Ten top tips for graduate job seekers in a recession

1. Develop employability skills – team work, communication, problem solving
2. Get involved with extra curricular activities- clubs, societies, teams and extra curricular activities offer opportunities for developing skills
3. Apply early- make sure your application reaches employers as early as possible
4. Focus on quality not quantity- expect on line applications to face extra scrutiny; prepare good quality applications in an increasingly competitive market
5. Network- use your contacts to find out about opportunities that may not be advertised; meet employers at events
6. Research your options –ensure you have a Plan B and C and be adaptable. Make sure you know what the employers in the sector you want to work in are looking for.
7. Keep up with current news and developments in sectors most affected by recession - e.g investment banking, property and where there is still demand e.g energy sector, engineering, information technology, sales. Link into RSS feeds e.g from Robert Peston’s blog or BBC news.
8. Use the careers service - review your options, find out about sources of vacancies, put together a cv, practice interview skills, attend a workshop
9. Consider working outside the UK- e.g international company head offices, regions where the recession is having less of an impact e.g Middle East
10. Look after yourself- manage stress by taking regular exercise, try to eat a healthy, balanced diet, reduce alcohol consumption and learn how to relax. Keep positive - things will get better at some point, recessions typically tend to last for 12 -18 months

Each week we will look a bit more in depth at each of the tips, to get you ready for the jobs that are still out there.

This week: Develop employability skills