There’s no escaping it – this year’s job market really is tougher than previous years, and may well be for several years to come. We could give you all the usual platitudes (“make sure you have a great CV”, “check the job ads every day” – as if you hadn’t thought of those) but we reckon it’s more useful if we just tell it straight:
- what’s happening in the job market
- what’s different about job hunting in a recession
- what can you actually do to help yourself
In these pages on the Manchester Graduate Careers blog, you’ll find videos, inside information on the job market and job hunting, and some practical things you can do to help you tackle job-hunting in the recession. This includes hints on how to use contacts effectively, how to convince employers that you’re “work ready”, how to fill the gaps in your CV strategically, and lots more.
How will the recession affect graduates
Obviously cut backs and redundancies mean less jobs. This in turn means more competition for the jobs that are out there. Not only will you be competing with your graduate peers but soon a new cohort of 2009 graduates too. Stay positive though. We’ve got lots of advice to help you ‘ride the recession’.
Dealing with the downturn
Check out our previous posts exploring the pros and cons of some of the different strategies that many recent graduates use when they are struggling to find work in a recession:
- Dealing with the downturn 1 – Taking a year out
- Dealing with the downturn 2 – Taking a postgraduate course
- Dealing with the downturn 3 – Taking any job
- Dealing with the downturn 4 – Do nothing
- Dealing with the downturn 5 – Keep trying
What difference is this recession making?
Check out our assessment of the situation plus, crucially, what you can do about it.
- Recession
- what this recession means for graduates - All doom and gloom – or exaggeration?
- find out what’s really happening in the job market - There are fewer jobs to apply to this year
- how to seek out the jobs which are still out there - There are more people looking for work
- how to make sure you’re the one who gets the job - Researching the job market has never been easier
- use contacts and technology to save time and find jobs - You’re more likely to have financial constraints than previous graduates
- where to find help and support to keep you afloat - FAQs and Comments
- tell us what else you want to know or give us feedback
