Some careers are open to all: read up on them in the TARGETjobs magazine

Fit job-hunting into your final year: quick tips

Final years are frantic enough without adding careers to the mix. But however tempted you are to leave it until after graduation, squeezing some time into your schedule now will put you ahead of the pack when it comes to finding your graduate job.

Student's hand holding notebook
  1. Set aside a regular time every week to focus on job stuff: whether this is going to your careers service, researching employers, finding out deadlines or writing applications. This can be whenever best suits you: whether it’s an hour between lectures, the time between Bargain Hunt and Doctors or half-an-hour each day before you go to aerobics. Try to keep it at the same time each day so that it becomes a habit.
  2. Sign up for job alerts and e-updates with targetjobs.co.uk. They’ll tell you who is recruiting when and fill you in on what’s happening in the sectors of your choice.
  3. Sign up for e-mail alerts with your careers service, so that you know what’s going on and who’s visiting campus.
  4. Keep a job hunters’ calendar and note down recruiter deadlines, employer presentations, careers fairs or careers service workshops. It’ll help you plan your job search around the rest of your life.
  5. Play about with a ‘master’ CV or typical application form answers well before you need to apply. This will hone your application skills and mean that you have some ‘go-to’ phrases when you need them. Half an hour of your time while keeping one eye on Diagnosis Murder will save you hours later.
  6. Keep a log of what you are doing. Any time you do work experience, achieve something with a uni society or get a part-time job, note down what you’re doing, what you’ve learned and the skills you picked up. It’ll only take a minute and it’s great fodder for applications.
  7. Keep an eye open for stories related to companies and sectors you’re interested in when surfing the net or reading the news. Save them somewhere. They’ll inform your application and make sure you’re in the know for interviews.

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