Improving Your CV and Covering Letter For Graduate Jobs

In the UK, the Graduate Jobs market is always one of the most competitive sectors of the economy. In times of high unemployment, or even recession, the competition is likely to be even more brisk.

The serious candidate in this Graduate Jobs arena therefore needs to be thoroughly professional in his/her approach to the whole applications process. If there is any possible "edge" to be had by focussing in tightly on the application process, it needs to be investigated and, if possible, exploited.

That said, there is no reason for anyone to be pessimistic about securing Graduate Jobs, even in the present circumstances. Their search could well be successful even sooner than they think. But the message is that they do need to be thoroughly professional in their search.

At this stage one would assume that the graduate job-seeker is well able to find the advertisements for new Graduate Jobs either in the newspapers, or via recruitment agencies, or even via the Internet jobs boards. Our concern, therefore, will be to look at what happens after the advert has been spotted.

The foundational principle that needs to be followed is to treat every Graduate Jobs application with respect. Many people seem to think that their best chance of being successful is to rush off as many applications as possible in the shortest time possible. Almost as though they think that the applications process is some sort of lottery, and if they buy enough tickets they should win eventually. This is what some of your competitors will be doing, and it far from being the best strategy.

With this in mind we look first at the CV that you will be sending to support your application for your Graduate Jobs. Firstly, be sure that whatever you are going to send out is presented to professional standards. Get professional help if necessary, it won't be that expensive. Remember, when the recruiters are reading it they will be forming an opinion regarding your suitability as an employee!

Secondly, try to keep in mind that not all Graduate Jobs are the same, nor do all graduate employers have the same employee needs. It would pay therefore not to send out the same CV for all the Graduate Jobs that you might apply for. Study the job descriptions carefully, and research the employers, and fine tune the CV as necessary to target what you see as your important points in respect of each one.

The same sort of operation needs to be carried out in respect of the covering letters that you send with your CV. They need to be tailored to look attractive to the Graduate Jobs employer. They are in fact an opportunity for the candidate to "sell" himself to the employer as the best available candidate for "this" vacancy.

The very last thing that a candidate wants is for the recruiter to receive his application and to form the opinion that it has just been dashed off as part of a Graduate Jobs mass mailing operation. That would be a first rate way of minimising his/her chances of even being considered as a serious candidate.

Follow this advice ... and maximise your chances of getting to the interviews for those Graduate Jobs.