University of Manchester Careers Blog

So, you haven’t got a job lined up yet – whether just for summer or for after you graduate.

Is it too late to do something before your exams?

No!

One quick fix, right now, before the Easter break, might unlock your ideal job.

How?

Tell everyone you know what you’d love to do over summer, or after you graduate.

Post on any social media you use

Sure, you can WhatsApp your friends, but don’t forget Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as well. That’s what the old people still use – and they’re the ones with jobs to fill, and who know other old people who might be able to help you!

Phone home

If you still live at home (inside or outside term-time), or have family friends or relatives who have a vested interest in seeing you fixed up, let everyone know what you’re after, particularly if you’re “going home” for the holidays.

Your home-based supporters club can have their ear to the ground for any good opportunities or contacts.

Right, now the scary bit.

What if this generates a possible contact or the name of a potential employer?

Write to them, now!

Offer your services for “any project or temporary work over the summer”, highlighting the skills, experience and enthusiasm you can bring, and include a tailored CV.

• Hint: being able to pick things up quickly, use your initiative and work with limited supervision are sought after attributes for any short term work. Asking for experience or training or “an internship” isn’t as attractive to an employer.
• If you’re looking for a graduate job, you can ask for a job for after you graduate – but starting out doing project or temporary work can also be a way into a longer term job.
• Don’t assume that project or temporary work is unpaid. Other “temp” workers are paid – as long as you’re doing real work which is needed by the employer, you should assume you get paid! (See our advice on unpaid experience.)

Why now, before Easter?

Because as long as they’re within travelling distance of where you’ll be over the Easter break, you can suggest that you “will be available between 21st March and 8th April if there is any chance of speaking to you directly about any opportunities you may have”.

They’ll probably want to speak to you before offering you a job, so use the Easter break to get ahead of the crowd.

Who knows? There’s just the chance that you might bag an interview or two – and even a job – before you come back to Manchester and head towards exams.

What if you don’t have their email address?

Try snail mail – you’ve just about got time to get it to them before the Easter break! In fact, most employers get so many emails, a good hard copy letter and CV can actually stand out.

Still no names to contact?

Try the Organisation Directory in CareersLink and search:

• over 10,000 organisations all over the UK (and some overseas)
• large and small – the smaller ones are where there will be less competition
• in all sorts of work (that’s the “Organisation Sector” filter in the Advanced Search – see below)

all of whom want to target University of Manchester students.