How to land a graduate role as positions plunge
Graduate jobs have halved in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are a number of ways you can gain a competitive edge.
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New graduates have always faced a cutthroat job market but 2020 is taking competition to a new level with grad positions halving since the COVID-19 outbreak.
Exclusive figures from job site Adzuna reveal about 5800 job ads were listed with “graduate” in the title between March and October this year, compared to 12,000 for the same period in 2019.
Opportunities dropped in every state and territory but Victorian and Western Australian grads were hardest hit, with openings down to about a third of last year’s levels.
A September survey by graduate jobs board GradConnection reveals although just 4 per cent of employers cancelled their graduate intake altogether, another 9 per cent postponed their intake and 25 per cent reduced graduate numbers by at least a quarter.
Still, employers and careers experts say there are opportunities available for final year university students and recent graduates that can give themselves an edge.
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
The Arnott’s Group chief executive George Zoghbi recommends they experiment with their careers and apply for roles they had not previously considered.
“Have the courage to be uncomfortable with opportunities outside your area of expertise or area of studies,” he says. “Career pathways can come from anywhere.”
The group introduced its first formal graduate program this year, and is in the process of selecting 25 to 30 employees from the 2200 applications it received. The graduates will receive 12 months of training across topics such as sustainability, data analytics, leadership and supply chain.
Zoghbi says they look for people who quickly understand new concepts and continually ask questions.
GET WORK EXPERIENCE
Bango PR managing director Michelle Bates says most employers value work experience over grade point averages as it not only teaches industry skills but how to behave in a professional setting.
“It’s so different going from study to engaging with customers, clients and suppliers,” she says.
To help university students gain this experience, Bates recently founded Commsgrad, which connects businesses with students who can provide remote marketing, PR, social media and content services.
Woolloongabba’s Vindhya Barwal, 24, registered with the platform with the goal to build up her portfolio to show prospective employers.
The Master of Communication grad hopes to set herself apart in the competitive job market while she looks for work in public relations, copy writing, video games or journalism.
“Whether it is a video link of you speaking on a panel or just an assignment you are proud of, I think it is good to have something to show,” she says.
Grad Connection national account manager Domonique Delgado says some organisations have opted not to accept interns in offices this year because of the coronavirus but this does not mean internships are not available.
Anyone can undertake a virtual internship via theforage.com with companies such as NSW Government, Microsoft and Citibank and complete practical tasks created by the company to give insights into their day-to-day work.
“They are free to do and you can do them in your own time,” Delgado says. “It shows employers you are interested in diversifying your skills.”
START A SIDE HUSTLE
The University of Queensland Business School lecturer and entrepreneur in residence Cameron Turner recommends graduates struggling to find work be proactive and create their own opportunities.
“If I am an employer interviewing someone and they have their own side hustle going and they’re using their own initiative, I would hire them over someone who got straight HDs (high distinctions) all day long,” he says.
Turner says a side hustle can be anything from baking and selling cupcakes to developing technology prototypes.
Freelance marketplace Fiverr vice president of international expansion Peggy de Lange says final-year students and graduates can also use freelancing to gain valuable real-world skills, such as how to draft invoices and contracts, negotiation and networking.
“While navigating recovery, businesses are increasingly looking to independent contractors to build project-based workforces, and freelancing offers graduates a competitive advantage to become proficient in working independently – a skill needed to thrive in the new world of work,” she says.
FIND A MENTOR
Public Relations Institute of Australia NSW Young Guns committee co-chair Rachel King says it is more important than ever for young people to have a mentor.
King, who recently organised an event at The University of Technology Sydney to connect mentors and mentees, says these professional relationships can be found anywhere.
She recommends contacting industry bodies or associations, attending networking events, reaching out to management during internships, maintaining relationships with university lecturers and tutors, and broaching the subject with LinkedIn contacts.
WHERE THE GRAD ROLES HAVE DISAPPEARED
(Source: Adzuna job ads keyword search, March-October 2019 vs. March-October 2020)
Marketing: down 52%
Physiotherapy: down 40%
Recruitment: down 40%
Business: down 36%
Nursing: down 34%
Finance: down 33%
Legal: down 25%
Engineering: down 19%
Accounting: down 16%
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Originally published as How to land a graduate role as positions plunge