Go extra mile to get first job

Even in today's job market, there is more to finding your first job than spamming out a bunch of CVs and hoping for the best. David Trought, director of the University of Auckland Careers Centre, says students need to plan well ahead.

"There is a fair amount of competition still, even though the labour market is tight. The companies won't just take someone who's not up to the mark. It's still pretty tough."

Trought says preparation should start early in a student's studies.

"They definitely need to be starting at the beginning of the second year but the really savvy ones will start from year one. They'll make sure they're getting the relevant experience and do the extras."

The extras, such as relevant work experience, clubs and volunteer work are the best ways students have to set themselves apart from the pack.

"They may come out of here with a good degree but there's a lot of other people with good degrees. So, how do they differentiate themselves? You don't just turn up and do your lectures and that's it."

Taking on extra responsibilities such as being a class representative or sitting on a university committee will help. But Trought says it can be a balancing act to do the extras and keep on top of classes especially if the student is also working part-time.

"The main thing is that they don't just stick their head in the sand and hope everything is going to be alright without planning."

When it comes time to look for that first job, some universities offer well resourced career centres with a lot of useful information. They have background on companies and contacts within industries which can save a lot of time when researching. Careers consultants will also give students mock interviews.

"There are a variety of ways we can help them. We can use computer aided careers guidance or a careers interview to get them started."

But jobseekers won't find all the jobs advertised. Trought says companies first look among people they already know, so networking is crucial.

"You need to keep your contacts warm. You need to try a multi-track approach. Otherwise, you're fishing from the pond that everyone else is fishing from."

Once you land an interview, Trought says to find out what the process is going to be, such as whether it is a two-step interview process? Then, try and predict the questions.

"There's a good chance of maybe predicting 70 per cent of the questions. You can guess a fair chunk of it."

For questions such as; "Show me a time when you've displayed good communication skills", Trought says to have examples ready.

Toward the end of the interview, make the employer feel special and not like this is just one of many interviews you've been on.

"I'd just like to say that this really is the position I'm looking for."

Employers are basically looking to answer three questions following an interview.

"Are they technically competent? How are they going to fit in with my team? Do they sound like they really want it?"

Immediately after an interview Trought says to sit down with a pen and paper and write down your impressions of how it went.

"What caught me out? What was difficult?"

Always follow up with a phone call and seek feedback despite whether or not you got the job.

Liza Viz, a regional manager at Hudson Recruitment, says that certain transferable skills will set some candidates apart.

"The ability to adapt, the ability to handle pressure, the ability to work in a team, a good strong customer focus, problem solving skills, good communication skills and being up to date in terms of technology."

To identify these skills, Viz says jobseekers need to take a good hard look at themselves.

"They should do a bit of a self audit and a self analysis to understand their strengths and weaknesses and understand what transferable skills they have."

Candidates should demonstrate that they can multitask, demonstrate the willingness and desire to get ahead and demonstrate the willingness to be flexible, she says.

The Y-generation graduates also need to understand where they stand in the pecking order. Viz says some have an exaggerated idea of what they should be commanding.

"Graduates have an idea that they should be starting at a certain salary level which possibly could be over inflated."

A cocky attitude is not a good look in a job interview.

"They should demonstrate that they are not over inflated in terms of what it is that they want, that they are prepared to start from the bottom, are prepared to do those extra roles and multitask."

Regardless of the current labour market, employers are pickier than ever.

"Employers understand that with the critical candidate shortages, it is imperative that we find people who have the right fit in terms of the type of company and management style."