A Guide to the Graduate Job Application Process

About the author: Hi! My name is Ash Sutton, and I am a Digital Media and Communications student at the University of Birmingham. I am an aspiring lifestyle, arts and culture journalist and all-around geek. In the times I’m not spending an absurd amount of money in restaurants, you can usually find me tucked in the corner of my bedroom with a coffee and my latest cross-stitch kit, rewatching a Marvel movie or listening to Broadway soundtracks until I am sick of them.

Wondering how to find a graduate job in the UK? One of the biggest struggles of being a university student is finding a job for when you’re no longer a university student. It’s one of those things that linger through your degree and can seem an impossible feat until the time comes.

It has been reported that it takes 11.8 months for a graduate to secure a job that reflects their ultimate career goals. While a year isn’t particularly long in the grand scheme of things, the struggle isn’t something to be overlooked.

There are a few things you can do to make sure you have the best shot when you are neck-deep in post-degree job applications.

How to find a job as a new graduate

Here are my tips on how to find a job after graduating, as someone who has been there and done it!

Get involved

My first job hunting tip for new graduates is to get involved. Before you even face the job market, getting yourself involved in your degree and the extracurriculars/societies that are relevant to it is a great place to put yourself above your competition. You will learn a lot on your course, but if you’re taking a theoretical course as I did, you might find that a lot of your transferable skills come from everything you did on the side.

It was my time on the student newspaper, as well as my role as a UniHomes Content Ambassador, that helped develop my writing, leadership, and problem-solving skills that secured my first job before even graduating!

Get clued in

Some people go into university knowing exactly what they want to do; for many, that is not the case. The job market is so vast that it’s nearly impossible to know every job up for offer. Researching the roles you are interested in is a great way to make the process slightly more manageable.

In some cases, researching the sector may be a better approach, as it opens you up to job titles you may have never heard of that align perfectly with your goals.

Seek advice

Many universities offer career services. At the University of Birmingham, not only did we have access to sessions where a careers specialist would help point us in the right direction of how to get into our dream careers, but they also offered support on CV and cover letter writing.

In my final months, I found talking to my lecturers was the biggest confidence boost for applications. Even with small edits, like CV summary wording, it was great to get professional help from someone who knew me personally!

Tailor, tailor, tailor!

It’s one of the most time-consuming parts of the application process, but it’s one of the most important tips for graduates looking for jobs. It’s likely that you will be applying for a range of roles in various sectors. It is easy to create one generic CV and use it for all of these, but rearranging information and spotlighting relevant skills for each job description gives you a much better chance of being noticed.

For those interested in creative careers like I was, I think a great way to tailor your CV is to extend beyond Microsoft Word. Showcasing your design skills by crafting your CV on Canva, where you can seamlessly link to your portfolio, is an easy way for you to ‘show not tell’ employers why you would be perfect for a creative role.

Perfect your digital footprint

In the digital world, a lot of our networking opportunities are through social media. Many people, me included, use Instagram and LinkedIn to report on career achievements.

As this becomes the norm, employers are more likely to scroll through candidates' social media to get a better idea of their personality. Because of this, check through your digital footprint before applying and remove anything you don’t want an employer to see. If an employer comes across something they don’t like, they can be quick to stop your application process. The same goes for when you're applying for a placement, or summer job.

The process

Online application

The first and easiest part of an internship or job application is the initial online submission. This can range from simply submitting your CV and cover letter to a more intensive form to fill in.

It can be tempting to copy and paste your answers across your cover letter and the application form. Often, each question is asking you to spotlight a certain skill, so read the question closely and find a unique angle for each response.

Psychometric testing

Psychometric testing isn’t a given in the application process; it’s usually the bigger companies that opt for this extra stage. These tests are designed to put your mental skills and logical thinking to the test by offering scenario-based questions.

There are two types of psychometric tests that are used: the personality test and the aptitude test.

• Personality tests use these scenario-based questions to focus on your emotions, character, and suitability to the role. There isn’t a right or wrong answer, but it may examine your common sense and take your personality into account.
• Aptitude tests are used to test your cognitive ability, often multiple-choice questions that encourage you to explain your reasoning. Sometimes, these can put your English language and SPAG skills to the test.

If you are given the option to partake in a practice run of this stage, definitely make the most of it. Also make sure to keep an eye on the time, as these tests are often timed, and have everything you need on hand to avoid wasting time.

Graduate job interview tips

The interview stage is the make-or-break of the process and the first opportunity you’ll have to get a feel for the company and your potential future coworkers.

Here are my graduate job interview tips:

Do your research

Make sure you research the company ahead of your interview. More often than not, interviewers will ask you why you are interested in their company, so make sure you know exactly what goods or services they provide, as well as their values.

Ask questions

Come prepared with a short list of really good questions. You only need two or three, but having something pre-prepared allows you to showcase your enthusiasm for the role. The best piece of advice I got was to ask something along the lines of “From what I’ve told you in this interview, what do you think my biggest challenge in this role would be?”. When you ask it, make sure you are playing to your audience, but it gives you one final chance to address any concerns and gain some instant feedback for your next interview.

Ask for feedback

Inevitably, you will face rejection at some point in your graduate application process, and that is totally natural! Try to put your competition into perspective, ask for feedback if you can and learn from the experience. Pick yourself back up and move on to the next one. You’ll be employed, and the whole traumatic process will be a distant memory in no time.

Still at uni?

If you’re still studying next year, you don’t need to worry about finding a graduate job just yet. Instead, you need to sort a few other things, such as nailing your degree and sorting your next student property. If you still need somewhere to live next year, be sure to browse student accommodation options with bills included.

And while you’re at it, start building your experience! You can look on sites like StudentJob for part-time roles or through your university itself.

This post is part of the UniHomes Content Ambassador programme, where current students across the UK share tips about student life in their city to help you make the most of your time at uni. Like these guides? Add UniHomes as a preferred source in Google with just one click by checking the box to see more expert content from our student writers!

The views and opinions expressed in these blogs are those of the UniHomes Content Ambassadors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of UniHomes. UniHomes accepts no liability for the content of these Student Blogs.