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To really impress a potential employer, it's vital to show them that you have a genuine interest in the company.
Whether it's at the early stages of a job application or when you're through to the interview stage, doing thorough research about the job and business is sure to help you get a job.
Not only this, but after spending a good hour or so reading up on a company, the work they do and the role you're applying for, we can guarantee that your covering letter will be much easier to tailor – and is much more likely to stand out.
If you do make it to the next stage, we have a few great interview prep tips for you, and a list of some of the most commonly-asked interview questions for you to prepare answers for in advance.
Be confident the graduate job is right for you
Credit: 20th Century Fox Good graduate jobs can seem few and far between sometimes, so you might be tempted to apply for as many opportunities as you can find just because they say 'graduate' in the spec – even if you're not remotely interested in the job.
This is not a good idea. Remember, you spend around 80% of your life at work, so signing yourself up to do something you know you won't enjoy is just asking to be miserable.
That's not to say you shouldn't be open to something new and unrelated to your degree, though. Just make sure it's something you can see yourself doing – and (ideally!) enjoying.
Apply to startup companies
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Smaller startup companies are too often overlooked by job seekers. They might not be big enough to fund graduate schemes, but they can offer some pretty incredible job opportunities.
While it's brilliant if you do land yourself a grad scheme at a national or international company, the competition for entry-level jobs at smaller companies is usually much lower. This is because startup companies aren't generally the first options graduates think of when looking for jobs.
The hands-on experience you can get working in a startup business is invaluable – you could even find yourself with much more responsibility than you would get at a larger company.
In turn, by working for a small company, you could end up leapfrogging into a more senior position much earlier on in your career than you might expect.
Broaden your options when applying for jobs
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We know we just said that you shouldn't take a job unless it's a right fit for you (and we still stand by that), but it's worth thinking carefully about whether the jobs you've been looking at so far are actually, hand-on-heart, right for you.
If you're not overly fussed about relocating, perhaps consider broadening your job search to the whole of the UK instead of just those in your patch. You could even look for opportunities abroad and apply for jobs like teaching English as a foreign language.
It's worth thinking about whether there are jobs you'd be interested in that aren't directly related to your degree. It's really common for graduates to end up in roles that are very different from the jobs they'd expected to apply for as a student.
But this is all part of the fun (or near enough) of job searching.
To get you thinking, we've put together a list of brilliant careers you can start with any degree at all. And if you want to dip your toe into a different sector before committing, we've got a guide to online courses that will allow you to do just that.
Stay motivated while job searching
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This might seem easier said than done, but however tough your job hunt feels, don't give up! You've got this.
As much as we'd all love to stumble into our dream job straight after uni, job hunting takes time.
It's a good idea to keep yourself occupied with relevant activities like freelance projects to stay motivated and earn some cash before you start working full-time. For inspiration, have some suggestions of easy freelance gigs to do on Fiverr.
Set yourself a target of a few hours and a certain number of applications each day to stay focused. You could think of job searching as a job in itself, working from 9am until 5pm to apply for graduate roles, and then keeping evenings and weekends free.
That way, once you've got through your target number of applications for the week, you can relax knowing you're doing all you can and making progress.
If you get job rejections, take all the positives you can from each one – learn what does and doesn't work in your applications, make changes accordingly and keep improving until you land your ideal graduate role. Good luck!
