Graduation - The Start of a Great Achievement

Graduation - The Start of a Great Achievement Graduation - The Start of a Great Achievement 11 Jul 2014 The build up to graduation is a flurry of activity, with assignments, exams and results cycling past rapidly before the day it all pays off. Bumping down to Earth after the joy of Graduation Day, there is one question that can seem to ring out above all others - what now? We asked some  members of the Scottish business community to share with us some of their wisdom, in an effort to help turn questions into confidence, and make your great achievement just the beginning. Chris Lloyd, CTO,  PayWizard   Get to know the people around you as a matter of priority. Be extremely sociable and discover the experts who can assist you in meeting your objectives.As a recent graduate in your first employment be prepared to adopt a new and more flexible approach to software development. Where your degree will have taught you 'how to do it right', you now need to concentrate on 'how to  get it  done'. New things will be important, such as the company budget, the client deadline and the software quality, never lose sight of them! Get busy. Work on relevant personal projects that will assist you to understand how the latest software works, expand your working hours, volunteer for everything, offer to help,  make time to assist others, make yourself indispensable and opportunities will always present themselves. Finally, adopt your own standards and make them high.    Lorna McDougall, Head of HR - UK Operations,  Edrington Learning doesn’t stop when you graduate;  always look to challenge and refine your thinking and don’t waste your experiences â€" view them as learning opportunities.   Guy Martin, Director,  Eden Scott Whatever job you do, just ensure your “A game” is devoted towards being the stand-out of all the new people engaged in the last year or so. Aptitude laced with the right team-player attitude and fuelled by high application levels will make  the difference for you.         Julie Craik, Project Manager,  FifeScreen and TayScreen Scotland Have your antennae alert for opportunities to learn, to do and to make a contribution. Never make assumptions about who has influence and who doesn’t.   You never know who is watching and who might just help you on your way.   Michelle Lownie, Director,  Eden Scott It's a challenging job market at the moment for a variety of reasons, no more so than for graduates. With more graduates and fewer positions having a degree is no guarantee of getting a job. You need to differentiate yourself from the crowd, ensure that your online profile is professional and approach job hunting as a job itself to ensure you are getting access to the best opportunities out there. Be open to everything.   Martin Cherry, Managing Director,  Bannerman Technology It is better to show initiative and make a mistake or two…than do nothing and wait to be told. Do you have any great graduate advice? Let us know in the comments!