“It’s just me, the dog, and the kettle…” – Why we work with SMEs and you can too
Best quote from a business development call EVER, I think! The person I spoke to couldn’t believe that I was calling to offer him a way to access graduate talent, because he wasn’t from a massive conglomerate or big-brand company. “Surely there is no way a new graduate would be interested in working for…
Maximising Opportunity
As a student or graduate, you need to make the most of the opportunities available to you. One such opportunity, which is a great platform to meet potential employers and to learn to network, is careers fairs. Most Universities hold these at least once a year (but often, there will be one per semester). However,…
After Graduation; What Now?
You studied hard, wore a gown and a hat that doesn’t quite fit on your head and have been handed your degree, yes you have graduated and you may be asking yourself what now? You may want to throw yourself into building your career and why not? You have just spent the past three or…
Larping; why thinking ‘outside the box’ is essential
I’m pretty sure that if the name Diane was in the dictionary, the definition would be ‘massive geek’. I say this happily and confidently after I spent my bank holiday weekend at Larp. If you’ve seen the film Role Models, you’ll know what I mean by this. If you haven’t, go watch it! If you…
10 Tips In Finding The Perfect Graduate Role
You may have graduated a while ago and your search for an internship or for permanent employment may have stalled. However, do not fear! We have ten tips that may just help you with your search and with interviews to motivate you on the way! 1. Check & update your profile regularly. Making sure that your…
Parent Power
There has been much talk in the world of employability recently about the power of parents in a graduate’s quest to embark upon their perfect career. Here at Step, we regularly receive phone calls from well-meaning parents, fact finding on behalf of their offspring. The tone of these conversations can range from exasperated and desperate…
Not another lecture on the importance of communication skills
“I have good communication skills…” That’s brilliant. But are you really communicating with me when you say this? If I am your prospective new manager, I want to get a sense of your personality. I want to know how well you can adapt your tone and choice of language. I need to see if you…
The Importance of a strong LinkedIn Profile
As a current student or recent graduate it’s highly likely that you have already created a LinkedIn profile. Probably because your parent / tutor / careers advisor told you to make one. But you probably aren’t quite sure why you’ve done it, or what to do with it now you’ve got it. You’re fairly sure…
Preparing For Your All Important Interview!
There is an abundance of useful (and not so useful) advice out there for preparing for that all-important interview, so I’ll attempt to keep this reasonably short and sweet. I have one friend who swears by playing Bon Jovi ‘You Give Love a Bad Name’ on repeat whilst getting ready for any interview. He claims…
Skills and Buzzwords
When I graduated from my undergrad degree in 2009 I was very much that terrified graduate who didn’t know what she wanted to do with her life. That’s why I applied to do a Masters degree next, in order to come up with ‘a plan’. When I graduated again in 2011 I still didn’t know,…