Getting a Good Job After University

To get that great job after university that pays above the average for a student who is just graduating, what can you do?

Well, the key is to be pro-active. That may sound like a horrible word, but in this instance all I mean is that you should take destiny into your hands rather than sit back and worry that you won't find the better than average job.

First of all, decide what sort of industry you want to work in. Then look at a list of the players in that industry, and research them and the company values.

A great place to look for that is the about us or PR section of their websites - you can get a real feel for many companies by looking at that section of their website, which the majority of large and even medium businesses will have online these days (often to keep away FAQs from journalists when the company is in the news!)

Once you have identified where you want to work and a list of companies, then it is time to apply to them. One thing that can look fantastic and really help you get a job is to do all your research a year previously and then try to set up a Summer internship with the company. This has huge positives - you can see if the company suits you or not, and if it does then when you apply the following year for a real job huge kudos will result from this.

But even if you don't do that, make sure that you put effort into your covering letter and tailor it specifically to the job. Try, try, try to get a NAMED CONTACT at the company to address your covering letter to rather than Dear Sir / Madam, in most instances this is possible by phoning and asking to speak to recruitment/HR and simply asking for the name of the person who deals with graduate applications.

It is a small touch but shows you have made some effort, and therefore is a great and positive step. Ultimately your interview will be what determines if you get in or not, but the first job is actually securing yourself an interview, and by doing your research and a little work up front you can make that a whole lot likelier to occur.

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