By Lucy Jade
Being a graduate can be really daunting. You’ve just spent 3/4 years of your life in a bubble of assignment writing, reading and lectures. But now you’re thrown into job applications, volunteering and constant questions from family members asking what are you going to do with your life.
It’s a lot right?!
You now need to make sure that all of that hard work pays off and you get the job that you have worked so hard to get to. Here are some tips to surviving being a graduate and where you can start in getting it all together:
- Sell Yourself
Something that I admit, took me a while to master. But you want to make sure that when you are applying for jobs, you’re not just selling the degree that you have, sell you as a person. Adding in sparks of your personality will make your cover letter and CV stand out and will give the reader an understanding of who you are as a person. For example, let them know your interests and hobbies outside of work. But remember to keep it professional still, these could be your future work colleagues!
- Don’t Put Too Much Pressure On Yourself
When you graduate, it’s so easy to want to take on so many different tasks to help showcase your talent, but there is a time when this can become too much. It’s so easy to compare yourself to someone else on social media, and think that you are not doing enough. But it’s absolutely fine if you don’t post consistently on social media, don’t join every CPD event happening or get involved in every networking event around. There is a place for everyone in the nutrition world, focus on what you feel is important to you and don’t feel like you have to do everything just because everyone else is!
- Build Up Your Network
The power of networking is one not to be underestimated. Adding new connections on LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter and engaging in content posted is a great way to get networking. You may be able to pick up some work experience from a contact or may even get a heads up when a potential job is about to go live. So what’s the harm in sending a message and growing your network?
- Don’t Take Rejection Personally
Unfortunately, it’s hard to avoid rejection; it’s inevitable that it will happen I’m afraid! Between April and September, around 300,000 new graduates will start to look for jobs. This will mean that you may not get the first job that you apply for; yes it is competitive, but it certainly is not impossible to get a job. Make sure that you try to take the positives from each application, you can always as a recruiter why you did not get a job and you may be able to expand your knowledge and experience so next time you are more prepared.
- Just Start
When you leave university, it can be so intimidating when it seems that everyone around you has everything sorted already. But, trust me, they really don’t. When finishing your degree and nailing down the conclusion of your dissertation, it can be so hard to think of anything else, let alone polishing up your CV and searching for jobs. Now that you have wrapped up your degree, take a look at your CV, mock up a cover letter template and do your research in the jobs market. There is no better time to start, just go for it.