The final projects have been marked, the grades are out and the graduation hats have been proudly paraded; but there’s no stopping there! The graduation job is the next port of call to continue on the path to your dream job. But fear not, we have put together a few pieces of advice to get you on your way to your first step on the career ladder.

1. A swish CV

You know that thing you wrote on Microsoft Word telling your potential employer that you got an A once in Year 9 SATs, that is the first thing your employer is going to visually see. If you’re going for a creative job your CV needs to be representative of yourself and your work. Our advice is head to Pinterest for inspiration of creative resumes and you’ll see a whole load of beautiful ones to influence you. Next head over to InDesign or Photoshop and write up your CV and only include key information; the charity bake sale you held in school is great but it’s not relevant now that you’re a 20 something art college graduate. Make sure you stick to a colour scheme and keep it minimal but attractive.

2. Keep Working on Personal Projects

Showing you are a dynamic potential employee is very important, so with self-motivated projects such as zines, events/ exhibitions etc. that you have founded and funded yourself look great on your CV and gives you something to stand out from the rest! It also keeps you creative and working towards something throughout your job hunt. Also who knows, this side project could become your main project.

3. Clean up your social media

The chances are your prospective boss will google your name or do a little bit of research to assess the type of person they may be hiring. So if you’re not willing to stop those political, curse ridden rants on Facebook, maybe it’s time to make all platforms totally private. Usually, if you wouldn’t want your mum to see it, either keep it off or keep the page private.

4. The Time is Now

Don’t leave the job hunt until September, start scouting out even before you graduate. Jobs will be available but when there’s a whole year group of graduates from each university, there may be lots of candidates applying for the same role. Avoid this by bagging your job early so you have something set up for when you leave. If you’re really lucky, sometimes employers might say “start in September” so you still get a summer holiday, but we aren’t making any promises on that front!

5. Link up!

Linkedin is a very important tool, if you haven’t already signed up for an account, don’t hesitate! This is like a virtual C.V. and a way to connect with other industry people and from time to time, students have been known to have received a job offer in their inbox. So dust off that profile!

6. Apply, apply, apply.

Don’t be disheartened if you can’t start your dream job instantaneously, everyone has to start somewhere and gradually work their way into the job they always wanted. The trick is to apply for almost anything in the chosen field of work, that way it’s a foot in the door. Internships are always great to make alliances with companies, and usually if they love you, you’ll be first on the list for a paid position. So don’t be overly picky, it’s all stepping stones!