A blog for graduate job seekers
Improving in any area of life is a good thing. Being willing to change for the better makes up fifty percent of the leap forward towards achieving goals. The remaining fifty percent is dedication and effort to stay on track. There is a choice – to go it alone or get a good coach on board to help you fast track.
Whether you are ready to graduate or a graduate and looking to work in the UK.
My nine recommendations below will help you get started and enhance your position for seeking employment. Mental and physical preparation go hand-in-hand.
- Take up a hobby.
Having a hobby relaxes the mind and upskills existing talents. For example, learn to play a musical instrument, cook, do sports activities, do gardening, paint, and more. - Take an online short course
Doing short online courses expands knowledge and worldview. The course does not have to be related to a specific career. Any course you take demonstrates to employers your initiative, drive and organizational skills. - Start reading
“I love reading,” said Warren Buffet. “Read 500 words every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up like compound interest”.
“Successful people have libraries. The rest have big screen TV’s”. Jim Rohn.
“There comes a time when you need to stop reading other people’s books and start writing your own”.
Albert Einstein - Improve your online presence.
I use social media out of necessity. It serves a purpose to drive my business and career forward. My followers and readers benefit from the content I post.
It is essential to know that most employers will look at your social media. Do the images and the content you post reflect what the potential employer wishes to see? If not, it is crucial to make some adjustments. Create a separate professional Facebook and LinkedIn page.
Get into the habit of posting content that’s recent, relevant and demonstrates knowledge, interest, and passion for your career. Engage and comment on similar career posts. Algorithms can expand visibility depending on the content and comments. Use appropriate hashtags to reach out to a broader audience. - Sign up as a volunteer
I gained much experience working for a charity. My coaching skills exponentially improved by helping young and adult offenders avoid re-offending.
Importantly, it challenged my prejudice and discrimination.
Choose any volunteer work – you will be pleasantly surprised how many transferable skills you will gain. Moreover, it prepares your mindset for a productive routine in daily life. It gives a sense of fulfilment to your day. - Learn another language.
Since globalisation, learning another language is advantageous. I am learning Mandarin. It is not easy, but surprisingly, I have learned many words and basic sentences by spending ten to twenty minutes a day. 16% of the world’s population speak Mandarin and China is the second largest country. There are many other popular European languages like French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German. Having a good command of a second language gives you the edge. - Craft the perfect CV.
“Craft” is the right word to compile a CV. It is like a photo in words. It is the most critical document an employer will initially look at and decide to keep or bin in less than ten seconds.
Studies show that employers reject nearly 90% of resumes they see.
Dian YK Chan is a former Recruiter turned Career Coach, Speaker and Trainer at My Marketability. For her article Why 90% of Resumes get rejected and how to fix it she screened over 10,000 CVs. She comments, “Less than 1% truly stand out for a Recruiter to call for an interview.”
The reason is that many people do not take the time to create a CV that represents the brand. It does not differentiate them from other candidates.
I understand this is easier said than done. A few decades ago, I remember that my CV was in a standard style with cliched words like hardworking, conscientious, team player, loyal. Looking back, I understand why I was not invited to job interviews.
The secret is to differentiate yourself from the rest and think about why someone should hire you. What are your existing skills, and how will they add monetary value for the employer?
A personal/professional profile on the CV is the first thing a hiring manager will glance at, and if it grabs their attention, they decide to read the rest of the CV. They are busy people fulfilling other managerial responsibilities on top of wading through hundreds of CVs.
Hence everything written must be relevant to the industry where you want to build your career.
Remember! There is the choice of whom to work for as much as employers choose whom they want to employ. - Eat healthily
Everyone knows about eating healthily, at least in theory. Unfortunately, not many put that into practice.
Why is eating healthily critical in getting a job?
German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach used his famous phrase, “We are what we eat”. Experience has taught me that everything I eat, and drink impacts the brain and gut.
Every cell replaces itself in about seven years, and it is food which forms new cells. It means that it is essential to eat good food to be healthy and fit. Because your energy levels increase, you look and feel good, your skin looks healthy, and your concentration level increases to do things that most matter to you.
So eating healthily, light exercise, less alcohol and tobacco, plenty of fluids, and a good night’s rest are influential contributors that prepare you to pursue your career.
The last thing anyone wants is a potential employer seeing you looking drained, lethargic, lacking in energy, and possibly miserable.
Remember! First impressions last. - Get a coach on board
“Everyone needs a coach. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a basketball player, a tennis player, a gymnast, or a bridge player.” Bill Gates
“Everybody needs a coach” — Eric Schmidt, Chairman of Alphabet, and former CEO of Google.
I am not famous or wealthy like these two guys are, but if they understand the value of coaching, so do I.
Practise what you preach!
I do it myself and it adds immense value to overall success. I work with two coaches, and they help me to stay on track. There is a sense of accountability to them, and they support me when I hit roadblocks.
Coaching is powerful, and it can exponentially help an individual in removing limiting beliefs. It gives you an edge and sharpens your focus on achieving your goals.
Would you like to improve and increase your position for employability?
Then look no further. As an experienced coach, I offer my expertise in helping individuals seeking to work in the UK.
My bespoke coaching program focuses on crafting your CV and covering letters, preparing for interviews and answering simple yet tough questions like:
“Tell us about yourself.”
“Why should we hire you?”
“Where do you see yourself in five years from now?”
These are not dummy questions; they ask you to reveal your critical thinking. The decision to hire you or not is made by how you answer these questions.
Contact me here on davidandrewcoaching.com.graduate-coaching or
email info@davidandrewcoaching.com or call +44 7778 062 507.
