Be ready for that grad role by making the most of your time at uni
Gaining a Master’s in business sounds like a sure-fire way to land yourself a job after graduation. But with so much competition in the job market, what more can you do to stand out?
Identify your target
Employers love clarity. Clarity on why you want the job, why you want to work in a particular sector, and what you have to offer. It sounds simple enough, but actually working out what you want to do takes time.
Nuo Xu, an MSc careers coach, suggests using your Master’s course, any university societies that you might be part of, and career and networking events to help pinpoint your target industry.
“Find the sweet spot between what you can do, what you love to do, and what the world would pay you to do,” says Nuo. “You don’t have to have a clear answer, many of us spend years searching. But it’s undoubtedly beneficial to start thinking about it.”
Do your research
Once you have an idea of the roles and companies that you might be interested in, find out more about them. Who works for them? What do they do? And who can you speak to, to find out more?
“Start to research employees within these organisations,” says careers coach Davina Noonan. “Make contact with them via LinkedIn or if you can get their direct email address, even better.”
Just don’t be disheartened if you’re not immediately swamped with replies.
“This reach-out stage can be difficult and there can be lots of rejection,” adds Davina. “Try to treat it as a numbers game and know that for every 20 contacts you find and message, you may only get one reply.”
Just be careful not to overdo your contact strategy. When people don’t reply, it may just be that they’re particularly busy right now.
“Don’t fall into the trap of aggravating your point of contact,” says Davina. “This could result in being dropped from consideration completely.”
Build your network
Learning how to nurture and grow your working relationships is a big part of business, and you can start capitalising on this during your Master’s year.
Recognise that the students on your course might be future colleagues, and try to establish a broad range of people to work with on projects or coursework.
Most universities should also offer career fairs or guest speakers that can provide you with the chance to meet people, pick up email addresses and talk with recruiters.
“Having these contacts is a huge advantage,” says careers manager Alison Collins.
“It gives students insider knowledge that other candidates may not have, and support from people who may be able to recommend them for a job or offer advice on the recruitment process.”
Use your careers advisors
University careers advisors are highly trained and should have specific knowledge about potential employers, graduate schemes and how to apply for them.
Depending on the industry that you want to go into, job application deadlines can be very early, and some universities offer careers consultations before you even start your course.
Peter Burnham, MSc careers coach, says: “It is important for students to be able to have one-to-one Skype calls with career coaches before starting their course if students are targeting sectors with early deadlines, such as finance or consulting."
Get some stories
The job market is full of people with great stories (and people with very average stories but who are great at telling them).
A good anecdote can be useful in an interview, so it’s worth taking some time to work yours out. Your Master’s should give you a portfolio of work experience and projects that you can draw on here, so spend some time working on your story.
Nuo says: “Record yourself and watch it back. You could also practice telling the story to your friends.
“Make sure you book appointments with a careers coach for mock interviews and application form checking. We’re here to help you to make your stories more compelling.”
Build commercial awareness
Commercial awareness is in massive demand among business employers, but according to recruiters, it’s something that the majority of graduates lack.
During your business Master’s you will be immersed in all things business related, both on a small and a global scale. But there are other things that you can do to help further.
Nuo suggests reading business news from credible resources to maintain general ideas about what’s happening in the business world.
Delving into professional business analysis reports is another good way to learn insights and how to analyse.
“Think and act as a business owner,” says Nuo. “Start your own business. The business can be investing small sums into a portfolio of your own on the stock market or selling small items online.
“At least, try to find a small business like a coffee shop and spend some time observing it.”
It’s these kinds of skills and behaviours that will broaden your knowledge and experience - way beyond what you’ll already be learning on your course.
And, once it’s time to go one-on-one with the job market, you’ll already be on your way to getting that foot in the door.
Our partnership with Lancaster University Management School
Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) is one of the longest-established business schools in the UK and home to a thriving and truly international community.
We are a triple-accredited research-intensive business school that combines world-class research with excellent teaching and high levels of student satisfaction. We welcome students and staff from more than 180 countries and have a presence in 24 countries, including campuses in China, Germany, Ghana and Malaysia.
We challenge and support our creative staff, students and partners to realise their ambitions as they experience a transformational journey that leads to real impact on whole industries, societies and economies.
Lancaster University is among the best in the UK, and has been the top university in the northwest of England for more than a decade.
To find out more, visit the Lancaster University Management School website.
