SME Graduate Employment

I can’t stress enough how important LinkedIn is if you’re a student or graduate and you’re looking for work. Your profile is like an online CV, and there could be employers and recruiters who are looking for you for jobs they have. Make yourself easy to find. I use various methods to find graduates for the employers I work with; since I started the business, LinkedIn accounts for 23% of the graduates I have placed in jobs. Usually after I approached them because they potentially looked a good match for a job I had. It’s important to have a good, solid profile, and to invest time in checking for messages about jobs, and new connection requests. You could miss out on your ideal job if you don’t. And I would advise replying to messages about jobs. If you’re interested then great, get onto it asap. But if you’re not interested I would still reply to say no thanks; and ideally say why it’s not of interest, and what you’re ideally looking for. The person may have something else for you. In terms of content, unless you’re looking to work in social media / marketing I wouldn’t worry too much about posting regularly; it can be stressful thinking of things to post, and often it will look like you’re posting for the sake of it. Your time can be spent more productively. When you do post, it’s important to consider who you are looking to engage with / impress; consider if they will like it. It may be tempting to share things like silly memes with friends, but remember other people will see it. Some may like it; but many won’t and there is a risk you may be unfollowed, or your connection removed if they keep seeing these things. So unless you’re happy with that risk, it’s best to err on the side of caution and keep it professional. Many people use the phrase ‘this isn’t Facebook, and it’s certainly something to bear in mind. I cover some of the main points in the video: https://bit.ly/3YguAdI And this blog goes into more detail about how you can improve your profile and make yourself easy to find: https://bit.ly/3tfJwaO #employability #linkedin #graduaterecruitment

Students / Graduates: When you apply for a job, the person reading your CV will have an idea of their ideal profile; they will be looking for the applicants who are the best match, so they can speak with them in more depth. The job description or advert will tell you what that profile is; you can see the essential things they are looking for. If they aren’t on your CV, it’s unlikely you’ll get a call. If you do have the essential requirements, how do you get the information across? Well, I'm not a fan of cover letters, and nor are many other employers / recruiters. I won't bore you with the reasons why; suffice to say that they overcomplicate things. And there is a risk for you, as they are sometimes missed; especially when more than one person is involved in the decision-making process. Instead, make sure all the relevant information is on your CV. And add a summary that ties everything together. This will help your applications to be more focused, punchy, and to the point. It means you have to tailor the CV for each application you make; but it will be of a much higher quality, and you will really stand out.   This isn’t guaranteed to secure an interview in itself, but it will significantly increase your chances.   I discuss this in more detail in this video:  https://lnkd.in/eAJm_uXi   And in this blog:  https://lnkd.in/gGZgShUr   #employability #graduaterecruitment #cvadvice

Employers: It's important to remember that graduate recruitment is a two-way process; there are some factors and challenges that, if not controlled, can result in lost candidates. Over the years I’ve learned a lot about the different ways that SMEs handle graduate recruitment. Overall, I would say that the most important thing is that time and commitment needs to be invested in the process. But there are other things to be aware of. This video covers some of the key challenges that can come up: https://lnkd.in/eTxkpZ_X And this blog goes into more detail: https://lnkd.in/eBkTZthW #graduaterecruitment #sme #smeadvice

Some graduates will apply for dozens or even hundreds of graduate jobs, but struggle to get interviews. Often a significant factor is spending too little time on each application; sending the same default CV, and applying for too many jobs. Including ones that aren't suitable, or even really of interest. Which just adds to the number of rejections. It's important to keep positive and focused. Be confident in your abilities. The right job will be out there; it can often be a case of timing as to when it comes up. It’s not easy balancing the need to get a job, with finding the right one. To ease the pressure while looking for the job you really want, you can take a stop-gap job to keep you going. Something to pay the bills, and develop your overall experience. It could be retail, cleaning, catering, hospitality. Whatever. These jobs are generally in industries where there can be a high turnover and the employer just wants someone to come in and do a good job. When you take a graduate job that should generally be it; head down and on with your career. So, try not to use a graduate job as a stop-gap. You're stopping a graduate who really wants the job from getting it; and it isn't fair on the employer, who usually invests a lot in the graduate. You may be ok with doing this, but please bear in mind that potential employers may be suspicious as to why you're moving on. It will be harder to explain than leaving a stop-gap job. And it’s a risk, as if your next job didn't work out, that’s two in a row. Which won’t look great on your CV. So, best to stick to the ‘stop-gap’ jobs while looking. So, that’s the immediate pressure off. Now you can focus on finding the right job for you. It may seem like a good idea to take a 'spray and pray' approach and apply for as many jobs as possible. But it’s not a good strategy. The job description or advert will show the essential things that are required. If you don't have them, I would question whether it's worth applying. Unless you can make a very strong case to be considered. An example would be if there is an advert for a Marketing job, where a Marketing degree is required. If a Mechanical Engineering graduate applies, they are probably wasting their time. But if they have some Marketing experience, for example something like voluntary work with a university society, then a case can be made. Overall, you are best to focus more time on the jobs that are a good match. Before clicking the 'apply' button, think about if it's going to be suitable and feasible. Think about things like location. As I've posted before, if you're not going to be able to commute, or relocate, there is no point in applying. Taking a step back before applying, and making sure something is suitable, will mean that you apply for less jobs. But those that you do apply for will be a good match. And you can spend more time on them.

Businesses - looking to hire a university graduate? Graduates / students-looking for work? This video has a summary of the services offered, together with some testimonials from businesses and students / graduates (these can be seen in full on my profile) (and a great tune by The Black Dog in the background, sorry if it's not your cup of tea) https://lnkd.in/eJ2Xi6q4

Students and Graduates: Over the years I must have seen over 100,000 CVs. They come in many different styles, and there is often a huge difference in quality. You will see a lot of conflicting information about what makes a good CV. Even professional CV writers don’t always agree on the best layout and structure. Everyone has their own preferences, myself included. And that's ok. The key thing to remember is that the CV is there to get relevant information across to the recruiter / employer, with the aim of attracting their attention so they will speak with you in more depth. So, make sure your CV is well formatted, and is easy to read. And that key information is included. This video has more of my thoughts, and lots of tips to help you. It won’t be winning any Oscars for production; nor will I be up for best actor (seeing as I didn’t memorise my lines, and I keep glancing at the screen). But hopefully it will be useful for you. https://lnkd.in/eMgZX49n You can read more in this blog: https://lnkd.in/gmAT3VXB hashtag #employability #graduates #graduaterecruitment #cvadvice

Occasionally I speak with smaller businesses who say ‘we don’t do that’ when I ask about employing graduates. There can sometimes be good reasons for this, but often when I investigate further it's due to a misapprehension. Others assumed that it wasn't relevant to them. It’s a shame, as they can be missing out on the many benefits that graduates have brought to other SMEs. Some of the reasons I am given are listed below. If any of these seem familiar, then you may find my blog interesting (link below). Graduates won’t want to work with us; We are only small in numbers; Graduates will not stay with us long-term; We don’t have a graduate scheme in place; We don't have any suitable jobs; We don’t have time to train graduates; We tried it before and it didn’t work out; We need a special type of experience; We can’t commit to taking on someone permanently; We focus on apprenticeships. Link to blog: https://lnkd.in/e3h66p8A

I'm often asked what job types I specialise in. The answer is: 'You name it...'. You can see some examples of roles that have been filled over the last 3 years in the graphic. As you will see, there is plenty of variety, including some specialist jobs. If you are an employer who has a job that may be suitable for a graduate, please get in touch and we can speak about how I may be able to help. Students, graduates, and university teams: you can see the opportunities that are currently available here: https://lnkd.in/gKNkwu9 The job types and locations that are available at any one time can vary. I work with a large number of SMEs across the UK, covering a range of business sectors, and they recruit as and when they have a need (it could be any time of the year). There is no closing date as such- start date is usually asap. Matthew [email protected] 0370 7749500

Research shows that at least 15% of people in the UK are Neurodivergent. Variations can include Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and Tourette Syndrome. There are related points that employers, and neurodivergent graduates need to be aware of. The effects of certain conditions may mean that some jobs are not a good match. For example, if someone feels awkward dealing with people, then a successful career in sales is unlikely (and it would probably be very stressful).   But other jobs may be ideal. For example, Accounting or Computer Science can often be a good career choice for people with Autism. And many Dyslexics make great Engineers. Different thinking can be a real asset to employers. Of course, this is a generalisation and will not always be the case, but a good Careers Advisor will be able to advise based on the individual. As with any job, it’s about getting something that you enjoy; and where your skills and attributes are an asset. Employers need to be aware that some of these conditions may result in perceived negative behaviours in interviews. For example: fidgeting, or a lack of eye contact; reasons that are sometimes given for interviewees being unsuccessful. Of course it's easier if the interviewee makes the interviewer aware of any conditions (perhaps through a recruiter), but they may not always feel comfortable doing this, so it’s something to be aware of. It’s very important that interviewees are asked before the interview if they need any reasonable adjustments to be made, so they can do their best. They may not know what those adjustments can be, so a call can maybe be set up to see what adjustments may be available. Tourettes Action is one of 3 charity partners of SME Graduate Employment and a donation is made to them for each placement. Today is international Tourette’s awareness day. #sme #graduaterecruitment #employability

Thankfully, a lot of the old misconceptions about graduates in the workplace have long been dispelled; and more and more businesses are making the most of the value and skills that they bring. Graduates, it's important to find the right employer for you, one that will value and support you (so maybe not the employer in this video though!). https://lnkd.in/eCA3pDGx #graduateemployment #graduatejobs #SME #recruitment