Cafe Uni

If you have finished university and are busy applying for graduate jobs, then there are lots of ways to help the application process go more smoothly.

You may have applied for a job successfully and now have an interview for the next step of the process. This is a really good opportunity to get your personality across and hopefully show the company that you would be an asset to them.

However, something important to remember with interviews is that they are a two-way process.

Having an interview also gives you the chance to assess if you think you would fit in within the company, if it’s the type of job you would like and if you could progress within your chosen career. If you do decide this is the job for you, then go for it!

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Once you have graduated from university, it will be time to look for a job.

Lots of students who have recently graduated will be in the same position of looking for jobs, so you need to make sure you stand out when it comes to applying. Your application will be up against lots of graduates, as currently there is an average of ten applicants per job.

Students are often in a similar situation, in that they might have the same degree in the same classification, even perhaps from the same university, so anything extra you have will really help you to be noticed on your job application.

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When you are a graduate and have finished university, it can be a daunting time.

You face the prospect of looking for a job, you may feel unsettled in the course you chose to do, and be at a crossroads about where to go and what to do next.

You may even be thinking about which town, city or even country you should live in. Many people return home after university, to the town where they are from or where their parents live.

I decided not to do this because the town I am from is very small and there are not very good job opportunities. However, if there are job opportunities in the place you are from, then this can be a good option, as it will give you a bit of time out and a place to base yourself in while you consider your next move. Read the rest of this entry »

One really good way to save money when you are a student, or a recent graduate, is to get places by bicycle.

Cycling really is an amazing way to save money. Not many students can afford to run a car while at university; most of them simply find it too expensive. I had a car for one term when I was at university, and they really cost a lot to keep on the road.

Pertrol prices have risen to their highest yet, plus you will also have to buy insurance, tax, a parking permit, not to mention of anything goes wrong with your car and you have to pay to get it repaired.

The beauty of having a bike is that, one you have paid for it, there isn’t much more money that you need to spend out on it.

Having a bicycle while at university

If you choose to cycle instead of drive a car or use public transport, then you will save money at university, as well as getting fit.

It’s a healthy way to get around, as you are exercising without really realising it, even if you are just going across campus. It can even be quicker than driving sometimes, as you can go on bike paths and not have to queue in the traffic.

You will need to get a lock and soome bike lights, as well as perhaps some high-vis clothing, but you can get all of this for under about £30 if you look online. Sites such as Wiggle sell a lot of biking attire at cheap prices, and usually with free delivery too.

Lots of students at university, especially those who are doing degrees such as English or media, may want to be a writer when they graduate.

You may want to be an academic writer, a journalist, an author or a copywriter – or one of the many other writing jobs that exist.

If so, it’s a good idea to do some preparation now so that, when it comes to looking for a job, you will have had some experience and can show that this has been a long-time passion, instead of just a new idea that has come in to your head.

One really good way to start writing is to start a blog. This could be about absolutely anything you want; from a hobby or sport that interests you, to something university-related, or even about your social life (but remember that potential employers may be reading it!).

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When you graduate from university, it is likely that you will have debt from being a student.

This is because you will have had at least three years of paying fees, rent, bills and social costs, while earning either very little from a part-time job, or nothing at all if you haven’t been able to work alongside your studies.

Try not to worry about being in debt because, unfortunately, it is a situation that most students find themselves in. The trick is to make sure you manage your debt well and do not fall any further in to debt.

This will obviously be easier if you get a job straight from university but, even if you don’t, you will still be able to manage your money.

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Keeping in touch with other alumni from your university can really help you as a student.

It can be a really valuable way of learning a lot from other people who have already gone through the same experiences as you are going through. They will have done it before, had a lot of the same problems and triumphs, and have come through the other side of it!

You will often find that alumni are really happy to talk to you and help you, as they would also have benefited from a similar person helping them when they were at university. And if they didn’t have someone like that, then I’m sure they would have appreciated it, so it will make them only too willing to help.

Alumni that work in the same field as you are hoping to go in to can help by giving your advice about your course, about jobs and about your chosen career or industry.

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According to new research, there are about currently 18 applicants for each job vacancy.

This research shows the state of the current job market in the UK at the moment, with further research saying that 50 per cent of those who are currently unemployed are not confident of finding work in the next two months.

This could mean a bleak lead-up to Christmas for those students who graduated this year and are currently job-hunting.

It also means it is especially important at the moment to make your job application stand out from the others that will also be applying for the same job as you.
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Finishing university and graduating from your chosen degree is an exciting time. But it also marks the time to start looking for employment.

You might already be scouring the job websites, looking on university noticeboards and sending your CV out, but have you thought about graduate training schemes?

They are a great way to enter the working world, while also learning and being trained up in a certain job. Because they are aimed at graduates, you won’t be expected to know everything already, but will still be working in your chosen career.

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So, you’ve put in the hard work, finished your course and graduated. The long slog is over and now it’s time to start looking for a job.

But what happens if you then decide that you don’t actually want to work in the field that you studied in?
Don’t panic – all is not lost. Your degree doesn’t have to have gone to waste, as there are lots of ways you can work this to your advantage.

Firstly, it is useful if you decide what field it is that you DO want to work in. You don’t have to know the exact job, but the right direction would be a good step. I studied for a law degree and, after graduating, knew I didn’t want to be a lawyer.

I had to decide whether I wanted to still stay in the legal industry doing a different job, or whether I wanted to move away from law entirely – and this is what I finally decided, before I took the step towards journalism. Read the rest of this entry »