Which industry is right for me? How to find a job you love

woman going through a career change

It’s not uncommon for graduates to finish University and not know what they want to do. Even if you know you are ready to get your first graduate job, there is still the big question: what industry is right for me?

Top UK Graduate recruitment agency Give A Grad A Go recruit for over 15 sectors, with 7 of those being roles in the Tech industry. So, with all these exciting options – how do you know which one is right for you?

SME or Large Corporate?

There are pro’s and con’s of working for small and large businesses, but for graduates there might be a greater benefits of working for a start-up company. Some graduates might be put off graduate start-up jobs, especially in the current climate, as they might imagine themselves in a team of 3 working in a coffee shop without much job security. However, this is not the reality for majority of UK startups jobs as SME’s can range from a company size of up to 250. The only issue you might face is knowing where to find these amazing start up graduate jobs! This is where your expert graduate recruiter is your best friend, get in touch with Give A Grad A Go and we can introduce you to some of the most exciting graduate jobs in the UK and Worldwide.

Benefits of working for a start-up:

– Start-ups have a great company culture where people can get stuck in and in general, they tend to be more flexible.
– Working in a SME is also a great way to get more responsibility in your first role as you’ll be working in a smaller team and in many cases, learning directly from the startup Founder and influential entrepreneurs.
– You will quickly develop new skills and have a direct impact in contributing to the success of the business.

IT and Tech Jobs:

Give A Grad A Go recruit for roles over 7 different types of Tech industries. When you are looking for graduate IT jobs, it’s important to think about what IT role is right for you. If you have a basic knowledge of programming and strong math abilities to be able to work with and understand code then you might want to look at software developer roles. On the other hand, if you have a strong interest in Tech but your skills are more aligned with communication, innovation and thinking analytically then you might want to look at some entry level FinTech jobs.

PR and Comms:

If you are about to leave University and you are a confident communicator then you will be the perfect fit for junior PR jobs. In a role in PR and Comms, you will be expected to have brilliant verbal and written communication. Most Graduate PR Jobs will need you to liaise with a wide range of clients, adhering to different peoples needs and priorities. It’s also important to have excellent written communication, as you’ll need to create content for multiple different purposes such as blogs, media releases, proposals and company comms.

Sales and Business Development:

One thing that companies love about graduates is that they offer a fresh perspective, new ideas and energy to the company. For entry level sales jobs, you’ll want be self-motivated, extremely driven and able to adapt and cope well with unexpected problems. In the nature of the role, working in sales can sometimes come with rejection so you need to be able to handle this well. However, it can also come with instant and fast results, so if you are driven by goals and commission based structures then graduate sales jobs could be perfect for you.

Marketing and Advertising:

Graduate Marketing Jobs are some of the most sought after graduate jobs in the UK. Marketing and Advertising are exciting industries to be in which can involve taking responsibility on multiple projects at once, having excellent time keeping and strong communication skills. When you are looking for entry-level marketing jobs it is important to consider what type of Marketing role you are interested in. For example, someone who is interested in Digital Marketing will need to be skilled in data analysis and have a very keen eye for detail – perhaps your friends say you are a bit of a perfectionist! On the other hand, a Content Marketer will need to be creative, have excellent written communication skills and be highly adaptable to different styles of written and verbal communication. There are multiple types of advertising and marketing jobs which might seem confusing – but check out our Career Advice YouTube video for advice from the industry professionals.

Banking and Finance:

Working in Banking and Finance will be a fast-paced, exciting and competitive industry to go into. Even in entry level finance jobs you’ll need to hit the ground running and be confident with tackling high-pressure and unpredictable situations. Many graduates are interested in Finance Graduate Schemes because of their solid progression structure. However, if graduate schemes aren’t something that you are interested in then it’s worth looking at other roles in Finance such as Client Services, FX Broking and Business Development which will give you a variety of experience in the industry.

Still unsure which career is for you? Take the quiz on the Give A Grad A Go Website and find out: Which career is right for me?

Looking for graduate jobs in London and across the UK? Find the latest early-career jobs here:


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