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Are you in a conundrum with your career or confused about CVs? Our career experts can help. We’ve assembled some of the most experienced graduate recruitment specialists around to cut through the confusion and make sense of your dilemmas.


I got relatively poor A-levels – mostly Cs – but I’m now on course for a 2.1 degree at university. Will my A-levels let me down when it comes to getting a job?

This depends very much on the individual employer. Some companies insist on a certain level of performance at A-level, others will require certain A-levels for certain roles, and others will not consider A-level performance at all. The best advice is to check with the companies you’re interested in. Gary Argent


I live in the north and don’t really want to move to London, but I’ve heard that all the best jobs are there. Am I really limiting myself?

In my experience it is a myth that ‘all the best jobs are in London’. Many organisations now have offices based in major cities. Jobs in London typically pay more due to higher living costs but this does not mean they are the ‘best’ jobs. However, as a graduate if you are unwilling to be flexible about where you spend your time while on a two year graduate programme you may miss out on great development opportunities. Once you’ve completed your graduate training you can then decide on where you wish to have a permanent base. Aysha Raja

While London has many jobs, there are some fantastic opportunities across the UK. For example, cities such as Glasgow, Manchester and Leeds offer great careers in areas such as marketing, sales and media, plus many other sectors. Decide what you want your career to be, get some experience in this area, and find a recruitment company that specialises in it – they’ll tend to have jobs that you might never have known about. Jonathan Fitchew


Throughout university I avoided all the clubs and societies as they all seemed a bit dull, but I’m regretting that now. Would joining clubs really have helped my job chances?

Many companies see what you have done outside of your academic studies as an opportunity to demonstrate the softer skills which are important to many roles, such as planning, organisation, communication skills and ability to deal with conflict. It is worth thinking about how you can demonstrate some of these skills from the activities you have already undertaken, and to look for opportunities to get involved in situations which will help you develop these skills further in the future. Gary Argent

Joining in extra curricular activities and clubs is something most employers will look for. However, it’s never too late and you can get yourself involved in clubs and societies at any stage in life. Also, if you didn’t have the time to participate because you had a part time job for example, this is a valid reason that most employers will accept. Rebecca Hall

Employers ask about clubs and societies because it gives them an insight to your drive, motivation, energy etc. If you didn’t join the debating society or the potholing club think of something that you have achieved over your time at university. So for example, did you get involved in any fund raising activities, charitable acts or play any sports etc. Talk about these instead. Lindsay Hanson

My friend had an interview before me at the same firm and told me what questions he’d been asked so I could fully prepare. Is this cheating?

Although your friend went to the same firm for an interview, I am almost 100 per cent sure you will not get asked exactly the same questions. They may be similar but an interview will generally be guided by your CV and what they want to find out about you. Using the questions your friend got asked may be good preparation, but you would be silly to rely on just preparing for these questions. Corinne Dauncey

It is not cheating, but research has shown that prior knowledge about questions or exercises in assessments can mean that individuals do not perform as well as those who have no knowledge. It is also important to remember that recruiters are experienced interviewers and ‘scripted’ answers can seem insincere. It’s always best to give your own version of answers. Aysha Raja

Take advantage of the situation – most people would! But be warned, interviewers don’t always ask the same questions and for some questions they may be surprised if an answer easily rolls of your tongue. The key in any interview is to be prepared, learn about the company that’s interviewing you and make sure you get across your skills and experience in the best possible way. Jonathan Fitchew

Do I have to tell interviewers and prospective employers about any underlying medical conditions, even if they don’t affect my day to day work? Could I be sacked at a later date if I don’t tell them?

No, and they can’t ask you about them. If you have a medical condition that might arise whilst you are at work (asthma, or diabetes for example) then it might be a good idea to tell someone you’re close to at work in case of an emergency, but you don’t have to. Rebecca Hall

If it does not affect your day-to-day work then it should be ok. If they ask specifically about certain conditions eg epilepsy, then you should answer honestly because if not, this could be seen as lying and potentially you could lose your job. Corinne Dauncey

At an interview I was asked if I’ve ever been in trouble with the law – I do have a conviction but only for something very minor. Do I still have to declare it and if I don’t, could I be fired later on?

 
If you do not tell your employer and they find out, then it is a sackable offence and it is likely you will get fired. It would be more ethical and less risky to tell your employer about it and explain how minor it was. This will show honesty and you will be credited for that. Corinne Dauncey

Honesty is always the best policy. Employers often undertake checks into criminal records and county court judgements – so better to be up front and disclose it. Lindsay Hanson


I went for an interview for a great job and was verbally told that I’d got it. The firm now say they haven’t made a final decision after all. Can I force them to keep to their word?

Only a written contract binds an individual to an organisation and vice versa. It may be a simple mistake, or it may be that the organisation is at fault, in which case - Do you really want to work for them? Maria Lucio
 

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This issue’s expert panel are:
•    Gary Argent, head of graduate recruitment at IT firm LogicaCMG, www.logicacmg.com/uk
•    Maria Lucio, associate consultant psychologist for assessment and career coaching specialists Chromis Consulting www.chromis-consulting.com
•    Jonathan Fitchew, joint MD of graduate recruitment specialist Pareto Law - www.paretolaw.co.uk
•    Lindsay Hanson, joint founder of recruitment consultancy Resourcing Matters, www.resourcingmatters.com
•    Rebecca Hall, HR manager at PR specialist Edelman, www.edelman.co.uk
•    Aysha Raja, Talent & Graduate Development Manager at consultancy and support provider Amey plc, www.amey.co.uk
•    Corinne Dauncey, from jobs website TipTopJob.com, www.tiptopjob.com

If you’re in a quandary over your career, ask the experts for free. E-mail your questions to editor@gradjobs.co.uk. We can’t answer questions personally but will publish the best ones in the next issue of GradJobs.

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