Graduating uni is a strange time - especially for those currently leaving as a graduand whose ceremony is put on hold until 2022, with their crumpled £30k certificate arriving unceremoniously via post. This huge rupture in all that you know and do delivers you straight back home, away from the messy rented accommodation, the quirky and varied friends, and the culture. With an emotional exit as you lock the door of your badly cleaned house for the final time (whilst praying the landlord won’t notice that stain), you end one journey and start another.
It’s daunting, isn’t it? Time stretches on ahead like that endless queue for a kebab post-night out, prospects are as uncertain as you are when deciding on a pizza topping, and questions about the future are about as frequent as 9am lectures used to be when you’d much rather sleep in. Recent grads are currently trying to get their first full time job in a pretty terrible job market - UK unemployment as of July 2021 is 4.7% compared to just 3.8% in 2019. Sadly this figure is even higher for 18-24 year old's (11.7%). Despite this negativity, the graduate employment rate is currently 86.4% in the UK, although this is a 1.1% decrease since 2019 (cough cough, thanks Covid!) it's still a pretty good rate! What's more, the average salary for a UK grad is expected to be £30k for the fifth year running - quite a marked difference from your uni days!
There’s no way to truly estimate all the emotions you might feel during these transitional times, especially when this last year has been such a hard one. But there are many ways you can grapple with your feelings and take control of your newfound time.
With so much to think about - including saving money, moving out, getting a job, getting an internship, travelling (good luck), starting a masters or a new course of study - we are here to take some of that burden away.
Tips for getting a job after uni
Have a rough idea for what industry you want to go into.
Right, we all know that plans are rarely followed to a T. We also know that this is especially true when it comes to job hunting. However, it’s good to start with some vague ideas about the industry you want to be involved in and the role you’d ideally choose. Once you’ve slightly narrowed down the parameters of your search, you can begin the attack! After all, a biochemist is a very different job to a communications manager.
Find new ways of applying your role.
If you’re interested in marketing, don’t feel limited to marketing agencies. Every company needs a marketer. Your horizons will be instantly and dramatically broadened when you apply this to your search. Banks need writers, supermarkets need finance advisors, and newspapers need business executives.
Work out what working environments you will thrive in.
From the work experience you completed during school, you should have an idea whether an office is the right environment for you. Maybe you don’t enjoy conventional working hours and would prefer a more flexible job that can be provided through freelancing or different contracts. Maybe you find an office claustrophobic and prefer to work from home or do field work. Maybe you want to have a role within the community that allows you to be out there meeting people every day. Maybe you want to work with a big team where you can get to know potential friends. Or maybe a small group is better for you. Maybe you think a set salary is constrictive and prefer to earn via commission. Have a think about these styles of work and decide what suits you best.
Know the minimum salary you will accept.
Talking of salaries, it’s important to know how low you’re prepared to go - as well as how high you’ll aim! Work out how much you need to live and be prepared to make big decisions about accepting and rejecting jobs based on money. Consider living costs of rent, mortgages, food, socialising and shopping then work around that. Remember, the base salary isn’t the be all and end all. It might be better to accept a 22k salary if there are 6 monthly pay reviews and opportunities for promotion than a 25k salary with no evidence of growth.
Make a list of companies to try and keep track of where you have applied to.
Job searching can be complicated, disorderly and chaotic. You’re drowning in applications and you’ve just got half way through a cover letter for a position you applied to already. It’s time to get organised. Make lists if place you want to apply to and of the places you have already tried.
It’s who you know - reach out to your network.
That old maxim isn’t a lie. Companies really do recruit those who are recommended and trusted by an employee. It might seem unfair but it’s actually something you can take advantage of. Contact your friends, family, and LinkedIn connections to let them know you’re on the hunt and have skills that could be applicable to a range of careers. They may not all come back to you with 90k full time contracts ready with a dotted line for you to sign, but they might just know someone who was looking for an intern or new starter. Your network is a great place to start, even if you can just offer your services volunteering, as this will get you seen.
Know that plans are rarely followed.
As much as making plans is handy to get you started, you may find that by month three of searching, you’re ready to scrap all the plans you made in earnest. Don’t be disheartened by having to do a 180, it’s rare that people fall into their aspirational career on the first day of work. It’s more important that you embrace all opportunities that come your way, even if they’re not directly in line with your long term goals. That’s the beauty of the position you’re in now: you can go anywhere and be anything.
Get in touch with recruiters.
Get your name out there by signing yourself up to recruiters. They will do the leg work for you and tell brands about your skills. You can even find specialised recruitment agencies for the industry you’re interested in.
Sign up to ALL the sites.
Indeed, Glass Door, Inspiring Interns, Monster, Prospects… the list goes on. Register for job updates from all of them. If you want to really set yourself apart, go for sites like Inspiring Interns that allow you to upload a video CV. It will give employers a more three dimensional understanding of you and your demeanour.
University job fairs.
Though less frequent than before due to the elephant in the room that is Covid, if you can go to a job fair, then do! You may find out about companies and schemes you’d never have heard of before or make new connections.
Facebook groups.
Facebook is the underdog when it comes to recruitment. Keep an eye out on pages where people post about freelance positions. These tend to be roles that aren’t advertised anywhere else.
Follow Instagram and Twitter pages with job updates.
Another source of job inspiration is via social media pages that keep you in the loop about new roles. These pages tend to focus on individual industries, so keep an eye out for yours.
Prepare interview answers and questions.
It’s likely you’ll be quizzed on your talents. Always answer with proof. Rather than telling your interviewer that you think you have skill in writing, show them. Tell them about the publications you’ve written or the school newspaper you helped out on. Rather than telling them you are a team player, cite the sports club you play with and the group project you lead. Write down answers to any potential questions that may arise and rehearse them (but not so much that they seem rehearsed!). A good list of questions is here, but have a google for your specific role.
Spend time boosting your employability.
If the endless job applications are getting you down, redirect your time into gaining new experience. Take a break from applications and work on getting more experience to go on those cover letters! Volunteer at a family member’s company for a week, help out in the local charity shop, start a blog, build your design portfolio, start an online course. Instead of endless attempts at invigorating the same old CV, add to it.
Create a template for cover letters.
Though cover letters should be personalised to the job, you needn’t write a new one every time. Make a few templates for different types of company or role and tweak them based on the job description’s requirements. Have a template that outlines an introduction about you, details about why you like the company and the role, and why you’d be a good fit.
Make a stand out CV.
Go big or go home. If you’re applying for a creative job, can you take your application to the next level? Impress the employers of that PR position by sending in a press release or PR package about yourself. Wow those publishers with a blurb and book review about your abilities. Be creative, they see endless plain pages of copy - make yours different.
Tailor your cover letter with research about the company.
Now you have your templates, it’s time to make the cover letter really pop. Research the company mission thoroughly and talk about why it inspires you (even if you’ve pretended to be inspired about 10 companies’ brand statements already that day). Look beyond their about page and search for projects they’ve completed, scroll through their social medias to get more context, and look up the people working their to see their stories.
Consider a start up.
Bigger, established companies take fewer risks than young companies. Start ups are more likely to hire people with less experience because they themselves are young and inexperienced! They’re just starting out, and so are you. They come at the cost of a little extra stress and chaos, but with the added benefits of people who are invested in your growth, will give you opportunities you never imagined, and will take a chance on you.
Grad schemes.
Grad schemes are notoriously hard to get onto, and you’re up against a plethora of other students vying for one space. But if you can find one that is right for you, go for it. Grad schemes don’t expect you to have been working in the industry for ten year already and will kickstart your career.
Boost your LinkedIn.
Connect to everyone! And we mean everyone. Start with your school contacts, then everyone in your seminars, your teachers, lecturers, contacts from work experience and past jobs, your family, hell, even people you met at a party! LinkedIn is like Pokemon, you’ve got to collect them all.
Contact companies directly.
Be bold, and approach your dream companies. The chances are, your email will get buried under all their other responsibilities. But on the off chance they read it, they may appreciate your forward thinking. Check out their careers page and let them know you think you could be just the person they’re needing.
Learn from your applications and failures.
Right, admittedly this can be difficult when you don’t even get a personal rejection letter. Most of the time, painful silence is the response. If you’re lucky, maybe you will get some detail on why your CV wasn’t chosen. If you are told anything about why you were unlucky in the process, take advantage of that knowledge and work on that for the next application. The chances are it will be down to a lack of experience, given your student status. But hey, at least you can’t take that personally!
Know your interview red flags.
It’s a good idea in an interview to know what you don’t want to hear. According to Girls in Marketing, high staff turn over is a turn off, as is being asked for salary expectations before disclosing the remuneration package. Perhaps a fast paced environment is something you want to avoid, or maybe you see tired and stressed interviewers as a warning sign. Oh, and offering free tea and coffee as a ‘perk’ is another eye roll - especially during work from home times! Conversely, you should stay tuned for mentions of employee centric attitudes and good company culture.
Set goals and deadlines.
It’s overwhelming applying for jobs - but not if you set achievable daily goals and time block your diary. Break down your day into a routine. Maybe you can start each day with a 20 minute walk to freshen up, then work on applications till lunch time, then allow yourself the afternoon and evening off. Or maybe you’d prefer to set a goal of one to two applications per day.
Have a life outside of job hunting.
Don’t feel guilty for enjoying yourself. This is the end of years of education and you’re about to embark on even more years of work. You have your entire life to spend in a job, a few months not in one is no biggy. Revel in the freedom, tick off the bucket list, and chill out for once. You deserve it.
Don’t take rejection personally - learn from it.
Know it’s okay to have time out. This is perhaps the hardest time for graduates to find jobs. A global pandemic is not the ideal backdrop to the job search. Even before Covid, we had all seen the ‘starter’ positions which claim to be for graduates but still demand you have two years’ experience and are prepared to sell your soul to them. Now, it’s even harder. Take your time, know your worth, and remember that someone will see just how much of a gem you are eventually. If a job can’t see just how much you have to offer, then you wouldn’t want it anyway.
Tips for saving money once the student loan stops
Calculate your savings and work out how long they can last.
You may not still be a student, but you’re approach to money should still be as stingy as it was when you were.
Find a small source of income while you job hunt.
Okay, the irony of this is obvious. Find a job while hunting for jobs. Despite how frustrating this might be to hear, it still is a good idea to be applying for a few short term, part time, or freelance roles. Not only will this pad out your CV, it will earn you some much needed money in the interim period. See if you can find an intensive month long placement somewhere or a Saturday morning job in a local shop.
Find free fun.
Enjoying summer to the fullest doesn’t have to be pricey. In fact, unlike winter, most activities for this sunny season can take place outdoors. Meet with friends in the park, go to galleries, enjoy viewing points of London or explore the country side. Get out there and see things.
Get your deposit back.
Obviously, the priority for students wanting some money as uni comes to a close is getting the deposit back. After all, it is your money. Do a proper deep clean and leave no stone unturned. Don’t clean to your standard, clean to the standard of a picky landlord or pedantic parent.
Live at home.
Though you may have lost your student loan, you will also have lost the outgoings of rent, food, and electricity bills. Living at home is a wonder for saving money.
Student discounts may be gone, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of discounts.
Make sure to check out the VoucherCodes site for all other amazing savings. You’re sure to find some epic deals.
When you do get a wage, don’t blow it.
It can feel intoxicating when you get that first pay check. You feel you’ve earned the right to spend it on cocktails, designer handbags, new trainers, and anything your hear desires. And though it is true, avoid this attitude becoming cemented. The first wage is one thing, but by the fifth month of working, you really should be saving.
Tips for making the most of your time
Travel (if you can).
If you’ve had wanderlust all through lockdown and always saw yourself travelling the world after university, then do. Now’s the time to explore as you’re not answering to anyone. There are no essays or exams to prepare for and no boss to ask for leave. Go, see the world! (Though admittedly the traffic light system and pandemic is making it a little difficult!)
Don’t feel guilty for enjoying yourself unbeholden to others.
Let loose. You’ve just put in a long shift at university and you’re about to do an even longer one in your job. Let your hair down and relax for a while.
Do all the things on your bucket list.
Whether you want to climb a mountain, try out roller skating, kayak across the country, go on a blind date, go camping, live in a new city or try out new recipes, now is the time to make some serious progress on your bucket list.
