At this time of year, we hear a lot about employers on campus, graduate schemes and summer internships closing imminently.
You may also feel that other students on your course seem more “on it”. This can be overwhelming.
The first thing to remember is that everyone’s career journey is different and we are here to help with yours, no matter where you are starting from.
Here’s our advice about making sense of your career in the busy Autumn graduate employer recruitment season:
Applying for several opportunities? Invest your time wisely
Seeing lots of jobs or internships you think you could do? You may be tempted to apply for as many as possible. But pause for a moment and think about it.
Consider the employer going through hundreds of applications. Many from students who are applying for lots of opportunities. So, they use a similar application with a couple of tweaks for several roles.
Employers are also seeing an increase in AI-generated applications. This means whilst applications per role are high, many are a bit same-ish. They don’t stand out, and don’t get shortlisted.
So, what is the best investment of your time? Applications that stand out from the crowd will be well-researched, tailored, and evidence-based. They should demonstrate your:
- Suitability
- Understanding of the role, organisation and wider sector.
- Authentic motivation for the role, based on both of these.
So, consider being more selective and investing time in applications for roles you are most excited about.
Then, get ahead with preparing for the next stages. Use our guides and tools on the recruitment process and researching employers to get started.
Not sure yet? Be open-minded and curious
Autumn term attracts top graduate employers on campus. If you don’t know what you want to do for a career, these events can be one way to explore different options.
Why not go along to a talk with an employer or in a sector that isn’t on your radar? The worst that could happen is you rule something out. And who knows? You might discover an area you hadn’t considered.
You’ll also gain valuable insights at these events. These could help enhance your applications and interviews, if you decide to apply.
Browse upcoming employer events and opportunities on mycareer.
Remember, these are NOT all the opportunities
If you are seeing lots of employers and roles that do not appeal to you at this time of year, don’t panic! Don’t get de-motivated! These are by no means the ONLY opportunities available.
Many big graduate employers tend to recruit at this time of year. They have multi-stage selection processes which take a long time.
However, most jobs and internships do not recruit in this way. In fact, some sectors don’t have graduate programmes or formal summer internships.
Finding opportunities that are relevant to you
Your task is to discover how the careers you’re interested in recruit, and how graduates start careers in these areas.
Don’t know what you’re interested in yet? Your first step should be to understand what options are out there and what you might like to do.
How to get started, no matter your starting point
Start by browsing our online career guides for practical steps you can take. For example, you could start with:
- Graduate jobs and schemes to develop your job search using a range of sources and approaches.
- Exploring career options if you’re not sure what you want to do yet.
- Research sectors and employers if you have ideas and need to know more.
- Work experience, internships and placements to find both advertised and hidden opportunities.
Alternatively, come to a regular term-time intro talk – no previous knowledge required. Login to mycareer to browse and book talks such as:
Feeling stuck? We’re here to help
If you’ve tried this and are still feeling stuck, talk to us. We’ll suggest relevant support, and help you figure out your next steps.