The graduate job market is highly competitive on both sides. The best companies are looking to snap up the most promising graduates, and the graduates are leaving university hungry to find a good, well-paid position that will give them room to grow and flourish after years of being in an educational environment. Your graduate job description is an ideal opportunity to showcase your brand and make that vital first impression to entice the best of the best to enquire about your graduate employment opportunities.

Graduates coming onto the market this summer have had a strange university experience, and some studies highlight the anxiety they must have felt over the last couple of pandemic years, with 41 percent not confident about entering the workplace, according to a survey by Careerpass Network.

However, the Institute for Student Employers (ISE) reported that graduate vacancies are up 20 percent on pre-pandemic levels, and this is set to increase further in the next few months. This is great news for those students looking for a suitable position.

For recruiters, this makes the search that much harder. An engaging job description will place you ahead of your competition in attracting the right graduate talent.

FIRST THINGS FIRST – THE STRUCTURE

Research from different sources has identified the following sections that work best:

Job title: Be clear about the job title – don’t oversell or undersell.

Vital information: Salary, location, company, approximate start date. Don’t be afraid to post the salary. This could be a determining factor between a suitable candidate applying or passing on by.

Job summary: This needs to be as descriptive and exciting as possible. If you can, include a brief career progression outline to indicate that there is room for growth and development.

Salary and benefits: Don’t hold back.

Company description: This is not just the boring bit – but more of an introduction to who you are as a company, your culture, your values, and your people.

Application process: The easier the application process, the more likely a graduate will apply. Don’t forget that the class of ’22 is the swipe and download generation. Take advantage of this by avoiding complications.

NEXT, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM THE GRADUATE?

While you want to entice as many ‘eyeballs’ as possible to the advert, you also want to only retain those who are suitable. This section should get rid of the tyre kickers and those who do not have the right qualities but keep the attention of those who you want to take further.

Be clear and concise. Explain what you expect from the role. Highlight skills and qualifications that are essential, and those that are desirable. Don’t discourage.

The graduate needs to be able to picture themselves in the position, irrespective of whether or not they tick every box. Try and use this section to rebuild confidence in graduates who might otherwise be feeling anxious about setting out in a job market after being hidden away for a couple of years.

THE START OF A JOURNEY

Graduate will not be looking for a ‘clock in clock out’ type of role, but rather the first step onto a clear career footpath. Sometimes a graduate will not even know what is out there until they start perusing the jobs market, so the more you can ‘sell’ them a future vision based on a fulfilling and interesting career, the more likely they are to make an application.

Showcasing the successful story of a graduate from previous years will also deepen your cause and put colour and energy into a few words on a piece of paper.

Are you looking to hire a graduate for your sales team this summer? Upload your vacancy today.