Graduate Advantage

Competition for jobs has always been fierce, but the recession has made it even harder for graduates to find work that matches their degree – In 2012, the number of graduates employed in ‘non degree’ workplaces such as supermarkets or call centres rose by 3,500 on the previous year*.

Work experience can be a great way for graduates to gain experience in their chosen field. Last year, one in twelve graduates coming out of university failed to find work within the first six months*– this negative situation can be turned on its head by getting an internship!

Here are five ways to leave a good impression as an intern:

Plan your time well
Make sure you keep an eye on the clock when doing tasks: university life can give students a lot of free time on their hands, and this can make it harder to prioritise a series of tasks or meet deadlines.
Write down your tasks and divide your time into half-hour chunks. This will let you know exactly what you need to be doing at a given point in the day. Being efficient and ahead of the game will show employers that you can fit into their work environment.

Be Proactive
One of the worst things to do on work experience is to finish a task and then sit there waiting for the next job to fall into your lap. This can send out a message that you’re bored, or even worse, lazy.
Make sure you ask if anything needs doing: even if that means filing papers or making cups of tea, at least you’re busy with something. This shows that you don’t mind getting stuck in.

Network with employees
Whilst you’re on work experience, don’t shy away into a corner: make sure you talk to people and pick up as much information from employees about their job and the industry as possible. This shows that you’re keen to learn more, and aren’t just expecting your degree to secure you a job when your internship finishes.

This could be as simple as ‘what kind of things did they ask you in your interview?’ Remember: there is no such thing as a wrong question. Add people on LinkedIn and get as many email addresses as you can lay your hands on – their advice is going to be vital in helping you land the job you want.

Ask for help when you need it
Some people feel awkward asking for help if they don’t understand what they’ve been told to do. Instead of trying to save face and digging a hole for yourself, speak up. That will make your employer more understanding of any mistakes
Admitting to mistakes or a lack of knowledge gives off the impression that you are honest and can easily accept constructive criticism from colleagues.

Ask for more work experience
When your internship ends, it can be tempting to just get a reference from the company and leave it at that – but why not ask for some more work experience?
This gives the impression that you have found the job you want and are determined to get it. You might get the extension you wanted, or even better, a full-time job!
Many interns wouldn’t think to ask for an extension, so you give yourself an advantage by wanting to sign up for more work experience.

We hope you have enjoyed our guide to a successful internship. Who knows, the advice could help you land your dream job!

This has been a guest post by James Archer on behalf of a London based law firm

*Source www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9599883/Graduates-fill-menial-jobs-as-post-university-unemployment-rises.html

As a graduate starting a new job, inevitably Christmas will come round and so will the office party.

Whether it’s a lunch time event or an evening do, we have come up with a few helpful pointers to ensure that you don’t go embarrassing yourself this festive season!

Dress Appropriately
Make an effort; if the code is smart casual go for more smart than casual. If its fancy dress then do it properly and make sure you look the part.

Remember your table manners
A lot can be learnt from a person based on their table manners. If it’s a sit down meal, observe the conventions of formal dining. If it’s an open buffet, don’t overdo the canapés and be ready to meet your senior management at any point during the event meaning you should keep at least one hand free of food and drink to shake their hand. Please and thank you’s go a long way as well.

Prepare ahead
Office parties can put you in situations where you have to speak to colleagues about something other than work. Preparing a few sensible topics such as holidays, the latest films or sports are generally considered good points and can keep you away from talking about yourself, work issues or office gossip which are definite no-no’s.

Networking
If your party includes the whole of the company, it’s a great opportunity to get to know people outside of your immediate department. You may feel more comfortable speaking with the people you see every day but spending just 5-10 minutes with other departments or senior management is a good way to put a name to a face and will not harm your career prospects in the long run.

And finally
Don’t get drunk! Whilst is it easy to get carried away in the party atmosphere, moderation is the key. The ideal scenario is to alternate an alcoholic drink with a water or soft drink. Resist the temptation to indulge in tequila shots or else you may end up losing more than your inhibitions!

For students and graduates social networking sites can be a valuable tool in your job hunt if you use them intelligently.

LinkedIn has fast become the professional person’s social network. In September 2012, LinkedIn surpassed the 10 million members in the UK, with 4 out of a 5 professionals reportedly using LinkedIn. So it’s a good place to connect with organisations to promote your education, skills, knowledge and experience as well as search for internships and jobs.

Ensuring your online profile is professional and up-to-date is important to ensure you get the right message across to prospective employers, as they can and often do review social networking profiles of potential recruits. So really consider the first impression you are making.

It is often a good idea to have both private and professional identities on different social media sites. For example, keep Facebook for your friends and family and LinkedIn for your career. This means you can manage your messages depending on the audience. This also includes your profile picture; making sure it gives the right impression of you to a potential employer.

So here are our 5 ‘top tips’ to creating a LinkedIn profile:

Complete your profile
Like any social profile, creating one is easy enough and LinkedIn will guide you through the set-up, informing you how ‘complete’ your profile actually is. Writing a short punchy piece about yourself in the ‘Summary field’ will make you more memorable. Fill your profile out further by adding to and updating your skills regularly. Recruiters will search for people with certain skills. By defining them they will be able to scan your profile more quickly.

Stand Out
Make your profile unique to you. Use it to demonstrate your interests, passions and most importantly your skills. Keeping it short, again gives someone viewing your profile, a good idea of who you are and what you are about.

Ask for recommendations
Having well-written endorsements and recommendations can be worth their weight in gold. They must be relevant though. Getting your university friends to say you’re great has no influence.

Join groups
Being active on LinkedIn through joining groups, can give you valuable industry information. Use this information wisely to connect with companies and in applications for roles.

Don’t confuse it with Facebook and Twitter
This isn’t the place to post pictures of cute cats, viral games or comments on the weekend’s festivities. Adding updates every few hours is also seen as overkill. Inappropriate updates like “I’ve just had a delicious lunch at The Deli with my friend Karen” should be kept to Facebook.

LinkedIn are producing a series of guides for students on creating their profile. Check out the first link on why students should set-up a profile here: http://learn.linkedin.com/students/step-1/