Newsletter

Exams are over, the loan's run out and another day of Loose Women and Noel Edmonds is likely to push you over the edge. What you need is a graduate job, but where do you start? No fear, the Graduates Yorkshire team are here to guide you with some great job hunting tips to get you get started!

• Update your Graduates Yorkshire account. Make sure your contact details are correct and that you've signed up to Jobs by Email to make sure you never miss out on the perfect opportunity!

• Update your CV. This and a spot on covering letter are the two things which really need to sell you to a future employer to secure you that all important job interview. Check out our tips here.

• Visit your Careers Service. There's loads of help and advice on offer as well as new initiatives to help graduates struggling to find work in the recession. The best way to find out about these is to ask the people who know - your University Careers Advisors !

• Get out there. Visit all the agencies on the high street and sign up. Job agencies don't always take on fresh graduates but if you've got some good work experience or have done a placement they may be able to help. By having your CV in as many places as possible you know you won't miss out on the perfect opportunity.

• Knock on doors. Get a whole load of CV's and covering letters printed off and pop into all the companies you've always wanted to work for! This works best with small companies who will see how keen you are and remember you when a job comes up. If you're not sure "just dropping by" is appropriate, then pick up the phone. Letters and emails can be impersonal and lack initiative, what employers want to see is passion, enthusiasm and graduates who will really fight for a job!

• Offer to work for free. If the company's not hiring, ask if you can do a few days work experience. Let's face it, all you've really got planned is a bit of Phil and Fern or an afternoon playing Champ Manager. A few days hard graft will do you no harm, look great on your CV and may even land you a permanent role. The company you volunteer with might not be hiring now but may do in the future or they may know a company who is.

• Consider all your options; further study, voluntary work, opportunities abroad, starting your own business. Again your Careers Service can tell you more.

"When I was initially looking for my first proper job, I was really picky for the first month but once money got a bit tight I realised I'd have to widen my options a bit. Eventually after about two and a half months of solid job hunting, calling agencies and redrafting my CV, I landed my first job!"

Amanda Sutliff, Sales Engineer, Gapi Ltd

 

"Roughly a month and a half once I'd actually started looking, though it felt a lot longer."

Jo, Graphic Designer, Sheffield Hallam University via Twitter.

"After completing an undergrad course in Economics and Publishing I really wanted to get into Journalism but I failed to even get called to interview for 2-3 months. However I had received useful feedback that my lack of a journalism qualification was the main stumbling block. During this time I booked myself onto a well respected but fast-track post graduate course in Leeds.

"I had great mentoring at Trinity and All Saints meaning I was able to find out about vacancies and receive advice on suitable roles. While I was on the course, I'd gained a job interview, got the job and joined the radio station Silk FM in Macclesfield soon after completing my exams. Not only was it a job, but I was one of the three Journalists employed for the station's launch."

Thomas Atcheson, PR Account Manager, Green Communications

 

"One year pretty much! Maybe actually 10 months. I was really keen to work in PR or marketing and the competition is really tough. I had to work really hard and gain loads of relevant work experience to land my role, but it was all worth it!"

Libby de Fraine, Marketing and Advertising Assistant, University of Sheffield Student Union

Wednesday 10 June 11am to 3:30pm
University of Leeds Sports & Exhibition Centre

Come on down to Yorkshire's biggest fair of the year! Held in Leeds this event is not to be missed. All the biggest graduate recruiters from across Yorkshire can be found in the Local Employer Zone, which us good folk at Graduates Yorkshire are sponsoring. You can meet over 80 organisations offering local and national vacancies, voluntary opportunities, further study and more, plus this year there will be loads of extras like careers advisors on hand to chat to about your options and an opportunity to get your CV checked.

To find out more check out the fairs website.

Exams are over, suns out, time to grab the bbq and some locally produced sausages! Why not try this great pitcher recipe too, made with none other than the finest Yorshire Tea it's a great summertime tipple to help you chill out after all those finals.

In a large pitcher full of ice mix:

One measure of dark rum

One measure of brandy

One measure of Triple sec

A glug of orange juice

A glug of Cola

A dash of lime juice

2 cups of cold Yorkshire Tea (without the milk!)

Best served with a wedge of lime and plenty of sun.

This recipe is about 6% alcohol so drink in moderation, and don't forget to alternate each glass with a softdrink. For drivers, make up an alcohol free batch to the same recipe minus the liqueur and don't forget to visit the Drink Aware website before embarking on any alcohol consumption at all!

So this summer could be officially your final summer of fun and they're saying it's gonna be a hot one so get out and enjoy the great things Yorkshire has on offer! Here's our top 5 things not to miss this year from across the region and some great links to what else is going on!

Festivals

Weekend@Last is a great little event for anyone who loves to see live bands in the sun but not the whole camping, weeing in a bush, not washing for a week thing! The bands are all a bit popesque and you may want to bring along your little sister but it's all good clean fun and for a great cause to boot. Catch it in Rotherham on the 10^th and 11^th July,

We're told Leeds festival, on the 28^th - 30^th August, is sold out but we've heard a rumour that tickets are always available for chancers on the door. So if you can afford the price tag (a snip when you add up how much it would cost to see all the acts individual) then get out your tent for the only time you will ever go camping in Leeds!

Tramlines

Sheffield brought you the Artic Monkeys, Toddla T and the Reverend and now their giving something back to Sheffield. This entirely FREE weekend of musical mayhem , over the 24^th - 26^th July, is spread across the coolest bar's, clubs and pubs and is the first of it's kind in the steel city. It's set to be the event of the summer!

The Great Yorkshire Show

Showcasing the best that our great county has to offer, from fashion to food and most of all fun! With the weather predicted to be ‘scorchio' there's no better excuse to get out in the Sunshine then to visit this great event. It's from the 14^th - 16^th June at Harrogate showground and make sure you take a trip in to the picturesque and historic market town to visit the famous Betty's Tea rooms while you're at it.

Day at the races

Yorkshire has some great race courses in York, Beverley and Doncaster with events perfect for newbies and seasoned professionals alike. You can't beat a sunny day at the races for some top quality time with your bestest buds! For those wanting to show off your fascinators we'd recommend the St Ledger or Ebor festivals, or if hats aren't your style Doncaster do themed night where you can come in fancy dress! Check out their websites for more info!

Go outdoors!

Whether it's a barbie down the local, a trip to the seaside or a walk in countryside, the great thing about the outdoors is it's free! This is set to be the first summer in a while that we've been able to enjoy the weather, not hide from it, and who knows when the next one will be? Better make the most of it while we can! Visit the new Welcome to Yorkshire website for some great ideas of places to visit and things to do all over the region.

You can now follow Graduates Yorkshire on twitter! It's a great way to keep updated on all the best new jobs and careers events across the region, as well as finding out what really goes on behind the scenes in the Graduates Yorkshire office. Follow us here or find us by searching for GradYorks.