畢業生指南:找工作前不得不知的10件事

Certainly, 2012 is a tough year to graduate – but there is still a great deal that jobseekers can do to boost their chances of finding employment.

當然，2012年對畢業生來說是艱難的一年，但仍然有許多事求職者可以做，從而提高他們找到工作的機率。

Many say they found their university careers service uninspiring and unhelpful – that's if they made it through the door. So what are the things the class of 2012 really needs to know?

許多人說他們發現他們的大學就業服務既無趣又無益——假如他們要通過它來找到工作。那麼，哪些事是2012屆畢業生真正需要知道的？

1 Unpaid internships are illegal

The biggest issue for today's graduates isn't joblessness – it is unpaid internships. There is no legal definition of an intern, but national minimum wage law states anybody who qualifies as a worker must be paid at least £6.08 an hour (if aged 21 and over) unless their employer is a charity.

1 無報酬的實習是非法的

對今天的大學畢業生來說最大的問題不是沒有工作，而是無報酬的實習。沒有法律定義實習生，但國家最低工資的法律規定任何有工作資格的人必須獲得至少6.08英鎊每小時的報酬（如果21歲以上），除非他們的僱主是慈善機構。

2 Ignore the headlines – there are still jobs out there

News that 83 graduates apply for every job is eye-catching, but is it really true? Are graduates only applying to the big names, via adverts they've seen in the most obvious places?

2 忽略頭條新聞 – 除那之外還有工作

有消息稱83個畢業生申請一份工作是引人注目的，但它是真的嗎？通過他們在最顯眼的地方看到的廣告，難道大學畢業生只申請那些大公司嗎？

3 Doing more education isn't the answer

A second degree means a better job – or at least a better chance of getting a job. Right? Wrong. Think carefully before you sign up for an expensive postgraduate course that may be of little interest to employers – and beware of the increasingly slick marketing methods used by universities (remember, education is a business now).

3 接受更多地教育並不是解決之道

第二學位意味着更好的工作——或者至少是一個找到工作更好機會，對嗎？這是錯誤的。在你簽署那些你的僱主並不感興趣的昂貴研究生課程之前仔細想想，同時提防大學日益華而不實的營銷方式（記住，現在教育是一樁生意）。

4 Give the industry you have chosen a health check

The digital revolution has turned many industries upside down. The music industry, book publishing and print journalism are obvious examples, but other industries are suffering, too. This means the "dream jobs" you've set your heart on may not even exist in a few years – and if they do, they could be poorly paid and insecure.

Graduates often hope that if they want their goal badly enough, they'll get there. Sadly, this isn't true. Look around. If people established in your chosen industry are bailing out, what does that tell you? Think laterally and take your skills to a growing sector. Your career spans 40 years. Don't pick an industry that will be dead in five.

4 給你選擇的行業一個健康檢查

數字革命已經讓許多行業倒閉。音樂產業、圖書出版和平面媒體是明顯的例子，但其他行業也在經歷陣痛。這意味着你全心投入的“夢想工作”在未來幾年內可能根本不存在 - 如果他們這樣做，他們可能會獲得低報酬和不安全感。

應屆畢業生往往希望有志者事竟成。可悲的是，這是不正確的。看看你的周圍。如果在你選擇的行業裏創建者想逃出來，這告訴你什麼？正確地思考，把你的技能用在有發展的部門。你的職業生涯跨越40年。不要選擇一個5年內會衰亡的行業。

5 The perfect CV is a myth

Graduates obsess about crafting the perfect CV, but there's no such thing. If yours is clear and concise, stop fiddling. And forget about trying to stand out. If your application is really good, it will get noticed.

5 完美的簡歷是神話

畢業生過分注重製作完美的簡歷，但沒有這樣的事情。如果你的簡歷簡潔明瞭、停止花哨。忘記試圖脫穎而出。如果你的簡歷真的很好，它就會被注意。

6 Don't forget the little guys

Don't dismiss small- to medium-sized companies (SMEs, with less than 250 employees) – that's where the bulk of graduate vacancies lie. Thousands of SMEs are desperate to hire bright young graduates – but they may not advertise in the obvious places as it's expensive, so do some extra sleuthing to track them down.

6 別忘了那些小企業

不要忽視中小型企業（中小型企業，僱員少於250人）——那裏有大量爲畢業生準備的空缺職位。成千上萬中小型企業都在拼命聘請有前途的年輕畢業生 - 但它們可能不在明顯的地方做廣告，因爲太貴了，所以花一些額外的功夫記下他們。

7 Offer to help – but don't beg an employer for experience

Don't use your covering letter to tell a sob story about why you need a job to give you experience – however desperate you feel. And don't emphasise your potential – it sounds like you have nothing to offer (which isn't true). Instead, underline what you do have. Employers will hire you if they think you can help them – not because you need experience. And never offer to work for free. It looks as if you don't value your own contribution.

7 提供幫助 - 但不求僱主經驗

不要用你的求職信來講訴一個關於你需要一份工作來給予你經驗的哽咽故事，不論你多麼絕望。不用強調你的潛力 - 這聽起來像你沒什麼可提供的（這是不正確的）。相反，強調你確實有的東西。如果他們認爲你能幫助到他們，僱主就會僱用你——不是因爲你需要經驗。永遠不要提供免費的工作。這看起來像你不珍惜自己的貢獻。

8 If it's really not working, it's time to stop doing it

The biggest mistake graduates make is repeating one job-hunting strategy again and again before wailing. Different industries require different approaches. Have the courage to ditch what isn't working – and try something new which might. What have you got to lose?

8 如果這真的不起作用，現在就是時候停止這樣做

畢業生犯的最大錯誤就是在嚎啕大哭之前一遍又一遍地重複一種求職策略。不同的行業需要不同的策略。要勇敢地放棄一些不奏效的方式，以及嘗試一些新的可能。你有什麼可損失的呢？

9 All the experience you have gained is good experience

Spent last summer litter-picking at Glastonbury? However lame you think your experience sounds, anything is better than nothing. "The key is to make it sound relevant for the job you're applying for," says Hawes. "Think back and see the job through the eyes of an employer. What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them? What skills did you develop? What training did you have? This is all great stuff for applications and interviews."

9 所有你已獲得的經驗都是很好的經驗

去年夏天在格拉斯頓伯裏揀垃圾？不論你認爲你的經歷聽起來多遜，任何事都比沒有好。 “關鍵是讓它聽起來和你申請的工作有關，”霍斯說。 “回頭想想，從僱主的角度看任務的完成。你面臨了什麼樣的挑戰，你是怎麼克服的？你發展了什麼樣的技能？你獲得了什麼樣的培訓？這對申請和麪試來說都是很棒的東西。”

10 Nobody wants to hire a robot

Yes, be professional when you're applying for jobs, but be yourself. Stiff, robotic graduates using business buzzwords incorrectly is a big no-no for recruiters.

10 沒人願意僱用一個機器人

是的，當你申請工作時要專業點，但要做自己。僵硬、機器人般的畢業生不正確地使用專業用語對招聘人員來說就直接是拒絕。