Finishing university and examining your career options can be a daunting task, especially now that graduate jobs are few and far between and the competition is so great.

Other than part-time jobs, most graduates have no career history to include in their CV so rely on their academic achievements to attract employers.

But other achievements can make a big difference. Indeed, relevant work experience and extracurricular activities can set candidates apart from their job-seeking peers.

Robert Farace, national resourcing manager at NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, said experience is definitely key when applying for public sector roles.

"I'd put a caveat that it's not necessarily paid experience or NHS experience, but we want graduates who have done more than just study, basically," he remarked during a Guardian Careers Talk podcast.

"We want people who have gone out into the community to become actively involved, volunteering, part-time work and have just shown a little bit more of a rounded approach to their life in university."

Hannah Salton, recruitment manager at BT, said the same applies in the private sector. She explained that although specific sector experience is not always a necessity, it's important that graduates prove they have something else to offer.

"It's also about the extra stuff you've done, whether that's extracurricular, leading activities or being involved in societies," she stated.

"If you're applying for the HR stream, why specifically HR and what have you done so far in your spare time and hobbies that's demonstrated your passion for HR?"

She added: "Demonstrate that you've had a regular commitment to something that you've delivered or led on, where you can use the exact kind of skills that we are looking for."

This could include leadership skills, which may have been acquired volunteering to host university open days, or organisational skills, which could have been picked up while working on projects for the student newspaper.