Worried that coronavirus might have pulled the brakes on your graduate job search?
If you're about to start, or are already on the search for a graduate job, you might have a lot of questions right now. Should you stop searching? How will employers interview when we're supposed to be social distancing? Are there even any graduate jobs available now?
Of course, it's hard to say for certain what will happen over the coming weeks and months, but for now, here's what you should expect when it comes to applying for graduate jobs.
Employers still need employees, so don't be put off from applying
It might feel as though everything is coming to a stand still, but operations are still running at plenty of companies in spite of employees being asked to work remotely. There's also a lot of industries that won't be affected by the economic impacts of coronavirus and will continue their graduate recruitment processes as they would any other year.
With this in mind, there's no reason to halt your graduate job hunt over the coming weeks, especially given that the start date for many graduate jobs and schemes isn't for another 4-6 months anyway.
Ultimately, there is a 100% chance you won't get hired if you don't apply for jobs; the recruitment process might take longer than usual at the moment, and in some cases it might be more difficult, but staying on the look out for opportunities and on top of applications is the only way you'll secure yourself a job.
Prepare for the application process to take a bit longer than usual
As companies settle into remote working and adjust their hiring processes accordingly, chances are the application process for some jobs might be delayed. If you've already applied for a job and you're waiting to attend, or hear back about attending an interview, it might be wise to send the company an email to confirm what the situation will be going forward. Don't take your foot off the pedal or stop checking your emails because you presume companies have other things to think about.
If you're still sending over CVs or application forms, don't be disheartened if you don't hear back within a few days - it doesn't mean the company has stopped hiring. Stay persistent and consistent with your applications because, who knows, your attitude during this situation might be the difference between you landing the job or not.
You should also expect the process of applying to change too
Thanks to technology, lots of companies will be able to move their application processes from being face-to-face to digital. If you weren't prepared already, now's a great time to brush up on your phone and video interview skills. If you have an assessment centre coming up, there's every chance that could be moved online too.
Digital interviews are no different from face-to-face ones, so you should treat them in the same way. If you need some tips and advice on how to make sure your next phone or video interview goes well, click here for phone interview advice and here for video.
The best thing to do is not panic, and continue your job search as you would've had we not been in the middle of a pandemic. Our website is full of student and graduate opportunities in a range of industries, and all those employers still want to hear from you. If you've got any worries or questions about your job search, we're on hand to help over on Facebook or Instagram.