Don’t believe the media
There have been many stories about the large amounts of cuts in graduate recruitment, and there have been reductions. Many of these stories have focused on large companies who have reduced their graduate recruitment for 2009, but even with the cuts, these companies are still taking on students. Outside of this you should look at smaller organisations and try to find roles that suit you, even look at junior roles.

What skills do you have?
Look at what you can offer a company from the skills you have gained from university and different modules you have studied. If you have taken part in internships/placements/work experience then be aware of what you have learnt from this as you may have added skills that are relevant to positions you are applying for. Also look at your part time/holiday jobs where you will have gained practical skills from handling money to customer service and communication skills.

Know what you want to do
Is it important that you take on something that interests and motivates you. Your job is something that you will do day in, day out for a long time to come. Make sure it’s something you really want to do and will keep you driven.

Do whatever it takes
There are many ways to go about finding a job from contacting agencies to making direct applications. Many people use contacts to get a job. This isn’t taking the easy option, but is a good way of starting of. While in a recession fewer jobs will be advertised and word of mouth and contacts will be used as a cheaper method of advertising jobs. You need to stand out and be known so chase up applications to see how they’re coming along.

CV
Make sure your CV sells you and your skills as effectively as possible. It will be your first point of contact with many employers so it needs to be well-honed. Write your CV to tailor each job that you apply for, looking at the criteria required for the role. For more information on CV writing go to our CV pages

Postgraduate study
Many students will be thinking about moving into further study as an alternative to the competitive jobs market: so should you. Masters can be expensive so unless you really need this for the career, you may want to think carefully. You need to consider if the subject keep you interested for an intensive year of study. Also, once you have your qualification, will you be in a similar situation next year where you are short of work experience?

Backup plans
It may take some time for you to get into your ideal career so thinking about alternative paths is important. You may need to learn new skills or look at careers that have similar required skills so that you can continue to work and develop towards your dream job.

Don’t give up
It can be difficult and gloomy looking for work. You need to stay positive and keep your problems in perspective. There are opportunities out there and, as a graduate, you have a strong qualification and are someone who has proven they are smart and capable of learning. You also need to be realistic in your job hunt: if you have studied history of art, you might need some retraining to become a lawyer. Don’t give up and keep looking and applying for jobs.