Online and self-directed skills development
We know that an Oxford degree can be demanding, however it pays to invest some time in broadening your skills and knowledge if you can manage this alongside your studies.
We introduce some core skills that employers look for when recruiting in our Employability Skills briefing, from self-management to leadership, providing ideas for how to develop these alongside your studies. Beyond these generic transferable skills, it can be a good idea to develop other skills that are relevant to or useful in specific industry sectors or functional roles.
Graduate employers do not expect you to be an expert before you join them, even where they require applicants to have studied a particular subject. In fact, good employers will be fully committed to your training once you are working for them. Recruiters are therefore often making judgements about an applicant's capacity to learn quickly, and both their potential to progress rapidly and the depth of their commitment to the organisation.
The interest and commitment that you demonstrate during an application can signal that you have the motivation to learn and grow into the role, and that you have the drive and desire to take on greater responsibility and stay with the company. When researching graduate opportunities, do ask organisations about the training they provide for new hires, however being able to talk about even small steps that you have taken to enhance your industry-relevant skills and knowledge will improve your applications and place you ahead of many candidates.