Seven steps to securing your dream job as a school leaver
Are you starting to think about joining the world of work? Read seven steps to securing your dream job as a school leaver.
Last week, millions of students across the country obtained their A Level results, and while many will be hoping for grades that secure them a place at university, many others will be turning to different routes to secure their dream careers.
In fact, a new piece of research revealed that the number of 18-year-olds applying to university this year had dropped to its lowest level since before the pandemic – to just 41.3%.
Amid the news, Guy Thornton, Founder of Practice Aptitude Tests, has revealed his seven steps to help those looking to enter the workforce can leverage the ‘September surge’ – the window of time in which people often job hunt – to find their dream job.
1) Update your CV before September begins
First and foremost, if you want to take advantage of the September surge this year, it is important that you update your CV before September even begins, so you’re ready to go as soon as you see an opportunity that you want to apply for. This means making sure that it includes your most recent professional accomplishments, and has valuable skills that will make you ideal for the jobs that you are applying to.
If you need help writing your first CV, check out this advice.
2) Brush up on your interview skills
With many young professionals fresh out of college and ready to enter the work force, the job market is going to be competitive, so it is essential that you brush up on your interview skills so you stand out to potential employers.
This means practicing common interview questions ahead of time, so you have some answers to give a potential interviewer. Alongside this, it is also important to practice aptitude tests.
Aptitude tests are common interview tools used by prospective employers to understand someone’s behaviour and how they might react to certain situations. A lot of graduate employers will use results from these tests to sift through applications, so practicing ahead of time will be essential to making sure you impress.
3) Take advantage of industries that hire seasonally
If you’re looking to enter the workforce this September instead of opting down the university route, one way to get your foot in the door and gain experience to put on your CV is by taking advantage of industries that hire seasonally.
This is especially important if you are looking to get gig work or work in the hospitality sector, as they often see an increase in the number of opportunities around autumn, so they have more staff for the lead-up to Christmas. Keeping an eye out for opportunities like this can boost your chances of employment during the September surge this year.
4) Set yourself clear goals
While it might seem obvious, one way that you can boost your changes in employment following results day is by setting yourself clear goals and targets for the September surge.
Not only will this help you to avoid burning out by overloading yourself with too much work, it can also help you to establish what roles you actually want to apply for and which ones might not align with your employment objectives.
5) Research employers you want to work for
If there are companies that are your dream employer, then it’s also important that you do your research on them before you apply.
This means looking through their websites, understanding their values, and looking at what their social media presence is like.
Not only will this give you a better understanding of what the company might be like to work for, it will also show employers that you are interested in them when it gets to the interview stage.
6) Avoid scattergun job hunting
If you’re looking to maximise your chances of employment this September, you should also avoid what is known as scattergun job hunting, where possible.
What this means is avoiding applying to everything that you see. Instead, you should be selective about the jobs that you actually send applications for, making sure that you have tailored your CV to match the job specification.
7) Increase your online presence
Finally, you might also want to think about increasing your online presence ahead of September to stand out from the crowd.
More often than not, employers will now have a look at your LinkedIn profile as part of reviewing applications to get a clearer picture of what you are like as an employee, so it’s important that your skills are up-to-date. You may also want to post regularly to present a professional image of yourself to an employer.
