How to land yourself a graduate role in Civil/Structural Engineering Pt1.

Landing yourself a graduate role is arguably the most competitive environment you’ll be in for a very long time. You might find yourself amongst 100 candidates at an assessment centre wondering what your chances are in ever finding a job … no need to panic the path has been tread before.

Make sure your CV is in tip-top condition. What do I mean by that? Well, it needs to have at least the following covered:

1. Format is key! Most reviewers/recruiters will only spend a few glances moments looking at you’re CV, so it needs to be presentable. Look out for varying fonts/font sizes, different heading styles as these are easily detectable.

2. Avoid paragraphs — You don’t want to put off the recruiters with chunky bits of writing, keep it short and preferably in bullet points that are easily digestible.

3. Choose a direction and stick to it — I generally advice that you begin with your most recent experience and work your way down (descending).

Good Example of CV

Cover letters can be daunting that's why you need to make yourself a template — No need to reinvent the wheel for every application

4. Rule no1: Make sure you say what position you’re applying for!

5. Mention what attracts you to the role and explain why — This can largely remain the same for most civil/structural companies but not always.

6. Try to match yourself to the job and explain why you think you’ll enjoy it.

7. Think about past projects you’ve done at University and relate those experiences to the role you’re applying for.

8. Highlight the most relevant skills and experiences you have for the role and explain why you gain satisfaction out of doing them

9. You’ve already mentioned your experiences on your CV so use this space to expand