Pick your first job carefully

For young people trying to find their first full-time job, the process can seem daunting.

But James Brooke, principal at recruitment firm Gaulter Russell, says the important thing is to find an employer that understands the potential of fresh talent.

"When job-hunters come out of university, the key word for them is "establishment" of a career. They don't have any real work experience so they need to find an employer who recognises the importance of a graduate coming into the business."

Gaulter Russell works with marketing and business graduates and has more than 5000 candidates on its books actively looking for sales and marketing jobs. With the labour shortage, first-time job seekers may think they have it made, but Brooke says that's not true.

"With graduates that we place, we can pretty much guarantee that they're going to have a B+ or A- minimum average through their course before our customers will look at them.

"Part of the reason we've got a labour shortage is that organisations are far more finicky about who they employ."

But the tight market also means organisations are interested in investing in graduates again - they've got to be to get the talent they need to grow.

"Populating their organisation at a more senior level is becoming more difficult so organisations are looking at what else they can be doing to alleviate that issue. One of the things that they can be looking at is bringing more people in at a graduate level and working to enhance, train and develop those people so that they start to fill up roles."

To find the right first job, Brooke says job-seekers need to ask the right questions.

* Where is my role likely to lead?

* If I get in here and do a really great job for you guys, what kind of development opportunities have you got for somebody like me?

* What kind of leadership development programmes have you got if you identify that I'm a key talent for the business?

* What other projects am I likely to get exposure to that will allow me to learn and develop outside of the core requirements of my job?

* Will the manager I report to add value to me if I work hard?

Brooke says when it comes to money, there is often only a difference of $1,500 between jobs.

"In probably 90 per cent of cases, graduates are actually focused on the role and not so focused on the money."

Jeremy Paynter, national practice leader at recruiter Hudson, also recommends to put money way down the bottom of the list.

"You need to be able to cover your expenses but over and above that, the real value for someone who is new to the workforce is combining the education, knowledge and experience they've got already with the practical experience they're going to glean in the next two, three or four years. They should position themselves at that stage to reap greater financial rewards."

Paynter says that the broader the role is, the richer your experience will be in your first job.

"The most important thing is the opportunity to learn and to get as much of a broad experience as you possibly can. Regardless of whether they are school leavers or graduates or whoever, I think it's important for everyone to get into a role that allows them to see as broad a context as possible."

Shifting from student to corporate recruit also requires a different mindset.

"Campus life is about learning, it's about being part of an age group that's going through a learning experience and everything that comes with that in campus life.

"Once you get your first job with an organisation, the relationships shifts. It's not just about you and what you need to deliver. It's about what you need to deliver in the context of the organisation because they're paying for your skills and capabilities."

But you need to make sure the organisation is going to provide you with the tools you need to succeed. Paynter warns first-time job-seekers to watch out for roles that don't have a lot of clarity in them.

"If you're going for a job and you've got a couple of interviews for it, and in between interviews, the role and content of the job has shifted somewhat, I'd suggest that would be an area of concern."

Paynter also says to watch out for commissioned sales jobs which require you to provide your own transport and phone or other jobs where you're not really being supported by an organisation.

"Sometimes first-time job seekers will be naive. You can get pulled from pillar to post."

But with people having multiple careers these days, selecting your first job should not be as daunting as it may seem.

"The first job is the start of an adventure in your career. It'll be memorable because it's the first job. But when you look back at it, there'll probably be a higher percentage than you might expect who will laugh at where they actually started in their careers. Don't get too hung up on it."