According to the Shadow Education Secretary, Stephen Twigg, “the ability to interview well, good use of grammar and effective writing styles, the ability to target a message to a particular audience, produce appealing CVs and memos, to dress in a way appropriate for the world of work is critical for future success and progression.” What we at Walking TALL Education would call Personal Branding, as well as much more.

It is true that those leaving school whether private or state have a tough time in entering the work force and standing out from the crowd. We are facing possibly the worst time to be looking for a start on the career ladder. Which is why working on what Mr Twigg calls these “soft skills” and what we believe are essential skills is so important.

The media has reported on young people applying for hundreds of jobs. The danger with this is that it becomes a “scatter gun” approach, and employers are reporting that applications for positions can be poorly written with gramatical errors, and the applicant having done no research about the company. It is far better to apply for less but ensure that your application is carefully researched and prepared to ensure the best chance of getting that all important interview.

We are busy creating a programme to roll out to schools, covering just these areas and would be delighted to hear from you if you would like your school and students to benefit.

A worrying article in the Sunday Times caught my eye. The story reported that despite the number of applications per post – nearly 70 for every place – and the graduate job market being the most competitive in living memory, recruiters are struggling to fill vacancies. Rather than doing their research to look for a company that will suit them and their skills, graduates are sending out as many letters as they can in a scattergun effect, in a panic to find a role.

Waitrose received 4,900 applications for the 20 positions on its graduate scheme but still found it a ‘struggle’ to fill the places according to Susie Young, the graduate recruitment manager. She says ‘people have been applying to so many different companies and they are not paying the attention they could.’ Whilst at Kimberly-Clark they were only able to recruit eight graduate trainees, with Will Corder, UK recruitment advisor saying the applications were full of bad grammar, bad spelling and a tendency to be verbose whilst saying very little.

With such high competition for each role there really is no excuse. Your application may be the first contact you have with a graduate recruiter and it is essential to make the right first impression and to stand out. Far better to apply for fewer positions but do a better job of the research for each role and take time and care on the application. Please don’t do what one applicant did in answering the question ‘Why do you want to work for Kimberly-Clark’ firstly they misspelt the company name – despite it being in the question and quite clearly had no idea about the company when they answered ‘I dont know much about Kimberley Clarke but the website looks good!’

My Selling Yourself online training will provide some key advice on how to win that all important role and make an impact for all the right reasons. Once you get to the job interview check out my advice for interviews.