5 steps to getting your first job in a startup straight from university

When you walk out of your last exam at uni, you might feel a big sense of relief. No more late night cramming sessions to endure or labour-intensive essays to produce. However, this feeling of liberation may be short lived when you start thinking about work. The pressure’s on to find a decent job and to start earning some much-needed money. This brief guide should help you to take your first steps along your career path.

1) Cast your net wide

To stand the best possible chance of landing a good position that’s suited to your degree, it’s important to cast your net wide. You can search for roles advertised on jobs sites, social media, networking sites, in newspapers and more. Also, if you’re interested in roles in a particular field, check out specialist recruitment websites. For example, if you’re looking for positions in science, technology, engineering or maths, you can take a look at STEM Graduates.

By making sure you explore all possible avenues, you minimise the risk that great opportunities will pass you by.

2) Be prepared to move

It also helps to be prepared to move to find roles. By considering job opportunities elsewhere around the country, or even the world, you can dramatically increase the number of jobs you can apply for. Being brave in this way may help to jumpstart your career.

3) Polish your CV

Before you start firing CVs off to prospective employers, make sure you have honed this document. Bear in mind that the jobs market of today is a competitive place and employers often sift through reams of resumes to find the candidates they’re looking for. Your CV should be succinct, accurate and well-written. It’s also worth tailoring the document to suit specific roles. This will require some extra time and effort, but it could make the difference between landing an interview or not.

4) Spend time on your applications

On a related point, make sure you spend enough time on your applications. Rushing this process and completing applications at the last minute is a mistake.

5) Prepare thoroughly for interviews

Once you reach the interview stage, preparation is a must – and plenty of it. It’s important to spend time researching the organisation in question and you should also rehearse answers to common interview questions. Think up some queries of your own to ask the interviewers at the end of the session too. This will show initiative. Of course, it’s also vital that you look the part for your interviews. Creased shirts and scuffed shoes are a big no no.