A NEWCASTLE business is firing up the graduate jobs market, with a social media campaign that is attracting the attention of some of the biggest brands in the world.
Gradvert, a Newcastle-based graduate recruitment and training business, with offices in London and the Midlands, is using #Gradshour to help employers and graduates connect and explore job opportunities through the power of social media. Run once a week, the hour-long hashtag-led campaign sees a flurry of roles – both in the North East and nationally – advertised to a student audience who follow the account and hashtag.
The company has seen brands such as Barclays, the NHS, Virgin Media and L’Oréal take part in #Gradshour, and it is thought that the campaign could have helped thousands of graduates into employment across the UK.
The brainchild of the team at Gradvert – who provide training and support to clients including Sharps Bedrooms and Go-Ahead – the 60-minute, award-winning twitterthon helps companies get in front of the thousands of students thought to be tapping into the hashtag to find their next career move.
Michaela Reaney, managing director of the Hoults Yard based firm, said: “We know that the graduate jobs market can be hugely competitive, but by taking part in #Gradshour, employers are setting themselves apart and accessing some of the most proactive and social-media savvy graduates out there.
“Equally, the graduate has the chance to engage with some truly progressive companies, who may not go through traditional recruitment channels meaning the student would otherwise miss out on the opportunity to apply. And because #Gradshour is specifically targeted towards graduates, employers who post are looking for that level of experience, and they know that the audience will primarily be the right one for their vacancy. It’s worked brilliantly”
#Gradshour runs every Wednesday, from 2-3pm, and the @GradsHour account has been set up to provide a one-stop-shop for graduates looking for careers advice and updates on roles that are shared with the team throughout the week. The Wednesday hour is usually themed, covering topics like ‘how to perfect a CV’ to focuses on specific industries such as the transport sector.
“Gradvert is all about skills, and we want to do all that we can to support the jobs market, helping the education sector to prepare students for the world of work, assisting businesses in developing programmes that improve the skills of their teams, and guiding students themselves to ensure they are giving the best chance of finding employment. Ultimately, it is all about helping to deliver more highly-skilled people who can make a greater economic contribution as a result. #Gradshour is just one step towards that.”
To find out more about Gradvert, visit www.gradvert.com, or to participate in #Gradshour, tweet using the hashtag or post to @Gradshour.