What really helps get a graduate job now?

[billymean]

It seemed a lot easier back in my day.

What are "top" grad recruiters looking for now? It sounds like quite a lot are university blind. Do A Level grades still matter?

Clearly once one gets an interview it's about skills and competencies but what do grad recruiters or their algorithms filter candidates out or in for?

All the graduates applying for these jobs will have good academics. The things that make candidates stand out is what else they do outside of academia: hobbies, interests and work experience. Do they do something to show that they work well in a team (eg team sports, music, drama), something to show they are ambitious and driven (eg compete for a prize, so something unusual), something to show they are hard working etc etc. it also gives them something to talk about an interviews. No one wants to ask about what modules you studied for your history degree, but they'll ask about the band you joined, the play you directed, the volunteering you do or the sport you compete in.

DH works for quite a bit global supply company and takes on grads most years. DS1 is at Uni, hoping to get into a similar industry, so this is a popular conversation in our house!

DH says he looks for people who offer something more than a degree , showing team skills is good (like someone said before, a ref/umpire) , holding a part time job during Uni , volunteering etc.

DS has just managed to get himself voted into the Rugby League Committee as the Welfare Officer for next year which is good. He is hoping to get Finance officer the following year - he'd like to get into finance

A good number of places on our grad scheme are already filled before we even open for applications as we offer places to people who have done well on our summer or sandwich year internships.

My partner is a graduate recruiter, there are so many 1:1s that it is not enough any more.
the CVs they receive go through a algorithm first. Certain CV builders mask information when put through an algorithm so their advice is to build the CV yourself.

the ones that get to interviews are the ones that write cover letters that convey their passion for the role including links to the companies strategy and values.

you need to treat applying for graduate positions as a full time job and personalise each application.

I interview for our graduation scheme every year.

Relevant CV and degree experience will get you an interview. We tend to interview widely as we understand the lack of experience in writing applications etc. But if the application asks for a cover letter, write one! And make it specific.

Then, "practice practice practice* competency based interviews (STAR technique etc). That's the biggest thing that lets grads down. I can't give them marks if they don't say it. Also, particularly boys, show some bloody enthusiasm. I know you are "too cool" but if you've been on a train for 5 hours to get here then why are you afraid of showing you want the job? And have some questions prepared to ask yourself.

Then, if there is a group exercise, make sure you say something and contribute. We aren't just looking for "leaders", in fact being too pushy is a negative. We want someone who listens well, contributes with value and takes others suggestions on board. We're looking for a personality we want to work with and can teach.

At the end of they day, academics get you through the door, but on the assessment day, who you are as a person is much more important at grad level

It’s interesting that many of you are saying you have so many applications that you can pick and choose the very best candidates, yet I read every week that there is a skills shortage and employers can’t find enough good people.

These cannot both be true, surely.

Work experience; doesn’t have to be worthy, unpaid experience in a relevant sector, any paid employment is good!

Saturday jobs, bar work; if you’ve worked your way up to supervisor/key holder etc, even better.

I work in a highly-prized graduate sector and assist in graduate selections. Nobody really wants a grad who hasn’t had any form of employment at all and has to be socialised into the world of work completely, even though this isn’t a formal requirement to apply.

If you were really ‘lucky that your parents supported you through uni so you didn’t have to find a job’, then we’d be looking for some voluntary experience.

And YY to contributing in group discussions if you get to assessment day stage. We can’t assess you if you don’t say anything…

There’s a huge amount of graduates, we get over 100 applications for each graduate job. But the shortage we have is skilled people with 5 years+ experience. We can’t run on just graduates, we need people with experience too. It’s partly a knock on from the last financial crash where recruitment was frozen for years. There’s only so many graduates we can take on with a shortage of people to supervise and train them, and do the higher work.

That's interesting, thank you.

Mind you, there seem to be a lot of older people who feel they have been thrown on the scrap heap, and have given up trying to find a new job as they are also receiving endless rejections for job applications.