Job seeking as a mature graduate - live discussion 1-3pm today http://t.co/7XKPfE06 via @guardian

Posted on: 16/05/2012 11:05.
Follow us @UniBradCareers.

Preparation

To give yourself the best chance of making a really effective application, start off with some initial preparation:

1. Ask yourself what you have to offer this employer.

Struggling to come up with more than a couple of ideas?  Take a blank sheet of paper and under the following headings list everything that you have done in your life, e.g.

• University/School/ College
• Work/Placement/Voluntary Experience
• Significant Achievements
• Community Involvement
• Membership of Clubs/Societies
• Leisure
• Travel
• Family Responsibilities

If you are still struggling, talk to your friends and family about the different activities you've been involved in across different aspects of your life.

Now the critical bit – for everything you have done think about what you can demonstrate as a result of that experience, i.e. what you have learnt about yourself, what skills you developed, personal achievements etc.  For example, working as a Sales Assistant might have developed your ability to communicate with different people, work under pressure at busy times and handle difficult customers or complaints.  A group project in your second year may have enabled you to demonstrate that you could work within a time-scale, set and meet objectives and work as a member of a team.

This knowledge about yourself will also be useful when preparing for interviews, so investing some time now will almost certainly pay off in the future.

2.  Ask yourself what you know about the job and the employer. 

If the answer is 'not a lot', how can you persuade the employer you have the skills and qualities they are looking for? Read the job specification, or other information provided about the job carefully, and research the occupation.  What is it exactly that the organisation will expect you to do?  How can you demonstrate you have the skills that they require within your application?  Try and make the employer’s job as easy as possible by clearly showing how you match their criteria.

3.  Research the organisation. 

Why do you want to work for this organisation specifically?  Employers realise you would be foolish to apply to only one employer.  However, they do expect you to do more than regurgitate the brochure.  You need to find out enough about them to show that your interest is more than superficial.

Visit the employer’s own website.  Read the vacancy/job advertisement, and obtain any other relevant literature available such as the company’s brochure and the  annual report. Check to see if the company is attending any of the events we organise on campus or if they are going to a local careers fair.  If you are having difficulty finding information, contact the organisation and ask them to send you some.

Back to application forms