Career Corner February 2021
Job Searching Gap, Skills without an Internship, within COVID-19
Graduating college and receiving a degree is no small task. Now more than ever, it is important to celebrate all accomplishments, big and small. Regardless of how big, long, short, or small the celebration may be, that next step looms over like a huge rain cloud. What should I do with my life? What is the next step? These are the normal questions a person might ask themselves after graduating from a university. In the current landscape of life and current events, new graduates, the majority of which are young and youthful and ready to attempt a shot at the real world, face a global pandemic of COVID-19. With these new and evolving challenges, there is still hope and a possibility of finding related employment post-graduation. However, it is important to prepare for all outcomes. The first step of preparation is planning and exploring possibilities of what can be done between graduation and receiving a full-time position, how to gain experience without an internship, as well as how to navigate a job search during the COVID-19 global pandemic.
What to do in between graduating college and finding a job?
On average it takes a new college graduate 3-6 months to land their first position after graduation. Given each job-seeker’s difference in experience level and life circumstances, it may take even take longer. Some items that get in the way of recent graduates finding the position they desire include not knowing what to look for, poor preparation, not being proactive enough, lack of experience, and making the search about themselves not the employer. If arriving at the ideal destination is taking longer than expected, there are various steps and activities that can improve a job search. Securing a job after college will require more than simply passively submitting resumes and cover letters to job boards and hoping to receive a response. The extra downtime provides an opportunity to evaluate yourself, your skills, and to think about what you would enjoy doing.
The first suggestion during a post-graduation job search is to keep working, even if it’s not related to the career field. It is okay to have a part-time job while being on an actively searching for full-time positions. After completing a degree, there will be more free time. This extra time is a great opportunity to improve documents like resumes, cover letters, references, and thank you letters and brush up on interviewing skills. STEM Careers, Internships & Co-ops is available to all STEM alumni for life! Overall, any position held in the meantime can be a resume-builder and contribute to a growing transferable skills section.
Another activity would be to actively evaluate what type of job searching is being done. Sometimes people tend to be very narrow within their job search. In some cases, it is understandable if a person is looking for a particular field or a position within a particular area. While job searching, it is important to consistently check websites, job boards, etc., as well as consistently evaluate how and what is being searched. It is okay to search for or obtain an internship or multiple internships after graduation. These positions allow recent graduates to gain more technical skills needed in the future and can also be a great stepping stone to future positions in many ways. For someone who is unsure if they are willing to move for an entry level position, temporary positions may be beneficial. Internships or temporary positions can provide quality experience, be a resume-builder, provide income, help establish a network and provide some insight into what that career entails without making a larger commitment.
All job seekers make mistakes and encounter hiccups. It may be the lack of experience or learning curve thrown at these new alumni that creates gaps between graduation and securing a full-time position. Another valuable way to spend this extra time include career-related side projects. These projects may include freelance work, completing online design challenges, or looking for internship opportunities. These side projects can allow recent graduates to improve or maintain the skills acquired in their degree program to ensure they are ready for a full-time position when the opportunity comes along!
Another task that someone in the midst of a job hunt can participate in is the acquisition of a mentor. A mentor can be someone who provides direction as you navigate steps within your early career. This can help graduates navigate the confusion and stress of finding a first job and adjusting to that new position as well. A mentor will be someone who has been in your shoes before and has experienced what you are currently experiencing. They can also help develop networks and introduce you to various new contacts and perspective employers. It is also a good idea to approach past alumni that have acquired positions in various companies. Reach out to older friends or relatives to inquire about how they ended up receiving their position specifically. It could also be beneficial to research various success stories of successful people, to get different ideas from the variety of approaches for finding a field related job.
Depending who you are, going back to school may seem like the worst-case scenario. If you were planning on eventually getting another degree this may be the best time to jump back into the academic world and get it out of the way. Going back to school and achieving a masters degree in any subject can change the previously set options of opportunities for a candidate. Not to mention the available new networking opportunities as well as exposure, and education on different careers you may not have been aware of previously.
A few other suggestions on what to do when you cannot obtain a position after graduating college consist of staying positive, consider going back to school, keeping yourself busy, building skills, volunteering or working for free, starting a business, and starting a blog or website. After graduating college, it should come as no surprise that it is difficult to secure employment within the field that a person graduated from. Only a select handful of occupations meet the supply of college graduates and open positions with a high demand of new talent. It is important to remind yourself what you have already accomplished and the challenges you have overcome. Also, do not forget to set aside an hour a day to do something you truly enjoy doing. Staying positive has a huge effect on a person’s health, just as being or living a healthy lifestyle can affect a person’s well-being. Through a job search it is important to not forget about self-health. Instead of getting stressed out about not receiving employment yet try some of these steps to take a new approach. Attempt to reassess the strategy and think about what you were originally trying to accomplish or what companies you were applying to at first and turn your focus to a different approach. Instead of writing the company off, and focusing on rejection, try applying to the same company again, a few months later. It is important to stay calm about the situation and incrementally work forward to achieve your goal. Do not get freaked out about the situation, and take a learning approach to the whole experience. Finally depending on your situation do not limit yourself or your search. Apply to various locations that you wouldn’t normally apply to, or smaller cities that you did not consider at first.
How to gain experience without an Internship
Not everyone gets the opportunity to intern in the field of their choice. When you don’t receive an offer, it may feel as though you have limited options. It is important to first take the time and evaluate what you want to accomplish and think about why you did not obtain an internship. After gauging your shortcomings, your findings should be the basis for what you work on moving forward to accomplish your goal. As mentioned before it is always a good idea to get ahead of your academics, use a missed opportunity to take a summer course. Within downtime it would be a great opportunity to take advantage of online learning as well, if the class you want is not offered at your university look outside to online learning experience websites. There is a lot of content out there, and a lot of it is free or reasonably priced. Maybe you could even acquire a certification before returning to school in the fall. It is important to stay busy, and it would never be a bad idea to take another class. Now that you are going to have more free time than expected, you can use this opportunity to start a side project, something that you can showcase your initiative and creativity. If you are going to be on campus during the summer take advantage of everything your school has to offer. It is also important to enjoy yourself, traveling is a great way to experience different places and expand experiences.
Some ways to gain experience without obtaining an internship include joining a club, becoming a campus ambassador, volunteering, and going to networking events. It is always good to have different types of hobbies that can supply various amounts of experiences. Joining a club is a great way to get involved in something you are interested in and gain interesting experiences. Leadership experience can also be obtained through a club if you run for an appointed position. The experience can range from event planning, time management, communication and more, as well as increased networking with various groups such as professors, other students, professionals, and vendors. Many companies employ campus ambassadors to share their brand’s mission with their campus community. These opportunities often attribute to a person’s marketing and networking skills. Volunteering can provide someone with a wide array of experiences. You can volunteer for things you are passionate about or just providing a helping hand where it is needed Networking events are a great way to expand a social network, as well as develop professional skills. Networking events can be found in various locations sometimes on campus and sometimes in the local area.
More productive ways to gain experience include job shadowing, informational interviews, community service and attending webinars. Job shadowing is also a great way to gain experience outside of an internship. Job shadowing can last for one day or a couple of days. When job shadowing, a student can get an inside look into what it is like working in a specific position. The best way to find a job shadowing experience is to reach out to a specific individual at a company. An outside the box option to gain more valuable experience is to set up informational interviews and speak with people who are already established within the field you are going to school for. This could be in person or solely through the internet. Another option similar to volunteering would be to participate in community service opportunities. Depending on what someone’s major is this could be very beneficial. Building your portfolio is a self-starting activity where someone can practice their skills in the summer creating something to showcase their abilities within their field. For example, a computer science student could try creating an android app to showcase their programming abilities. This creation can be showcased to employers during an interview. A proactive approach one could take is reaching out to companies they are interested in and asking about if there is any need for help on a specific project. There are various opportunities around the internet that relate to industry-specific topics and discussions. Look for different conferences or online webinars that you can easily attend and gain valuable experience. The most straight forward approach for figuring out what to do when not receiving an internship offer would be to secure a part time job. A part time job can provide different forms of experience, leadership, as well as life lessons, that are not easily obtainable in everyday life.
Other important tasks that someone can work on while searching for their next internship is to tailor their resume and job application for every job. Take the time and edit, refresh, and examine your application documents. It is also a good idea to send out emails to companies to inquire about positions that they are not advertising. Doing this shows initiative and interest in that particular company. Other important tasks that someone can work on while searching for their next internship is to tailor their resume and job application for every job. Take the time and edit, refresh, and examine your application documents. It is also a good idea to send out emails to companies to inquire about positions that they are not advertising. Doing this shows initiative and interest in that particular company.
COVID
When applying to internships or full-time positions during the current COVID-19 landscape, be prepared to expect a virtual interview. A vritual interview can either be a phone call, web voice call, or a video conference. In either scenario, be prepared to have all technology working accordingly. It is also important to note that companies and organizations are also in unchartered territory right now and you should expect the hiring process to take longer than usual. When estimating how many applications is enough applications, expect to multiply that by a factor of 2-5 depending how competitive your job field is. Make sure your social presence reflects you in the best light and highlights that you are job searching. Remember not everything will go according to plan, make sure you are willing to accept a part time job in the interim while you are still job searching.
When preparing for a video interview, make sure you are aware of your surroundings, dress professionally, double check your technology, review the job posting, research the company and make time to practice. When preparing for a phone interview, take the interview seriously. Just because it feels less formal than an in-person interview, does not mean that it should be treated any less seriously. Again, make sure you are in a quiet environment, removed from distractions, have strong cell phone service or wi-fi coverage, and are aware of any time zone differences. Along with the expected video and phone interviewing, it is expected that virtual networking is also a new normal, as companies are treating their current employees as their main priority. It is also to be expected that the onboarding process be online as well.
One suggestion for new graduates preparing to enter the workforce during COVID-19 is to apply for federal, state, and local relief efforts available. The potential support could include individual financial aid, food and meal support, community and grassroots efforts, delayed rent and mortgage payments, pausing evictions and foreclosures, deferred student loan and dept repayment. Another suggestion is to consider short-term or unexpected work in the interim as previously mentioned. Remember to stay prepared for remote hiring and online networking alternatives, as well as slower than normal hiring and onboarding procedures. With the unexpected lifestyle and COVID restrictions it is not a bad idea to consider more professional training, but also be aware of adding more dept to your finances. Finally, it is important to be proud of yourself for facing these challenges that many people never faced or will ever face in the future.
Strategies that may help a fresh graduate secure a position in a COVID market include being flexible, consistent networking, building up a professional profile online, nailing the interview, as well as being persistent. Taking a job that is not the ideal position you wanted to be in is not a terrible idea during this time. You can make some money and gain different skills than you thought you would. Professionally, you are playing the long game, and these skills may come in handy in the future. Now more than ever, networking one of the most important things you can do. This means actually reaching out to people and keeping up with them, probing their career, their company and if they know of any available positions. Make sure to keep your options open by having as many quality applications out as possible. If you truly feel like a position is not the correct fit, you can always turn it down respectfully. Finally, being persistent is your most valuable tool. Being early to freshly posted positions, following up on time, and showing up to the virtual interview on time with engaging questions will help set you apart.
Check out some additional COVID Job Searching Stories/Testimonials Here:
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22158622/youth-unemployment-rate
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200901-the-class-of-2020s-uncertain-present-and-future
Conclusion
Normally, searching for a job after graduation can be confusing. Job searching during a global pandemic makes this challenge even harder and more confusing. We often second guess ourselves, play down our accomplishments, and lack a level of confidence that we should be operating on. Although we may have a plan and an idea of how we want things to go, that’s not always what ends up happening. Life will throw you a curve ball every now and again, and being able to adjust, persevere and make
it through to the other side is the ultimate testament to a person’s character. Consistently remind yourself that you are not in a race, you are moving through your own personal journey.
References:
https://www.learnhowtobecome.org/career-resource-center/cant-find-job-after-college/
https://www.thebalance.com/making-it-between-college-and-your-first-job-2386193
https://acadium.com/blog/how-to-get-a-job-after-college-with-no-experience/
https://www.moneycrashers.com/cant-find-job-after-college/
https://www.thejobnetwork.com/cant-find-a-job-after-college-062016/
https://career.uconn.edu/blog/2016/04/26/dont-panic-how-to-gain-experience-without-an-internship/
https://careersidekick.com/find-job-without-work-experience/
https://www.hubspot.com/careers-blog/5-ways-to-stay-competitive-without-a-summer-internship
https://gwc.aurora.edu/news/archive/12-tips-to-navigate-your-job-search-during-covid-19.html
https://corp.smartbrief.com/original/2020/04/how-coronavirus-pandemic-affecting-job-searching
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/new-graduates-entering-covid-19-workforce