After so many years of study, don’t let the anxiety of find work overwhelm you: you just need to know the most effective tools and ways to spend yourself in the working world.
We deal with applications and selections every day, so we know that it is not at all easy to get your first foot in this complex field. Furthermore, if you are a recent graduate, fresh out of university, and without significant work experience, the difficulty may seem even greater.
Let’s talk about the conditional because in the right way, getting a good job and starting to realize is possible. And this also applies to you. In this article we have gathered some useful information for recent graduates who want to write an effective CV: let’s see them together.
The 4 most common mistakes in the Curriculum Vitae of recent graduates
A good place to start is knowing what many are wrong. This will allow you to have an advantage for at least two reasons: because you are already in the fourth place compared to most of your colleagues and because you will know immediately how to avoid falling into these mistakes yourself.
In a study published on Business Insider, the 4 most common ones found in the CVs of recent graduates were collected and we want to start right here to give you some useful analysis tools.
The main mistake made by those unfamiliar with job offers is not giving due importance to their experiences. Some more and some less carry with them important baggage, full of lessons and skills gained over time. Especially if you can’t boast of great work experience, you shouldn’t miss this opportunity.
The second hurdle you have to overcome is not to get lazy. When you introduce yourself and talk to a person, you never say the same things: it depends on who you are in front of and what are the conversations that are set up, isn’t it? Well, you have to do the same when you create your CV. Don’t always send the same CV to everyone, but customize it according to who will read it. This will make what you have to say more interesting and will certainly make you stand out from the many other young people who continue to send the usual resume template left and right.
The mistakes you (not) draw inspiration from aren’t over. Did you know that a trivial CV is the end of even the best application? That’s why, to differentiate yourself, you can focus on the story of your experiences starting from what you really lived, giving examples, and talking about how you knew how to behave.
Finally, a mistake you won’t have to repeat. Thinking that hobbies and passions are just a small detail to include at the end of the CV: they are, however, the activities that most characterize you, so don’t hide them and don’t relegate them to the last point. Highlight what each of them has taught you and you will have the main ingredient to build a really effective Curriculum for the recent graduates.
Start from the basics: take care of the format of your CV
Now that you know the main mistakes to avoid, start working on your resume.
As in all things, the eye also wants its part, so make sure that your presence in the world of work is as professional as possible, worthy of a young but very prepared recent graduate.
Don’t overdo it, remember that simplicity always pays off. So choose a clean and schematic organization of information, without neglecting – obviously – the content.
An A4 format will be perfect for holding your resume: easy to print and large enough to include the most important information.
Don’t forget to help your reader distinguish the salient points by using bold. Also for clarity, forget about last-minute experiments, so choose a classic font, which is clearly legible and align your text to the left. Simple, clean, professional, ready to hit your recruiter.
Bet on yourself: your experience is worth a lot
Experience: What are we talking about if you’re a beginner? Apart from a curricular internship and a few jobs here and there, you’ve never worked in your industry and you don’t know why a company should hire you.
Try to think locally: what obstacles did you have to overcome in your (albeit brief) work experiences? What great goals did you manage to achieve in the studio? But above all, how did you manage to do all this? All this can be summed up in one word: “experience”.
All of a sudden that Curriculum that was empty is filled with interesting stories, details full of meaning. It is no longer just a list of titles and dates to describe what you have done and what concrete contribution you can make to the company.
Presentations, group work, theses, researches, papers of all kinds. Make the most of what you have at your disposal to let you know and tell your predisposition to work.
Play your ace: a very personal cover letter
The most direct methods are those that are most effective. Do you want to stand out? Start by speaking honestly to your interlocutor.
There is a tool that today is sometimes (wrongly) considered obsolete, but that many companies consider as an advantage. We are talking about the cover letter: unknown to many young people looking for work, but the most trusted friend of every recruiter.
If there is a place in the Curriculum to describe your experiences and the characteristics that distinguish you, in the cover letter you can instead speak directly to those who have to decide whether to call you for an interview. What’s better than letting them know what you have to offer, even before meeting you in person?
According to studies, almost 50% of companies positively evaluate the presence of a cover letter. If there are now very few people who decide to write it, try to think about what could be the advantage for you, in the world of work!
Concentrate on this letter your motivations for the position offered and explain why they should know you personally. It’s a little more effort, but it can bring great results for your future!
If you are looking for a new job opportunity, you can also contact us: every day we take care of selecting new professionals for our client companies.
Among the figures we’re looking for, there might be yours too! Check out the announcements already published on our site here, or send us your CV so you don’t miss the next opportunity.