Tips for students searching for their first job

Searching for a job straight after school or university can be an extremely daunting process, especially if you are unclear about what you want to do. You may well feel that, despite your academic qualifications, you have little experience to offer to a future employer. However, everyone is at this point and some point in their life and there are ways to handle it. Here are some tips to consider while looking for that first job.

Be flexible

If you have a very fixed idea about what you want to do and know that you can achieve it, then fine, go fore it. Howver, the majority of people only have a vague idea of what they want to do with the rest of their life. In this case, be flexible. Think about what it is that you enjoy and can see yourself doing as a job, but then think around it - you may well come across some ideas that you hadn't otherwise considered.

Ask others for advice

The desire for indepedence may mean that you are unwilling to take advice from others, particularly your parents or teachers. However, they have known you for a long time and may well have interesting ideas about what they think you can do. If your father wants you to be a doctor and you know you don't want to go down that route, then choose someone else to ask. You may be surprised at what they come up with.

Talk to a career advisor

Most schools and colleges have career advisors that you can make an appointment with for free. Use this service. You may find that it is very general, but there may still be some suggestions that you can consider. And often career advisors, if nothing else, will have suggestions of other organisations or websites that you can use to make plans. They may also have information about writing CVs and how to present yourself, which will help you in future interviews.

Ensure your CV fits the job

A CV is more important than you may know. It is the first glimpse a future employer has of you as a potential employee. There are books and websites about how to create the perfect CV - use them. Ask other people to look over your CV. You should most certainly spell-check - bad spelling will immediately put an employer off. Most importantly, make sure your CV fits the job in question. You may not have any relevant work experience, but perhaps you have other skills, such as event management, team spirit or leadership - put these down, they rarely fail to impress. At the same time, don't lie - you never know when you may be caught out.

Be an intern

If your work experience really is non-existent, you may want to consider being an intern. Internships are often offered while you are still studying, so you will want to do your research in advance. They may last for a few weeks or longer and may involve doing fairly menial tasks; however, in the long-run, the experience will look great on your CV - and the organisation for whom you are interning may even take you on permanently.

Take a year out

If you are really unsure about what you want to do, then don't force yourself into a job that you may later regret taking. Consider taking a year out. If you cannot afford to do so, then consider a working holiday - you could go abroad to teach English or pick fruit. This may not be relevant to your future career, but the experience gained will stand you in good stead with future employers, many of whom want employees with an independent spirit and the ability to think on their own two feet.

Most importantly, try not to stress about your first job; everything will fall into place before you know it and you will soon be longing for the days of student freedom!