Archive for the ‘careers advice’ category

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Networking: create your own opportunities – guest blog

March 1st, 2012

Written by resident guest blogger, Danielle Furbert.

Ever heard the saying “it’s who you know, not what you know” – well this statement pretty much sums up the advantages that can come as a result of networking. Many of you have probably heard the term ‘networking’ on numerous occasions, however some of us may not fully understand the importance of it and have the tools to essentially know how to network.

One of the main reasons networking is so important is because of the numerous opportunities it presents. These opportunities range from meeting new people, learning new information, potential job or internship prospects and so on. Knowing the right people and knowing what they know, can lead you to many successes in both the near and far future during your lifetime.

However, it is important that you understand that networking is not simply about meeting someone and expecting something in return. It will not automatically get you a job and you should never feel a sense of entitlement from the people with whom you are networking with. Networking is a give and take process, and it is about building, maintaining and fostering relationships and constantly keeping the lines of communication open, so that the potential for new opportunities remains. Relationship building is an ongoing process, and it is how you build this relationship that is the key to successful networking.

For those of you who have ever interned, volunteered or worked for organisations, the biggest piece of advice I can give is to network with the people who you have met. Many companies have an ‘our team’ page on their website. Read employees bios and any articles, blogs, presentations, speeches they have done. Reach out to these individuals, by either emailing them or adding them as a LinkedIn connection and make an introduction of yourself, expressing your interests and career aspirations. Don’t be afraid to ask them if they would be willing to meet with you and have a chat. This is how you can build relationships.

With the growth of the internet and social media, networking becomes both an online and offline experience. The availability of information about people can be easily accessed across the internet. Whether you are building or maintaining a relationship, the internet has changed the way we can network and enhanced the offline experience.

LinkedIn is a fantastic tool that can and should be used to both build and nurture relationships in the virtualenvironment. It provides a way for you to brand yourself and create a unique identity. If you haven’t already, create a profile on LinkedIn and begin by adding your career objectives, education, work experience and so forth.

Ways to use LinkedIn:

• Search for companies that specialise is the area you want to start your career in and follow them
• Join groups that engage students and graduates, as well as those that cater to your career goals and engage in conversation with group members
• Find people that you want to connect with by looking at their educational and professional background in order to find out how they got to where they are today
• Contact those individuals and them ask questions and advice; show an interest in what they have done, as well as your personal enthusiasm for the career sector you’ve chosen.

Connecting with people online is an amazing opportunity for students and graduates due to the amount of people you can reach. However, while having an online experience is important, I must stress that the offline networking experience is and will always be just as significant. At the end of the day, face to face communication will always be valued and will often strengthen a relationship even more than a virtual one.

There are many ways to effectively network offline. For students and graduates, the best offline networking includes university fairs and events held specifically for networking purposes. These events give you an opportunity to verbally engage in conversation with people in a professional environment. It is also a way for you to present your personal characteristics such as your passion, charisma and dedication to gain experience that will help you on your career journey. Whatever your strengths may be an in person conversation is the perfect way to show these off.

While engaging in conversation with people, make sure you have your CV and personal business cards in hand. These are tools that will reinforce your brand image. You can also include your LinkedIn account on your CV and business cards, as a way to reinforce your eagerness to maintain communication. Ensure that you also receive personal business cards from individuals with whom you have networked with. It is crucial that you follow up with these individuals after the events. For example send them an email thanking them for taking the time to speak with you, ask if you can meet with them in person; anything that keeps the communication going. It is not enough to simply exchange information once. People will forget who you are unless you reach out to them and maintain conversation with them.

For students and graduates, networking is an important tool to use when trying to reach your career goals. Networking is all about engaging in conversation and building relationships that can and will in turn create new relationships and opportunities. It is up to you to put yourself out there and take the next step in building your personal network. You never know where you might end up as result of who you know.

If you have any questions for Danielle get in contact with her through her Twitter account @DFurbert

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5 tips for becoming more employable – guest blog

February 24th, 2012

Written by guest blogger, Remi.

Job-hunting and the application process itself can be very daunting and tiresome after many applications and unsuccessful outcomes. You may think you have done everything right such as getting your CV and covering letter checked, along with doing your research on the company but that is never enough.

To get a job in this current economic climate, you have to work harder, which can seem like a job in itself. You have to stand out by improving your employability.

Here are some ways to make yourself more employable:

1. Gain more work experience by finding other routes into the company or career of your choice. This can show how versatile you are at work and in your CV, particularly when transferring your skills and excelling in a non-related field. There is also a great chance that you may be offered a more permanent position at the company. Work experience through internships are key to employment and building up your work experience can bring you closer to getting your dream job.

i.            If you are interested in marketing, the Get Into Marketing website offers various routes to help you discover marketing, improve your employability, grant you access to useful resources, and keep you updated with news and events.

ii.            Working for an SME rather than a large company can help you end up with the career you desire. Research conducted by Iconnyx emphasises the potential job opportunities available within SMEs.

iii.            Make use of social media. A recent article I read, ‘Land your dream job by developing your social media presence’, is a very helpful guide and definitely worth a read! Stand out from the crowd and use social media to help you become more employable.

2. Further your education by undertaking postgraduate study.  It is extremely beneficial in giving you a competitive edge over other job applicants. You could also consider home learning as an alternative.

3. Research the professional body for the career you are interested in and become a member. For example, if you are interested in pursuing a marketing career, the professional body for marketing is The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and it offers various membership types; so do The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) which is the global body for professional accountants.

4. Practice plenty of online tests and prepare for assessment centres and interviews; this might seem like a given but it is very easy to think you’re ready, become over-confident and mess up.

5. There are many opportunities available to work abroad. Research by the Graduate Barometer shows that 50% of UK graduates are considering working abroad. ‘i-to-i’ offers courses and jobs teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) in other countries. There are also tips on how to survive abroad with a TEFL job, and advice on the cheapest countries for teaching English.

Written by guest blogger, Remi. Follow her on Twitter @Remi_S_ and read her blog at http://graduatesintherealworld.wordpress.com/ for more insights and useful resources for graduates and students.

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Unemployment: the perfect excuse to make yourself more employable – guest blog

January 27th, 2012

Guest blog by Nell Fane.

Internships are the key to pimping up your CV, which is the key to getting a job: everyone knows it, so everyone is constantly reiterating it.

But what happens when your CV isn’t pimped up enough to get you that initial internship?  What then?  Well, the answer is basically that you’re not supposed to sit around moping.  You’re supposed to be proactive about it, and to sort-of createyour own skill-acquiring internship.

That’s what a friend of mine did.  He was turned down by a couple of companies for a few summer internships that he really wanted, and instead of taking it personally, he just decided to bring a little idea he had into existence, and set up his OWN company.  And he was subsequently forced to learn all those skills he would have been spoon-fed over the course of the internship, the hard way.  And with this, the amazing www.unisportonline.co.uk was born.

I’m obviously not suggesting that all the unemployed people out there should set up companies willy-nilly; only that no one should just wait for something to come to them.  People should be practical, and in the midst of sending out their applications, they should keep challenging themselves and adding to their skill-set.

I know that sounds a little bit geeky, but all our lives – up until the time of graduation – we are forced to study.  We have to keep learning in order to get by, and so we do.  But, once exams and compulsory education are all over, it’s just so easy to stop learningand furthering ourselves.  ‘I’m not being tested on it, so why should I bother learning it?’ becomes a popular mantra.

The thing is, that’s just crazy.  Who on earth wants to employ some 2-dimensional graduate who doesn’t want to better themselves now that they’re not being forced to do so?  Very few employers.

So in the gap between university and employment, between internship and next internship, or just in your school holidays, you’ve got to get skill-acquiring!  Teach yourself a new language using tapes, go to magic classes, master the art of spreadsheets, or sit down with a book and learn to write short-hand.  You could even set off on an adventure; travel, become independent, write, and fine-tune your photography skills!

At this point, people always say (understandably) ‘but what about my CV? If I just jet off on a holiday, employers will think I’m a dosser’.  I fell into this trap too, until I was hoisted out of it and lectured by my entrepreneur-of-a-big-sister.  I have subsequently been totally indoctrinated.  I’ve learnt that as long as you think you’d be able to justify your actions to an interviewer, or explain why you travelled for three months (and what you’ve learnt in the process), you can do it.  Soon you’ll find yourself stuck in a job, doing the same thing every day, and you’ll never get the chance to pick up such a wide variety of skills and hobbies again.

Ultimately, I suppose what I’m saying is that unemployment will only be boring and unproductive if you decide you’re going to let it be boring and unproductive.  You need to use your time wisely, and stick to the mission statement: ‘I’m going to make myself even more employable’.  That way, every day you are out of an internship, or jobless, you will feel you’re being productive, and thus making yourself more irresistible to employers.  Which will mean you’ll smile more, which will also make you more employable!!

So here are a few hints and tips about brilliant courses and things to do to ‘fill that gap’.  It’s by no means extensive, but it should help to get your juices flowing:

  • Teach yourself a language: there are lots of different online language courses, so just pick one and have a go! Languages are the key to everything, so if you manage to teach yourself even the basics in a new language, the world will be your oyster. Check out www.bbc.co.uk/languages or www.learnalanguage.com, if you’re looking for a place to start…
  • Become an au pair: sign up to www.greataupair.com, or one of the other au pairing sites, create a profile, and become an au pair in a foreign country!! That way you can escape the UK, you’ll learn independence and responsibility, AND you’ll end up mastering a new language.  Total immersion in a foreign culture: amazing, and something you rarely get a chance to do.
  • Complete an inspirational course whilst on holiday, with www.golearnto.com.  A bit more expensive than some, but worth it if you can!
  • COOK!  Everyone needs to learn how to cook, and there are hundreds of courses across the country, spanning from day-long to year-long.  And who knows, doing a cooking course and nurturing a passion might lead to a big fat career change!  Or, if you don’t want to spend a penny, then follow some online recipes and videos, and teach yourself to be a master chef.
  • Go abroad, and teach English as a foreign language.  Check out www.tefl.com for more information… This could end up being your only chance to live in Africa, or Peruor anywhere for a prolonged period of time.  And teaching will help you to discover hundreds of new skills you never realised you had!
  • Complete a free, online touch-typing course:  there are so many different courses to choose from – from www.typeonline.co.uk to www.goodtyping.com – so have a browse, and pick the one which you think might suit you best.  Being able to touch-type is a massive selling point.
  • Set up a blog on www.blogspot.com, and fine-tune your writing.  Once you’re pleased with your standard, and have found your own style, then start entering writing competitions, or sending in articles to magazines.  Everyone needs to be able to write, and once you’re a fully competent and disciplined writer, nothing will stop you!
  • Teach yourself History of Art, or Politics, or Maths, or a subject you didn’t study at school or university, but which interests you.  Borrow books from the library, and totally immerse yourself in your studies.  Or, even better, focus on your perfect job, and think about the skills you might need to get it.  If it involves marketing, for example, then read books on marketing!  Work towards becoming their perfect candidate.
  • If you’re searching for work-experience, then do not underestimate the power of the start-up company.  At a ‘start-up’, you’ll be given a lot more responsibility,so it’s sort-of like taking a course in itself.  You’ll feel much more valued, and although they might not be a ‘big name’ in the world of business quite yet, you will learn infinite amounts from small businesses: things that yearsworking at a large company may never give you.

Just stay positive, remain proactive, and don’t allow the media – and all the incredibly negative unemployment coverage they’ve been dishing out – bring you down.  Focus on acquiring your new skills, and soon you’ll have your feet firmly on the career ladder, ready to march right to the top.

Check out Nell’s blog nellfane.wordpress.com and follow her on Twitter @NellFane

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On the doorstep to the real world – guest blog

January 23rd, 2012

Written by guest blogger and English language student at the University of York, Laura Reynolds.

Like many final year undergraduates the length and breadth of the country, I am now in my final term of teaching at university before the endless partying, lengthy lie-ins and automatically replenished bank account give way to the real world. Now that we have leapt across the border into 2012, graduation seems so much closer, and so I fear it is time to start preparing for the world of work.

Here are a few tips to help prepare yourself for the scary world of full-time employment, to help anyone else who finds themselves in the same (rapidly sinking) boat:

  • Get into a proper routine. This means getting up at 7.30am on weekdays, no excuses, and being ready to face the world. Start getting into this painful routine now, and in a few months time, you’ll be able to walk into your graduate internship or job bright eyed and bushy tailed, rather than struggling to hold your eyes open because you’ve never seen 9am before. You may think that you don’t have a reason to get up at this time, but it’s a good time to get the mundane chores out of the way before the day begins.
  • Focusing on work 9-5 every week day. No more sneaky trips into town to reward yourself in Topshop or Game when the reading gets tough,  it’s all hard graft in the library during normal working hours. This will get you into the regular habit of enduring 9-5 hours so that they aren’t such a shock when they arrive, plus you will be able to enjoy your evenings guilt-free, knowing how much work you’ve put into your degree during the day.
  • Forget fancy frock, redirect your (limited) clothing budget towards items that are work-appropriate. A bit tough when you don’t know where (or even if) you’ll be working in 7 months time, so go for generic smart trousers and shirts that are appropriate for all office jobs, working under the mantra that it’s better to be overdressed than underdressed (at least your employer knows that you are taking your job seriously, and you can alter your wardrobe accordingly once you’ve got a feel for the office-and your first paycheck!).
  • Start saving! If you’ve already got a job lined up, you’re sorted. If you haven’t, you won’t need to be told how hard it is to get a job-any job- in this day and age. It’s a harsh truth that you may be unemployed for months before landing a job, and it won’t be fun not being able to join your friends on nights out celebrating when they land a job, just because of your lack of funds.
  • Start researching-not only potential dream jobs, but anything else you may be interested in doing as a stop-gap until your dream job becomes available/your application is successful. If you have considered other options, you will be more prepared to adapt your CV accordingly if a relevant job is advertised.

Follow Laura on Twitter @scribbling_lau or read her personal blog here: http://scribblinglau.blogspot.com/

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Have you considered boosting your career with sales experience?

January 13th, 2012

Amongst many graduates a career in sales has a mixed reputation.  This blog aims to demonstrate to you the fact that a career in sales can be very rewarding both financially and in terms of career progression.

Sales is as much as about understanding clients and managing their requirements as it is closing a deal; key skills when it comes to running and understanding a business. The most successful sales people will listen to their customer’s problems and opportunities and respond with creative and intelligent solutions that solve said problems and provide a win-win situation for both parties.

But enough jargon. We caught up with Les, the Sales Director & Co-Founder at a Deloitte Fast 500 media company (and one of our biggest clients), to hear his opinions on the topic.  Les has 33 years of sales experience and has helped graduates with no sales experience at all become successful in their sales career.

To sum up his feelings on the importance of sales in general, Les said that, “without sales on the top line there are no lines or figures. A company is its sales line and nothing would happen without first a sale.”  He goes on to say that he believes “everyone is in sales, most just don’t realise it, and everyone is capable of selling, but they just don’t realise it.”

  • Do you feel your sales experience has helped achieve success / your ambitions?
    Without a doubt. Sales people have the ability to ultimately earn more than anyone else and no company survives or thrives without sales taking place.  Good sales people are never out of work and always in demand.
  • How important is sales experience to understanding business?
    Without sales – there is no business; it is the line of figures that drives all other figures and metrics below in any business.
  • How highly do you value sales experience when hiring new team members?
    Our current leading sales person had nearly zero experience, as did many. Companies may think experience is what counts, (and it can help) but it is figures on the board that count.
  • What attributes do you look for in graduates looking to gain sales experience?
    Attitude, desire, ambition, determination, ingenuity and the ability to listen, learn and put what they have learnt into practice.

A sales career can lay the groundwork for a progressive career, give you key insights into the way a business works, you can have fun and make lots of money at the same time. In fact, many high-powered positions within larger corporations deem sales experience a prerequisite to apply. Fancy gaining some sales experience? You can check out our sales vacancies here.

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Our 10 most popular blog posts of 2011

December 29th, 2011

As the end of the year fast approaches, we would like to give you a quick run down of our best blog posts of 2011.

Take a look below for our most viewed blogs of this year combining a variety of topics including; graduate and student news, current affairs, careers advice, case studies and all topped off with some Inspiring office antics.

1. The weirdest job interview questions

Do you have an interview coming up and have no clue what they are going to ask you? Find out the oddest interview questions that have been used by some of the biggest multi-national companies. Read more

2. Why National Minimum Wage does not mean a fair deal for interns

Nick Clegg launched his social mobility strategy this year and announced that the Government would be doing more to ensure internships are open for all.  We give our opinions on the importance of raising the standards of internships for all but why enforcing NMW for every single internship is neither appropriate nor necessarily beneficial for interns themselves. Read more

3. 9 ways to beat those ‘graduate blues’

Are you at the stage between leaving university and finding out what you want to do next and feeling slightly lost? Here are 9 tips on how to deal with this normal reaction to graduating from university. Read more

4. What is a Digital Marketing Executive?

Companies are increasingly realising the importance of digital marketing in enhancing their business thus creating many new career paths and job titles. We catch up with a digital marketing intern Joe Kiddle to find out what the role entails. Read more

5. A graduate guide to LinkedIn

LinkedIn serves as an online CV and allows you to connect with friends, colleagues and companies in professional capacity.  The value of LinkedIn is immeasurable however it is not being used effectively enough by graduates during the job hunt. This blog post offers advice on how to set up your own LinkedIn account and how to actively update it. Read more

6. Graduate unemployment figures highest in over a decade

It was reported back in January that one in five of those who have left university in the past year are unable to find work within six months. The report from the Office for National Statistics suggests graduates have been hit hardest by the economic downturn. Read more

7. The big office move!

This year we said a sad farewell to our old office and moved down the road to our new headquarters. We documented the move in pictures from the emptying of the old office to the building of the new. Have a nose through the final office pictures here.

8. The alternative to graduate schemes 2011

Graduate schemes are highly desirable for many university leavers and there are plenty of benefits if you are accepted onto one. However, with record numbers of students graduating this year, competition for these schemes is high. We have put together some alternative ways to land a graduate job that can be an equally, if not more, rewarding step onto the career ladder. Read more

9. Graduates are working in low skilled jobs

It was reported earlier this year that university leavers are increasingly taking menial jobs that do not require a degree.  New statistics published by the Association of Accounting Technicians reveals that 40% of last year’s graduates are ‘underemployed’ in lower-skilled jobs six months after leaving university. Read More

10. Cheap and cheerful Christmas presents – guest blog

One of our guest bloggers, Sara Royle offers her tips on how to buy Christmas presents on a minimal budget ensuring your nearest and dearest get lovely gifts, and that you can still afford to pay that dreaded winter heating bill. Useful if you need a late present! Read More

Happy New Year from the Inspiring Team!

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A very merry Christmas from Inspiring

December 23rd, 2011

As we all prepare for the festive period many job seekers take a break from the hunt in December due to the distraction of holiday plans and Christmas parties. This is precisely why this time of year can be a great time to find a job. Resist the urge to take a long break under the assumption that no-one is hiring during the holidays. With plenty of opportunities still out there but many people starting afresh in the New Year, you will beat the January rush by applying now.

Therefore it is important to use the holidays productively so that you don’t miss out on any available opportunities. As well as applying for vacancies you should use the time to research and re-evaluate what you want in a job and updating and targeting your CV. Develop an active social media presence and keep up-to-date with any industry developments. Remember to use holiday parties to practice the golden rule of job hunting: networking. Whether it is a partner’s Christmas work do, a family get together or a New Year’s Eve gathering, network and introduce yourself to people you might not otherwise have a chance to meet.  Don’t forget to keep an eye on your emails and keep your phone close to hand in case a potential employer wants to get in touch.

Most importantly – enjoy the holidays with friends and family, relax and re-charge those batteries.

Have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The Inspiring Team

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Consolidate your skills with an IT internship

December 20th, 2011

Many graduates undertake internships to gain a better understanding of what industry they would like to work in. Most IT graduates, however, will have a firm idea of the sector they want to move into because they have studied a vocational subject.

You might then wonder why an IT or a computer science graduate might undertake an internship. We caught up with Amit Lalani (AL), a University of Westminster graduate in Information Systems, and Jared Johnson (JJ), who graduated in Computer Science from the University of Brighton, to find out how their internships – which they found through Inspiring Interns – helped them start their working lives.  Amit has completed an internship at an exciting start-up operating in the high-end travel and tourism market and as a result earned himself a graduate job at the same company.  Jared is currently undertaking an internship in web development for a cutting-edge software company.

Hi Amit and Jared, thanks for talking to us. Firstly, did you work on one specific project during your internship or on lots of different areas?

AL: As the company I interned with was a start-up, I was involved in different areas of the business. This ranged from supporting users on IT-related issues to writing small scripts to enhance the experience of the user. Every day was different.

JJ: I currently have no specific project in my internship, however I will be working on a Sainsbury’s project in the new year.

Amit, did your internship help you secure a permanent graduate job?

AL: Yes, my internship gave me a chance to showcase my skills, which contributed to me being offered a full time role by the company.

To what extent have you used the skills you learnt at university in the workplace (and have they developed during the internship)?

AL: As I was in an internship that required technical skills, the experience I gained at university helped ease the transition into the workplace. During the internship I got to communicate with a range of different people from various departments which helped me to develop my communication styles depending on the type of person I was talking to. Also, being involved in different aspects of the business gave me valuable experience into how the overall business operates.

JJ: I have not been using a lot of my skills from university, rather I have been learning new skills and programming languages such as XSL and the software which the company uses.

Aside from Inspiring Interns, where else did you look for internships / jobs?

AL: The usual places: Milkround, Totaljobs, Monster

JJ: I had interviews at several companies before coming to Inspiring Interns. However Inspiring Interns offered roles which were the best fit for my profile.

Thank you very much to Amit and Jared! If you are interested in doing a graduate IT internship then check out our vacancies here.

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How to move on from rejection – guest blog

December 14th, 2011

Written by guest blogger, Jenna Birks who blogs at Decent Online Presence and tweets @jenloubee

It’s a funny thing, rejection. It can set you back a long way. After spending many weeks in my final year of university, pointlessly applying to jobs that I was not qualified for and didn’t want to do, I finally came to realise that it is about the quality of your applications not the quantity. Each job application should be tailored, aimed specifically for that job role and emphasising exactly how you meet the person specification. I only apply to jobs now that I absolutely 100% want to be doing.

I know all the rules. I’ve applied to enough jobs by now to know exactly how it’s done. So when I applied for an internship at The Guardian I was incredibly hopeful that I would at least get an interview. Having received the generic rejection email a few days ago, it’s clear that I did not. The email states that I am unable to reply, and unable to ask for feedback – leaving me with no idea where I went wrong. Obviously, as we all keep hearing, the jobs are very competitive, but you have to wonder what it is that is making other people stand out when you get overlooked?

During an assessment day at an advertising agency last year, us interviewees were waiting to go in for our second interview when the conversation got round to what other interviews everyone had coming up. It was graduate scheme season in advertising, and we were all comparing applications and stand-out tricks. I remember this one girl telling me that she had got an interview by sending her application by courier, in a shoe box with an old shoe so that – and I quote – she could at least get her foot in the door. Now, if I were a recruiter, that would scream cliché, desperation as well as the fact that the girl is obviously rich enough to send every job application hand-delivered by courier. But hey, it’s not my advertising agency.

But, not every recruiter would have given shoe-girl (as I so fondly call her) an interview, and not every interviewer will want to see a job application that perfectly presents and ticks every box of the job description. Maybe in a bid to show off my skills and make them obvious and clear to potential employers, I have made applying for jobs a science, stupidly believing that I have found the formula that will get me interviews. But it’s not that simple, really, or we’d all be doing it.

In the end, I guess that’s the point. The graduate job market is tough, and as much as we don’t want to face this reality, there really are tens of people going for every job advertised. If everyone applied in the same precise and organised way that I did then it becomes much harder to distinguish between them. Job applications aren’t a science, they aren’t even an art or a talent. Ultimately, they are down to luck.

You need to be lucky to have figured out exactly what skills the job really requires. Lucky to have that little bit of previous experience that you happened to mention to tick that invisible extra box. Lucky to have the recruiter read your application just after their morning coffee, and just before reading all the others the same as yours. Lucky to have someone who finds you readable, who relates to your experience, who can follow and be drawn into your narrative. Or just lucky to have found someone that finds your old shoe-in-a-box routine original and enjoyable.

But if job hunting is just about luck, then shouldn’t we be trying to increase our odds? Surely we should play as many hands as possible, on the off-chance we might just get lucky. Logically, it makes a lot of sense, but I don’t think it’s the way to go. Better to play the hands we know, the ones we have faith in to do well and can follow through on even when the house raises the stakes. Gambling analogy-aside, it’s important that we keep focused and channel this passion and self-belief into our job search so that when we finally reach our goal, and finally find ourselves in a graduate job, that it is still absolutely the job we always wanted.

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What is the right mind set for an internship? – guest blog

December 9th, 2011

Guest post written by David Shindler, author of Learning to Leap, a Guide to Being More Employable.

“Mind set will often trump skills,” says John Reed, Chairman of the recruitment firm, Reed.

Exhibiting the right mind set, indeed, can turn a pedestrian CV — and interview — into a genuine opportunity for employment. But what is the right mind set? What are employers looking for — from you?

Positive attitude

Enthusiasm and a ‘can do’ attitude come from your personality, choosing your attitude and enjoying your job. Take initiative, empathise and see how to make things better.

Self-management

Employers want active people willing to take responsibility; self-starters who are assertive, flexible, resilient, balanced, reliable, able to juggle tasks, committed to their own development and presentable.

Teamwork

Knowing what good teamwork looks like–and how you can best contribute based on your strengths; co-operating, leading and following in order to deliver a professional service or product and enhance the customer experience.

Communication

Listening, questioning well to build rapport, empathy and productive relationships to achieve what the business requires.  Putting across your views coherently, fluently and confidently.  Producing clear, structured written work.

Using technology

Information/social communication tools, including word processing, spreadsheets, collaboration, mobiles, search engines and the Internet.  Embrace the digital revolution or become obsolete.

Solving problems

Analysing facts and situations; creative thinking and working collaboratively to develop solutions.   Creativity is applying your imagination – we all have one.

Knowing numbers

Quick mental calculations, estimating, how to work out a percentage instantly.  Applying basic numerical concepts to everyday life takes you a long way–understanding statistical significance is significant.

Business and customer awareness

A fundamental part of being employable is how well you manage your relationships with customers or users; align your mind set with the behaviour you want to present to a customer; look wider than your role.

Of course, not all of us are good at every skill set above. The secret is to “sell” what you’re good at before and during your internship — and articulate a willingness to learn those not yet mastered. Most important, you must convincingly show how your skill set will solve the problem of the employer — now and long-term.

Want more practical advice?

Next time an interviewer or your boss as an intern says, “Tell me about you..?” — instead of telling them where you live, went to school, or about your mates — start with this list of skill and mind sets, and show them you are employable!

David Shindler is the author of Learning to Leap, a Guide to Being More Employable.  An experienced coach, consultant and facilitator, David helps people at any life stage accelerate their employability.  He also owns the Employability Hub, an online social learning community where people share and learn about employability issues, runs the Learning to Leap LinkedIn group and Facebook page. Contact him for more details – tweet him or visit his website at www.employabilitycoaching.co.uk.

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