Page 28 - Graduate Recruitment Handbook 2024

7. Make use of your university’s career than just a job title
programs • Spending time growing your network in your
Most universities have a career guidance office or field
program to help students transition to employment. • Keeping your list of skills and experience up-
The great news is that as universities are increasingly to-date
ranked on graduate employability by companies, • Asking others to recommend you on LinkedIn
they are stepping up their career guidance offerings. • Participating online by commenting and
sharing
Programs include: • Becoming a blogger and using your content to
• Mentoring programs connecting students with start conversations.
alumni mentors •
• Career consultants available for drop-in Outside of LinkedIn, it’s worth reviewing any other
meetings social media platforms you use. Look at anything
• Job boards and other online career resources that is publicly accessible and remove any photos or
• Careers fairs. posts that may not impress a future employer. One
Make the most of all of these! of the most effective ways to do this is to make your
Facebook profile private.
8. Network, network, network
An incredible 46% of jobs are found through 10. Get your background checks completed and
networking, which is the most effective way of up to date
accessing the hidden (unadvertised) job market. Part of making yourself employable involves making
Some ways to network include: the hiring process as easy as possible for the
• Take advantage of any university programs employer. Take the initiative by anticipating what
offering connections to industry potential employers will need from you in terms of
• Look for ways to help out others – hopefully, background checks, and ensure they are up-to-date
an opportunity to return the favour will present and ready to go.
itself at some stage
• Join industry-related groups in your field Depending on your industry, these may include:
• Join non-industry-related groups such as • Ensuring your national police check is
alumni associations or Toastmasters! current.
• Treat everything as a networking opportunity • Likewise, if you plan to work in an
• Get into the habit of building a contact list industry with or alongside children, ensure your
working with children check is current.
Networking can take place face-to-face or online • Lining up two to three contacts who have
through sites such as LinkedIn. agreed to partake in a reference check.
• Having proof of academic qualifications
9. Optimise your online presence and past employment history.
At present, the world of professional networking is • Having paperwork such as a valid
dominated by LinkedIn. 90% of recruiters regularly passport for a work entitlement check.
use LinkedIn, which means you need to be on the • Ensuring your license and traffic checks
site, whether you like it or not. It’s common practice are up to date.
for employers reviewing resumes to correlate them
against your LinkedIn profile as well. Following the 10 steps above will help give you
the edge in landing your first full-time job after
Tips for making yourself employable on LinkedIn graduation. Good luck out there!
include: Source: https://cvcheck.com/articles/10-tips-to-make-more-you-more-
• Using a professional profile photo employable-after-graduation/
• Having an eye-catching headline that is more

28 2024/2025 Graduate Recruitment Handbook