KPMG has launched a new Skill Session for this February called "Get Ahead of the Game". We’re all aware that the graduate job market has become increasingly competitive, with greater numbers of students chasing a smaller number of roles. Our own experience shows that 50% of those who apply to us don’t make it beyond the application stage. To help all students get a job with the employer they’re best suited to – be it KPMG or another organisation – we’re holding Skills Sessions on campuses around the country which will allow students to "Get Ahead of the Game".

The Skills Sessions are designed to increase students’ level of preparation for the job market, from initial decisions about what they want from a role through to a typical recruitment process and preparing a back up plan if their results aren’t what they expected.

Research into potential employers plays a key part as it can make the crucial difference between getting the job or not. Our Skills Sessions will take students through the best points to consider when and how to research companies, and the best places to look for information. An example would be to look at the employer information on social networking sites.

We also cover the importance of going along to employer events, finding out which skills employers are looking for and the various ways a student can demonstrate they have those, such as working while at university or building it into a plan to gain experience over the coming summer.

We plan to tell students about all this and more to give their search for a graduate employer the best chance of succeeding.

For more details, please email Helen Bobbitt – Helen.Bobbitt@kpmg.co.uk.