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From undergrad to leader of the pack in 5 steps

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Although many students wouldn’t have you believe it: there’s more to university life than afternoon pub visits, fancy dress and eating cold beans straight from the tin. As the graduate job market grows ever fiercer – with approximately 83 graduates applying for every job – it’s essential that undergraduate students take advantage of the myriad of services and opportunities at hand during those three, or four, all-important years

We understand that looking outwards of student halls may prove an arduous task at times, so we’ve tracked down the five steps you’ll need to follow if you want to become a future leader of the pack. Because if you want to succeed post-university, you’re going to need more than your degree certificate in tow…

1. Join societies

There are dozens of societies at university just waiting for you to join them: from sports teams, to the student newspaper, to volunteering groups. Not only do they provide you with ample opportunity to make new friends and become an active social member of your university, they could actually benefit your job applications after you leave. If you become the chairman of a sports society, for instance, it shows that you’re a likeable person, a team player and deemed responsible by others – all great qualities an employer would love to see in a potential employee.

If you can see yourself as a future business leader, or think you have the next big invention scribbled on the back of your note pad, why not join an enterprise society? This is a society designed for budding entrepreneurs – giving you a chance to meet like-minded students and get access to resources that can help grow your entrepreneurial spirit.

Rajeeb Dey, CEO of Enternships.com, suggests that business-minded students make the most of such societies. “If you have an enterprise society on campus, join it and get involved in the committee – then use it as an opportunity to invite high-profile entrepreneurs to your university.

“When I was running Oxford Entrepreneurs, we had most, if not all, of the Dragons’ Den ‘dragons’ come and speak to our members. People like Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou or Sir James Dyson used to come and talk at our meetings, and I’ve kept a relationship with many of them – some of them have even turned out to be clients of ours!”

2. Use your student status to your advantage

You may not view your position as a student as a very powerful one, but it is. As a uni student, you can make changes: to your own university policies through running for a role on the student council, or on a more individual level, by improving your employability. Working on your student paper is a prime example of the latter. On your own, offering to interview the latest big bands may not be greeted with open arms by music PRs as they’re looking for big readerships. However, contacting them from a student newspaper means that you have the backing of your university and the readership of possibly tens of thousands of students. Chances are, there’s a local venue close to you too, where bands often attract student audiences. This makes it a great way to get your foot in the door as a student journalist, and will give you some relevant experience when it comes to making job applications.

You could also, for example, find opportunities to get your poetry published in a journal using the support of other students, as well as funds or grants available to students and academic-related projects. And if you’re seeking to continue down the academic path following your undergraduate degree, it will pay dividends to get your work published during your post-grad studies: it will provide you with a strong research profile which is a must-have in securing an academic job.

3. Acquire work experience

The two words on everybody’s lips. Work experience is no longer just a nice-to-have, it’s essential if you want to land a job come graduation. And not securing enough is often a significant regret of graduates: in a Which? survey, a third said they wished they had been more involved in extra-curricular activities and networking in order to help them secure a graduate job.

The reason work experience is so important is two-fold: firstly, it shows you’re taking a career path or industry seriously, and haven’t merely applied for a job on a whim. Secondly, it could greatly enhance your chances of landing a job with the company of your dreams – especially if they’re the organisation you’ve done your internship with. According to a recent study from High Fliers Research (www.highfliers.co.uk), record numbers of graduate jobs are being awarded to students who have previously worked for the employer. This means that when you’re setting your sights on internships, choose companies you’d be happy to work for on a permanent basis, as it may be your best chance of kick-starting your career post university.

Chief Executive of the Association of Graduate Recruiters, Carl Gilleard, says employers are increasingly using the degree classification system as “an automatic cut-off point”, rather than as an effective recruitment tool – simply because so many graduate candidates now leave with a 2:1. Around 90 universities now issue Higher Education Achievement Reports (HEARs) to graduates; these showcase graduates’ academic achievements, extra-curricular activities and work experience, to give a more well-rounded report for potential employers.

Not sure where to start when it comes to organising placements? Make the most of your university’s contacts: it’s likely your uni’s careers service has a wealth of local – and national – companies looking for students and graduates to grace their offices. Be sure to sign yourself up for the careers service’s newsletter (if they have one) to keep you up to date with the latest vacancies. Alternatively, do your own research. If you want to work in the media, for example, find out which companies are producing the kind of magazine you would like to work on, and contact the HR department.

4. Get networking

University is one large hub of people: all of them – from peers to lecturers – could help you become more successful in your future career. University career services are a great way to network: 54% of student respondents of GTI Media’s (www.groupgti.com) survey, said they had networked with potential employers or with people working in the area of work they’re interested in. And of these, 46% said the contact had been arranged by their careers service. This is up from 23% making contacts through their career services six years ago, making it now the most common way of establishing professional links while at university.

Aside from your uni careers service, it’s likely that your university will hold regular business events, fairs and other networking opportunities throughout the year, so bring a few friends and take advantage of them. There’ll be guest speakers who are experts in their field, as well as local businesspeople – all valuable potential contacts. What’s more, some institutions will have business programmes designed to help graduates gain employment with local employers, so investigate whether your uni has one set up. If it doesn’t, use your initiative and see if you can be part of organising one. Not only will it help you and other students with placements, it’ll look great on your CV!

Don’t miss out on online opportunities for networking either. Join your university’s LinkedIn group (if there is one), and follow them; get involved with conversations and connect with others at your uni.

5. Learn a language

One of the great things about university is the diversity of the community. People from all over the country – and indeed the world – congregate together, making it the perfect environment for learning a new language or improving your current foreign language capability. It’s likely that your uni will have some form of language centre or provision, so get in touch with them if you’re interested in getting to grips with German or dusting up on your Spanish.

We’re now living in a global workforce – and many companies will have offices all across the globe, so having a secondary or even tertiary language under your belt will only improve your application. Especially so, if you’re looking to work as a Journalist, Sales Executive or Marketing Manager. In fact, Irene Missen of language specialist recruitment agency Euro London (www.eurolondon.com) estimates a language can add between 10% and 15% to your wage!

Being bilingual can improve your chances of landing a job too: according to a poll of 500 employers, commissioned by The National Centre for Languages (www.cilt.org.uk), 43% believe that speaking a second language gives candidates the x-factor when applying for a job.

As well as learning a language during term-time, spending a year studying abroad – even if you aren’t studying a language-related degree – can help boost your employability. Research carried out by the Institute of International Education (IIE) revealed that interpersonal skills are one of the most important selection criteria for employers, and that these are likely to be strongest in individuals who have spent time abroad.

“In potential recruits, employers place a great value on adaptability, flexibility and the ability to communicate well with people from different cultures. Students who have spent time working or studying overseas usually develop these skills and can demonstrate them to employers,” said Ian McLoughlin of the London School of Economics Careers Service.

Words: Jessie Bland

Image: Shutterstock

[This article was originally printed in Jobs & Careers with Hilary Devey magazine in May 2013]


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