Careers Christmas playlist University of Manchester Careers Blog

Careers Christmas playlist I’ll be driving home for Christmas next week (well my brother in law will be) and as we head back up the A1 we are sure to be blasting out the Christmas tunes!  It’s become a bit of a Christmas tradition as has my annual Christmas   themed blog. This year I thought I would combine the two and create my own Christmas themed careers playlist  Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer  Santa appreciated Rudolf’s red nose, in fact he couldn’t have done his job without it. In the same way employers are looking for people who stand out from the crowd but unlike the song employers aren’t going to approach you (out of the fog) instead the onus   you to demonstrate that you the right candidate for the job.   To do this you’ll need to tailor each CV or application you write, making sure that you highlight all the skills and experiences listed on the job descriptions. It’s unlikely that many employers will want you to have a red nose unless the jobs in the North Pole ….. All I Want For Christmas Is You It’s a little known fact that Mariah uses these lyrics in every job application she makes.   OK so that might not technically be true (How many job applications do you think Ms Carey has had to complete?) but if she did she’s certainly doing the right thing.  Everyone loves a compliment and employers are no different.  Employers want to know why you want to work for them, why they attracted you, what made them stand out and why they are special. Try to avoid using cliches such as ‘I’ve always wanted to work for you’ they will have heard this 100s of times.   Instead do your research, find out about the organisations values do they align with you own and if so how? Does the culture of the company attract you? You can find out more about how to do this by using our Covering Letter Guide. Last Christmas Just like being dumped  not being successful at an interview can be difficult to come to terms with.   However just like after a break up its important to remember that there are plenty more fish (or in this case employers) in the sea. To get over the disappointment start by reminding yourself that even   getting to the interview stage was a success as to be invited the employer must have been impressed by your application . See   the interview   you had as a learning experience- youll now have better idea of what to expect next time. You can also learn from the employer by asking them for feedback on why you were not successful. Although it may be difficult to hear hearing where/what you need to improve on will enable you to rectify it before your next interview. Do They Know Its Christmas? Charles Dickens got it wrong. The real Scrooge isn’t Ebenezer its actually graduate recruiters! There a still a number of graduate schemes yet to close before the end of December. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been naughty or nice this year when it comes to graduate recruitment there is no rest for the wicked (sorry)! To make life a little bit easier my colleague Hannah has compiled a list grad scheme closing dates. It’ll Be Lonely This Christmas Well here at the Careers Service we might be! Christmas vacation is always a quiet time for us here at the Careers Service as many students head home. If you’re a recent graduate why not take advantage and book a careers appointment it could be a great start to the New Year. Don’t worry if you no longer in the Manchester area you can book a telephone Skype appointment. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Finally from everyone here at the Careers Service Merry Christmas and a happy new year! All Graduate Graduate-highlighted