Appointments

Careers Appointments

These are an opportunity for graduates to get guidance on anything careers or employability-related. This could include discussing careers ideas and options, building a career plan, exploring further study or teacher training, searching for jobs, and reviewing CVs and applications. We also run mock interviews with personalised feedback. 

To book an appointment, graduates are required to register for a Graduate account on CareerConnect. 

You can register here. 

What to expect in your careers appointment

Careers appointments are designed to help you move forward in your career thinking and readiness. The Careers Service will not tell you what to do or make decisions for you, instead we will guide you towards finding the answers for yourself by asking questions to draw out your own ideas and signposting you to resources to help you move forward. We want you to develop a career path that is rewarding for you, and help equip you with the skills to manage that independently once you leave university. ​

If you have any other questions about what to expect, you can contact us on careers@stmarys.ac.uk or speak to someone in the Student Hub in the library. ​

We offer the following types of appointments

• Remote appointments by Zoom
• Email appointments (with written feedback on CVs, cover letters and applications for jobs or further study)
• In-person appointments (in Employability Services, situated in the library on campus)  
• Phone appointments

To book a careers appointment:

• Book online through CareerConnect
• Email us at careers@stmarys.ac.uk with details of your availability.
• Ring the Careers and Employability Service on 020 8240 4055.
• Come into the Student Hub in the library - one of the librarians or careers team will be able to assist you.

Jobs and other opportunities

You can also access our CareerConnect Jobs Board at https://careers.stmarys.ac.uk. If you haven't yet registered as a graduate on CareerConnect, please do so on our registration page.

How to book an appointment

To book an appointment, simply visit CareerConnect​( https://careers.stmarys.ac.uk/home.html ) where you can book 1-1 appointments, sign-up for events and search for jobs and opportunities. If you have not used the system as a graduate, then it will ask you to register.

Click here to book​

Alternatively you can contact us.

Types of appointments

• ​Bookable one-to-one appointments (all day Mon-Fri) - In-service, Skype​, Telephone or Email (20 minutes)
• Careers Discussion (1 hour) - these are booked on the recommendation of the Careers Consultant once you have had a one-to-one appointment. 
• Practice Interview (1 hour)​ - please contact the career's office to book a practice interview.

These appointments are available for all students, graduates and staff of St Mary's University.​

Appointments Available:
Monday to Friday 10:00am-4:30pm

What to expect in your appointment

Careers appointments are designed to help you explore your career options. The Careers Service will not tell you what to do, but guide you towards finding the answers for yourself by showing you the resources you need to use. We want you to be able to develop a career path that is sustainable and one that you will be able to manage independently once you leave university. ​

You can use the Careers Service throughout your studies and after you graduate so it is likely that you will have more than one appointment with us.  If you have any other questions about what to expect, you can direct your questions to the person on the front desk within the Careers Service and they will be happy to help.​

Throughout the year we run various career events, including careers fairs,  presentations from employers and alumni, and webinars to support you with various aspects of your career journey.  These are also a great way to meet potential employers and gain an understanding of what it's like to work for that organisation. 

You can also book a careers appointment for support with any of the topics covered below (or anything else careers-related). Please email us at careers@stmarys.ac.uk.  

Upcoming Events: Kickstart Your Graduate Career

We are offering a series of careers webinars and guidance cafes designed to help you get your career going and secure your ideal graduate job.

The webinars offer practical tips and advice on different stages of the job process, from ‘where do I start’ to creating strong applications. The graduate guidance cafes are an opportunity to share your questions and concerns with us and hear from fellow St Mary’s about their queries, issues and experiences so everyone can share and learn together.

Please find more details and register for your place in the table below.

Our Business, Law, Society and Culture Virtual Jobs Fair took place on Weds 12th May.You can find details of the employers who attended HERE. 

The Careers Service ran a series of online careers talks during lockdown to help you with all things careers-related. Please find the slides and recordings (where available) of the webinars below. 

Are you are looking to find some ideas about job/career options?

Have you thought about a few options and want to know which ones may suit you?

First of all, one of the best things you could do is to book an appointment with one of the Careers Consultants. To book a 1-1 appointment with a careers consultant, please email us on careers@stmarys.ac.uk with details of your availability.

If you want to get started on your own, then here are a few ways to approach it. 

A single career for life is rare, so don’t feel that you will be tied to any decisions you make now. See your next step as a chance to develop the skills, experience and contacts that could lead to your next opportunity. 

There are probably a number of different job roles that you would enjoy, so don’t put yourself under pressure to find that one perfect match. Keep an open mind, as you could discover potential jobs roles and employers that you’d not considered before. 

There’s not one correct way to approach career decisions. How far ahead you want to look will depend on your personality. Some people need a defined plan and goal, others are content to take more exploratory steps and see where they lead. Knowing what’s out there 

Find out as much as you can about different career sectors. What skills or qualifications do they look for? What is the working culture like? You can get some basic information about different industries and job roles from websites like 

• www.prospects.ac.uk 
• https://targetjobs.co.uk 

They also provide links to more information, including vacancies. 

Browse job sites such as CareerConnect for vacancies that sound interesting (please note: if you haven’t logged in since graduating, you can set up an account on our registration page). Look at the details given, and the requirements. Is this kind of job something to explore further? Attending employer events is a great way to ask questions about what it is really like to work in a particular job or organisation. Prepare for them in advance, thinking about what you want to find out and also what you want to say to prospective employers about yourself. 

LinkedIn is really useful for finding out what other graduates from your course have gone on to do. Make connections with alumni, ask questions, buy them a coffee and chat about their work. Or is there someone you already know who has an interesting sounding job? What is it about that job which appeals to you? Can you find out more? Twitter can be another valuable tool for building networks, asking questions and keeping up to date with developments in the industry. See our Networking and LinkedIn titles in the Resources Index for further information. 

Consider online career matching tools like Prospects Planner: www.prospects.ac.uk/planner. Even if you aren’t convinced by the results, they can be useful for generating ideas and helping you think about why they weren’t right for you. 

Another way to explore careers is to hear from people working in them. Browse case study videos on websites like: www.careerplayer.com/graduate-jobs or https://icould.com. Think about the following questions while you watch. What sparks an interest? What makes you think ‘NO WAY’? Why do you have these responses? Use your research to help you narrow down your options

EXTRA RESOURCES

• 5 Ways to Help You Think About Your Options
• Choosing What's Next After Graduation

There are lots of different ways to find a job or get work experience. Planning your job search and using a variety of methods will help increase your chances of success.

Broadly speaking there are three main routes: applying for advertised vacancies, tapping into the ‘hidden’ job market, and getting creative to generate your own ways to get experience.

Once you’ve found a job you’re interested in, visit our section on ‘CVs, cover letters and applications’ for advice on making effective applications. You can also make a careers appointment to get support at any stage of the job hunting process, including applications and interviews.

You can find more tips on job hunting at the bottom of this page.

1. Applying for advertised vacancies

This involves searching and applying for live job vacancies and there are lots of places you can find advertised roles. These often have the benefit of a clear job description (listing the responsibilities of the role) and person specification (outlining the skills, experience and attributes in the ideal candidate).

You should always use this information to tailor your application to each different role (see ‘CVs, cover letters and applications’). You can also book a careers appointment for help or feedback on your application.

Places you can look for advertised vacancies include:

• Job boards and online vacancy websites that collate vacancies from many different employers into one place. They include:
• CareerConnect the St Mary’s Careers Service jobs board (please note: if you haven’t logged in since graduating, you can set up an account on our registration page)
• Graduate Schemes for 2020-2021- a list of Schemes currently recruiting for 2020/21 graduates. 
• Prospects and TargetJobs for graduates roles and internship opportunities
• Graduate Jobs and GradBay for graduate roles
• Guardian Jobs  for graduate roles (tip: search by sector, location and £15-20K or £20-25K salary for graduate jobs)
• CharityJob for roles in not-for-profit organisations and Work In Startups for graduate roles and internships in start-up companies
• Also see our ‘Useful job websites’ page for sector-specific job boards.

 Tip: Bookmark job sites you like, sign up for email alerts, and check them regularly for updates.

• Employer websites: If there may be specific organisations that you are interested in working for, check their websites regularly for suitable vacancies and keep up to with them through their social media.

• LinkedIn and social media: Online networking platforms can be a good source of job opportunities, as well as a great way to expand your network, build your online profile, and follow industry developments. Follow companies of interest on Twitter and Facebook; register for job alerts on LinkedIn and update your LinkedIn profile to show you have the skills needed for roles you are interested in.

• Recruitment agencies: These act a bit like a matchmaker between employers with job vacancies and candidates looking for roles. Visit Agency Central for a list of agencies by location and job sector and the REC website for more advice on choosing and using an agency.

2. Tapping into the ‘hidden job market’

“At least 60% of all jobs are found through networking rather than traditional job searching.” The ‘hidden job market’, Balance Careers

 Not all vacancies are advertised, so it’s worth being open to other ways of finding jobs and of making people round you aware that you are job hunting. Below are some ideas of how you can do this.

• Speculative applications: A large number of jobs are never advertised (e.g. because of the cost of advertising or because some employers prefer referrals). So, if you know which sector you want to work in, do your research to find employers in that area. Make a list of organisations and send them your CV and a cover letter explaining your interest in working for them and how your skills and experience would benefit that particular organisation. This usually works best with small/niche organisations rather than large companies. You could also try reaching out on social media.

Tips: Always try to write to a named contact (do your research on the organisation’s website or LinkedIn) and follow-up with a phone call if you haven’t heard back after a couple of weeks.

• Make the most of your contacts: Make sure you let your contacts know that you are looking for work and what type of job you want. Your contacts may be able to help you arrange relevant work experience and/or put you in touch with other useful people in your sector of interest. For example, if you have had a part-time retail job, investigate whether there are work-shadowing opportunities in their head office (e.g. in finance, legal, marketing, HR, etc).

• Networking and events: Attending events (e.g. talks, jobs fairs, and networking activities) is a great way to increase your contacts, gain insights that will help your job search, and build your commercial awareness. Ask people about their job, what is happening in their industry, where and how they recruit, and what they look for. Try and get contact details and follow-up afterwards with an email, following them on social media, or connecting on LinkedIn.

Tip: Feel nervous networking? Preparing questions or conversation starters beforehand can help. Be curious – people like talking about themselves, so a couple of good questions can get the conversation flowing! You can also make a careers appointment to get ideas, practice, and boost your confidence.

3. Get creative to generate your own ways to get experience

If you have gaps in your skill set for the job you want, lack relevant experience, or just want to try out something different, then you could get creative to generate your own opportunities. Possibilities include:

• Work shadowing: A great way to get a deep insight into a particular role or organisation and make new contacts in that area (which can be helpful if you’re choosing a career path and/or thinking or changing careers). Plus, it’s often an easier ask than work experience as it requires less organisation from the person you shadow.

• Do a short course or summer school: There are lots of free online courses available that enable you to learn new knowledge or skills, often for free. Or you might attend a workshop or summer school, which is a great way to meet new people and develop your skills. For example, websites like FutureLearn and Coursera offer a wide range of free online courses.

• Start your own project, enter competitions, build your portfolio: Depending on your career of interest, it may be helpful to create examples of your own work. For example, if you’re interested in writing, could you create your own blog (or contribute to someone else’s, like an organisation of interest) or write your own screen play? If you like filming, could you create or edit something to help build your portfolio? Could you collaborate with your fellow graduates or friends to bring your life to work? Also think about how you might share your work – e.g. through your own website, LinkedIn, social media or by entering competitions.

• Volunteer: This can be a good way to get a taster of a particular job or experience as well as gain valuable experience, meet new people and do something rewarding. Not everyone has the financial freedom to volunteer, so this may be something to consider alongside a part-time job. If you are giving up your time for free, make sure you are also getting something worthwhile out of it (e.g. relevant experience to boost your CV). Visit websites like www.do-it.org to search different types of opportunities by location.

• Use your current job to get relevant experience: If you currently work in a large organisation (e.g. in retail or a chain of restaurants), could you shadow or speak to someone in head office who does a role you’re interested in, such as HR, marketing, legal or finance? If you work in a small shop, café or bar, could you do something to support their marketing or social media (or whatever area it is that interests you)?

• Set up your own business or social enterprise or do some freelancing: Increasing numbers of students and graduates (and not just business students!) are considering or have started working for themselves. Visit our ‘Starting your own business’ page for advice and information.

For more information and ideas, see our 10 more ways to get work experience guide or make a careers appointment to speak to one of our Careers Consultants.

Some final tips…

• Think broadly: Don’t limit your search by only looking at certain industries or employers. For example, accountants don’t just work for finance companies, nor lawyers for law firms – but for organisations ranging from engineering organisations to fashion houses. It is likely there are a huge number of roles and companies with exciting opportunities that you have never even heard of before.

• Think flexibly: Few graduates walk straight into their dream job, so it’s worth being open to other roles and types of organisation where you can build the skills and experience you need. For example, you may want to work in a finance role, but data entry or admin roles in a finance department could be a great way to get started on that path. Remember, you’re not tied to the first job or even career sector you go into after you graduate, so don’t worry if your first role isn’t your dream job (or if you’re not sure what your dream job is yet!). 

• Think methodically: Looking for work is time-consuming, especially since you have to tailor each application you make. To help, you could:

• Set goals (e.g. to research 10 employer websites in one afternoon or make one job application each day) to help maintain your motivation and momentum.
• Make a note of every role you apply for and keep copies of every application that you send – this can help save time for future applications as well as support you interview preparation.
• Keep track of deadlines and prioritise your applications so you don’t miss any opportunities you’re really interested in (it may be helpful to use a spreadsheet or calendar for this!).

• Think positively: It can be frustrating and disheartening if you don’t hear back from an employer you’ve applied to or are not shortlisted for a role you really wanted. This happens to everyone at some point. It’s important not to give up but to use the experience to improve your future applications. Always ask for feedback and find ways of learning from it.

Note: If you find that you are not getting shortlisted it might be time to take a step back and/or seek some help. Are you applying for the right type of roles appropriate to your level of skills and experience? Is your CV or application effective? Make a careers appointment  to discuss your options and/or get feedback on your CVs and applications.

• Online CV course: a detailed, 20 minute, interactive online module on how to write a great CV 
• How to write a CV: information and tips on writing an effective CV, with tailored examples included
• Cover letters and personal statements: for guidance on how to write a cover letter (including an example) as well as completing the personal statement on a job application form
• CVs and cover letters from the Ultimate Career Guide: more tips, advice and example CVs and cover letters. This guide also has ideas for identify and describing examples of your skills
• How to Write a Killer CV: a recording of our webinar on 6th October 2020
  
• Writing Strong Cover Letters and Applications: a recording of our webinar on 8th October 2020
  
• Completing job application forms: detailed information on how to impress an employer on a job application form
• Common application errors: a list of some common mistakes candidates make when applying for jobs, and how you can avoid them!

• Attend a Mock Interview. Contact us for more details and to book a session. 
  
• Book an ap​pointment​ ​with a Careers Consultant to discuss interview techniques​​

Interview Practice

As well as offering you advice for interview prep and mock interviews via a remote appointment with a Careers Consultant, you can also practice interviewing by signing up to InterviewStream – our online software that gives you free access to an excellent range of resources, allowing you to: 

• Practice whenever, wherever – using a MAC, PC, Android or IOS device.
• See and hear yourself online – record, review, retry… practice at your own pace. 
• Watch, assess and share interviews – review your video responses and share interviews via email. 
• Choose from 7000+ questions – or select a predefined question set designed for you.

Interview Stream simulates the pre-recorded (or 'asynchronous') video interviews that some employers use as part of their recruitment process. InterviewStream is an online platform that allows students to practice for asynchronous video interviews. Asynchronous interviews are those where you are sent a link that takes you to a platform where you are presented with questions in text or video and then given a set period of time to answer a question, recorded by your webcam. The recruiter then reviews the recorded videos at their leisure.

You can sign up by visiting InterviewStream and clicking 'register for a new account'. Ensure you select St Mary's University as your Institution. 

If you are invited for a face-to-face interview with an employer, then we'd recommend you also book a practice interview with the Careers Service. 

Psychometric Testing​

​​Psychometric tests are a method used by some recruiters to assess your suitability for the role. They involve answering a series of questions online within a certain time limit and are generally used by larger employers who receive large numbers of applications. They could also be one of the tasks at an assessment centre. Knowing what to expect and how to prepare is a useful way to improve your test performance.​

St Mary's graduates can access a number of practice tests on Graduates First, an online resource that offers free Psychometric and Aptitude tests, as well as helpful tips, solutions and advice. 

To register with Graduates First, please contact the Careers Service who can set up Students can access Graduates First by setting up an account with their St Mary’s email address.

Personality Testing

Personality tests are used to identify who you are and why you do things the way you do. The most well known type of personality testing is Myers Briggs Type Indic​ator (MBTI). If you complete an online personality test, we would encourage you to come into the Careers Service and talk over your results with a Careers Consultant. The next stage will be to consider what you like doing and which particular career paths you may want to take. 

In addition to MBTI, there are lots of free online personality tests which you can access, such as www.16personalities.com. If you need any further information on completing a personality test, please contact the Careers Service. 

The 2019/2020 St Mary's Internship Programme is now open!

We are continuing to offer opportunities for you to gain experience and enhance your employability during the Coronavirus pandemic, by sourcing paid internships with a range of employers through the St. Mary’s Internship Programme.

All the St Mary's Internship opportunities that are due to start during lockdown will be offered remotely, in line with the current government guidelines on social distancing. 

Apply on CareersConnect, and search for internships using the phrase "St Mary's Internship Programme". 

Please note: if you haven’t logged in since graduating, you can set up a CareersConnect account on our registration page.

**We recommend that you book a careers appointment to get your application reviewed before you apply. You can book an appointment by email, phone, or video chat by emailing careers@stmarys.ac.uk with details of your availability.** 

Why should you do apply for an internship through the St Mary's Internship Programme?

• It's PAID! You will get £10.75 per hour
• Makes you more competitive in the graduate jobs market
• Great way to further develop your skills and knowledge
• Gain an understanding of a particular job or industry
• Helps you to gain an insight into how organisations operate and the challenges they face
• Provides you with networking opportunities
• Allows you to consider other roles you may not have previously thought of...

We offer help, advice and support to students and graduates who are either starting their own business or are growing and expanding their business. You can book appointments with our Careers Consultants and get confidential advice.     

For information and useful links and resources, have a look at our Enterprise Information

Coming up with ideas

The first step with any business is a good idea. This can then be tested and changed and adapted to become a profitable business.

We love the The Fast Idea Generator as it allows you to take a particular idea or existing thing, and very quickly use different mechanisms to develop, flip, change and improve it.

Why? What? How? Knowing the answers to these three questions is vital when understanding and explaining what it is your company or project does. This is why Simon Sinek developed the Golden Circle Method for helping you answer them. Sinek’s TED talk on finding your Why is also worth watching.

The Innovation Flowchart. The Innovation Flowchart gives a detailed overview of the various stages in an innovation process, listing the activities, requirements and goals of each stage. These include an overview of the different people, skills, activities and finances that a project or an organisation might need in order to succeed. The structured overview that this tool provides helps you review where you are in the process and organise the next steps in your work.

For some more inspiration, have a look at this advice from companybug.com

Firstly, you will need to get started by putting your ideas down. You can mindmap and be as adventurous as you like with your start-up ideas. Then you are going to have to answer some questions to get you started:

§  What is your budget? Do you want to start small? If you have a certain budget, it is worth researching what your best options are? Alternatively, research what are the options available to you to get funding.

§  What is your skill set? Have you got experience in a certain industry, or have you picked up a hobby that you think you can transform into a booming business? It is worth considering if you want to have a full time or a part-time business whilst also working elsewhere? This could help you with your finances.

§  What are you passionate about? Starting your business journey can be a challenge and you need drive, and if that drive comes from passion then it’s likely to be a success.

§  What does your community need? Do your market research, what do people want? For example, does your town centre need a dessert cafe that other nearby town centres have but yours does not?

Writing a business plan

This is absolutely fundamental to starting a business, as the process of writing a business plan forces you to consider all the main areas to make sure it has a good chance of success. With a good business plan, you can also apply for funding from various organisations.

The Princes Trust has some really great resources on writing a business plan. There are also some other useful links on our enterprise resources document.

Funding

Finding funding can be complicated and there are various types of funding available. Crowdfunding, business competitions, bank loans, Angel Investors, Business accelerator funding, Venture Capital and more! Making the right choice can make a huge difference. Some will provide support to you and some will take a share of your business. Some will provide more funding than others. Make sure you get some advice before making a decision about what is right for you and your business.

There is some good information on funding on the princes trust website and also on the Hiscox website.

Marketing your business

You can have the best business idea in the world, but if your customers/clients do not know about it, you will not make any money. Having the right marketing strategy is key. You first need to do an analysis of who your potential customers are, what it is they want and what you can offer that is different/unique. Then you need to have a strategy that can reach them and persuade them to use your business. This article has an excellent overview of researching your market. And Kickoff labs have a brilliant guide to setting up a marketing strategy.  

Start-up St Mary's

Start-up St Mary's is a 9 week programme run at St Marys. It normally starts at the end of January. 

The programme is for any students or alumni within two years of graduating wanting to learn more about business start-ups or how to get a business idea of the ground.

Perhaps you've thought about becoming self-employed, or would simply like to develop an entrepreneurial mind-set.

The programme will be sponsored by Santander Universities and there is the opportunity of pitching for funding of up to £4,000 for your business idea.

Further details on the programme can be found here.

A calendar of events for the 2021 programme can be found here. 

The 2021 programme has now closed. Look out for details of our 2022 programme in October. We look forward to receiving your application.  

If you have any additional questions about the programme please email careers@stmarys.ac.uk or call 0208 240 4055.

#StartUpStMarys #investinyourfuture

The Careers Team have two forthcoming webinars on further study:

• Exploring Postgraduate Study: Tips and Guidance on Applying for a Masters on Wednesday 6th May from 12-1pm
• Getting into Teaching: Q&A for St Mary’s Students and Alumni on Thursday 7th May from 12-1pm

Thinking about teacher training?

For info on Teaching, including the different ways to train, bursaries and finance, the application process etc, see the government's 'Get into Teaching' website or download the Target Jobs Guide to Teaching.

You can also book an appointment with a Careers Consultant for further guidance on anything from making an informed decision about whether teaching is right for you, to the different teacher training routes; when, where and how to apply; writing a strong personal statement; and fees and funding (or anything else you may be wondering about). You can also get feedback on your applications or book a practice interview. To make an appointment, please email us on careers@stmarys.ac.uk with details of your availability. 

Applying for a Masters?

Read our Postgraduate Study handout which gives some initial advice and information on how to apply, and how to choose the right course and where to look for information on fees and funding. 

Masters courses can be expensive and aren't necessary for all career paths, so it is worth checking that doing a Masters is the right thing for you, and if so, that you choose the right one. 

The Prospects and Find a Masters websites have useful and comprehensive sections on some of things to think about when considering Masters study, choosing a course, as well as advice on fees and funding. They also have a database of courses from across the UK (and beyond) than you can search. UCAS also has useful guidance on choosing a postgraduate degree. 

Considering a PhD?

A PhD, or Doctorate of Philosophy, is the highest level of degree a student can achieve, demonstrating that they've made a meaningful new contribution to their chosen field. It's also a significant commitment - full-time PhDs typically last three or four years (whilst part-time PhDs can last six or seven). 

PhD students independently conduct original and significant research in a specific field or subject, before producing a publication-worthy thesis of typically 60,000-90,000 words.

Take a look at our Postgraduate Study handout for a basic introduction to PhDs, check out 'To PhD or not to PhD?' guide to help you make an informed decision, and read our Applying for PhD resource for more details about applying. You can also find useful and comprehensive information on the Prospects and Find a PhD websites. 

Other types of further study

• Postgraduate certificates and diplomas: these qualifications are at the same level of study as Masters degrees, but they're shorter and you don't have to write a dissertation. So they may suit you if you're interested in further study but you don't have time for a full Masters, and/or would prefer not to do a full dissertation.

• Professional qualifications: vocational training courses that relate to a specific industry or career path (e.g. becoming a Solicitor or a Chartered Accountant). Some can be taken directly after graduating, while others are aimed at professionals with several years of experience who wish to develop their career further.

• MBA courses: these are typically aimed at high-achieving graduates who want to forge a successful business career and already have some management experience. They can often lead to new job opportunities, promotion or an improved salary.

• Conversion courses: Conversion courses are intensive postgraduate programmes that enable you to pursue a career that your undergraduate degree hasn't prepared you for. They're usually vocational and can last anywhere between a few months and several years, depending on the qualification and whether you choose fast-track, full-time or part-time study. to help you switch career path. There are available in a range of areas including medicine, law, IT, psychology and social work.

It can feel discouraging when your job hunting just doesn’t seem to be working for you. Some of our graduates find that are not getting selected for interview, or not succeeding at interview; some find they just don’t hear back when they send off applications; and sometimes they just can’t find anything to apply for in the area they need or want to work.

Does this sound like you?

Here are some practical tips for building your resilience.

1 Normalise your feelings. It’s completely normal to take a while to find your first graduate job; some studies show nearly half of graduates are still looking after six months, and a significant number take far longer. This is not meant to be depressing! Rather we are telling you this to reassure you that you are not alone and this is completely normal.

2 Practise not taking it personally. Easier said than done, we know! But unlike your exams and essays, when everyone who meets a certain standard will succeed, the job market is a very different place. Usually there is only one space and very many really well qualified candidates who have applied for it. Not being selected for interview, or not being offered the job simply means that someone else was on the day seemed to be what the company was looking for. It is often nothing to do with you. (And of course, if you do suspect that you could improve your applications, please talk to us!) [ADD LINK?]

3 Consider your strengths. Take some time to look at the things that you naturally do really well (even if they don’t seem job related). This can give you perspective and build your confidence. Have a go at this Strength Spotting exercise.

4 Talk to other people. It can be isolating if you feel you are the only one not getting on as you would wish. Building a support network – friends, family, careers consultants, medical professionals, counsellors – can help you stay connected and keep things in perspective.

5 Make a plan. Look here to see how to make a start. And reach out to the Careers Service. Email us at careers@stmarys.ac.uk and ask us for a Graduate Careers MOT.

• Career Planning for PhDs
• 20-21 Options for PhDs