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send a covering letter, think about what it
says about you as a candidate – that you
couldn’t be bothered to write one!
WiN a £10 HMv voucHer!
Lindsay Hanson
Just tell us your career conundrum and if we publish your question
Yes, by sending a cover letter you can
in GradJobs magazine, we’ll send you a voucher
include things like why you are applying
Send your query, quandary or question to
editorial@vmgl.com
for the job and what makes you feel you
Don’t forget to include your name, place of study and full postal address. Selected questions
are suitable for the role but make sure will receive the ‘star treatment’ as our experts offer you the best advice in town. Questions
that you are concise, as many employers
and answers will be published in GradJobs magazine and on the website.
don’t have the time to read through long
Winners will be notified by post and prizes sent out after publication
cover letters or CVs. I would say its always
of the magazine.
worthwhile making the effort to make a
Terms and conditions apply – for full details visit
www.gradjobs.co.uk
good impression.
Michelle Stevens
Mark Saunders & James Hadfield
I’d like to spend some time
both win a £10 hmv voucher
backpacking after graduating.
How can I sell this experience to
future employers?
Lots of graduates take gap years and
most employers look favourably upon it
essential in all cases. It’s best to check anything social, educational or cultural. If it
as long as you can demonstrate what
with the individual employer. shows good team work or leadership skills
you learned as a result. Think about the
Fiona McConnell it could be a good selling point.
skills that you developed through the
Peter Panayotou
experience: planning and organising
This varies by company. At IBM we require
the route, networking to find out about
all graduates to either have or be on target Definitely! Most companies look for
places, resilience when things didn’t go
for a minimum of a 2:1 (Hons) degree. transferable skills and do not mind how
as planned, new perspectives through
We do not mind what subject you have you got them. Make sure you demonstrate
experience of diverse cultures, etc. It is
studied as long as you have a passion for the different aspects of your experiences
also good to take the opportunity to work
the industry and you demonstrate all the to show how you have a variety of skills.
while you are overseas, as this will also
core competencies we require. We do not just look at your academic
give you some positive experiences to
Sonia Bannon achievements and it is important to
discuss at interview.
remember this.
Lindsay Hanson
Today, there are many employers that Sonia Bannon
are not so interested in your degree, but
Show how the experience will help you
would prefer to see some evidence of
gain new skills and build on existing ones,
passion for your subject or enthusiasm for
exPert PaneL
for example you may take part in activities
a particular job role, good communication
that will help you develop leadership
skills and the ability to work as a team. So,
if your degree result doesn’t work out as
• Sonia Bannon, UK Graduate
and team working skills, which are very
predicted, don’t fret. There is still plenty for
Recruitment Officer, IBM
important skills for companies such
you to sell yourself on.
www.05.ibm.com/employment/uk
as IBM. However, be aware that many
companies may not allow you to defer a
Lindsay Hanson
• Lindsay Hanson, Director, resourcing
job offer and may want you to start in the
months following your graduation.
I was part of the hockey team at
Matters (sponsor of
www.1st-step.co.uk)
Sonia Bannon
college and university. Is it a good
idea to promote some of my extra
• Fiona McConnell, Graduate recruitment
Are employers more concerned with
curricula activities in my CV or
Consultant UK/IE Markets, Oracle
your degree classification or the
application form?
http://campus.oracle.com
subject matter of your degree?
Yes, if space allows. It also needs to be
It depends on the employer but at Oracle,
fairly recent. If it was too long ago, it is
• Peter Panayotou, Senior Consultant,
ideally, for the technical consulting roles
likely that there will be other content in
the Write Stuff
www.writestuff.co.uk
we do require you to have studied an IT
your CV that will be of more interest to the
subject, but for the sales and functional
employer. This information would normally
• Michelle Stevens, Graduate recruitment
consulting roles it would be preferable if
come under the heading of ‘Positions
account Manager, Dstl
you have studied a business, economics
of Responsibility’ within which you can
www.dstl.gov.uk/careers
or IT-related degree, but this is not
include any sporting activities, or indeed
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