APPRENTICE star and West Ham United vice-chair Karren Brady answers your careers questions, plus try our money-saving tips.
Here she gives advice to a reader whose son is struggling to find work after graduating uni.
Q: My son graduated in May last year with a first class honours degree in computing science.
He has done some great work experience, had a summer job in marketing, plus he did voluntary work for a charity for years.
He is on LinkedIn, registered with every tech recruitment agency in London and has been applying for graduate/junior IT jobs every day – but he doesn’t even get a reply from most of them.
He’s becoming very low as, while we knew it was never going to be easy, he had hoped to have a role by now.
Is there anything else he – or we – could be doing?
Chris, via email
A: Congratulations to your son for graduating with first class honours!
It’s great to hear that he is proactive in his job search.
He’s taking all the proper steps, but the search process can be challenging, so encourage him to stay positive.
Your son needs to tailor his CV to each application, focusing on the skills most relevant to that position.
His LinkedIn profile should be updated with his latest projects, skills and experiences.
A professional photo, a strong headline and a detailed summary can make his profile more appealing.
Encourage him to engage with industry content, share posts and comment on discussions to increase his visibility.
He could also consider broadening his job search criteria.
Freelance or part-time roles can provide valuable experience and connections, and can lead to permanent positions.
If he doesn’t receive a response from an application, he could send a polite follow-up email to express his continued interest and ask for feedback.
The job market is tough, but his skills and qualifications make him a valuable candidate.
