Most graduates are now aware of the benefits of work experience or internships which provide crucial experience and additional CV fodder. However, there are other schemes which similarly offer graduates and students with opportunities to make contacts, learn about the internal workings of specific industries and to work out if a particular career path is right for them. I am talking about the professional societies that industries have which are targeted at assisting students and graduates in their efforts to make it onto the graduate job ladder.

In the UK at the moment there are over 270 professional societies spanning 34 industry sectors ranging from transport to publishing so there are opportunities for graduates of almost any degree discipline, whether based on humanities or the sciences. The testimonies of various graduates demonstrate the value of these societies and how the experiences have had positive long and short term effects for those who have taken advantage of them. In order to widen her employment network, Samantha Smith, a creative writing and publishing graduate from Kingston University joined the Society of Young Publishers. After taking a while to feel comfortable with the networking environment, Samantha eventually saw how she could maximise the opportunity for employment opportunities “When I got over my initial fears, I had met some very interesting people, to whom I spoke extensively about the different paths I could use to enter the publishing industry. Some of them even encouraged me to send them my CV for potential work experience opportunities.”

Computer Science student at Kingston University, Sam Williams has recently been attending lectures held by the British Computer Society and has also reaped the rewards of the networking possibilities. “Everyone wears nametags so there’s an opportunity to talk to the attendees and make new acquaintances before the actual lecture. Lectures also tend to be quite interactive, involving the audience by encouraging them to ask questions. After the talks, the speakers are quite approachable so attendees can easily walk up to them to learn more.”

The professional societies can be the perfect place for you to make the contacts you need in order to procure your first graduate job. If you approach the lectures and meetings offered with an enthusiasm to meet as many people as possible and to give a strong impression of your passion for that industry then you will enhance your employment prospects an enormous amount. Moreover, professional bodies are also able to offer jobs postings which are not available to those who don’t attend the society meetings and can even offer specialist courses for extra qualifications which also bolster your employability.

Tom, GRB journalist

Supersize Your Internship

For most students and recent grads, the old Catch-22 of  not being considered for a job as you have no relevant experience and not being able to get experience until you get a job is one of the toughest hurdles to face when you first enter the jobs market.

There is, however, one strategy that can help break this vicious circle and give your career a springboard: the internship. Most internships will start from June onwards and at this time of year applications for the good ones are filling up fast, so it's not too early to start searching.

Don’t be surprised if you see many unpaid internships or ones that don’t pay very much. Plus, these jobs often involve most of the menial taks that no one else wants to do at the firm. What you should see this opportunity as is what you can put on your CV - experience in a professional office setting. You could supersize your placement by not only making yourself indispensable but also networking with your supervisors to see if you can extend your summer work into a full- or part-time paid position. Here’s a few tip son how to stand out;

Don't be complacent - There is probably a queue of other people waiting for you to trip up and snatch your job so remember this law of the jungle! Once you have learnt the basics of your job seek extra challenges to prove your worth and impress the boss - far better to take these risks as an intern than fully paid up employee. Just ask, "What can I work on when you're busy and I have nothing specific to do?"

Be friendly to everyone - As an intern you have face to face access to other professionals you wouldn’t normally be able to meet so use the opportunity to say hi over the water cooler or on a coffee break and see what happens! NB.Make a bee line for the HR manager as they will be able to reveal more about their hiring plans.

Ask for references – Politely ask your boss for a written reference before you leave. Remind them about the specific projects you worked on and achievements you have made during your internship. Presenting this at future interviews with other firms shows you are organised and saves them the time chasing your previous employer.

Stay in touch – Don’t waste the relationships you have started and let them dissipate but rather stay in touch with your manager and co-workers via e-mail, LinkedIn, Twitter or other social media.

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Time To Move On Or Not?

In this difficult economic climate, successfully achieving a job offer and then performing well in your chosen career is not an easy task. Still, people are always driven by their ambition and desire to fulfil their potential, which means they inevitably look for challenging opportunities elsewhere.

A survey by a Management Institute and Business School has shown that 16% of graduates want to move into a new job as soon as possible, 40% plan to move within one year, and less than 50% intend to stay at their current company for two years or more. The majority of graduates are very keen at the outset and will always be looking for ways to get promoted and earn a higher salary. 

When you start a new job, it is important to be enthusiastic but you should realise that although you have a university degree, you have limited practical experience of the company. Therefore, you will be performing tasks that you may find slightly boring at times, but the key point is to complete these tasks accurately and efficiently. This will result in your manager developing confidence in you and then gradually entrusting you with more important duties.

Some new graduates do not acknowledge the importance of a learning curve that only time will bring. It will take at least two to three years for you to become fully accustomed to the work and then you will have the ability to mentor junior staff members and take more of a managerial role. Of course, the day that you will be promoted to manager will vary between companies, but you still may be effectively working in this role, even if you do not have the title. Also, you need to stay at an organisation for some time to build up a portfolio of work that will look good on your CV.

The expectation gap between new graduates and managers is quite interesting. For example, managers do not really consider fixed working hours and will ensure their work is completed, however long it takes. This is in contrast to most new graduates who will expect to work standard hours. Also, graduates sometimes find that they are not being coached adequately for their needs. If this occurs, then it is important to have an open and honest conversation with the manager to ensure your goals are met, or speak to other members of your department. It is not advisable to keep moving organisations until you meet a very helpful manager, since you need continuity in your working life.

Overall, once you have started a graduate job, it is best to stay there for about three years to build up a portfolio of work and generate confidence within your team. At first, you may not like the work or environment, but if you persevere, you will build up valuable experience and then you can make a career move later on, as a more experienced and accomplished individual. 

Arnab Datta