Top job hunting tips for IT graduates
Duncan Thomson, General Manager of Finite IT Recruitment, passes on his top ten tips to this year’s job hunting IT graduates.
- Search the job boards, make sure you promptly follow up by phone any applications made, and seek feedback.
- Research many of the large corporate web sites directly as they may not be advertising their roles on job boards.
- Register your CV with leading IT agencies such as Finite IT.
- Use your personal network of contacts for leads and follow through. If they can’t help directly, ask them who they know that might be able to.
- Be flexible and open minded, remember it’s only a first step in a lifetime of employment and opportunity.
- Start with the right attitude ““ no-one owes you a living, your academic skills may not be as highly valued as you think.
- Be prepared to have to handle non mainstream programming languages ““ IT is very broad and from an employer’s perspective it’s where they require you to add value that will ultimately count.
- Help desk roles are very good starting points that provide access to and awareness of real everyday problems and challenges for IT users, they are also a stepping stone into the industry providing that critically important experience that most employers seek.
- Moderate your initial salary expectations to help you to get started, cost savings are the flavour of the day in the corporate world ““ bear in mind that there will be plenty of scope for improvement when things pick up again.
- Speak nicely to mum and dad to keep your bedroom at home available for a little longer to keep your living expenses low!
