Mainly for Students: How to land that job

Paul Collins and Jen Lemen share their advice on how to prepare for and get through both the job application and interview stages successfully. At this time, many students will be looking for and applying for jobs. This could be via graduate schemes (with or without assessment centres), internships and non-graduate scheme entry-level roles. Some people may flourish in a graduate rotation scheme, whereas others may prefer the narrower focus and greater responsibility from day one of an entry-level role, eg junior/assistant surveyor, in one team. Where to look A great place to keep up to date with the latest graduate scheme opportunities is the Land Collective. Opportunities can also be sourced from job websites, your university careers service, social media, employers’ websites and other contacts you may have. And don’t forget EG Jobs. Your CV The first point of contact you will have with your prospective future employer is likely to be your CV and covering letter. A good CV should be no longer than two pages – employers are likely to stop reading if it is too long. It is important to use key words from the job application and tailor your CV to each opportunity. Carefully proofread for typos or grammar errors, and keep it simple and clear – use an easy-to-read format, with a table for your work experience and bullet points for key achievements. Keep it consistent throughout and test it on someone who will give you honest criticism. Elements to cover in your CV should include: name and contact details, including a link to a well-polished LinkedIn profile; education history and other qualifications; current work/education situation; career/employment history with the most recent first, achieved through placement and/or summer holiday work; key technical skills – data and specialist IT skills are growing in importance; personal profile, including interpersonal skills, interests and achievements; volunteering activities; and references – one academic and one work-based, if possible. Don’t forget that a 2:2 degree does not mean you will be automatically outranked by a 2:1 candidate if the rest of your CV is strong. Think about your employability skills when writing your CV. You must try to demonstrate that you: are a good communicator – orally, written and, where appropriate, graphically; can evidence working effectively in a team; have strong research, analytical and problem-solving skills; have or can potentially lead people or projects; and have a willingness to learn. Ways to do this include having a good social media presence, having sound market awareness and evidence of undertaking additional learning or courses. It is also a good idea to get involved with industry organisations, eg RICS Matrics, Women in Property, the British Property Federation, etc. Your covering letter The covering letter must be tailored to each opportunity. There is nothing worse than a letter that gives the impression that it could have been sent to any employer. It should explain why you think you are suitable for the particular role, in terms of your knowledge, skills, experience and motivation. It will demonstrate what you could bring to the organisation and encourage them to progress your application. In doing this, your research about the organisation will also pay off in your interview. Keep a table of all jobs you have applied for and which stage of the process you have reached. Keep a note of key requirements and any relevant deadlines you will need to meet. Being organised will help you to achieve your goal of securing the right role. Interviews and assessment centres If your application is successful, you may be invited to an interview or assessment centre. The interview may be in several stages or have associated written tasks (eg a report-writing exercise) or a presentation. Assessment centres are very intense and require good preparation and a positive attitude. Employers are looking for the right skills and aptitudes for their organisation, and the schedule typically includes the following elements: an information session about the employer’s business; a group ice-breaker session; aptitude and psychometric tests – if you haven’t done one before, have a look at https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/interview-tips/psychometric-tests; a group exercise, eg a case study discussion or problem-solving exercise; a candidate presentation, either based on the above group conclusions or individual presentations prepared in advance; written tasks; and an interview, either one-to-one or a panel interview with HR, current employees or senior management. During the interview, it is likely that you will be asked challenging questions, for example “tell me a time when…” An effective way of approaching such questions is to use the STAR method of situation, task, action, result – this involves setting the scene; describing your responsibility; explaining what steps you took; and sharing the outcome. Preparing for the interview It is unlikely that you will know the people interviewing you, but the following is worth considering. All people are clearly different and will inevitably look for – and hear – different things in what you say and how you say It. Author Peter Thompson, in his book Persuading Aristotle: The Timeless Art of Persuasion in Business, Negotiation and the Media, argued that in order to communicate effectively you must use both the left and right sides of your brain to connect to both sides of the listener’s brains. This is obvious really. If you use logic, analysis and evaluation sourced entirely from your left brain without some creative, holistic thinking and emotion from your right brain, your presentation and answers to questions may be less effective. In a similar way, you should try and prepare what you say and how you say it so that it resonates with the different personality types to whom you might be presenting. Imagine for a moment four people on the interview panel, each falling into one of the four basic personality types based on the work of psychologist Carl Jung: auditor, shaker, sharer and communicator. Auditors are typically introverted thinkers who like carefully sifted data/detailed evidence and thorough analysis. Shakers are also thinkers but are more extrovert and respond to logic. They want to see you get to the bottom of a question and stick to the point. Sharers, like auditors, can be more introverted, but work more on feelings and thus like to look for rapport and trustworthiness. Communicators also work on feeling, but are much more outgoing – they typically look for a bit of passion and enthusiasm from a speaker. Without knowing what personality types you might face at an interview and presentation, the best strategy is to prepare to say something that appeals to all four types of personality. After the interview At the end of your interview, make sure you thank the employer’s representatives and make a note of when you are likely to hear back with the outcome. Follow this up if you do not hear back. Make sure that you are happy with the terms of your employment and that they fairly represent the market and what you need to ensure a reasonable work/life balance. This could include support for your APC, flexibility over work location or hours expected in the office or working from home. If you are not happy, be prepared to discuss a settled agreement. Finally, when all being well you have got the job: pat yourself on the back and get ready for the outset of your career in property! Top tips for succeeding at interview Prepare beforehand, including researching the employer, the work they do and where they do it – remember the five Ps: proper planning prevents poor performance. Dress to impress, including clean shoes. Arrive early – there is no excuse for being late and you want to walk in calm and collected. Engage in the process, even if you are nervous – employers want to get to know you as a person and understand how you would fit into their team and wider organisation. Be prepared to answer a wide variety of questions based on your CV and covering letter, as well as wider experience or property market or built environment issues – especially something that is current. Try to express a view, rather than saying: “I don’t know.” Prepare a few questions of your own, eg: “How is your company working towards being more sustainable?” or “What further training opportunities might there be?” Take examples of some of your university work that had a practical application, should there be an opportunity to show it. Let them know at some point how you are keen to continue to learn. Advice for presentations Be prepared to smile gently at the outset – don’t be stony-faced. Do not pack your slides with words. Instead, use punchy bullet points and graphics where you can. Speak about your slides, rather than read them (because the panel can and will do that). Don’t use a font size that is too small. Having very briefly defined the task, consider starting with the answer or recommendations and then explain how you got there and by what means, rather than only revealing the outcome at the end. This approach is more often used in business generally and has the same function as a report’s executive summary. Consider bringing some hard copies of your slides to leave with the panel or give to them as you present. Practise your timing and don’t overrun. Be prepared to maintain eye contact as you speak – not at one person but shared equally across the panel. Remember that there will always be questions after, so always be ready to respond well. Finally, be prepared for one of the panel to stop you mid-flight and ask you a question or go over something again. Jen Lemen is a director of Property Elite, which provides support, training and CPD to RICS APC candidates, qualified property professionals and students. Mainly for Students is edited by Paul Collins, a senior lecturer at Nottingham Trent University. He welcomes suggestions for the column and can be contacted at paul.collins@ntu.ac.uk Photo by Tumisu/Pixabay