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How to find jobs after graduation in the West Country

Posted in Candidates

Posted by Joanne Caine
Published on 14 September, 2018

How to find jobs after graduation in the West Country

You’re a graduate. Congratulations! You’ve earned yourself a degree and are keen to put it to good vocational use. But sometimes jobs after graduation don’t throw themselves into your well-educated lap. After years of making it happen academically, now’s the time to start planning your career.

Pick your career path

You’ve completed a degree in a subject after studying for years. You know your passions and have identified your skills. So you now need to find an industry that utilises both and to seek out all the career paths within. Everyone needs to start somewhere so be enthused about starting at any level so that you’re happy climbing a ladder to where you want to be. You’ve proven a level of commitment to your degree, so laser focus your attention on this goal with your job search.

Research, research, research

This is so important we’ve written it three times. Go deep into the requirements for your chosen industry. Investigate thoroughly all the available job roles. Are there positions that you can apply for right now? Will this require further education? Where are you going to need to live? We might be biased, but the south west is a fertile seedbed of job opportunities and can offer graduates a great start for their careers. We’ve seriously enviable IT recruitment, great marketing jobs, a booming economy and, of course, the beautiful beaches and uniquely Devonian social life to consider. Plus, with a downturn in graduates sticking to the south west, there’s never been a better time to stand out.

Volunteering

Show a potential employer your determination by offering some unpaid hours when you can spare the time. It demonstrates a keenness that’s attractive to many an employer, plus an admirable work ethic to boot. Volunteering needn’t be in the exact industry for which you’re seeking employment.

You can offer a few hours in related companies or charities: the experience and skills you gain can provide invaluable fuel for your CV. And it adds incalculable value to your appeal. Needless to say, if you are at a company from whom you’d like paid employment, volunteering sets you directly in their line of sight for when a position becomes available.

Use social media to your advantage

Finding jobs after graduation needn’t be tricky, but potential employers finding you on the internet is child’s play. Every employer worth their payroll is going to delve into your online history. Think about what you post on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter et al, and how it might reflect on both your personality and professionalism. If you’ve nothing to worry about, then engage positively with the right people and accounts. Getting friendly on relevant discussion groups can get you noticed swiftly by the right people. Also, signing up to LinkedIn will advertise your skills to a huge network of professionals.

>> Easy and effective ways to spruce up your LinkedIn profile

Get in touch with a recruitment agency

We are recruitment specialists with a brawny understanding of the graduate and general jobs market in and around the South West. Come in for an overview and a chat about jobs after graduation. We know the top employers and are happy to discuss your prospects or see how your ambitions match our current vacancies. Sounds good? Get in touch.


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>> West is best: the greatest regions to work in the West Country
>> Interview formats, common questions and how to prepare

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Managing Director

Jo joined Cathedral Appointments over 25 years ago and now leads the business alongside Clodagh, who joined the company in 2021. Jo is a local employment expert and a former board member of Exeter’s leading business membership organisation, Exeter Chamber. She is also a Fellow of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and has an Associated CIPD membership.

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How to find jobs after graduation in the West Country

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