Finding the right job in a recession - Top Tip # 6

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.

One of our advisers saw someone the other day who had applied for a placement at the BBC. They didn’t get it, but refused to look at any of the other media and television opportunities available. They intended to work for the BBC, so only the BBC would do. Nothing the adviser could say made any difference. It’s not our job to crush people’s dreams. Who knows? They may get their ideal job at the BBC at the first attempt. But the odds are against it. And there’s more than one way to achieve your dream.

Having a Plan B (or Plan C) is not admitting defeat. It’s about creative thinking. Being adaptable and identifying more than one way of getting into the area you want to work in is more likely to lead to success.

On the other hand, it’s not about thinking any job will do, either. It’s best to have some sense of direction. You are more likely to be successful if you identify an area which you are interested in and suited to. Try doing some self awareness work using online tools such as Prospects Planner or Profiling for Success* and come and talk to a careers adviser. You don’t necessarily need to focus on one area. Once you have identified some areas which interest you find out which key skills and experience are valued by the employers in that sector. Some sectors place most value on work experience, for others you may need to do some professional training.

Above all, do your research. Use our careers information section to get you started. Keep your options open, without being too vague. Focus, without being too prescriptive. This is advice we would give to people in any economic climate. But in tougher times, it pays to be completely on your game. Follow your dream, but be flexible and try to think of all the ways you might get there.

* You will need to enter various codes/passwords for this. See our Psychometric tests page

Finding the right job in a recession - Top Tip # 5

5. Networking - or making contacts.

Networking. The very idea sends shudders down my spine. For anyone even vaguely introverted or shy it can feel like the worst nightmare. Events I go to for work often have informal networking sessions tagged on to lunchtime, where you are supposed to talk to people you don’t know. This is mainly a cue for me to pile my plate high with food and avoid eye contact for an hour. Or find someone I vaguely know and stick with them. Then someone they vaguely know comes along and we start talking about work stuff. Before you know it, I guess I’m sort of networking.

And that’s the thing. Networking doesn’t have to be about glad-handing your way around a party or event in order to worm your way into a job. It’s about talking to people you know (or vaguely know) about what you do, or want to do. It’s conversation with a purpose. And that purpose could be exploring ideas, finding out what a particular job is like, just getting some advice. It could be with your friends, family, tutors, others on your course. Or people you have met through leisure, voluntary work or part-time jobs, previous employers. Or talking to someone at a careers fair or presentation. Networking is not just for middle class over-achievers with pushy parents either, although they are out there and have had it their own way for a long time. You’ll find you know more people than you think. If you’re on Facebook there’s a whole new network for you, too. I’m going to blog about social networking later, but it adds a whole new dimension, with its own etiquette and potential faux pas to avoid.

In tough times you need to use all the tools you’ve got. The Guardian recently said that finding a job was more skill than luck and suggested milking your friends and family for contacts, amongst other things. If that’s too full on, just start talking to them. At least, let people know what your ideas are, so if they do have any relevant information/contacts they can let you know. There’s also some really good advice on networking at direct.gov. Apparently, only 40% of vacancies are advertised, so the rest are going by word-of-mouth or networking. Some sectors (like media and charities/international development) are notorious for this. For some of us, networking is never going to be easy. But sometimes, you’ve just got to put down the sandwiches and speak.

Finding the right job in a recession - Top Tip # 3

3. Apply early- make sure your application reaches employers as early as possible

Don’t leave sending applications off until the deadline - there is evidence that many employers are starting to look through applications as soon as they receive them and inviting good candidates for interview as early as possible. Places on large graduate employer schemes may be fewer this year and are likely to be filled early. Quite a lot have already closed.

However it’s not too late to consider applications to some of the medium sized and smaller employers. They may not advertise their vacancies as widely, so do your research using internet resources such as CDEC’s researching employers page. For sector specific information, check out our careers information pages, too.

If you are a first or second year hoping to get onto a scheme when you graduate, consider applying for an internship, as in difficult times employers tend to recruit a higher proportion directly from their internship schemes. Use our jobs database and other jobs sites are a good place to start. And use the careers information pages for particular career areas.

Finding the right job in a recession - Top Tip # 2

2. Get involved with extra curricular activities - clubs, societies, teams and extra curricular activities offer opportunities for developing skills

Last week’s article was all about the importance of developing skills that employers will value. When you graduate employers will want to know what you have done outside of your degree subject.

Getting involved in extra curricular activities such as clubs, societies, committees, sports teams, part- time paid or voluntary work will not only help you develop new skills such as negotiation or presentation but can also be good fun!

It may help you to identify what type of work you enjoy, build your confidence or be a way of meeting new people. USSU has a number of opportunities to volunteer, including becoming a student representative to represent the views of other students. Or you could set up a student project and apply for funding from CDEC as part of the eXperience Factor- student enterprise fund. Write for the Badger or volunteer in the community. For volunteering opportunities contact Project V or look at the CDEC's volunteering opportunities.

You also need to be able to articulate the skills you have gained through these activities. We’ve got some ideas about identifying and selling your skills gained from volunteering over to an employer. But these principles can be applied to other activities too.

If you’re unsure about what sort of experience would be most relevant, or how to present it on your CV, come along and talk to a careers adviser. Call in or phone after 10 am on 01273 678429 to book for our daily drop-in sessions between 12-4pm (and 5-7pm on Wednesdays).

Finding the right job in a recession - Top Tip # 1

1. Develop employability skills – team work, communication, problem solving

In an increasingly competitive environment it will become even more important to demonstrate to future employers that you have the skills, talents or abilities they value. For employers, it’s not just what you know, but what you can do with your knowledge that counts.

So what skills do you already have ? A good place to start is to identify your skills and where the gaps are. There is a Skills checklist which you can download from the CDEC website or you can pick up the leaflet entitled Your Career Options from the CDEC Information Centre.

Once you know what areas you want to develop, how do you go about it? You will be developing key skills within your studies, such as research, analysis and communication. Check our careers with your degree pages for more subject-specific ideas. However, looking for opportunities to get involved in other activities such as part time work, volunteering, clubs, societies, teams and other extra curricular activity will give you valuable experience in other areas such as team work, commercial awareness and problem solving. And this will look good on your CV.

Think about the sector you’re interested in and the skills valued e.g experience of working with children is key if you want to be a teacher, or commercial awareness if you want to work in business. If you’re a final year student and think you may have skill gaps, focus on initial jobs which will give you the opportunity to build and strengthen the skills you need before applying for the position you’d ideally like. CDEC can help you decide what opportunities are suited to your skills, knowledge and interests. Call 01273 678429 after 10am to make an appointment with an adviser on the day you want to see someone. Or use our online e-guidance system if you can’t get in, or have recently graduated from Sussex.

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

Top Tips: Travelling Abroad

Yes
Do your research. Arranging it yourself will be cheaper than going through a company, but there will be a lot of organising to do. If you do get someone else to organise everything for you, shop around. There’s a wide variety of prices. If you are volunteering in developing countries, you may want to think about some ethical considerations e.g. Does it work with local partner organisations and invest in its volunteer programmes

No
Don’t forget the red tape. Make sure you have the correct visas, particularly if you want to work outside the EU. Don’t take risks with your health. Make sure you get any jabs you need in plenty of time. If you are volunteering, don’t lose sight of the fact that it’s not a holiday. But don’t forget to have fun too!

See Also:
CDEC’s International Work & Volunteering Opportunities – includes lots of organisations and advice-giving sites

Top Tips: Applying for Civil Service Fast Stream

Yes
Read all about it. The Civil Service is very open about what it is looking for and very clear about how you need to apply. Look at the core competencies and make sure your application shows how you can demonstrate them. Read the advice on taking online selection tests (pdf) . CDEC has links to some online practice tests

No
Don’t leave things to the last minute. Once you have registered you will have a set number of days to complete each stage of the application process, from self-assessment tests to practice tests to online tests to the e-application form. The deadline for the graduate fast stream is 30th November. Don’t worry if you don’t get through this year, try again next year. Or look for non-Fast Stream schemes in individual departments. You can apply to transfer to Fast Stream later if you like

See Also:
CDEC’s Psychometric Tests – at the bottom of the page you will find a range of online practice tests
Civil Service Fast Stream – official website. Everything you need to know about applying for Fast Stream
Other specialist Fast Stream schemes for Technology in Business, Statisticians and Economists

Top Tips: Early Deadlines

Yes
If you know what you want to do, start looking now. If you want to get into finance there are lots of pre-Christmas deadlines. The same with advertising. If you are interested in the public sector, there are November deadlines for Fast Stream Civil Service and NHS Management, amongst others. Check CDEC’s Jobs for Finalists and our list of other jobs sites. Some sites list jobs by deadline (Milkround, Inside Careers)

No
Don’t panic! You may be able to register for email updates or subscribe to RSS feeds for the latest jobs in your chosen sector/s (Targetjobs), so you won’t miss out. Don’t take a scattergun approach and start applying for everything. It’s better to spend some time working out what you want to do, and researching employers, then make a few quality applications

See Also:
CDEC’s list of early graduate deadlines (.doc)
IPA Graduate Factfile - graduate schemes in Advertising
Efinancialcareers on why you should apply early - for investment banking