Graduate blogs and advice
The SME student and graduate employment market 2021- an update
In January I wrote a blog with my views on the current and future graduate employment market. You can read it here. I am pleased to say that there certainly have been more jobs for students and graduates, and things are definitely heading in the right direction, but...
Tailoring your CV to reflect the specific opportunity
As I write this, in August 2021, I must have seen well over 40,000 CVs and applications over the years in my recruitment career- and the ones who have spent time focusing on the specifics of a role really stand out.
Graduates and students: Why work for an SME?
If you are a graduate and reading this, then you may not have found a graduate role yet. Maybe you tried but didn’t make it onto one of the big graduate schemes, or know people who did and are now wondering what you can do.
Alternative career options for graduates, and how employers can benefit
The pandemic has restricted opportunities to progress with some career types, meaning that some graduates who have studied aligned degrees have had to adjust their career plans, resulting in other industries gaining the benefit of their skills.
Your learning shouldn’t finish once you have graduated
You may not be finding it easy to find a graduate opportunity, and if you can't get a job related to your degree then it’s important to try and get some kind of work to keep yourself going and develop skills that will be valuable in any career. But there is something...
SME Graduate Employment’s partnership with the Women’s Engineering Society
I am pleased to announce that SME Graduate Employment is now a partner of the Women's Engineering Society. At around 12%, there are not enough Women in engineering, and I'm happy to be able to do my bit to address this. From a business perspective the average...
Preparing for an interview
Yes, it may be a cliche- but it’s true. If you are selected for an interview it’s vital that you spend time preparing. You may be surprised how many don’t do this- and very rarely will they get an offer.
Know someone else who may be interested? Gift vouchers could be available…
If I speak with you about an opportunity, and it's not right for you, please let me know if you think of anyone else who may be suitable and interested. Or if you know of another student or recent graduate who is looking for work and would be an asset to employers,...
The SME student and graduate employment market- how is it looking for 2021?
I speak with many small to medium sized employers across a range of industries, many of the businesses are related to engineering and manufacturing, but I cover a lot of other sectors too. Most have done a great job of adapting over the last 10 months and can be proud...
How does the application process work?
You may be curious about how the role of a recruiter works: there is a lot involved, but essentially, businesses pay recruiters to find people that they cannot themselves. And to narrow down the large number of applications to a manageable number who can be...
Social media
There are a wide range of different social media types, and these vary in importance in relation to job searching and raising your profile. The one thing I would say that all have in common is that you need to consider what you put on them. Consider how happy you...
Offers
When applying for jobs, and getting interviews, it can sometimes be difficult to balance them. For example, you may get an offer for a job, but have another interview for another opportunity booked in. Or you may be lucky enough to get two offers to consider. This is...
Class of 2020
Well, I think it’s fair to say that the class of 2020 have had it tough, perhaps more than any other university cohort. The graduate employment market has taken a big hit, but there are some employers who are still recruiting, there are signs of further improvement,...
CV layout
I see dozens of CVs a day. These are a few tips based on my own experience and preferences. I hope they will be helpful. CVs come in many different styles, and there is a wide range of quality. Even professional CV writers don’t always agree on the best layout and...