Graduation is nearly here and that means you’ll soon be expected to get a job- shock, horror! Luckily, the Graduate Recruitment Bureau bring you some things you can start doing now to seriously boost your chances of employment after graduation.
1. Social media
Getting your name out there and known by the people who matter is a crucial step in accelerating your career after graduation. The best way to do this is by getting active on your social media sites. Twitter, in particular, is set to explode in the professional world in 2014, so make sure you get tweeting! Follow relevant companies and individuals; retweet or favourite their tweets and get involved in any conversations that could help you network. Don’t forget good old Facebook though! Companies will still check out your profile when considering any applications or opportunities so make sure your image is squeaky clean. If there is any evidence of questionable antics make them private or remove them. You can always make a page for professional purposes meaning your profile can stay for your friends’ eyes only. Remember, you are selling yourself through your profiles- if you want a career in sales you need to be able to sell anything- including yourself!
2. Networking
As well as the ‘social’ social networking sites you also need to create a strong presence on professional ones too, like LinkedIn. Anyone who is anyone has LinkedIn and it’s a great place to show off your sales acumen. Edit your profile in an appealing way for employers who might come across it. Connect with anyone who could help you in your job hunt- family, friends, employers, teachers! Join groups related to sales careers and contribute to them if you find anything share-worthy or even just join in the existing conversations. The most important thing is that you build up a presence and the first step is getting a profile.
3. Know your stuff
Start researching the companies you want to work for now. There are hundreds of sales opportunities out there and it can be hard to know which ones are for you, so doing some research on the different types of roles that are available, companies you could work for and recent sales strategies being used will save you time later. When it comes to applying for roles you will be better equipped to make a decision about which ones are more ‘you’. At interview, employers will usually ask some questions relating to the ‘bigger picture’- what is happening in the world of sales at the moment and anything that has particularly caught your eye, so keep up to date with news to stay on top of things.
4. Experience
Of course, the best way to determine which kind of job is for you is to experience it first-hand. Throughout your time at uni you should try and get as much work experience as possible- you don’t have those long holidays for nothing! Working in different types of sales roles will help you to gauge which professional environment is best for you- a big company, small company, the type of thing you’ll be selling- there’re lots of decisions to make! It’s only your future after all! Try to get work experience by any means necessary- ask your university careers centre for help, use your new contacts on LinkedIn or even just email local companies. If you don’t ask you don’t get and to increase your chances of work after uni you need to have some experience.
5. Work hard
Of course, employers will always value a great degree so you cannot forget the books just because you’ve got loads of experience. Keep revising and working hard to get the best grade you can. Most employers look for a 2.1 minimum, although of course this is not always the case. Employers, especially for sales roles, want to see your sociable side as you won’t be able to sell anything if you don’t get along with people or have an active social life! Big up your extracurricular activities on your CV and application forms- they’ll want to know if you were the president of the tennis team or the social secretary for the French society. If you’ve volunteered or have travelled, that is relevant too – you can sell most things in a positive light so make sure you include everything relevant when applying to jobs!
Written by Anna Pitts, a Marketing Assistant and Online Researcher at the Graduate Recruitment Bureau. Her work involves PR and outreach and writing informative, interesting advice based articles for graduates and students. Follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.
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