Feeling overwhelmed by your job search? Here are some manageable steps to get you started.
Whether you’re hoping to get a placement, summer internship or graduate role, there are going to be times when your academic work takes priority and your job search has to take a back seat. Or, it could be that making applications feels slightly overwhelming and you don’t know where to start.
Here are a few manageable first steps that you can make to help you feel that you are still moving in the right direction.
- Speak to a Career Development Adviser
It’s a common myth that you have to know exactly what it is you want to do when you come to a careers appointment. However, our team of Career Development Advisers are here to support you regardless of where you are in your job search. Start by booking a guidance appointment, where you can speak to us about what you enjoy in your current course, what work experience you already have and where you feel your strengths lie. This will help get you thinking about what it is you need at this stage of your career journey. You don’t even have to make an application yet! Think of this as your brainstorming and research stage.
2. Attend Employer Events
Attending employer-led events is a great way to start to get involved without having to make any major decisions. You can join employability skills workshops, talks and careers fairs. This is a fantastic way to boost your visibility, connect with real employers and find out what they’re looking for, and get inside tips about the application process for internships, placements, and grad schemes. Visit the Events page on the Surrey Employability Hub to see our latest events. You can also look for externally organised industry events to attend. There are usually free events or discounted events for students and graduates.
3. Look at the Careers and Employability Guidance on MySurrey
This is another great way you can start thinking about careers, by familiarising yourself with the resources and guidance that are available. You can find links to our Employability Hub, specialist careers guidance and our CV formatting tools. Knowledge is power! All of this knowledge and information will come in handy later down the line.
4. Set up a Job Alerts
Find your preferred job search platforms or company websites and register for job alert notifications for relevant opportunities. This is a great way to keep your job search ticking away in the background. Some of the main sites that we recommend include Higherin, TargetJobs, Bright Network and Gradcracker. Make sure that you have set up notifications to alert to any job or internship that may be of interest. This is a great way to enhance your search and it doesn’t take much time to set up.
5. Talk to Your Friends About Their Job Search Process
When something feels scary or overwhelming, a great first step can just be to start talking about it out loud. By chatting to a friend you may get some great ideas that you never would have thought of. They may also offer to help you with your applications or give you the moral support that you need to click ‘apply’. Once you get talking to other people, you realise that you’re not alone in feeling overwhelmed. Just remember that it’s not about perfection, it’s about making a start.
6. Make the Most of LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a networking platform designed to connect you with organisations, employers and peers in your professional network. You can make the most of LinkedIn by setting up job alerts, actively looking for opportunities of interest in your field, and connecting with employers you’re looking to work for. The University also offers LinkedIn Learning as a free tool for all Surrey students, which has over 20,000 courses you can take, including videos about how to improve your job search.
Our Career Development Advisers also offer LinkedIn profile checks if you’d like feedback on your profile. Book your LinkedIn profile check through the Surrey Employability Hub.
Remember that even if you have no idea what to do next, and the thought of applications and interviews feels stressful, there is always support that you can access and our Student Employability team is here year-round to help you. All of our resources can be found on our Employability pages on MySurrey.
