A Graduate’s Tips for Job Searching During the Pandemic

Written by Khushboo Sansanwal, MSc Business Analytics: Operations Research & Risk Analysis 2020

My first tip would be to believe in yourself. You were selectively chosen for your Master’s from a pool of diverse, super, brilliant candidates from all over the world. If you could make it through that, then COVID-19 is nothing but just another obstacle to pass. COVID-19 affected the job market and massively slowed down the process but it definitely did not eliminate it. There are still jobs out there!

Next, take the time to sit down and research your prospective career path. If you do not have a clue, that is okay. Think about the skills you have and do a simple search on LinkedIn for that skillset. I then looked at what other people with the same skillset did for a living. See what suits you and once you have a list of your top five, you can go back to LinkedIn again and look for job adverts related to those job titles. You will also better understand what soft/hard skills the industry demands. 

Use LinkedIn as your go to social network because it can answer all your job queries. Expand your network, talk to people with the same career path as you, and discuss their job expectations. A simple hello goes a long way. This way, not only are you investing in your career path but also expanding your professional outreach.

Another tip is to adapt and strategise. Life constantly gives us surprises but the key is to stay calm and strategise according to the situation. Try out different job search methods, if one fails go for the other plan. It is all a game of trial and error, so you have to have a go to understand what works best for you. There are endless possibilities to it. 

Finally, make use of all the resources you have been given. Everybody feels a little lost sometimes so a bit of guidance from the experts in the job search process can send you in the right direction. 

Look at the Careers Service website for information and advice, or visit CareerConnect to find opportunities and events, and to book guidance appointments.