Begin networking as soon as you get to college, says Jenny Knight

Time was when finding work was easy for graduates. Only the most ambitious and well organised thought about starting the job hunt early. That has all changed. First and second year students are now busy networking and checking out work placements and internships.

Lucian Tarnowski, founder and chief executive of the website BraveNewTalent.com, says people should start networking as young as 18. “If you are not networking and engaged with companies early in your university career, you will find the job hunt much harder. Nowadays you need more than a degree. You need a good CV, showing a rounded person with skill sets, life experience, work experience and evidence of outside interests.”

BraveNewTalent, a social media recruitment service, has formed a partnership with Viadeo, a professional networking website. Peter Crosby, Viadeo’s chief operating officer, Europe, says the process of finding work begins much earlier now, with many students thinking about enhancing their profile as soon as they start university.

“We have 30 million members and are used by thousands of recruiters,” he says. “Most employers Google the name of job applicants and with a professional profile the student can control their brand rather than letting an embarrassing Facebook profile serve as their introduction.

“A full professional profile, with all your experience, a photograph and maybe a video, with a link to your blog or Twitter stream, is better than just sending out a resumé.”

PricewaterhouseCoopers launched a Talent Academy for first-year undergraduates after being contacted by students looking for work experience. Louise Farrar, recruitment manager, says: “We now have two undergraduate training schemes. The Talent Academy takes 50 students on a week-long residential course and in the second year we have 200 places for six-week internships, plus international internships for a further 20 students.

“A lot of students engage with industry or commerce early on and develop employability skills. There is a lot of competition, so students should start to think about a career early on and not be complacent.” PwC also runs Insight Days, which are held on demand and open to any undergraduate. Using business simulations and role play, the students get a flavour of work.

Marianka Swain, 24, is an example of how valuable networking and experience of work can be. She tutored younger children for their Common Entrance exams while she was still at school and at Oxford did regular part-time work.

“In the summer of my second year I did a two-month internship at Four Communications, a PR company. By the time I left Oxford, Four Communications had expanded and had a very competitive graduate trainee scheme, but because I had done the internship I was fast tracked on the selection process. Half way through the trainee year I was given a permanent job.”

Deloitte runs a summer vacation scheme for 100 second-year undergraduates. Sarah Shillingford, graduate recruitment partner, says: “The seven-week paid programme consists of one week’s training and six weeks’ genuine work experience, going out with the team to meet clients.” Deloitte recruits 1,000 graduates each year, and Shillingford says that students not lucky enough to get an internship can do other things to stand out from the crowd.

“We don’t want people who have just lounged around watching television. We recruit people from all universities and with all types of degrees. Any sort of job—in a bar, waitressing or construction site work — shows the candidate has real experience.”