5 ways to increase your employability at University

It’s never too early to think about life after studying

No matter where you are in your time at university, the prospect of getting a job isn’t too distant. As competition for graduate jobs increases, it’s becoming increasingly important to think about our careers before the last few months of our degrees.

While deadlines and socialising may seem higher on the student priority list, planning ahead will make life an awful lot easier instead of trying to tackle a dissertation, final exams and start the dreaded job hunt at the same time. Here are a few hints of things you could be doing to make yourself more employable.

1. Start a Blog

Employers will love to see your passion and personality shining through in your blog. For some people, writing about something they love is easy, be it sport, cooking or fashion. But don’t worry if you aren’t quickly inspired, writing general posts about student life and current affairs which interest you will be just as beneficial.

If you really want to demonstrate your employability, try incorporating SEO (search engine optimisation) into your writing. There is plenty of advice online about this and being able to demonstrate that you have this desirable skill will make you all the more attractive to employers.

2. Apply for Internships

Having spent UK’s joint hottest summer doing a 10-week internship, you may think I would be reluctant to encourage others to spend their summer in an office. But you’d be wrong.

Doing an internship was one of the best things I’ve done, I learnt so much about the career I wanted to take and about life in the office environment. To make things even better, I was payed and received the offer of a place on the Graduate Programme.

Though the applications took an unspeakably long time, and I did feel very sorry for myself when all my friends went to an inflatable water park without me, I wouldn’t change the invaluable experience and would definitely encourage others to apply.

Here’s some advice on finding work experience from another student blogger.

3. Attend Careers Fairs and Networking Events

Attending one of these events alone can be daunting but don’t worry – many of the professionals attending careers events are recent graduates and know exactly how you feel.

Be prepared with a question, something as simple as ‘please could you tell me about the undergraduate opportunities in your company?’ and away you go.

Taking the opportunity to network and understand different companies ways of working will help you narrow down the roles available to you and the types of companies you want to pursue these roles in.

4. Learn Beyond Your Degree

For those lucky students whose degree leads directly into a job: well done great! You can shape your learning around a particular field you want to pursue and do extra research in that area where possible.

If, like me and my history degree, you’re not planning on continuing with a career in the area you study, but know the career path you want to take, reading up on developments, changes and key news stories in your area is a great way to impress employers when it comes to interviews.

If you’re looking at working in marketing, for example, check out The Drum. Articles on trends and changes in marketing will keep you up to speed and demonstrate your interest in areas beyond your degree.

5. Create a LinkedIn Profile

Once you’ve got the rest cracked, head over to LinkedIn and get connecting. The social media site for professionals is a great way to stay connected with people you meet at networking events or on your internship.

Most importantly though, you can use LinkedIn to demonstrate everything you’ve been doing to make yourself more employable. You can share articles you find interesting, or blog posts you’ve written, write posts about any (professional) achievements and get liking to demonstrate your interests and passions.

Your LinkedIn profile is the perfect platform to develop your CV.

Though there isn’t a magic code to hack the scary world of the graduate employment market, making yourself stand out with these tips while you do your degree may just push you a little bit closer to your dream career in the future.