Blogs and Advice
Students and Graduates: level up your CV with these smart tips
The main purpose of your CV is to get you an interview. You need to attract the reader's attention, and get them to read further. The recruiter will...
Tailor your CV like a pro: make it fit the job
I must have seen well over 100,000 CVs and applications over the years- and the applicants who have spent time focusing on the specifics of a role to tailor their CV really stand out.
How does the application process work for graduate jobs?
If you’re applying for a graduate job with a recruiter you may be curious about how it works. There is a lot involved, but essentially, businesses...
Preparing for an interview for an undergraduate placement or graduate job
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.
Why what you read about salaries may not always be true
I occasionally speak with graduates who feel that a job is not worth going for if the salary is not 30k plus. This is partly caused by the...
How students and graduates can use LinkedIn when looking for a job
Social media channels vary in their effectiveness for job searching, and raising your profile. Apart from some niche areas, I would say...
How (not) to attract graduates to your business
Not the best way to attract...
The importance of location
Location is a very important factor when looking for jobs; both for you, and the employer. If you are applying for a job in another area please do consider it carefully.
Some top tips to make the most of your sandwich placement
If you're doing a sandwich-placement then it’s important that you make the most of it; it really can help to shape your career. You’ll learn so...
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...
The importance of work experience for students and graduates
I can't stress enough how important work experience is. It really can make the difference between getting a job or not. And the experience doesn't...
Graduates and students: working with an SME can be a great career choice
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.
Undergraduates: it’s never to early to start planning your career
The time to start planning ahead for a graduate career is from when university starts (or even before). This may seem extreme, but every day I speak...
Graduates: your learning shouldn’t finish once you have left university
You may be finding it difficult to find a graduate opportunity. If you can't get a job related to your degree then it’s important to try and get...
Managing job offers for undergraduate placements and graduate jobs
When applying for graduate jobs, and getting interviews, it can sometimes be difficult to balance them. For example, you may get an offer for a job,...
Alternative career options for graduates, and how SME 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.
The SME Graduate Employment market for 2022- some predictions
In January 2021, I predicted how the SME graduate employment market may develop over the coming year. There was great uncertainty at that stage, and...
The future of home working post-Covid
Working from home and the potential implications for graduates and other younger team-members I haven't measured it but there does seem to be more...
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 with SMEs. You can read it here. I am pleased to say...
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...
Get in touch
A donation is made to each of SME Graduate Employment’s 3 charity partners every time a placement is made. You can find out more about them here:
IntoUniversity helps young people growing up in Britain’s least privileged areas to make the most of their education, by offering a safe space to learn, explore, and succeed. https://intouniversity.org/
Max’s Foundation funds research into the screening, detection, and treatment of genetic heart conditions in children. https://www.maxsfoundation.org.uk/
Tourettes Action: over 300,000 children and adults are living with Tourettes Syndrome in the UK, and the severity of symptoms can vary. The charity does great research, and offers support to those with this much misunderstood condition. https://www.tourettes-action.org.uk/