IC Resources David Slark provides some useful do's and don'ts for landing your dream first job out of uni.

1. You’ve graduated…
now what?
Semiconductors Electronics Software Creative Commercial Executive Search
UK & Ireland Mainland Europe Asia Pacific USA

2. POTENTIAL+
So you’ve finally graduated.
All the long hours of studying, the pressure of deadlines
and the stress of late night revision sessions before
exams is firmly in the past… but now what?

3. OPPORTUNITY+
Your approach to finding
your first job is the key to
your success and there are
several factors to bear in
mind when starting your
search.
All too often we see grads
j u m p i n t o t h e f i r s t
opportunity they find, only
to get 6 months into the job,
realise it’s not what they
want and find themselves
looking again.

4. Conversely, bright and talented
grads who are too choosy, decline
offers in the hope something better
comes along can find themselves six
months on still working in the part
time job they had at uni - this can be
a turn-off to potential employers.
CREATIVITY+

5. We have decades of experience helping Graduate Engineers
find their dream jobs - from global market leaders to small
innovative start-ups.
Our advice? Start early and work smart.
The first step is to write a CV that really makes you stand out
from the crowd. Although this seems obvious, there’s rarely any
guidance on how to do this which has lead people to come up
with all sorts of imaginative ideas – some good, some definitely
not so good!
Here’s a few do’s and don’ts to help you along your way.
OPPORTUNITY+

6. DO write about your professional interests
• If you have particular passion for certain technologies, talk about
it! Don’t be afraid to ‘niche’ yourself. There’s a huge number of
technology companies across the UK hiring at any one time – a
good recruiter will have a big enough network to put you in touch
with the right companies looking for people just like you!
DON’T just list the modules you’ve completed in your degree
• This doesn’t help at all – in fact it means your CV reads exactly the
same as everyone else that graduated with you.
CREATIVITY+

7. POTENTIAL+
DO write about specific skills you have and areas in which you’ve excelled
• A clear, concise list of your skill set goes a long way towards helping you
stand out from the pack. Software Engineers for example – talk about
your coding skills, your strongest software languages, what operating
systems you’re a wizard on, what libraries and frameworks you know
inside and out. It’s your opportunity to sell and market yourself – don’t
hold back!
DON’T include anything you can’t back up
• Interviews are designed to explore the depth of your technical
knowledge and breadth of your skill set. If there’s anything on your CV
you can’t back up, a good interviewer will find it and it will get very
uncomfortable, very quickly!

8. D O i n c l u d e e v i d e n c e o f
memorable projects you’ve
played a major role in;
• O r s o m e i n t e r e s t i n g
development work you’ve done,
maybe you’ve done some work
on Open Source projects.
• This demonstrates a passion for
your chosen field beyond pure
academia.
• It shows you’re driven and
motivated and paints a picture
of someone who wants to get
involved and help drive projects
forward.
OPPORTUNITY+

9. DON’T worry too much about salary for your first
job.
It’s tough to land yourself a good Engineering
role and (as you’d expect) the best companies
aren’t exactly short on applications. If your salary
expectations are too high, you essentially price
yourself out of the market. Ask yourself honestly
– would you rather secure a great job with an
industry leader which will open many doors in
the future, or hold out for a little more money
and risk not finding anything at all (which we’ve
seen happen time and time again).
My advice? Providing circumstances permit -
choose opportunity over salary - every time.
If time travel ever becomes possible, the older
you will thank you for it.
CREATIVITY+

10. DON’T put your CV all over job sites.
Whilst it will initially be rather nice to receive daily calls from eager
recruiters, I guarantee you that the very small percentage of
unscrupulous recruiters will take your CV and essentially ‘market’ it
out where they see fit. On the surface this might seem great, but in
reality, there’s only a finite amount of jobs around. This results in your
current applications being duplicated, your CV finding its way to
companies you have no interest in or in some instances, your CV
finding its way to companies you’re already interviewing with
causing you to look desperate or worse still – clueless.
POTENTIAL+

11. DO engage with a good recruiter who specialises in your chosen
market.
Good recruiters and top agencies spend years developing great
relationships with decision makers and managers at great companies
right across the country. As such they’ll have a wealth of inside
knowledge, a deep pool of contacts to maximise your options.
Most importantly, a good recruiter will be able to advise you on
everything from CV writing and interview processes right through to
accepting offers, helping you to make sense of employment contracts
and negotiating start dates and salaries.
OPPORTUNITY+

12. Finally…
DO research companies before applying. There’s nothing
worse than interviewing with a company you know nothing
about. It almost always results in a very short conversation,
an irritated interviewer, a frustrated or embarrassed
candidate and an ultimately unsuccessful application.
CREATIVITY+

13. I’d love to hear from any graduates who’ve experienced any
of the above, or perhaps you’ve encountered different
problems in your job search. Maybe you’re not sure how to go
about your search or simply want a chat to throw some ideas
about or gain a sense of direction.
Please email me, I’d be happy to help david.slark@ic-resources.com
For more information on CVs, interviews and general career advice,
please check out our website
.
www.ic-resources.com
0118 988 1150
Semiconductors Electronics Software Creative Commercial Executive Search
UK & Ireland Mainland Europe Asia Pacific USA