Graduates and Undergraduates FAQs
Is there a cost to me?
No- not a penny. Employers pay me to find students and graduates that they don’t have the time, skills, profile, or contacts, to find. And no, my fee will not come out of your salary, or affect you in any way. It’s the same as when a business pays for the services of an accountant, or an IT or business consultant: it’s a professional service that I offer, and one that they are happy to pay for.
What businesses do you work with?
You can find out more about SMEs here I have a huge network of employers that I work with, and find and contact new ones each day. They are from from a wide variety of industry sectors and locations. So, the jobs that I have available at any one time can vary.
How does it work?
Employers ask me to find students and graduates who they are not able to find themselves. These employers usually only recruit small numbers of graduates. It’s vital that they make the right hire. Someone who has the required skills, enthusiasm, and long-term interest. There are various things I do to assess this.
The opportunities I have are generally when the business needs someone and can be at various times of the year. There is always a lot of interest, and a key part of my role is to narrow this down to a small number who will the employer will interview. I also look to find out what students and graduates are looking for so there is a good mutual match. Find out more here. When applying, it’s important that your application is relevant and strong, as you need to stand out and show genuine interest. You can see hints and tips in the blogs and advice section of this website.
Where can I see the available jobs?
Any job vacancies I am working on will usually be advertised in the career opportunities section of this website. They are also on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SMEgraduates
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sme_graduate_employment/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@smegraduateemployment
Facebook: https://bit.ly/48t8GVW
Can you find me a job?
I can’t get everyone a job, I wish I could. But I have got plenty of undergraduates and graduates work over the years and will continue to do so. My work is largely employer-led in that when a vacancy is available I will look for suitable candidates. The jobs I have on at any one time can vary in terms of location and job type.
It’s always worth getting in contact, as something suitable could come up at any time.
I do also let employers know about carefully-selected and particularly strong candidates who are available in their area.
What help can you give me?
I will give you guidance on your application, and should you be selected for interview there is also a lot of help, advice, and support that I can give. If successful, I will also be there for you when you start your new role, and happy to discuss any issues you may have as you settle in. See the recommendations on the right of this page to see how I have helped others.
I am contacted by hundreds of people each week, and unfortunately I am not able to help everyone. It’s just me in the business, this is through choice, as everyone who deals with me will have the benefit of my experience and I don’t need to delegate anything.
It does mean that I am very busy, and my main focus does need to be on students and graduates who are going forward for currently available jobs. But if we have spoken to some extent I will definitely bear you in mind should something suitable come up, though please be aware that I am probably not going to be able to be in regular contact unless I am speaking with you about a specific role.
You can find advice in various areas in the ‘blogs and advice’ section. If you are finding it difficult to get a graduate role I would also strongly recommend contacting your university careers department, if you have not already done so, as they can offer loads of help and support.
How do we know you are reputable?
I understand the need to be careful, as there are some agencies out there who are not reputable. There are ways you can assess quality and reputation: for example my years of experience, and Google and LinkedIn reviews and recommendations (some of which can be seen in the testimonials section of this page).
I have seen one or two university websites that say you should only deal with recruiters who are members of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation, but this is very misleading. The REC is an opt-in industry association, with a cost, and most recruiters are not members. I have looked into membership, but chose not to pay over £1,000 to join. As you will see above, I prefer to spend money with the charities and the diversity-focused organisation that SME Graduate Employment partners with.
Membership can be a sign of quality, but it is far from the only one. There are best practices that members need to adhere to, but this does not mean that non-members do not follow the same best practices, or are not reputable. Nor that REC members are automatically better.
Are all your jobs real?
Yes, 100%. I know some agencies do post jobs that are not real, but it is not something I ever do. Apart from the moral reasons, I do not have the time, or the need, to do this. I always have a wide range of roles to work on, and a huge range of employers who I work with.