How to market yourself as a graduate in the jobs market

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Many individuals who leave university with their degree qualification soon find that the world of work is a difficult one to confront.

Potential employers are looking for certain personal qualities as well as a decent degree, and depending on your chosen career the jobs market can be particularly difficult for graduates with no workplace experience.

This is why it is important to approach getting a job with the same level of research and dedication you gave to attaining your degree. Thankfully there are plenty of ways you can learn how to effectively market yourself to prospective employers.

Experience and qualifications

Although a degree is a big plus point for employers and in many cases is now even a basic requirement, other aspects of your CV can make you stand out from the crowd. Any employment history or working experience can be extremely positive by showing that you are used to the responsibilities of having a job, and if you are looking for opportunities in a specialist field or occupation this can be especially useful.

Taking on short-term temporary roles or intern positions during or directly after your studies can be a great way to add weight to your CV.

Interviews

Getting to the interview stage is difficult enough, but with a good degree and well-presented CV you should soon find yourself in the position of being seriously considered for a role.

Graduates can improve their chance of getting a job offer by fully understanding the interview process and knowing what an employer will be looking for. That is why doing your research is vital, even though you may already have a clearly defined idea of the job you are applying for. Familiarizing yourself on the specific ethos and aims of the organization that you have applied to, rather than treating it as a generic role in a certain field, is essential if you are to make the right impression.

Online considerations

It will probably come as no surprise to find that employers use social media, and in some cases they vet candidates by looking at their online activity.

A recent whitepaper suggested that 59% of jobseekers change their social media profiles to appeal to employers, and that 50% of employers check the personal social media profiles of candidates.

However, many companies now also actively recruit via various online methods, so making sure that you have a professional approach to your own online presence is increasingly important. A good, accurate and updated Linkedin profile is a great way to help present you as a serious candidate.

New Talent

Of course it isn’t just employers who directly search for new talent. Professional recruiters are talent acquisition and workforce specialists. Hanold has more than 15 years of executive recruiting experience and founded his own company in 2010. Hanold Associates LLC focuses on finding and placing high-level candidates and provides executive coaching and development services to help individuals reach their full potential. After graduating from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science in Interpersonal Communications, Hanold himself continued gaining qualifications and become a Master of Science in Leadership Interaction and Influence from the School of Communications at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

Help and advice

Using professional help and advice of the kind that specialist recruiters can offer is a sure-fire way to give your own marketing as a candidate a real boost.

Using an agency also helps identify the opportunities that could suit you whilst making sure your own skills and interests will be matched with the ideal vacancy.