University of Manchester Careers Blog

Just a quick blog post to point out that we’ve had

over 100 new ads

uploaded to CareersLink in the past week – and that’s full-time jobs, not part-time Santa jobs.

Some of the ads look like employers are re-advertising graduate scheme roles, so if you want to get on one of those prestigious training programmes, all may not be lost.

Are these jobs worth having if they have to re-advertise?
Yes! It’s probably not that these employers haven’t had any applications. It’s more likely that they haven’t had the quality they wanted. In a tough job market, too many people bang out as many untargeted applications as possible, in the hope that one will stick.

If an employer isn’t a big household name, applicants may be more tempted to dash off an application without doing much to find out what the employer is looking for. If you take the trouble to research the employer and the job, and show how you can meet their needs, you’ll stand a much better chance than someone who boasts about making “over 100 applications”.

I’m still sceptical – what kinds of jobs are you talking about?
McKinsey (looking for Russian speakers), GCHQ (they’ve got an outpost in Yorkshire – who knew?), GSK (a few opportunities still open until 11th Jan), Samsung (PhD or Masters with work experience in Chemistry, Physics or Engineering), BBC (Future Media Research Technologist), Adelphi (healthcare marketing and communications) – and a load of others.

Of course, if you’re smart, you’ll pay close attention to the ones you’ve never heard of, who will probably get fewer applications than the big names. Show you’re keen and apply before Christmas and you could start the New Year with an interview lined up.

Have a great break, when you’re not applying for jobs – see you in the New Year.