One frequently quoted saying is: “It’s not the challenges in life that define you, it’s how you deal with them.” In times of contracting job markets this is a saying worth remembering – one that’s even worth pinning to your bedroom wall.  Graduate careers are often hard to get started but even now, there are numerous graduate positions, graduate placement and recruitment opportunities.

Exactly how you deal with your work-related challenges will differ depending on the situation. However, in all situations it is true to say that you remain in charge of your own choices. Although circumstances may impact upon you, just how you respond to these circumstances is always up to you.

There are some techniques that can help you respond in a positive manner. One of these is to foster a strong awareness of your current situation. Workers who are most likely to remain in tact after a retrenchment, for instance, are those who have taken time to cue into the current performance of their company and the mood of their fellow workers.

The more you can understand the workings of your workplace, the more you will be able to put all changes into perspective, and keep your footing in times of upheaval.

Another good technique is to develop an ability to identify your emotional responses to stressful situations – and to turn them on their heads if necessary. If, for example, your first response to losing out on a job opening is anger, hanging onto this emotion is unlikely to help you move on. Yet, the sooner you can identify your response as anger, the sooner you can set this emotion aside in favour of, perhaps, acceptance,  or even curiosity as to how you may have improved your pitch.

Thirdly, there is enormous power in being able to view your setbacks as opportunities for growth, rather than as losses. These growth opportunities are a major part of the learning curve in graduate employment.  Although you will no doubt feel a personal sting at the time, always try and maintain a broad perspective and a belief that every step moves you forward – even if the location to which you are shifting may not be immediately apparent.

In the current market, asking your boss for more money may not be a smart move. Especially when you have just secured your first graduate placement, you want to be humble in this area.  However, every workplace is different and there will be some situations in which companies can afford to up the salaries of some workers.
 
If you believe you are in a situation where a pay raise is warranted, and your workplace is not in financial hardship, there are some tactics that will help when it comes to presenting your case to your boss.

First and foremost, treat your pitch for a pay raise as a commercial process. Set aside thoughts of personal entitlement and think more along the lines of how to present yourself as a valuable asset – one that is worth more than your current remuneration.

Just like in a strategic recruitment process, businesses need to justify their expenses, so the more you can help your boss justify a pay raise then the easier it will be for them to give their approval. Approach the conversation with the same readiness as you would for job interview answers.
 
One starting point is to review your job description. If you have been with your workplace for more than six months chances are you have started to take on more than was called for in your original job description. Graduate positions for instance will develop to include much more than may have been initially discussed. Make a list of all the duties you perform above and beyond the role for which you were originally hired and present these to your boss as part of the proof of your increased worth to the company.

But just how much extra money should you request? No doubt you will have a figure in mind that would make you very happy. Yet you should also know how low you will go if the negotiation becomes difficult. One way to help you determine your range is to identify what kind of salaries other, similar positions, are receiving in your industry. Seek out online salary surveys as a starting point, as well as scanning the latest job ads in major newspapers and trade journals.
 
Not only will this approach help you set your own limits, it will also give you an independent reference point to which you can refer your boss. Just as effective interview techniques can determine success or failure in pursuing a job, a strategic approach in seeking a pay raise is also essential for getting what you deserve.

Having good referees behind you can make all the difference between landing a new position or losing the opportunity. For this reason selecting the right referees requires some serious thought. Also, keep in mind that a professional resume does not list these referees.
 
One of the top rules of selecting good referees is to avoid family and friends. Candidates seeking their first graduate placement often grab at the first people who are likely to say positive things may. As a result, they find themselves with referees who actually do them a disservice. Although you can be assured you will get a decent plug as a person, these are rarely the best sources on how well you may be able to perform your job or how broad your skills base may be.
 
Similarly, avoid listing relative strangers on your CV. It’s always far better to select someone with whom you have a current – and solid – relationship, than to opt for a referee who may have a fancy title but know little about you or your performance in the workplace. At the end of the day you want someone who will sell you as a candidate, not simply impress your interviewer with their own qualifications.
 
Once you’ve selected your referees – ideally three or four – then remember to notify them of any positions or graduate program for which you apply. The more chance they have to gather their thoughts before being contacted by your potential new boss, the more chance they will be able to provide a decent reference. Think strategically in much the same way that you with your cover letter for resume support.
 
Also, it’s both good manners and smart relationship maintenance to send your referees a thank-you note or email once you’ve finished with your latest job search. It’s a chance to update them on your new workplace and will help sustain good relations which may come in handy at a later point. Such relational skills are even more valuable than the best interview skills. 

Few candidates think to send a thank-you note after an interview. This alone makes it one of the smart interview techniques that will make you stand out from your competitors.

Much like a cover letter for resume support, thank-you notes serve many more purposes than as pure attention-grabbers. They are also a way to smooth out the edges of the job interview answers that you provided, follow up on points that may not have been fully explored, and to remind your interviewer of your enthusiasm for the position.

The ideal is to send your letter – preferably by post as it is more personal – within a day of your interview. Don’t be afraid to write in a candid, informal style. Having just spent an hour or so with your interviewer it is quite alright to use a voice that is warm and friendly.

Begin by reiterating your enthusiasm for the position. Setting out on this positive note should have the effect of engaging your reader while positioning you in a favourable light.

Next, it is probably wise to move onto any unresolved points that may have cropped up during your interview. Don’t labour over them. Simply take a line or two to address them, make the points you weren’t able to during your interview, and move on. Remember, this is a thank-you letter not a diatribe.

With that covered take a moment to remind your interviewer of your expertise and your successes. Link these as closely as possible to any points your interviewer raised during the interview about what might be needed of the suitable candidate.

Finally, set your letter aside for a few hours. When you pick it back up read it over with a view to checking three things: tone, content, grammar. Ensure you are absolutely confident about all three before stamping the envelope and sending it on its way. Such interview skills as this, though simple is an uncommon way to differentiate yourself.

Candidates often struggle with just how to present their work history – or work experience – on a professional resume.

Resume templates are useful but it is necessary to customize them to best achieve you specific goals. Many candidates fall into the trap of listing all of their previous jobs from A to B, noting the place of employment, their role and their responsibilities. Much as this is a reasonable approach it is unlikely to grab the attention of someone who has to sift through umpteen resumes.

It’s far better to take the bare facts and organise them in a manner that will both appeal to the reader’s eye and pique their interest.

Experience that is most directly related to the job in question should appear closest to the top of your resume. It makes sense to speak to your potential employer’s strategic recruitment needs rather than to hand them your whole career and hope they will sift through to the parts that are most relevant.

Experience that is completely unrelated to the job at hand should be discarded. There is simply no point spelling out the particulars on your job at your parents’ dental clinic if the post you are applying for is with the television industry, for instance. It will only serve as a distraction and take up valuable resume space.

Do, however, give a nod to any gaps in timing that this may create. This can be achieved with a simple one-liner at the bottom of your work experience outline that states, for example, during ‘x’ time you held graduate positions in one field or another. 

In terms of formatting, bullet points make for an easy read, and feel free to manipulate how you present your facts – without changing their nature. If you don’t wish to identify certain employers, for instance, it is acceptable to describe them in general terms, as a medical surgery perhaps, or a communications store.

Resumes are often only skim-read, and the onus is on you to direct the reader’s eye in your favour. Remember, a professional resume provides an opportunity to make a first impression. It is essential to make the most of it.

The key to dressing for an interview is common sense. You just need to stop and think about the environment into which you will be walking and the type of role in question, to get a fair gauge of how to dress. This is as important as any interview skills that you may have.

As a general rule it is rare for any interviewer to expect anything less than a smart, clean, considered look. More often than not this means a suit for men and a skirt or trousers, teamed with a jacket for women.

This is not to say you need to spend thousands on your interview wear. The clothes you wear on your interview day should be clothes you would feel comfortable wearing in your job, should you land the position. That said, you would not want to wear your jeans to a meeting for a sales and marketing recruitment process. Such attire just doesn’t fit the role.

There are some specifics to avoid. Men should be wary of ties or shirts that are more horse racing than office attire. This means no loud ties or shirts. The trick is to appear confident without making your clothes the focus. Also, although it sounds obvious, double check that your tie is clean. No type of interview techniques will make up for the impression made by dirty or untidy clothing.

Women, similarly, should avoid making their clothes the focus. Don’t go overboard with super-high heels that will leave your interviewer wondering for the first five minutes how you are able to walk – rather than focusing on how well you may suit the job. Also, opt against flashy jewellery or standout makeup. And, ensure you nails are clean and your hair is neat.

Smells are another consideration. Cigarette smoke is easily detectable and can be overpowering. Even if your interviewer smokes, having the smell of your cigarettes announce your arrival at the interview is not a sophisticated touch. Strong perfume can be just as off-putting. In fact, the power of smell is so great that you may inadvertently trigger the wrong effect, spurring your interviewer to want you out of the room as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, in that instance all the new clothes and interview skills in the world won’t make a scrap of difference.

Interviews are designed to give your potential employer a sense of how suited you may be to the position in question. Job interview questions on the other hand should not dig into your personal affairs. Just as a professional resume should not divulge personal information, neither should any part of a best practice recruitment process.

Often, some candidates are so eager to secure their first graduate placement that they end up jeopardizing opportunities by offering unnecessary personal details. It is worth remembering that you have rights in an interview. You may want to divulge a measure of personal detail, but this should be at your discretion not at that of your interviewer.

Questions that probe beyond the position and your professional capabilities can cover a range of topics. Themes that should raise your antennae include age, religion, geography, family and living arrangements.

Probes about religion, for instance, may pop up under the guise of “are there any days you cannot work”, or “do you belong to any social organisations”. In response, you may wish to state that you will be available to work to the company’s schedule, and that any social activities you undertake you do so on your own time.

Family-related questions can include queries about your marital status, plans to have children, whether you have easy access to a babysitter, and what your parents do for a living. These questions should all be off limits in a professional interview – and you are well within your rights to decline to answer.

Similarly, it is also cheeky of an interviewer to grill you on your living arrangements. Whether or not you live close to work, or just how long your commute may be, are not – in most cases – matters that impact directly upon your ability to perform your job, and your interviewer should be made aware of this.

Job interview answers should be just that, answers to questions relating to the job. If any interviewer persists in personal lines of questioning you may wish to politely remind them that you are there to discuss your fit for the job, and that you would appreciate questions about your personal life be left out of the process.