The Truth About Graduate Job Hunting

The Truth About Graduate Job Hunting When I first started my graduate job search I remember thinking that finding a job was going to be a piece of cake (naive I know). I’d got a degree and gained quite a bit of marketing experience over the years â€" so life was good. Surprisingly, I was soon brought down to the ground with a bump when I found out that the job hunting process was a bit more complicated than I first thought. I learnt loads of facts that I was completely oblivious to before I left my uni bubble. The job market is a competitive place so it’s important to prepare yourself for the less pretty side of the job hunting process to avoid you wasting your time and feeling pretty rubbish. I’ve written my top five truths about graduate job hunting for you to take note of when starting your job search to make sure you’re all prepared for whatever is thrown at you.  1)           Competition Is High Unfortunately you’re not the only person that’s eager to get your first job after graduating â€" the graduate job market is a competitive place and you need to make sure that you’ve got your head in the game. Remember competition is high and it’s important to make sure you spend time on each application you make otherwise someone who has invested more time than you may get an interview while you’re left twiddling your thumbs.  2)           You’re Probably Going To Have To Go To A Few Interviews A huge, time-consuming part of the job application process is job interviews â€" but unfortunately you’re probably going to have to attend a few before you find your perfect job. Try not to take it all too personally though â€" there are loads of different reasons why you might not have got the job such as your location or your lack of experience compared to the other applicants. It’s really important to dust yourself off and start again â€" rejection is part of the job search process so it’s important to be able to move on. If you’ve had an interview but you’re unsure how it went then have a look at our post that tells you ten signs that your interview went well. 3)           Employers Might Not Get Back To You Unfortunately employers don’t always get back to you this is a rather ugly truth that I discovered pretty soon into the job search. I found myself going to an interview then waiting for feedback before I started applying again â€" which was a silly mistake because I just ended up wasting my time big style. Try and go to your interview and then put it to the back of your mind and start applying to some more roles. This way if you don’t hear anything back it’s OK because you’ve applied to loads of other exciting jobs! If you’re looking for a graduate level digital job have a look at our latest digital vacancies. 4)           You Need More Than Just A Degree After three years plus of putting your blood, sweat and tears into your degree it’s natural to think you deserve a job straight away. However you need a little bit more than just a degree â€" think about all the people that have a degree that’s exactly the same as yours (loads!). So you need to differentiate yourself â€" you can do this 5)           Don’t Expect To Be On Top Dollar Straight Away Like I said, I know you’ve worked really hard to get your degree and you feel like you deserve to be paid amazingly for it but you’re probably going to have to start at the bottom of the ladder first. There’s no point applying for loads of managerial roles with a lovely salary if you’re not ready yet â€" remember that there’s a reason why you get that type of salary and that’s the knowledge you get through experience. So be patient and remember you’ll get a job â€" just try not to waste your time applying for jobs that are a bit too advanced for you. Unfortunately there’ll be someone that’s already got years of experience in that role so there is no point wasting your time and trying to compete. So there’s your top five truths about your graduate job search â€" try and keep calm and remember that most graduates are going through exactly the same thing!