How to improve your employability while at University

Your final year at university can be a difficult one. Exams, dissertations and graduation on the horizon can lead to a lot of stress! On top of all that making yourself marketable to future employers is an important step during this time.

The professionals at CY Partners are experts at assisting graduates, providing support to help students enter the workforce with confidence. These simple steps can be achieved while studying and can have a great impact on your future career aspirations.

Polish Your CV And Cover Letter

Though you have probably heard it dozens of times, an effective CV and cover letter can make or break your chances at being hired. According to business2community, 43% of employers will throw out your CV if it has an error, and another 76% of the CVs reviewed will be discarded if the contact email is not professional.

Your cover letter is just as important. Don’t commit the mistake of discussing yourself too much. Instead, make sure you explain how your skills will benefit a perspective employer — try to emphasise how you can help the company reach its goals.

Network, Network, Network

Never feel like you are entering the workforce on your own. There are a numerous resources available to students — many of which who are trained professionals.

The best way to utilise these resources is through networking. Professors, university alumni, university career centres, LinkedIn, and even your peers are great outlets. Conferences, industry events and career fairs can create additional job leads. You never know what a connection will lead to, so try your best to make as many contacts as you can while they are readily accessible at uni.

Stay Up to Date

As your graduation date gets closer it is beneficial to brush up on your industry knowledge. Accessing industry journals and learning relevant information about specific roles won’t take a lot of extra time during your studies, but it will put you a step ahead of the competition (and impress employers during interviews). Understanding practices, trends and developments will make you that much more prepared when you begin a new job — allocating a few minutes each month will help you accomplish this.

Be Proactive

Despite a busy schedule, reaching out to employers proactively will make a good impression and can land you opportunities that may be unavailable later in the year. Potential employers and recruitment specialists have more connections to jobs that may not be advertised on online job boards or company websites. In addition, contacting recruitment agencies will connect you with individuals who have an in-depth knowledge of the job market. When you are ready to begin your career, your connection with recruiters will be very beneficial, as your name could be the first one that comes to mind when they are looking to fill entry-level roles.

Doing a little extra work will be worth it — the more you can prepare yourself for after graduation, no matter how small the task, the more you can bring to an interview to get that dream job.

Have a question? Want to kickstart your career in the science industry? Comment below or get ahold of us!