There are 2 things you need to know about Carl Gilleard. The first is that he's head of the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) which makes him a walking oracle on the graduate market. The second is that he's an uber golf enthusiast. So to tempt him away from the office we invited him to indulge in both his passions...

The result is this video which is the first in a regular series of films offering a unique insight into how things look in the graduate market each quarter. In it Carl reveals his advice for graduates, his views on the key issues facing employers and his predictions for 2010.

But most importantly, remember readers...drive for show, putt for dough!

This is the first in a series of guest blogs by our über intern Natasha who has spent the summer with CareerPlayer

07.30 AM: Bran flakes, coffee and Facebook.

If anyone assesses my Facebook page they will establish that it is a place where my friends, family, past and present can connect to me at any time of the day. However, it's not only friends and family that we can establish constructive connections with via online networking. 

After five weeks at CareerPlayer I have realized that there are a myriad of tools that students can use to find graduate jobs. There is one tool in particular that I feel compelled to bring to your attention. Social networks! Social networks are excellent for facilitating the search for a graduate placement. “Identify what your goals are and surround yourself with the people you need to help you achieve them.” This is easier than ever before!

Twitter is my top recommendation for connecting with graduate employers. Twitter is a brilliant tool for you to broadcast what you want out of your graduate career. However, that alone is not enough. You must make sure that the right people are listening! By ‘following’ the leaders in your target industry you can grab the attention of your future employers. It is a fantastic opportunity for you to gain answers to your questions. In addition, you gain an invaluable insight into the finest minds in the business! You can find out what they watch, read and even eat! This increases the ease of understanding the people and the mechanics of the industry you intend to work in. Through maximizing your knowledge, you maximize the chances of you landing your dream graduate job! Twitter may also help prevent you making any fatal graduate career mistakes. Linking with potential employers and colleagues will enable you to paint a picture of the personality of a company. Don’t like what you see? Then you can immediately eliminate them as a target employer. Therefore, saving time in applying for a graduate position in a company you will loathe working for. 

LinkedIn is a network that is fantastic for connecting with business professionals. LinkedIn is similar to most social networks in the sense that you can exchange messages with industry experts. However, there is the additional opportunity to read their CV’s. This will help you better establish how people achieved their current positions.    

And of course we cannot forget our beloved Facebook! Loads of graduate employers are starting to create pages on Facebook so it's easier than ever before to interact with companies you're interested in...just be careful your profile reflects the kind of image you'd want then to see. You want catch their attention for the right reasons...

Graduate job hunting is certainly no walk in the park! Let the friends in your network know what you're looking for and allow them to support you online via posting valuable newspaper articles, videos and links. “I saw this and thought of you” could now enable you to nail your first graduate job!

For further information, keep your eyes peeled for the CareerPlayer video on social networking coming soon...

Just came across this multi award winning short film. Conceived as a comic twist on immigrant day labour in the US, it does make me think about the state of things in recruitment at the moment!!