The average UK university graduate has a lot to ponder as they leave their university for the professional world. Graduates need to concern themselves with everyday issues like where they are living, how they will get around the city, and paying off bills and utilities. However, the biggest concern for graduates is finding the right job to fit personal and professional goals. Indeed, many graduates begin worrying about this in their final year of university studies and try their best to do a job search while in school. In fields like sales and marketing, recruiters come to university campuses to recruit upcoming graduates for trainee or entry level positions. However, graduates need to seriously consider how every job they apply to meets their overall needs as a professional.
There is the obvious concern by graduates about paying the rent, bills, and student loan debt. This means that financial incentives and benefits are important to every graduate entering sales or marketing positions. Some sales positions offer a lower base pay with the promise that the commissions made off of sales to individual customers will more than make up for the base pay. However, there are plenty of sales jobs and graduate training programs where an exceptional candidate can earn plenty of money right away and have an opportunity at weekly, monthly, and quarterly bonuses. These considerations are incredibly important and shouldn’t be taken lightly by sales and marketing professionals.
In addition to financial concerns, a candidate for a sales or marketing position needs to ask themselves if they can see a particular job as part of their future. Marketing professionals with youth-oriented companies, like cell phone providers or retailers, may not feel that they can stay updated with the youth trends throughout their entire career. Sales people may want to take a job that allows them to move from the field into the office place as they progress throughout their career. In essence, flexibility and advancement options are critical for sales and marketing jobs.
Finally, sales and marketing professionals need to ask themselves if the product that a potential employer offers is something they can stand behind. A marketing graduate who does not like a particular brand of clothing may not want to enter that particular field. A sales graduate who has used a particular cell phone and cannot stand behind it should not be selling it. This is an important consideration as a graduate’s professional life is concerned with getting people to use these products.
By: Mark Doherty
Posts Tagged ‘Professional World’
Sales and Marketing Jobs That Meet your Needs
October 30th, 2009Using College Student Jobs to Open Doors in the Professional World
September 29th, 2009College students throughout the United Kingdom turn to part-time employment to help pay for university fees and living expenses. These jobs are often seen as an expedient way to earn a pay check without consideration of potential work experience that would be useful down the road. University students who take the time to research part-time and temporary jobs during their period of matriculation will be able to point to these experiences in the future.
Students interested in marketing, advertising and design need to think of retail positions as a way to learn the basics of their future profession. A shoe clerk can work at a small boutique and create hand-written signs to draw in customers while they make a steady wage. Cashiers at a local grocery can inquire about the daily business dealings of the company through their managers. These positions may seem like opportunities to pay off monthly debts but a few months of hard work can open doors down the road.
The references built through college student jobs can reveal professional opportunities after graduation. University graduates who have spent their summers working hard on construction sites, delivery routes and factory lines will develop good relationships with their employers. These employers can be placed on a CV for contact by dozens of employers in the future. In the same way that flat mates and university colleagues are important at the beginning of a professional career, references from college student jobs are vital to landing the best jobs.
College student jobs allow employees to save a little of their money while they pay off some of their larger debts. A combination of college student loans, savings from summer work and a steady check from a student job gives a student greater financial flexibility through graduation. The cost of living grows as students move into a new apartment and need to purchase household items after graduation. A small chunk of each check can be set aside for a post-graduation fund instead of going into disposable goods like MP3s and drinks.
Students who plan ahead with their university employment will build the skills needed to deal with long term issues in their profession. A young student who takes on a temporary job in a legal office and wants to work in international affairs can ask the right questions of her employer about the right educational course. A well-planned employment experience during the university years can lead to prosperity down the road.
By: Mike Sandiford
Discovering the Best Java Jobs
September 26th, 2009The need for talented IT professionals with knowledge of Java platforms and script has become paramount to many companies in the UK. Java is such an important aspect of Web-enabled solutions and office technology that professionals with knowledge of it are invaluable to the success and expansion of a company. This rising need by the corporate world for Java professionals means that graduates and Java experts alike have a market that favours them over the long term. After all, IT professionals with Java knowledge can choose to work in that specific area or choose more general positions that fit their professional needs. The most important goal for a Java professional is to find the right job to maximize their abilities.
One way of finding the best Java jobs in the UK is to attend job fairs. These fairs, often held at universities or auditoriums, are a great opportunity for Java professionals to find open jobs while speaking with representatives of hiring companies. Professionals with knowledge of Java can leverage their skills with major employers and possibly land themselves an interview on the spot. At the very least, job fairs can help IT workers find out how fruitful the Java job search can be.
IT graduates with knowledge of Java should always consult with their former university. UK universities have developed partnerships with local corporations over the last few years, which can yield the right opportunities for former students. As well, many universities offer job placement and coaching services which are meant to help graduates acclimate themselves to the professional world.
Java professionals who want to find the best jobs should also look at trade publications and websites. These sites, which focus specifically on IT jobs, speak the language of an IT professional and cut out the non-essential jobs available on general job sites. IT professionals who know about Java can peruse these periodicals and sites on a daily or monthly basis, depending on the type of medium. While these resources won’t always land a professional their ideal job, they can help formulate a viewpoint on the IT industry that is important to future success.
The final resource for those trying to discover Java jobs is recruiting firms. These firms specialize in trying to help highly skilled workers in a variety of fields and industries find their ideal job. An IT professional who has a specialized skill like Java should be able to find a job no problem by using the right recruiting agency.
By: Steve Bishop
