5 Straightforward Tips to Help You Land Your First Graduate Job

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In a dream world, you should be able to find a job immediately after spending 3 or more years at University studying a topic you love. Unfortunately, this is not always the case for many graduates, who find themselves unable to find a role within the first few months after graduation.

Even though this may seem like a hard time, there are many things you can do to improve your chances of getting a job and make the job search process more effective. In this article, we talk about 5 things you can do to make your job search more successful after graduation.

1. Find a Mentor

Many students and graduates may not be aware of the power of mentoring. It is highly beneficial to find a mentor before, during, and after university, especially if you want to be successful in your career. You can read more about having a mentor as a graduate here.

A mentor can improve your confidence, increase your chances of career progression, and raise your chances of promotion. For many graduates, leaving university comes with new challenges and big life changes, and for many alumni, it’s their very first time working a full-time job. They often have no clear understanding of the working world.

Mentors are a great way to help get your foot on the career ladder. Over the years, mentors have learned a lot of useful information and skills that they're willing to share with their mentees. They can teach you, for example, the best keywords to use on your CV to make it stand out from the others. The goal of a mentor is to support and guide their mentee, with the primary goal being to help them develop both personally and professionally. Mentors have also been able to strengthen their professional networks over the years, and are willing to introduce their mentees to people who may be able to help them secure a graduate role.

These are just some ways mentoring is advantageous for graduates who are struggling to find a job after university. Mentors also serve as a sounding board for their mentees, offering a listening ear to concerns and challenges faced and offering solutions to help overcome them.

2. Upload Your CV and Update It

Remember to update your CV regularly with any new skills or experience you gain. We would also advise having a friend, family member, or mentor review your CV and offer you feedback. When we scrutinise something repeatedly, we often fail to notice any errors or overlook anything that could be useful. If you are having difficulty writing your CV, we recommend that you check out our top tips for writing the perfect CV.

It is important to consider where you put your CV. Many of us, after we graduate, send out hundreds of job applications without taking the essential step of also uploading our CVs to various job sites (Including LinkedIn). These websites are not only used by people looking for a new job but recruiters and companies also use them to seek potential candidates for upcoming roles.

These recruiters may even suggest a job or industry you've never thought of before. If you want to be approached for roles that are relevant to your skill set, it is a great option to have.

3. Network and Connect With Others

When you are fresh out of university, with little to no experience, a great way to expand your opportunities is to network with other professionals. We all know the saying that it’s not what we know, but who we know.

Finding a mentor is a great way to expand your professional network, but there are many other ways to connect with others. For students and recent graduates, building a strong network should be a priority. This can be achieved through LinkedIn, as well as in-person networking events.

Meeting people who have similar jobs or work at a company you want to work for can lead to new opportunities. From being able to pass your CV on for possible roles to providing you with the latest industry knowledge, networking has a powerful effect on our careers.

4. Learn New Skills

Just because you’ve got a degree, doesn't mean you're an expert. Whilst your degree should have provided you with the basic skills needed to get started within your career, there are still multiple things you can learn if you want to continue to advance within your career.

If you want your skills, you should first have a clear understanding of your strengths and weaknesses. You should also research the skills needed for your desired role. If you have a mentor, they will be able to tell you which skills you need to work on.

There are numerous ways to strengthen your skills, such as returning to university or attending a webinar, the possibilities are endless.

5. Volunteer

Volunteering is not only a kind thing to do for your community or those involved, it's also a great way to explore different career paths and gain new experiences. Organisations and charities always require volunteers to help them. For example, volunteers can help them with social media or help them plan events. There are many volunteering opportunities that can help you get your graduate job.

No matter what career you're looking to go into, there will be an opportunity to volunteer that will not only improve your talents and expand your knowledge, but also allow you to give back and do something good. It also helps you stay engaged and motivated as you search for a job.

Final Thoughts

We hope that this article was able to illustrate a few of the ways you can go about finding a job after university. We know this is a tough time, but it's important to stay motivated and keep moving forward because you'll be able to start your career journey soon.

If you're interested in learning more about mentoring, check out PushFar. We're the world's largest open network for mentors and mentees, with over 75,000+ professionals looking to form mentoring relationships.