Applying for Graduate Jobs: How to Approach Employers During Lockdown
In 1665, students across England had to follow social distancing orders after the breakout of one of the worst plagues ever recorded in history at that time. University campuses had to be vacated. One of the students that had to go into isolation at the time was a young Isaac Newton, then 24 years old, studying law at university, he later became known as the world-famous scientist and mathematician, Sir Isaac Newton.
It is believed that year proved Sir Isaac Newton’s most productive year as he used it to carve out ideas on a wide range of subjects from universal gravitation, to differentiation and integral calculus. It became known as his “year of wonders.” This story encapsulates one of two things that students and recent graduates should be doing now during the lockdown period, i.e. use this time to prepare, prepare, prepare. Use this time for preparedness, after all, when you start to approach employers, you want to make sure that your application is targeted and tailored accordingly. Because there will be an end to the lockdown. When? No one really knows, but there will be an end one day.
The key question you will need to ask yourself at the end of lockdown is ‘have I used this time productively’ like Sir Isaac Newton did, this could be your most productive year, why not make it so.
However, we must acknowledge the unprecedented transformation that the Covid-19 pandemic is having on the world of commerce and business. What started out as a global health crisis has had or is having a massive impact on the way we work, socialise and exercise. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused literally, almost overnight, companies to shift their entire businesses online, onto the cloud, for many companies that were holding back perhaps not sure due to cybersecurity reasons, now they have no choice but to make the shift to digital. That shift was already happening, perhaps at a slower pace than should have been, now Covid-19 has suddenly turbo-charged companies and organisations to move to the internet. Unilever, the global British-Dutch consumer goods company moved 15 years’ worth of business online in 15 days.
Similarly, we have seen overnight, many companies adopting and adapting to virtual internships and virtual placements, something very few people would have contemplated just 3 months ago, is now becoming the 'new normal' for student work experience.
For students applying for jobs during the lockdown, there are two parts to approaching companies during lockdown, first there is the "process" part, which is making sure that you utilise this time to prepare and plan what you want in your career. The second part is mindset, which is about maintaining a positive approach to what is occuring around you.
Confidence across the board is incredibly low, recent surveys show at least one in three students are concerned about their future career goals and plans. A survey conducted by Trendence UK, on how university students were responding to the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic indicated that 37% of students are worried about not being able to secure a graduate job in 2020.
Similarly, confidence in the business community is low with the British Chambers of Commerce stating that 71% of companies in the UK had furloughed their staff. According to the Enterprise Research Centre (established in 2013 and looks at activity within the SME sector), stated the number of businesses that have gone out of business in March was 70% higher than at the same point last year. The number of new businesses registering fell by 23%. Even more worrying, when you consider, SMEs make up more than 90% of all business in the UK. It is an understatement to say things are not great right now. The uncertainty is causing havoc and has affected at least a third of the world's population.
Having said this, that doesn’t mean you should stop all job searching activity and engagement with employers, as new opportunities and new companies will spring up in time to come. Indeed, there are some opportunities now while companies become more agile and adjust to the changing coronavirus pandemic.
Three of the biggest companies in the world today, Microsoft (est. 1975); Apple (est. 1976) and Disney (est 1923) were all founded during a recession. Some experts believe that businesses that started in a recession are more likely to be more durable and successful. They don’t come much bigger in terms of corporate giants, and all three companies have graduate schemes in the UK.
Think of this logically, it makes total sense, a lot of companies that are going to be starting up now or soon after the lockdown will be those companies that have their ‘problem-solving’ antennae heightened and switched on, they will be starting a wave (as opposed to following a wave. In financial markets, savvy investors invest at the bottom of the stock rising, rather than the top. It is financial trading 101) they will be tuning into current challenges and problems that people are having to deal with now and into the future. Some of the sectors earmarked to do well post lockdown include: healthcare supplies, distance delivery services, streaming services, cleaning services, employee screening and cybersecurity to name but a few.
I will end this article by suggesting three processes and mind shifting tip to help you in applying for graduate jobs during the lockdown:
The Three Processes (represent actions / physical steps to take)
Get Clarity –
Even the best sales person in the world would struggle to sell their goods and services unless they got clarity in their offer and value to the customer. Use this time to make copius notes if necessary and pin-point what it is you want in terms of a job/career. Ask yourself questions, like “Where would I like to work?”; “What type of company would I like to work for, i.e. private, public or charity?”; “What is my USP?”.
Work on Your Presentation –
This essentially covers aspects to do with you making sure that your CV is up-to-date, that there are no gaps, and if there is, you can account for it when speaking to a recruiter or future employer.
It also means get visible, approach people of interest as people do want to help if they can. Use professional networking sites such as Linkedin. You have an abundance of resources on there. In the past, I have personally used Linkedin to find a job! It proved one of the best jobs I have ever had!
Last, but not least, speak with your careers service. I cannot say this enough, one of your best sources for help and support will be your careers service team. Engage them, book a careers appointment. Don’t leave it till you graduate!
Become More Creative –
When applying for jobs during/post lockdown, employers want to know whether you have used it creatively if at all possible. If you have, make sure you highlight this on your CV. For instance, perhaps you have used this time to create a blog, start an online group (I know of a friend who started an online group on Linkedin a few years ago, after several years, the number of group members grew so large that those members became paying members and it launched a new business). Maybe you have been able to support the crisis efforts in some capacity e.g. telephone befriending or similar, these things make you stand out immediately.
In future, employers and recruiters are likely to ask potential candidates this interview question "What did you do over the lockdown period?". You can certainly state how you used it to get your essential work done and completed, and how you focused on getting through the pain of isolation during lockdown. All commendable and laudable in their own right, but if you can show or have something else to tell, beyond the norm, it will go a long way to making you stand out from the crowd.
Next, take massive action, by reaching out to employers. Make speculative applications and make that phone call or organise that virtual coffee or meeting. Even if you don’t hear back from an employer or were not successful on this occasion, you still took action and made the effort, don’t be discouraged. Many years ago, while working in insurance, I would hear bosses say, each no you hear, brings you closer to a yes. So don’t give up now.
The Mind Shift (this is more an emotional state)
The growth mindset (coined by Stanford Professor of Psychology, Carol Dweck) best depicts the ideal mindset to have, it is about understanding that nothing is guaranteed in life. Instead, we should use each experience we go through as a building block to boosting our minds and confidence.
There will be days when you are not feeling great, and not sure if any of your actions are working, it is ok to feel that way, that’s just your brain saying to you keep going or maybe it is time to do things differently.
In summary, applying for graduate jobs, approaching employers during lockdown? Begin by being prepared (many companies right now are doing exactly the same). Get clarity, be visible, show empathy and finally, don’t give up!
Femi Yusoof
Employer Engagement Lead
St Mary's University, Twickenham, London.