In today’s society, securing a job is no longer determined by your qualifications. “Graduates are expected to offer more than their intellect: all graduates need good employability skills”— especially if employers are paying a “graduate premium” (Done and Mulvey 2016: 304). Throughout this module I have gained and developed some integral skills that have improved my employability. So, here are 3 practical skills that will help to improve your chances of landing a terrific job after graduation:
- CV Writing
As a student, you are taught how to write academically; how to write an essay; a report, or even a blog post. However, one of the few skills that you are often not taught is how to write a CV. Although I had written several CVs in the past for roles in retail, I was still unaware of how to write a CV for a graduate job or placement. When I initially began applying for placements, I foolishly believed that I could use my general CV for retail and became rather disheartened when I repeatedly failed to gain a response from employers. Nevertheless, as Keaveney and Woodstock (2017: 4) point out, while student and graduate CVs are somewhat similar to other CVs, “there are some differences of emphasis.” In week one of this module, Jennifer Mackey’s presentation on how to write CVs made it clear as to how one should approach both writing and structuring a CV for a graduate role or placement. Following the presentation, I ensured that my CV focused on the relevant skills that I had gained from my course in order to more accurately reflect the job descriptions of roles that interested me. For instance, for an editorial internship, I ensured that I included in my CV that I had website designing and blog writing skills. In addition to this, I also learned that I did not need to remove my previous retail experience from my CV, and that instead I could adjust it to reflect the requirements of the role that I was applying for. This session was extremely useful because I initially became demotivated and uninterested in amending my CV when I learned that my current CV did not meet the standards to apply for a placement or graduate job. However, these tips made the process of re-writing my CV much more enjoyable and, as a result, I felt much more confident when applying for roles.
- CV Tailoring
Though it is important to have a CV at the ready to make applications for new jobs, this module has also taught me the importance of tailoring your CV for each role that you are applying for (Keaveney and Woodstock 2017: 127). While I initially thought that it would be too laborious to tailor my CV for each role and that it would not be beneficial, I unwillingly came to the realisation that I was only doing myself a disservice by choosing not to tailor my CV. Moreover, this was potentially the main reason why I had been unsuccessful in my search for a placement so far, because many “recruiters will in fact give preferential treatment to CVs that they feel have been tailored specifically to the vacancy in question” (Innes 2009: 143). This was initially difficult to do because it became quite tedious, and I found it difficult to manage this alongside my other commitments. However, I realised that my main issue was that I was focusing on too many applications at once, and instead only needed to focus on one. This was much more efficient and less stressful to handle.
- Assessment Centre Skills
Whilst applying for placements, I was blissfully unaware that many application processes involved assessment centres. I became quite overwhelmed when I became aware of the activities involved in an assessment day because I often become quite anxious in unfamiliar and high-pressured situations. However, through completing a practice assessment day, I realised that it was something I could handle and excel in as long as I remained optimistic and focused on the task. Moreover, the feedback we received from the practice assessment centre allowed me to identify areas of weakness that I could improve to ensure that I was successful in the future, such as showcasing my commitment and drive by volunteering to deliver the presentation; being mindful of the time and ensuring that discussions continue when being observed by the assessor even if the task is complete.
In the future, I will continue to develop my practical my skills by attending various workshops. For instance, I recently joined the Global Leaders Programme, and plan to attend several more workshops to increase my knowledge of the professional environment, especially on a more global scale. These workshops have been extremely valuable thus far, and I have developed many practical skills, such as essential workplace communication skills and leadership skills. In addition, I also intend on attending several networking events in order to gain industry knowledge on the recruitment process, which will in turn allow me to tailor my skills and CV accordingly.
Overall, these skills have not only improved my employability, but I also feel much more confident about my post-graduation options as I now have all the tools for success.
References
Done, J. and Mulvey, R. (2016) Brilliant Graduate Career Handbook. Harlow: Pearson
Innes, J. (2009) The CV Book. Harlow: Pearson
Keaveney, J. and Woodstock, B. (2017) Graduate CVs and Covering Letters. London: Palgrave
