You may have already finished your exams or be still in the middle of your exams and stressed out to the max but we promise you that these graduate job hunting tips will make your life easier.

You have spent the last few years studying so you can get a great job and now is your time to shine.

1. Don’t compare yourself to your friends

We all know the saying that “comparison is the thief of joy.” This is so true. Don’t compare yourself to your friends. Most people find job hunting a difficult and stressful process. You are not alone and you won’t get left behind. Everybody is unique and your friend’s dream job could be your worst nightmare. You are looking for a job that you will enjoy and grow in. Have faith in yourself and keep going until you find the job that you want.

2. Boost your LinkedIn profile

LinkedIn is the place that recruiters hang out. They will check your LinkedIn profile if they are interested in you. If they find an excellent profile you are more likely to be called for interview. Spend time to take the following steps to boost your LinkedIn profile;

1. Put up a professional looking photo of yourself. This photo will appear beside any comment that you make or any connection request. Make sure the photo is well lit and your face is clearly visible and you are professionally dressed.
2. Update your About section.  is a great place to sing your own praises. Tell people what kind of role you want, in what type of company and why you would be good at it. Show people how you have demonstrated your skills in the past. Don’t forget to add keywords for your industry so a recruiter can find you e.g. if you studied digital marketing, add the keywords Facebook advertising, email marketing etc.
3. Fill in your job experience. Fill in the duties that are transferable to the job

3. Don’t dismiss temporary or contract jobs

Many employers use temporary jobs as an extended trial period. According to recent research, in Ireland if you take a temporary job you have a 50% chance of becoming a permanent employee within six months. Temporary or contract jobs are also a great way to get to know a company and a job to see if you enjoy working with them. If you take a temporary position and you would like to become a permanent employee use the opportunity to show the company exactly what value you can bring to them. Take initiative and become an invaluable member of the team.

If a temporary job does not turn into a permanent position at least you have excellent work experience to bring forward to your next role.

4. Don’t take it personally

Job hunting is difficult, at any stage of life. It is stressful, full of rejection and can feel endless. The most important thing to remember is to not take it personally. This is easier to say than it is to feel but it really is not personal. Sometimes the successful candidate gets the role because of perceived fit with an organisation or some hiring manager requires a very specific work experience or education for their organisation or a million other reasons that have nothing to do with you. It is also worth noting that some organisations are going through large changes or are very under staffed and take a long time to come back to candidates.

If you are struggling to keep your morale up during your job hunt, here are some more tips.

5. Do have a structure and goals

Think of job hunting like it is your fulltime job. Like any job, start at a certain time and finish at a certain time, even when you don’t feel like going to work! It is also a good idea to have a work space that is conducive to concentrating. Have your work space away from your relaxation space and remove any distractions.

Create daily job hunting goals that will help you land your dream job. Here are some ideas for daily goal ideas but make goals that will move your job hunting forward:

• 1 LinkedIn post to show your expertise
• Connect with 2 people in your industry on LinkedIn
• 20 minutes engaging (liking, commenting and sharing) on LinkedIn with companies or people you would like to work with
• Applying for 2 jobs with a cover letter
• Following up with 3 job applications
• 20 minutes interview preparation
• 20 minutes researching your dream companies to work with
• Send out 2 applications to companies that you would love to work with but haven’t advertised any job vacancies
• 1 hour upskilling in an area that will make you more of employable

6. Have work life balance

While job hunting is important, you need to have a work life balance so that you can bring your best to your job hunt. It helps to be able to have a set time for your job hunt and then when you finish you have your free time to do your own thing. The ability to create work life balance is a great skill to have for all your working life. Creating this balance will help you be more productive in your job hunt and prevent stress and burnout.

Also, it is important to build in rewards for your hard work. Celebrate your wins. Rewards can be spending time on your hobbies, guilt-free binging your favourite shows or whatever you love doing.

7. Tell people you are job hunting

You never know who you know. Tell everybody you know that you are job hunting and what kind of job you are looking for. You might be surprised who may work in your industry or know somebody who works in your industry and can make an introduction.

8. Upskill

In today’s world the best employees are always learning and improving. Even though you may have just finished a certificate, degree or masters it is still important to continue strengthening your skillset. When you upskill you are adding to the value you bring to a company. How to choose what to upskill in? Think about what skills are in demand in your industry now. You could also reach out to people in your industry and ask them what skills are in demand at the minute.

9. Register with a Recruitment Agency

Recruitment agencies, like us, are always looking for great people. We can work with you to find you a job that suits you and we also support you preparing for interviews. Register with AllPro Recruitment today and we can start to look for a job for you.

Best of luck with your job hunt. Be sure to contact us to see if we have any jobs available or in the pipeline that would be of interest to you.