What is a Graduate Job?
What is a Graduate Job?Liverpool John Moores University defines Graduate Job as follows: Traditionally a ‘graduate job’ has meant a job or career path for which a degree is the required entry level qualification. But today it might be more appropriate to define a graduate job as ‘a job that a graduate does’.
In the UK the top employers have different entry schemes, e.g.: entry level schemes and experienced hires. The names themselves are dead give-aways of the minimum requirement to participate in the scheme. Graduate Jobs are the entry level to an organisation. If you have internship/work-experience, then some recruitment agencies consider that as experience, and you can apply to some direct entry jobs, although the chances of that are very rare.
How to Find a Graduate Job?
Finding a graduate job is time-consuming and difficult. But it is not impossible. The Graduate Job application process is like a new team entering Formula 1 (F1). You will make mistakes in the beginning, it will be an uphill task, but thankfully, that is the only way you can improve your chances of getting a job.
The task of getting a job also includes tweaking and considering many factors. Factors include:
- Time of application
- Understanding and improving answering technique
- Having ‘good’ information about keywords for the job application
- Practising psychometric tests (post-application I stage)
- Preparing/Researching for first interviews (II stage)
- Final Assessment / Interviews (III stage)
The last three points (or the first three post-application stages) have a lot going for them and only the fittest survive.
Applying for Graduate Jobs – Timing is Important
Most of the top employers have a strict and early application stage.
Usual format is
- September – January (some stretch to March) are the first application stages. Vacancies are high in numbers and most of the schemes are open
- Some of the organisations open some schemes for a few positions later on, around May – June
Can I Get Help with my Graduate Application?
Most of the applicants think they are on their own when dealing with these applications. But that is not the case. The internet has vast resources on graduate employers and what they like and what they don’t. Two of the main resources that I have found to be useful are –
You can also visit your Careers Service at your University. Most Careers Services provide help to graduates even after they have graduated from university. Make use of them: print out your applications and they can review it for you, if you ask nicely!
(Image: Dutton Moore)
