A 30-day job search plan for fresh graduates
A simple four-week plan to go from no CV to steady applications and interviews, with daily habits that keep your search moving.
Week 1: Get your materials ready
- Decide on two or three target roles, such as sales trainee, junior analyst or teacher.
- Write a master CV with everything you have done.
- Make one tailored version for each target role.
- Write a cover letter you can adapt for each application.
- Update your LinkedIn profile to match your CV.
Week 2: Build your list
- List 30 to 50 employers in your city or field.
- Bookmark their careers pages and follow them on LinkedIn.
- Set job alerts on LinkedIn and job portals.
- Tell seniors, teachers and friends which roles you are looking for.
Week 3: Apply steadily
- Aim for a few quality applications a day rather than dozens of identical ones.
- Tailor the job title, profile and skills for each one.
- Keep a tracker: company, role, date applied, follow-up date and status.
Week 4: Follow up and prepare
- Follow up politely on applications older than a week.
- Prepare answers to common interview questions and three real stories.
- Practise aptitude tests if you are applying for trainee programmes.
- Attend career fairs and online events, and connect with the people you meet.
Daily habits
- One hour of applications, and thirty minutes learning a skill that keeps appearing in adverts.
- Record every application in your tracker.
- Rest and exercise. A job search is a marathon, not a sprint.
Track it in one place
The CVfor99 dashboard has an applications tracker: save each job, the CV and cover letter you sent and a follow-up date, so nothing slips.