Landing my first graduate role - Fidelia's story

Finding the ideal role can take a lot of dedication to ensure you are turning out the best applications and interviews to increase your chances of a job offer. Sending out multiple CVs and applications whilst trying to stay resilient can seem never-ending. It is during this time that we can start to experience knocks in our confidence and motivation. So, how can we ignite and sustain enthusiasm when looking for work? It is possible to find jobs that aren't advertised or perhaps even existing, and that's exactly what BEng Innovation Engineering graduate, Fidelia has achieved.
Fidelia attended several appointments with the Careers and Employability Service throughout her time at university. She found them very useful and supportive in developing the quality of her applications. Having received a number of rejections, Fidelia was determined to explore other avenues for finding work, and building on a discussion she had with a Careers Adviser, she decided to make use of networking opportunities to aid her job search and started to approach employers with speculative applications.

"I have now understood the power of networking and know many jobs are not advertised. I want to use this opportunity to encourage students and graduates to understand the benefits of networking and emphasise how they sell themselves in professional settings, such as through LinkedIn. I understand I may have gotten lucky, but this could be the story of others if they take building a professional network seriously in their final year"
"I appreciate the work the Careers and Employability Service do, you have all become part of my career journey and I am very proud of my university!"
