How to get ahead for the new recruitment season

From where to find vacancies to making your application stand out, our CareersPlus team are on hand to provide their top tips and advice on how you can prepare for the new recruitment season.

Summer is here and hopefully, it is time to take a break from studies and get some well-deserved R&R. However, now is also a great time to get prepared for the new recruitment season. For example, did you know that some internship and graduate role applications open this month? Don’t wait until term starts to work on your applications, get ahead now and you will be grateful you did.  

Where I do start?

Firstly, you need to decide what sort of work you are looking for. Think about any previous work experience and/or modules you have done – what did you enjoy? What were you good at? Think about people you know or look at what previous WBS students are now doing as a career by searching our ‘Alumni’ on the WBS LinkedIn group.

Be open-minded – with a Business degree, there are a broad range of different jobs you could do, not just the traditional Banking or Finance job opportunities. You might enjoy marketing or technology roles or e-commerce/logistics for example. What is important is whether the work interests you and whether it plays to your individual strengths.

You can find out more about different careers on TargetJobs and for current WBS students, under ‘sector information’ on My WBS Careers Resources

You also need to consider what type of employer you want to work for (e.g. big corporate, SME), or perhaps you want to be an entrepreneur and set up your own business. If you are interested in the big student employers, The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers list is a good place to start or for SMEs, the best small companies to work for list. For setting up your own business, current Warwick students can access support from the ‘Warwick Enterprise’ team.

Where can I find vacancies?

So you have some ideas about the type of work you want to do and the type of employer or business you want to target, but where can you find vacancies? Most student/graduate roles at big corporate companies are widely advertised on their own company websites but for the UK, you can also search for opportunities and sign up for job alerts on websites like Target Jobs and Milkround. For both UK and international roles, current WBS students can also check out My Advantage – Jobs and also My WBS work experience job boards, and My WBS Graduate Jobs.

For smaller companies, roles are not always widely advertised, although we do include opportunities with SMEs on our My WBS job boards above. Usually roles with small companies or start-ups are secured through networking and/or speculative applications. This means that building your network of contacts is really important, either through personal contacts, WBS Alumni and/or via LinkedIn. At WBS we can help you navigate this ‘hidden jobs market’ with our 1 to 1 coaching and pdf guide.

How can I make my application stand out?

Whether you are applying to a large or small company, research is essential. Be sure to fully understand what the work involves and the key strategic priorities of the company – its vision/mission and also ‘hot topics’ and current news in the wider industry or sector. Also, be clear about your motivations for applying – be specific about what makes you want to work there and why you believe you are a great candidate. Focus on 3 main reasons for each with examples to back up your statements where possible. Network with WBS Alumni, attend online employer events, find out from people who work there what it is like as this will help you create a more targeted, effective application, as well as learn if this is right for you. Get noticed by employers for example at recruitment events, ask compelling, relevant questions, try to speak to recruiters directly, and connect with them on LinkedIn afterwards if possible.

If you are a WBS student, another great way to help your application stand out and get ahead of the competition is to join us for our WBS UG Careers Bootcamp which is scheduled to take place from 31^st August – 3^rd September 2021. During the boot camp, we will cover every aspect of the recruitment process, career planning and networking followed by a Final Stage Assessment Centre. These online sessions are interactive and will focus on enhancing your employability also with optional 1-1 coaching sessions in the afternoons. Don’t miss out - click here to reserve your place!

We hope these top tips will help you get ahead this summer and remember WBS CareersPlus is open during vacation times too to offer you support. We wish you every success with your applications!