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Working in London is a great experience, culturally and professionally. But it’s not always easy to land a job, so here are our top tips to help you in your graduate job hunt.

Visa and NI number

The first and most important thing you need before you apply for a graduate job is eligibility to work in the UK. If you are a British or EU citizen you are eligible as long as you are able to provide your passport or ID. However if you do not have a British/EU country passport or Dual Citizenship you must get a work visa or permit before you arrive in London.

The second essential thing that you need to work in the UK is a National Insurance number. Apply for this on the first day of your job by calling Job Plus and arranging a time.

Network, Network, Network

The economy is growing, exciting new businesses are emerging and the job market is heating up. Competition for graduate jobs is HIGH and it is more important than ever to stand out from the crowd. Here’s how.

Go digital

Technology is one of the fastest-growing industries –embrace it. Get your skills endorsed by previous employers and co-workers on LinkedIn, and secure recommendations from people you have worked for/with highlighting your contribution, personality and skills (also on LinkedIn). Be active online! From making videos, to blogging or contributing to a publication or website – a relevant, visible online presence can help you to market your brand; you!

Add a splash of colour

It’s no secret how competitive the graduate jobs market is these days. We’ve all read the scary headlines and scrolled through endless job adverts, all the while working ourselves up into a frenzy. “What’s going to make me stand out to an employer, when everyone has already done everything else?”

But don’t let the naysay brigade discourage you; there is always a way you’ll be able to impress an employer. You’ll just have to be creative about it.

Internships are an increasingly popular avenue to higher-level, permanent positions in competitive fields. With more and more interns on the scene, you’ll have to work a bit harder to make yourself stand out. Learning additional skills not necessarily related to your field can help you do just that. As well as allowing you to pick up new know-how, additional skills and knowledge on your CV make you seem interesting. It demonstrates that you’re driven, dynamic and that in your spare time you don’t just sit around - you’re a go-getter with keen interests who’s ready to proverbially take the bull by the horns.

A 2014 LinkedIn study asked students what they value most when considering a job. The results show that students value work/life balance most, closely followed by benefits, company culture, clear career progression, and a sense of pride about where you work (as fifth out of five).

Work-hard. Play-hard.

Opportunities for the above values, as well as greater responsibility and flexibility, are available when you get graduate jobs at an SME. I can vouch for that. Having joined a start-up in 2014 who were making waves in the graduate recruitment industry, relatively little micro-management enabled me to have creative control over the content I was producing, assess the analytics of campaigns and get good work noticed.

There are a number of thing you can do outside of the classroom during your time at university that will help towards securing dream graduate jobs.

Volunteer

Volunteering abroad is a great experience and looks great on your CV – and so does volunteering locally. Approach your university, local charities and not-for-profit organisations to gain relevant industry experience. For other industries, network professionally and set up a week's work shadowing during reading week, or two days a week at a local agency.

Get part-time work

A part-time job gives you the facts and figures to back up your well-written graduate CV, and you never know what connections you’ll make through your work.

Make the most of media

Contribute to university media outlets. There are multiple opportunities ready for the taking on campus, including: writing for the university newspaper, hosting or producing a university radio/TV show or getting involved in the annual fashion show.