The COVID-19 pandemic has turned millions of people into unemployment and has pushed the UK into recession. In particular, it is reported that those with the age 18-24 have been affected seriously and suffered the most from unemployment (World Economic Forum, 2020). When experienced employees have been laid off or have gone to furlough, they are also in the process of seeking new job opportunities. The job market becomes more and more competitive while new graduates don’t have much working experience or business connections, it is even more difficult for graduates to secure a job during this challenging time.
But is it impossible for graduates to find a job during the pandemic?
Definitely no.
I succeed in finding a job and have been recruited by Archmon as a Marketing Intern during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is such a great opportunity for me and I am really excited to work in Archmon, a marketing consultancy based in Lincoln, UK.
However, this doesn’t come easy. I have sent out numerous CV and got no responses or rejections as many graduates did. But finally, I got it. Therefore, I would like to share my experience and some tips with you.
1. Don’t panic and keep positive
Keeping positive is really important during this tough period. There are not just you but millions of people suffer from unemployment. Being passive or panic does not help or even create negative impacts on the job hunting process and your daily life. However, being positive can not only help you to keep calm and deal with the challenges step by step but also motivate you to explore more opportunities.
When you haven’t got a job, reskill and upskill yourself by joining different courses to improve your competitiveness and capability. This could bring added value to your profile. I have joined several digital marketing courses in Google Digital Garage and HubSpot then gained the certificates. This has improved my digital marketing knowledge and gained credit for my portfolios.
2. Identify your strengths and seek help from others
Before your job hunting, it is significant to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Find out your career goal and plan out your career path. What would you want to be in 5 years? How could you start? For example, my strengths are Events Management and Digital Marketing. In 5 years, I want to be a director in the events industry or marketing area. Therefore, when I look for jobs, I would particularly focus on these two areas and find out the required skills from the job descriptions that I already have or I still don’t have. Then think about my plan and take a marketing internship as a starting point.
3. Seek help from others and build connections
It can be quite confused at the beginning of job hunting. Seeking help from others could provide you with guidance and direction. I went to the Career and Employability Centre at the University of Lincoln to seek support to my CV and cover letter as well as express my strong desire to find a job. Don’t forget that your lecturers are great assets to you who could give specific and professional advice on your subject area. Both of them will have abundant connections with the business and the experience of recruiting employees, who can really offer valuable suggestions.
Building connections on LinkedIn is also an essential way to know about your employers and explore job opportunities that haven’t been posted in public.
4. Be proactive – Call them!
One of the most significant reasons that I succeeded in being recruited by Archmon is that I called the employer directly once I knew the vacancy. The inbox of the employer’s email could be massive and sometimes they don’t even have time to check their email. Making a phone call is the most straightforward way and it helps show your strong interests in this opportunity.
Before your phone call, go to the website, do some research on the vacancy, write a script for your pitch and practice several times before the call. You may feel nervous for the first time but practice makes perfect.
5. Prepare for the interview and inquire references from your university
This was my first time to have a face-to-face interview in the UK. I didn’t really know what the interview would be like in the UK before. So I told the employability team in LIBS (Lincoln International Business School). They offered me a mock interview to help me get familiar with the process and provide valuable feedback on my performance. This is such a great help!
Don’t forget to inquire for references from your university in advance so that you could provide the references immediately once the employers need them. This could improve productivity and speed up the process of securing the job.
6. This is just a start
After the long process of job hunting, I finally succeeded in getting the opportunity. The University of Lincoln has provided me with great support. However, this is just a starting point. It is important to make full use of the resources and keep learning from the job and different online platforms in order to create added value for the company and grow ourselves quickly.
I find myself really lucky to have Simon Akers as my employer in Archmon. He not only gives me a lot of support on marketing skills and networking but also always encourages me to come up with new ideas. I am really looking forward to working in Archmon in the following few months.
Unemployment during COVID-19 isn’t the end of the world. If I can do it, YOU CAN DO IT TOO! Hope you enjoy my content. Comment and tell me your thoughts.
