4 unique tips on getting a job if you’ve just graduated during the global pandemic

If you’ve graduated recently or expecting to graduate soon, you might be feeling the wrath of trying to find employment during a global pandemic. You’ll definitely find that it’s harder than normal to find companies that are actively hiring. We’re sure you’ve already heard enough of the usual tips – fix your CV, check for spelling etc. Instead, we’re sharing some more unique tips.

At Workit Spaces, a coworking space in Alexandria, the team was prepared to continue finding new people despite all the changes. In this article, we share the things that got our two new hires through the door. With many job listings getting hundreds and hundreds of applications, we hope that these make a difference in your job hunt.    

Work on your own side project

The age old tip for getting a job is to have experience, but if you can’t get a job, how can you get experience? Well, having your own side project can actually make a massive difference. For example, running your own blog or social media page if you’re hoping to go into marketing, or building your own app or website if you’re hoping to go into development. These can show that you have initiative and the right technical skills.

Not only can having your own side project help you to get your first ‘real job’, it can serve as valuable experience down the line as well. For example, most of the applicants for Workit Spaces had experience working at different companies. However, part of what got the new hires over the line was the successful side projects they had in the past.

Don’t just look on job listings sites

In today’s climate, everyone is looking for a job. This means that you can expect job listings in most industries to be flooded with applications. If you’re hoping to better your chances of finding a new role, it might be worthwhile to look beyond your traditional job listings sites like Seek, Indeed etc.

Try searching job boards advertising directly to students and recent graduates, like CareerHub, for employers who are looking for candidates who are still studying or just entering the job market.

Alternatively, take the time to reach out to people in your network to see if they know anyone hiring. Look through different forums and industry sites that might have job listings. Scroll through LinkedIn and other social media sites to see if anyone has made a post about opportunities. When Workit Spaces was looking to hire, we simply made a post on LinkedIn.

Reach out to the job poster personally

After you’ve started applying for jobs, you might be able to boost your chances of getting to the interview stage if you reach out to job posters personally. There are many ways you can approach this. For example, reaching out beforehand and asking for more details, or reaching out after and expressing how keen you are for the role.

Obviously, this isn’t always easy. On many job listings sites, you won’t be able to see who posted it. If you’re particularly interested in a certain role, you could potentially figure out who the HR person is in a company by doing a Google search or looking at the company LinkedIn. However, if there is an email, or you can message the poster on LinkedIn, make use of this tactic!

Apply for as many jobs as you can

Unfortunately, many of us aren’t in the position to be picky right now. Even if you’re not strapped for cash, it’s important to get a job as soon as you can so that you can continue developing your career. Job hunting is a numbers game in many cases. The harsh truth is that you shouldn’t spend too much time waiting for responses because more often than not, you won’t get one.

If you have lots of free time, spend it applying for as many jobs as you can – and be sure to take the time to make each application amazing. You should even be applying for jobs when you don’t feel like you meet all the requirements. If you show that you have the right attitude, many employers will consider you despite your lack of experience or skills. Even if you don’t land the role, you might be able to get a few interviews or make a few connections that will be helpful later on.

Featured image courtesy of Unsplash