taking on more low-priority assignments to begin with, it's important to demonstrate that you take pride in your work and appreciate how it fits into the bigger picture. Don't be afraid to ask for guidance: it's better to be honest and willing to learn, than to shy away from asking questions and make mistakes. Make the most of opportunities to work with a variety of senior staff: you'll have diverse working styles to learn from, and the opportunity to get noticed by more people around the business. Bear in mind what your current role or project represents in terms of your personal development: plan ahead and keep your CV updated so that you feel ready for the next stage of your career. Penny de Valk is chief executive of Fairplace , a people development consultancy which specialises in leadership, management development and talent management Comments "It's perhaps unsurprising, then, that in the search for their dream job, high-achieving graduates often focus on demonstrating that they are independent thinkers who can manage their own time. The ability to work effectively with others, however, is one of the key competencies that graduate recruiters prioritise, so it's important to complement leadership potential with examples of how you thrive in a team." If the employer makes no contribution towards training of any description, explicitly through providing sponsorship (let alone placements), then it is merely sufficient for a candidate to highlight their Academic Expertise. After all, if a candidate earns a 2:1 and acquires an