The Truth About Graduate Jobs...

So a friend of mine recently shared his opinions on life after uni and what challenges you'll face when searching for a graduate or full-time job, personally I felt his message should be further spread, along with the advice it holds.

So you've studied hard, survived days on Red Bull or Starbucks alone and gained carpal tunnel syndrome for the amount of time spent using a computer keyboard, but hey, you've got your degree, you're a graduate. Congrats!

However, whats next in life? Well, a job of course!

Applying for a job at any stage in your life can be daunting, to say the least. The following points are either my friends with a bit more flesh or my own, credit where credit is due.

When you're searching for graduate jobs, avoid jobs with questions in the description... like they're the plague. "Are you looking for an amazing opportunity that will challenge you like never before?" Majority of the time these roles are not amazing nor a challenge on your skill set, but yet a mere waste of time.

Corporate life or indy start-ups? Either way, they both have their merits. Multi-million-pound companies with that huge name tag may look great on the CV and boast lots of benefits, pay and clients/connections... but indy start-ups need people like you too. We've all got to start somewhere and having full control over a field at a start-up will boast greater praise and more recognition with the attributes and achievements you can create.

Money isn't everything. Only simple minded people have money on the mind. Don't get me wrong, that huge salary from the largest leader from your industry is incredible, but is the job any good? My friend spoke about his ordeal with this, and I too have had the same ordeal, a fantastic position, with great people, hours, pay, bonuses, perks and location—after five months I was no longer there, and it was the best for all involved!

Happiness > Money, always remember this, if you can only have one thing in life, make sure it makes you happy. Never ever, and I cannot stress this enough, never feel the need to ingratiate yourself with someone who has no willingness to understand or appreciate what you do, their ignorance does not merit your team, do what you want to do, build your own bonfires and go for your next milestone, never live to please someone else.

When searching for jobs, don't be tempted by the recruitment agencies, their noses can grow bigger than Pinocchio's (I'm still waiting a reply about that perfect job at that company I told them I loved... it was 2 months ago). Use sites like LinkedIn, S1 or Indeed, even search for niche Twitter accounts that repost jobs in your industry, honest sites doing honest job listings; remember, building your own bonfire? People out there are trying that too, support them!

So, you've done all that, you're at the interview for that awesome job and the interview is about to finish. The interviewer turns to you and says "So, any questions for us?"

"Yes! I have a few" should be your response. Asking questions shows your interest to the employer, from basic things, likes start dates, candidates in the process, how you interview, company culture/style, employee numbers —anything to make you stick out!

Getting a graduate or full-time position is never easy, just keep pushing through and applying to everything you think is relevant and that you'll enjoy. This ties to my final point... track, track and track! Keep a list on your phone notes of jobs you've applied for, what the title was, where it's based, the company and the date you applied. It doesn't hurt to reinforce that interest by dropping the company an email when it's been more than 3 weeks since you applied, put yourself back in their mind or find out if you can take the position off your list.

I truly hope this helps. Any further tips?