After University

You may start to search for a while in the final year of your or upon completion of your . Although most students leave job hunting till the end of their course, their are some that start earlier, and it can be beneficial to be ahead of the pack.

Whenever you start to look, it is only then; you start to appreciate the enormity of the task that lies ahead. The task of finding a job that you are interested in doing and also one that you are suitable for can prove to be a difficult experience. The following section outlines some areas that you should look into whilst searching for that first job.

Before you start to look for work, you will need to identify the area of work that you would like to do. For most they choose to take up a career in their related discipline, however if you do not fall into this category you need not despair.

It may be that you have taken a degree in American Studies but have decided there is more money in . As the two areas are unrelated you may find it difficult to pursue, but not impossible. Simply because your interests lie in a different area, don't settle for anything less!

For an independent consultation on career choices, have a look at the services provided by Work Review.

Before you start job hunting you must take time to ensure your is updated. It may be worthwhile looking at friends and relatives CV's before you complete your own to get an idea of what to include and what not to.

Your CV is your chance to impress a perspective , a chance to get your foot in the door. For a more comprehensive guide to writing a CV, visit the CV section on this site.

• - Try to check local and national newspapers at least a couple of time in a week. You will find that the papers cover a range of and some of the national papers especially will carry on certain days of the week, i.e. I.T on a Monday, Sales and Media on Wednesday. The drawback to finding a job in a newspaper is that there are potentially thousands of that may have seen the same advertisement and therefore you must be quick off the mark to get your in promptly.
• - Recruitment agencies can also be an effective way of searching for the perfect job. As private run they have contacts in many sectors of industry, who contact them regularly for the recruitment needs. As agents are speaking to their clients regularly, they have a great idea as to what an employer is looking for, and can focus you in the right direction. In the past the main ways of keeping in contact with an agency was by telephone and usually your CV would have been posted through to them. Nowadays where most of the population has access to the and this is fast becoming an easier way to stay in touch. You can now register your CV on an agency website and a will contact you a couple of days later. The agency website will also categorise jobs so you can search through and find one that's of interest. For a full list of recruitment agencies in this country, look at the recruitment agency section on this site.
• Use resources - The web can be a useful resource when looking for a job. Once such way is the use the Internet to find listings of companies and their phone numbers. To do this a site such as yell.com can be a great help. Once you have compiled a list, you can then start to ring round and ask if there are any positions available. The drawback to ringing around is that companies are reluctant to give much information over the phone and quite often ask for you to send your CV to them instead. Although it may seem like a hard slog, you could well come across the company that gives you that first break!
• Use magazines - Specific industry areas have that come out monthly or in some cases weekly that advertises the latest positions. Companies searching for candidates often take out advertisements in these magazines, as do recruitment agencies working for a large group of clients. If you were searching for a position in I.T for example, you may want to look at Computer Weekly, that contains several pages of new jobs each week. New websites are also advertised regularly. It is a good idea to read publications related to your chosen discipline as they contain the latest news and developments in your chosen field, and it's always an advantage to know what's round the corner.
• Your - If you have just left or are still attending, you can go along to you're a Careers Office (available at every university) which will be able to give you guidance and access to resources and other information. Students should visit their Careers office before leaving university. They may be able to provide leads of in the area that recruit periodically or those that are looking for cover during the summer.

If an employer ask for a copy of your CV, you will also need to supply a to accompany it. The letter should include a brief introduction, why you are applying, what areas you are most interested in, when you are available for interview. A covering letter is simply a way of introducing you to the employer. Covering letters are usually only glanced at, as a an employer make receive up to 50 CV's for one position out of which only 5-10 may be called for interview.

With this in mind, keep your letter short and concise, no more than 3 paragraphs. There is no need to cover everything since birth in the letter it is meant as an introduction.

It should however cover the following areas:

• The position you are applying for
• How you heard about the position
• Why you would be suitable for the job
• When you would be available for interview

If all goes well, you should be invited for interviews, if not you should receive a letter in the post informing you that you were unsuccessful. In the event you are unsuccessful, you should persevere as the for you is still out there waiting to be sought!

One of the most daunting parts of the selection process can be the interview. Before you attend an interview it is vital that you prepare for it thoroughly. There are a number of areas connected with the interview itself namely appearance, , commuting etc that are covered on this site, and you are advised to take a look at these as part of the preparation.

Listed below are 10 common mistakes, which should be avoided during interviews.

• Arrive late.
• Respond in a rambling manner.
• Arrive inappropriately dressed.
• Show no enthusiasm
• Have no questions to ask the
• Call the interviewer by their first name or the wrong name
• Appear desperate for any job on offer
• Reply with a yes' and 'no' answers
• Use the interview as a soapbox
• Arrive inappropriately dressed.
• Look round the room; try to maintain eye contact with the interviewer.

These simple guidelines should help to improve your chances at the interview.

Looking for work can be a daunting task. Establish what you want to do, where to look, and how suitable you will be for it. You should examine the resources you need and locate them effectively. By doing this you will stand more chance of finding the job you desire.