Following on from the conclusion of my previous post, it seems that more and more grad jobs are postponing their recruitment processes. Personally, it’s been a bit of a challenge to stay motivated at this time when it comes to my job search. It’s quite easy to put everything on a back-burner and just wait for everything to blow over before restarting it all up again.
The main thing to bear in mind is that many of these opportunities will still be available! It might be at a later date, or it might be happening virtually for a while. So don’t worry if you’re applying to your dream job and you're starting to dread that you won't get it … you’ll be fine, just wait until you hear any definite news from your employer before you make any assumptions.
That's my top piece of advice right now … only listen to news that is definitely news! It’s so easy to get swept up in a tabloid news story, especially if you live on social media like me. They make it seem like it’s time to bunker down underground, surviving from tins of baked beans and taking shifts to sleep so someone is always on lookout … but this isn’t the case! The sun is shining (at the time I write this at least), so crack the window, let the fresh air in and get yourself feeling your best and most productive. The better you’re feeling, the better anything job-related will be and this includes your outlook on the situation. I tend to only really trust any news that’s government official or from the NHS as it just avoids any misinformation going about.
I know this is a job-search blog but if you’re self-isolating, don’t solely focus your job-search. You’ll go crazy! Mix it up a little! Make sure you're on top of your degree because ultimately you won't get very far in your grad role search without one.
Like I mentioned in my previous post, I’ve started a website to post film reviews on (Reviewsyouread.wordpress.com <<< check it out), the point is to do something extra! Do something that you would happily spend your spare time doing, that’ll benefit you in some way. There are so many possibilities and some people are getting pretty creative with what they’re doing.
If you are a die-hard job searcher (kudos to you), don't overwhelm yourself with taking this time to apply to job after job after job. If you’re a perfectionist like me, there is plenty of satisfaction (and time) to be had to improve the quality of an application. Quality over quantity! I think that it’s better to send off two really good applications than twenty half-hearted and rushed ones. Employers will notice the extra time and effort you’ve taken to enhance your application and really tailor it to what they’re asking for.
Brunel PDC have some really good stuff on their YouTube channel, with different videos taking you through different parts of an application and beyond. Also, luckily for me, their appointments are still happening. I’ve contacted my careers consultant over the phone and emailed her any documents to show her and it works just the same as a face-to-face session.
If you really want to go above and beyond in your job search, get on LinkedIn! So many companies are advertising roles on there and it’s a good chance to start reaching out to people and expanding your networks. I’ve also found a lot of free online courses there to boost your CV. That’s a little bonus tip for people reading until the end!
Watch this space for my next update on how my job search goes during this time.
Follow Brunel PDC on Instagram to see all our latest posts