how you will be able to learn, adapt and improve as an employee of their company or institution. Your capacity for self-improvement means your results will improve and thus the company. For this reason, mention something in an interview that you feel is a personal weakness but make sure you flip this into a positive point by saying how keen you are to improve this area. For example, if you are looking for a graduate job, say your weakness is that you have little or no experience in a full-time work environment, but that you are highly adaptable and quick to learn.
3. Leadership –Graduate jobs recruiters are looking to see whether you have leadership skills, even if they will not be employed at first but at a later date with promotions secured.
4. Problem solving – The infamous psychometric tests are the measurement for your problem solving skills. So get practicing, there are many websites that offer free mock psychometric and verbal reasoning tests.
5. Teamwork – Like leadership, this is something you should try to stress on your CV. Working as part of a team is absolutely essential to virtually all graduate jobs out there so you need to be able to explain, and preferably demonstrate, how capable you are at this.
6. Articulation – This is measured by your interview technique. When you are answering a question, the interviewer is not just wanting to hear the correct answer but also how well you explain that answer. Furthermore, if your role requires written work you may be asked to complete an exercise of some sorts such as writing a dummy article. Obviously in this case, your written communications skills are vital.
7. Trustworthiness – This is a little harder to prove simply in an interview but, as you would guess, is an absolutely essential quality to possess. Good ways to demonstrate trustworthiness is with past work experience, for example you may say that you worked in a pub and were left alone whilst the landlord went out or were given large amounts of cash to take up to head office when you worked at a department store.
8. Autonomy – Graduate job positions are much different from past work experience you may have had. They require you to be autonomous as well as just following orders. Give examples of how creative, analytical and independently minded you are in order to demonstrate your ability to be autonomous.
9. Politeness – This may go without saying but showing good manners in the way you sit, say goodbye and shake hands can make the difference between getting a job and not.
10. Confidence – Above all be confident. Confident in yourself, how you are coming across and how capable you are of fulfilling the graduate job. If you do not believe in yourself then the graduate recruiter definitely will not. Stay calm, smile, if the interviewer has a little joke or chat with you respond in the same manner (although don’t go too far!) Remember that confidence is evidence of capability.
Graduates can find and apply for graduate jobs from the directory of graduate recruiters recruiting now and throughout the year, made available at graduate-jobs.com.
12 Apr 10 Job Hunting During a Recession
With the general election now set for the 6th May and each party promising to lift Britain out of the economic crisis with quite opposing methods, it looks unlikely that we will be completely unaffected by the recession for a while. Consequently, graduate job hunting in such hard times could still pose a problem to graduates of 2010.
The effect that the economy’s crash has had on the job market should not be underestimated either. Unemployment rates in general, amongst 18-26 year olds and amongst graduates are still at all time highs despite the government announcing our official departure from the recession. They are after-effects young graduates will be feeling for some time to come – currently, graduate job hunting is tough!
Yet, it is not impossible; there are graduate job vacancies out there, but more people are applying to each respective vacancy. To be successful in your graduate job hunt in a recession means a small alteration to the plan of attack.
People tell you that job hunting can be demoralising and in a recession this is doubly true. Even if you are unaware of it, you may start getting bored with the whole process and persuading yourself that it’s a futile process. Obviously, it is not futile at all, in fact the alternative of not applying is what is pointless, but after your first couple of weeks of applying nine to five and not hearing as much as a whisper back, the argument seems to get very persuasive.
On that note, I must also mention that graduate job hunting nine ‘til five is the only way to approach this if you want to get that dream career – you must treat job hunting like a job itself. Furthermore, job applying is not merely a process of clicking ‘Apply’ on every job advertisement that takes your fancy. Most require a small essay, of about five hundred words, be it about yourself, your skills or a sample piece of work.
For example, if you are applying for a job as a TV reporter then they will often ask you for a piece of criticism about a certain television programme. This is part of the screening process that employers use in order to sort the wheat from the chaff and if you are not putting time and effort into each application then you will be considered chaff fairly quickly.
However, this is a good thing though because it allows you to really set yourself apart from the other applicants. The applications that bear fruit or at least an interview are the ones where you put enthusiastic effort into the screening questions, covering letter and CV.
The persistence of this peak effort is the key to graduate job hunting success during the recession. This takes a lot of mental strength; surveys have reported that minor depression, feelings of isolation and family related problems are all common in graduates who have been searching for jobs in the past year. However, if you are feeling any or all of those symptoms try to push it to one side or use it as a driving motive to apply whole heartedly and get that job that you want. The payoff you will receive once you sign that acceptance form will be overwhelming and you’ll wonder why you ever doubted your abilities.
Updated daily with graduate job vacancies, graduate-jobs.com should be your first port of call after completing your degree. To find and apply for the latest graduate jobs, visit graduate-jobs.com.
Tags: graduate job vacancies, Graduate jobs, graduate-jobs.com
12 Apr 10 Travelling During a Gap Year
For many, after they have graduated and the celebrations end lurks the question, “so what now?” Hunting for a graduate job immediately is not always the answer, depending on your situation and the alternative graduate opportunity of taking a gap year out and travelling can not only be quite appealing but sometimes the better option.
Is travelling the right option for me?
The answer to this depends on various factors such as your personal, financial and current employment situation. For example, if you have the opportunity of an internship during the summer then it is probably not the best idea to go jet setting around the world; the internship will prove to be a more valuable experience in the job market and will not always be available, whereas the world will! Similarly, if you are looking rather financially modest at the moment, like many graduates are, then a gap year is out of the question and finding a graduate job is essential.
Is travelling looked upon positively by employers?
Alternatively, you may have had a part time job whilst at University and have some surplus cash saved up that could help fund a year of travelling. If this is the case and you possess the travel bug then such an option would be a great graduate opportunity. Graduate employers do look at travelling positively – it shows that a person has drive, the ability to work well in other cultures and environments and the confidence to explore alien avenues that others may be too afraid to.
However, when mentioning travelling to a prospective employer, be it in a CV or an interview, make sure to elaborate on the activities you took part in whilst abroad. These do not all have to be work or academically based (although these should not be omitted by any means), for example if you took part in sporting activities such as hikes, camping or white water rafting, highlight these. The more that you state how active you were whilst you were abroad the better it reflects upon you and your motivation.
Where should I go?
This is entirely up to you and based upon where you have an interest in the culture, history and opportunities. With that said, if your interests lead you to places that could be potentially dangerous then make sure you thoroughly research how safe you are going to be. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office has information on countries that are considered dangerous, as does the US Department of State. Even if you plan to go to relatively safe and culturally familiar place, it is imperative that you do you research beforehand in order to have the best time possible, even if that means just checking out where the best bars are!
All in all, going travelling during a gap year is a fantastic graduate opportunity that should be taken advantage of if your current situation lends itself to the idea. It looks radiant on your CV and could open a lot of doors in the employment field, and in the current economic climate most graduates need all the doors open they can afford. But above all, it is a truly life enriching experience that is great fun!
Once you have completed your travels you can explore graduate opportunities and apply for the latest graduate jobs at graduate-jobs.com.
Tags: Graduate jobs, graduate opportunities, graduate-jobs.com
