This document outlines a multi-step process for university students and graduates to land a job upon graduation. The process includes developing an employability plan, assessing skills, gaining relevant work experience, networking, optimizing profiles on websites like LinkedIn, writing strong resumes and cover letters, practicing interviews, and negotiating salary. Case studies are provided of graduates who used this process to secure a job in their field. Students are guided through each step from freshman year of university through securing post-graduation employment.
2. What to do
D
uring Your
U
niversity
Years so You’ll Land a Job Upon
Graduation and Escape Post-
graduation Unemployment.
2
3. MY PRACTICAL
EMPLOYABILITY IDEAS
ON GRADUATES’ JOURNEY
TOWARD LANDING JOBS UPON
GRADUATION.
Here are the practical steps I have used
to work with students at all levels (be it PhD,
MSc/MBA,BSc)whosignupfortheemployability
skills development programme at Norwood
Employability,whichcancontinuerightfromthe
start of their degree programme to graduation.
This programme has supported trainees who
havenowtakenuprolesinfinance&business,IT,
government, healthcare, science & technology
and other sectors.
Here’s a typical case study of how my process was aplied to land
a graduate a job. CLICK HERE.
The Journey
Do you want to know the exact steps to
take while you’re still in school to prepare
well for the job market?
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4. It is packed with the actionable
steps to take systematically to
achieve your career goal. This PLAN
came from the results of listening to and
working with students and unemployed
graduates in the last 36 months.
A Case Study
Heres a typical case study of how my process was applied to land
a graduate job. CLICK HERE
The goal of this PLAN is holding your
hand from when you’re saying, “I
don’t know what I would do with my
degree”, perhaps as a fresh university
candidate, right to when it would
deliver a job offer letter in your
hand.
Why This Training?
My Goal
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5. We start with an initial
consultation during which a
candidate decides the real-world job
role they wish to specialise in: e.g. As
a BUSINESS ANALYST; or a project
manager,or an automation/process
engineer, etc. We usually begin with the
question of “What Can I Do With My
Degree ?”
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree
I follow this up by drawing an
employabilityplan,orstrategy,for
the next 6-36 months depending on
a candidate’s situation or programme.
What Job Role?
Work with a Plan
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6. I assess and direct the candidate
on the appropriate training to
enroll where there’s a need for the
person to do so; in the example
cited above, the person can
take a business analysis
short training course (on
her preferred schedule). The
person will be learning to use, and
ultimately master, the software
tools used in her target role.
Your Skills Assessment
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7. I then show the person how to build
professional relatioships with
practitioners in their chosen job
role. This will include advice on how to
put together email ‘connection’ requests
and polite folow-up messages and how to
contribute to the network.
For the next step, I'll show
the trainee how to join small job
referral networks related to the career area
they’re aspiring to, which will lead to job
opportunities later.
Networking, Networking,
Networking!
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8. Next,wecovermethodstokeepadding
value for the people with whom
they’re building a professional
relationship. I’ve explained in my 2018
LinkedIn article listed in this annexure
my eleven ways to keep adding value to a
professional network regularly, ensuring one
doesn’t come across as a redundant member,
‘taker’ or ‘exploiter’.
From the example in No. 1 above,
the person will be learning how
she will make, and nurture, a
network that will support her once
she is ready to take up her role as a
business analyst.
Networking
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9. I show how to seek and get practical
work or project experience. This may
be a placement or internship or volunteering in
anappropriate business or ‘Insight Weeks’. In
our example, the person will look to gain useful
experience as a business analyst.
NOTE: Work experience
is always critical; this will
differentiatetheperson from
those without experience
when applying for a job!
Seek and Get Work
Experience
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10. At this point, if this is what the person
wants, I can encourage them to
gain appropriate professional
certifications for the role they
wish to pursue. In our example, a
business analysis certification exam (such
as the British Computer Society’s) would be
perfect.
This significantly increases the
candidate’s credibility. Now,
they’ll be better ready to
apply for jobs (even if they
haven't yet received all the levels of
the professional certifications).
Becoming a
Professional
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11. My focus here is on the concept that every CV bullet point should
include reference to specific “transferable skills”, “technical
knowledge” and “quantifiable results”.
A winning CV must have elements of the “WOW FACTOR”.
That is, it must have demonstrable evidence of having increased
sales, reduced costs, or saved money.
Taken initiative, resolved an issue, or pursued new
opportunities.
Built relationships, motivated others, or increased
performance.
Saved time, processed information or implemented
procedures effectively in previous roles that are similar
orrelatedtothecurrentvacancyapersonwillbeapplying
for.
Your CV, LinkedIn Profile & Others
How to write a winning CV that front-loads
quicklythecandidates’mostvaluableskills(CORE
COMPETENCIES) and profile summary as well
as cover letters.
I also Help With
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12. How to raise someone’s LinkedIn profile to a
professional level, and how to use shared connections
to optimise job referral networks.
We work together to:
Optimize the LinkedIn profile to a professional level -
Add to the headline their prospective job title(s);
Re-write profile summary to take advantage of LinkedIn
optimisation tools;
Add many beautiful pictures to the listed activities; add
professional or affiliate groups;
Re-write the activities carried out in former jobs so that they reflect
transferable skills, technical knowledge and quantifiable results
achieved and not merely highlighting RESPONSIBILITIES.
Profile & Others
I’ll give the trainee templates of the polite wordings to use as emails to
send to the professionals and email tracker tools.
How to set up job alerts on Google.
How to use keywords from a job description to tweak every CV
bullet point whenever someone is applying for a new position, so it can
pass the jobs applicant tracking system (including advice on how to
determine what the keywords are).
How to follow up job applications.
Interview preparations and post-interview analysis.
Provision of examples and templates to amend to suit one’s situations.
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13. What’s Your Value
Validation Project
Teach how to write brief commercial researchpapers, in fields
of which a person has little or no experience. This skill alone
would demonstrate to prospective employer a candidate’s
potential for insights and problem-solving and often opens
opportunities to have closer audiences with decision-makers in
any organisations of interest.
Give the trainee tips on how to build, and keep
building, a CV over time while undergoing their
study.
I show principles of accessing the
‘hidden job market’ (which
now represents around
80% of all available jobs).
Your Work In-Progress CV
The Hidden
Job Market
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14. Teach the principles of negotiating
the first salary to get an increase of
between 5 and 15 percent from what
was offered on the original offer letter,
which the trainee wouldn’t get without
this knowledge
Finally, I show other post-employment
tips, such as negotiation skills to help
candidates gain promotions faster than
others. These will keep them at the top
of their game!
Here’s a typical case study of how my process was applied to land
a graduate a job. CLICK HERE
Always Negotiate
Your Salary
Moving Forward
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17. 17
RESOURCES
My CV Writing Article
What You Must Do to Get A Well-Paid Job Upon
Graduation Part 1 of 3
A Collection of my 50 Articles & Posts (2018)
A Collection of some of my Articles & Posts (2019)
www.norwoodemployability.com
