Many internships, work experience placements and graduate schemes can often end up closing the doors on applications around the same time. Therefore, how you manage your time and withstand the pressure can often be the deciding factor as to whether or not you are successful.
Most people will be aware of the issues that having conflicting priorities can present – some things end up not done, some are delayed or late, whilst others are rushed; ultimately there can end up being a drop-in standards and this can affect your chances of impressing potential employers.
If you fail to organise yourself early on, you risk losing out on numerous opportunities which may have proved perfectly suited to your skills, experience and abilities.
Plan things out
Whilst job hunting it is more than likely that a number of opportunities or companies would have peaked your interest, leaving you with numerous applications to get completed perfectly so you leave yourself in the best possible position to secure a role.
Taking a note of deadlines and who you are applying to and what needs to be done is vital to the managing of your applications. You might find that you have a deadline at the end of a week for an opportunity that only requires you to send in a CV and cover letter, whilst next week you need to apply for a vacancy which requires you to fill out a lengthy job application.
By being organised and planning things out early, you can drastically limit the amount of pressure you need to put yourself under.
Understand your priorities
Although planning things out can avoid a lot of headaches, there are always going to be things that come up that put a spanner in the works. You might be job hunting and come across a vacancy at the last minute or someone you know might have tipped you off about a possible internship – sometimes things happen that you cannot account for.
In this instance, it is important to understand what your priorities are. Is it to work for a particular company or to occupy a role in a specific sector? Or to be at an organisation with quick career progression opportunities? Understanding what it is that you really want can help when it comes to prioritising specific vacancies.
If you’re a graduate looking to kick-start your career, have a chat with Discovery Graduates and see how they can help get your started
