This month we asked account executive, Annie Lucas, about her experience of applying for graduate jobs in her final year of university – all whilst going through a global pandemic.
We asked new recruit Annie, who graduated last year, to share her advice on balancing your studies and job applications, how best to approach interview preparation, and how you know if the role is right for you.
Finishing my degree and graduating in the middle of the pandemic was a unique experience that I won’t forget and wouldn’t wish on anyone. I say graduating loosely (I’ve not had the ceremony yet… thanks Covid). It did, however, force me to start thinking about job applications early as I knew opportunities would be even more limited.
And they were… the trouble was, I still had a dissertation, 6,000 words of coursework, and my final exams to complete. Part of me wanted to avoid applying for jobs altogether, but a ‘gap-year’ of travelling was out the window. Many of my friends signed on to do a Masters, but I wanted to get stuck in and start looking for real-life experience.
(This is me handing in my dissertation in my back garden rather than my university department building… bizarre)
My biggest piece of advice for any final year student is to start with your CV. Ask your university careers service (mine was Durham) to look at it and use the constructive criticism to make your CV stronger. It seems daunting knowing what to include, how much detail is needed and how to tailor it to each job application, but with a strong CV as your foundation, applications will seem so much easier.
Next, make sure you don’t fall into the trap of applying for every job you see. It can be so tempting to send your CV out far and wide without tailoring it to the role or even thinking about whether you are well-suited. Your time will be better spent putting extra thought into a smaller number of applications, making sure to highlight why you fulfill the requirements, and what you can bring to the role. It seems obvious, but you will have a higher success rate with the right approach.
If you’re finding it difficult to balance your studies with job applications, remember that often you can use your current essays and exams as a springboard. The skills you are developing at university are important, and employers are interested in your interests. You should set aside time to do some research into the company, but interviews are often a two-way process of finding out about each other so don’t worry if you don’t know absolutely everything going into it.
If balancing your time is still proving to be a struggle and you decide to focus entirely on studying, that’s fine. It’s important to remember that you don’t need to have secured your dream job months before you’ve even left university. There are tons of opportunities for recent graduates, and you’ll have more time to dedicate to applications and interview prep!
My final bits of advice for applying to graduate roles:
- Don’t undersell yourself
You are more than qualified for almost any graduate job, and what you don’t know about the industry you can easily learn. Work experience in a specific sector is not always necessary so don’t be put off if you didn’t complete a three-month internship in a specific specialism. Use what you’ve got and apply it to the job specification.
- Do some stalking
The company you’re applying to will most likely have a website, blog, or LinkedIn page. Whilst you don’t need to know everything about them, be curious and impress them by showing an interest and remember that you can find your interviewer on LinkedIn for an even better insight.
- Come prepared
Have questions at the ready. The interview process is as much about getting to know them as it is them getting to know you. Just make sure your questions are thoughtful and not something you could easily have found the answer to on Google or their website, as this shows a lack of preparation.
- Don’t change yourself to fit in
An important thing I have learned is not to let anyone think you have to change to fit in. If you’re shy, that’s fine (yes, even in PR). If your interests are a bit more niche, that’s great! Most importantly, if you get the wrong vibe in an interview, don’t ignore it and don’t blindly hope it will be alright. Be confident, be yourself, and you’ll be fine.
Once I found my first graduate role in PR, it was difficult meeting new colleagues over Zoom and Microsoft Teams, and even more challenging finding somewhere to live without in-person house viewings. The first couple of months of navigating my first job out of university was spent working from home which was tough when there was so much to learn. Persevering and asking questions is the best advice I can give for anyone starting in a similar situation because there’s no such thing as a stupid question.
Starting at Little Red Rooster PR in September has been the move that has finally made me feel like I have found my feet in what has been the most chaotic year. With a supportive group of people, amazing clients that I love working on, and being in a fast-paced office environment, things feel more stable and semi-normal.
