Life after university during lockdown

For a lot of university students, the end of their university career has been a strange one. Instead of spending hours cramming for exams in the library, they’ve either been graded based on past exams and essays (and have finished), or are currently expected to complete online examinations during May and June.

In any case, it hasn’t been the ending they expected.

The same can be said when it comes to applying for jobs. Normally, around this time of year students would be applying for their dream posts, hoping to gain at footing in the employment world, yet with so many workplaces still closed because of Corona, or unable to hire due to lack of business, the breadth of jobs available has rapidly shrunk will some businesses even being unwilling to hire new employees until their income is stable again.

What does this mean for you?
We admit, from the outside, this may all look daunting. Yet, it doesn’t have to be this way.

Just remember:

• All students are in the same boat – all the way down to GCSE level, it is has been made clear that students won’t be penalised when applying for colleges, universities, jobs etc. based on Corona. All of these organisations are fully aware that what has happened is beyond your control and will take this into account when you apply.

This means that no matter whether your final grade is based on previous exam/essay scores; you will have the same chance as everyone else. More importantly, the score they give will be calculated using your average grades so it is likely that they will be close to what you would have got

• Use this as an opportunity – if there are no jobs currently available in your chosen field due to Corona, then you should use this time to make your CV even more powerful. For instance, you could use this time to enrol onto an array of online courses (which can be completed from the safety of your own home) and undertake qualifications that will improve your work skills. In doing so, you could give yourself the edge you need to get the job you want when the job market returns to normal.

There ARE jobs – whilst there may not be as many jobs as normal, this doesn’t mean there are none. You just need to know where to look. Enlisting the help of recruitment agencies and online job sites can help you to broaden your reach and see what is out there.

• Job types – due to the impact Corona has had on the workforce, more businesses have begun exploring the benefits of remote working. This has the advantage of keeping all employees safe whilst allowing businesses to continue functioning, and the good news is – more jobs than you think can now be completed from home. So it may be worth exploring these posts and using them as an opportunity to work differently.

• Interviews will change – it is not uncommon for businesses to do phone interviews before they ask you to attend a physical one. In the current climate, a lot of businesses are using video calls instead of physical meetings for their interviews so that they can still get a sense of the person they are interviewing (by watching your reactions and body language). This means interviewing for a job is still entirely possible. You just need to adapt how you handle interviews to ensure that you still make the right impression.

As you can see, just because your university career has ended a bit differently from what you intended, this doesn’t mean you are at a disadvantage or that you have to worry. Instead, by reviewing your options and using this time wisely, you can still apply for the jobs you want.

To learn more about our range of online courses, visit Association of Learning today.