3 tips for 2021 graduates to kickstart their careers in a post-covid world
This year’s graduating class is entering the workforce during uncertain and highly-competitive times. Our Future Talent Programme Manager, Jeff Lovejoy, shares expert tips to help you land your dream job.
To say that 2020 has been a complex and interesting year would be an understatement. With much of the global workforce working from home, shorter hours or none at all, job anxiety is at an all-time high. Feeling especially uncertain are the graduates that are poised to enter the job market during these unprecedented times. But while it may be challenging, all hope is not lost. With the right tools and approach, the graduating class of 2021 will be just fine as they secure internships, graduate positions, apprenticeships and full-time positions.
As the Future Talent Programme Manager here at SumUp, I work with students, graduates and universities to help facilitate early career development and placement. In 2020, we hired interns and working students from 43 different universities across the globe and participated in over 20 university events in the last quarter of the year alone. My experience has taught me a lot. Here are three tips that I strongly believe can help you fuel your job hunt and, ultimately, career.
Look at the company, not just the position
Given the challenging circumstances of today’s job market, it may be tempting to ship off as many job applications as possible in order to secure a position. We saw the same thing happen in 2008 when the job market took a massive downturn. This lead to many graduates feeling panicked which then led to them applying for any and all positions — even the ones they had no real interest in. This sort of ‘spam applying’ resulted in unnecessarily high competition and — later — employees feeling unfulfilled in their work.
So my advice is simple. Don’t panic. Instead, take the time to explore all aspects of what you want out of a career, an employer and for yourself — before you even begin applying. All too often I see students basing their job hunt of the job title or role specifically. While this is hugely important, it shouldn’t be the only thing you base your search off of.
The company itself and your passions are also critical here. With anything, you must start with better understanding yourself. Reflect and think about the career you truly want. Do your research and identify the top 5 companies you’d be happy to work for. Research them inside and out. What is there culture like? Do they embrace diversity? What are their values, career paths, etc. This about what transferable skills you have that match the open roles and organisation. Then, tailor your CV accordingly.
Yes I know, you’ve probably heard this advice thousands of times, but it deserves to be here because it’s just that important.
Leverage your university’s careers team
Networking networking, networking. The power of networking when searching for a job is unparalleled. The job market is crowded and being able to stand out is the key to landing your dream job. Check to see if the company you’d like to join is hosting any events, whether it be an in-person panel discussion or an online webinar. Events like these are a great way to get your foot in the door and meet valuable contacts. If you aren’t sure where or how to start networking, your university’s career services can help.
Often underestimated, the career services team at your university is one of the best resources you have early on in your career journey. Not only can they put you in touch with people from your desired company’s but they can also help organise private networking events with the university.
In my experience, many students don’t know just how close the partnerships are between career service teams and the hiring managers within private organisations. I personally maintain close partnerships with many universities around Europe. In some cases, these relationships have turned into outright friendships. Even as I change companies, I still work with the same teams to help bring opportunities to their students.
Just the other day I was on the phone with the careers team at Heriot-Watt University, reminiscing about the days when I was recruiting in Scotland and the fun stories we had! It was then that I realised just how much students miss out on by not leveraging their career services department. So, if you take only one thing from this article, let it be this. Go visit your career services team! Build a solid relationship with them, trust me it works.
Push through the Zoom fatigue
I know it’s difficult to stay focused and not get distracted when having all of your courses take place online. Video lectures just aren’t the same as learning from an actual classroom. While I’m not exactly in your shoes, I do struggle to stay attentive while on business calls all day. So, to an extent, I get it. However, I cannot stress enough how important it is to push through and continue attending those webinars from your university’s careers team and virtual meetups with potential employers. Don’t believe me? Here’s an example of why it’s important.
At SumUp, we fast-track applications we receive from anyone who attend one of our on-campus Future Talent events. The way I see it, you took the time to engage with us, we should take the time to consider your application. So, yes taking a little bit of extra time for one more video workshop could have a massive return.
Looking ahead
As recruiters, we understand the modern challenges faced by today’s graduates. But as a person, I’ve always been a firm believer in if there’s a will, there’s a way. Stay positive and stay focused and you’ll secure the opportunity you’ve been looking for. By understanding the market, the challenges faced by companies in 2021 and learning how best to utilise your network you will be able to secure the right role for you that you will truly thrive in.
