The milkround has gone, what next?

Making your first foray into the job market is always a big deal. With the current difficulties in the economy it's now an even bigger one, the traditional routes into graduate employment are shrinking fast.

You've been studying hard to get your degree and now that it's your turn to make some money, what happens? A big fat recession. But now is not the time to give up on all that hard work - you can still get the job you want, you just have to be found first.

There are several thousand graduates on the job market all seeking that lucky break - and the time between graduation and landing the first pay packet is getting longer.

Prospective employers in sectors as diverse as catering and retail are still looking for bright, capable people in droves. Their problem is finding you. Your challenge is helping them to find you.

So, What do does a bright prospect like you do?

Prospective employers are already utilising search engines such as Google, MSN and Yahoo to find out about you and your suitability for employment.

Make it easy for employers to find your professional details, your work and study history, your CV, and your personal interests on all the major search engines. This will give you a distinct advantage over the thousands of other young professionals seeking new job offers.

As the economy contracts over the next period, those whose professional information and details can be found easily on search engines, and in professional social media spaces will gain a distinct competitive advantage over those whose information is non existent, incomplete, out of date, or has even been hijacked by someone else.

You simply cannot afford not to be found in this job market.

You need to present yourself in the best possible light, and ensure that your personal details and professional history appear on the first page of the best search engines including Google, MSN and Yahoo.

There are some things you can do that will give you a competitive advantage;

  • Start your own graduate job hunt blog, updating the hits and misses as you go
  • Create your own personal website or blog with biography, background, CV, interests, personal profile and other information
  • Ensure you update your status regularly
  • Focus on cleaning up you social media profiles, taking down any inappropriate or unprofessional content
  • Set up a google alert for the type of job you are looking for
  • Use twitter search to narrow down real time jobs and opportunities by location or interest area
  • Find the blogs that are relevant to your preferred job area and comment on them, leaving your email address, web link and short summary of what you have to offer a prospective employer

There are plum jobs out there, those who are willing to promote their professional online reputation will best placed to grab them.

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