At university you will find that some students naturally are very good at securing employment. I was not one of them and because of that I gained tremendous amount from the job interview experience.

Before jumping into the deep end and applying for copious amount of applications and receiving rejections and wondering why it is not working, take a step back and have a real good think about it and how you approach it.

The real estate employment world has vast amount of work out there. From property development, estate agency, chartered surveying, asset management, fund management you have a world of choice and even real estate software, which I first went to.

Most importantly, you need to find out what is right for you, as employers are really focusing on the skills required to do the work.

The areas below are ones I feel very important when embarking on the whole process.

1)     You really need to get many intern ships and work experiences from day one, even if you are not paid – any experience is good. All this experience will help you later on.

2)     During your degree, work out what you are really good at e.g. are you a natural salesman, are you good with numbers, are you practically minded etc.

3)     Keep track of industry news, your degree modules and factors affecting property. Don’t just read the news articles but be able to talk about them.

4)     If your family own property get involved, if they are doing a refurbishment ask about it and you can use that information at your interviews.

5)     Above I have mentioned the working side, but property is social. You need to be interesting. You need to travel, do sports, fun holidays, set up business and socialise.

6)     When you’re applying to your jobs make sure you standout.

7)     Remember not everyone is suited to the large corporate companies. Many of you may be better suited to small companies that allow you to grow quicker and use that entrepreneurial flair of yours. If you are getting rejected from the larger companies, larger companies might not be for you.

8)     Use all property societies, networks etc – all opportunities good for meeting people.

9)     Research and understand all companies whether small or big.

10)   Look at all job positions and sectors – until you try you will never know where to excel.

Finally when you have done all this preparatory work, PREPARE and PREPARE for the interview. You need to know the industry, the company, you’re degree. You must present and sell yourself. Be self-confident and enjoy those interviews because from each one you will learn a lot. Do not look upon a rejection as a failure but an opportunity to improve.

Additional resources:

Life After School: Does it Live up To The Dream?
Business A-level Revision Tips
Make the Most of Your Internships