The Rise of the Graduate Insta Account: Graduates take career advice into their own hands

As an unknown twitter user once said ‘Graduating during a pandemic is some Mario-Kart Rainbow Road Level Stuff’ – and they weren’t wrong. Graduating from university is supposed to be a time full of excitement and anticipation. After what feels like a (quite frankly extortionate) investment in your future, the world is supposed to be your oyster; offering an ocean of possibility. But for those recently graduated, they are met with a job market drenched in uncertainty. Nonetheless, all hope is not lost. There has been a significant increase in platforms created BY young graduates FOR young graduates – aimed at supporting each other during this difficult time. I caught up with creators and followers of these platforms to understand why this support is so needed.

It’s understandable that students feel upset at the current situation. According to a recent survey by the Career Advisors ‘Prospects’ – 64.6% of finalists now feel negative about their job prospects, signifying the effect this pandemic has had on their outlook. Fewer job opportunities was cited as the biggest anxiety held by the graduate respondents.

“These accounts offer a means for people to share their authentic, collective anxieties.”

At a time when it would be so easy to keel over and accept their fate as a generation destined for a professional-write-off; recent graduates are doing quite the opposite. They are taking their careers into their own hands; supporting others along the way. From sharing anxieties about maintaining productivity during lockdown to the collective horror that we actually have to start paying that thing called council tax (!?), these accounts unite recent graduates on their rocky road to navigate their 20s. Instagram is renowned for its portrayal of people supposedly ‘living their best graduate life’ all the time. But, whilst graduate life can certainly be fun, *spoiler alert* in reality it’s not one big highlight (and that’s even before corona had entered the chat). These accounts offer a means for people to share their authentic, collective anxieties.

Here are some examples:

@galswhograduate – boasting nearly 14k followers – this account can be relied upon for its exceptional, relatable quotes. A personal favourite: “Trying to find a job in a pandemic is like trying to do up your body suit when drunk” (from personal experience; sometimes impossible)

@graduateclub is great for short feature profiles of success stories. One such feature ended “[We] are  all going through the same thoughts and feelings but just know you are not alone! Keep doing what you’re doing, working hard to adapt to new learning environments and keep a positive outlook”. When I spoke to the founder, Katie May Huxtable (A Cardiff University Grad) , she said she created the account after personally experiencing anxiety about her next steps post-graduation. She said that she gets numerous requests from people wanting to tell their story and that this account has grown into a “mini-magazine of sorts”. She hopes to “continue to break the stigma that you need to have life all figured out after university”.

Aside from its DELIGHTFUL and cohesive branding, @_gradulting can be relied upon for its practical guides – from how to make the most of LinkedIn to how to live with your parents again during lockdown (advice I very much needed to take).

Speaking to Maddie who started @mindthegapgraduates, she spoke of the supportive community she has created and the large amount of messages she receives from followers who are so thankful for her content. “I’ve seen a significant increase in accounts like mine since March” she says,  “I think so many organisations try and help young people – but it never comes from young people themselves. I don’t want to go to a 40 year-old careers advisor. They don’t know what it’s like being a Gen Z/Millennial graduating around the time of a pandemic. My account allows young people to say ‘Hey, we’re all struggling, come join the party.’ ”

Perhaps this rise in those creating and following these accounts is the symptom of a deficit in support for young people. Speaking to Madeleine Raine, a soon-to-be graduate from Newcastle University, who follows some of these accounts;  “I finish next month and I’ve had no official support whatsoever about life after graduation. Yet, these insta accounts have given me such an insight. The increase in people making and following these valuable accounts shows that a lack of support is a problem for graduates like me”.

So far, the government’s responses to the pandemic have focused on short-term business relief and not on the long-term recovery needed to create a stronger society. They need to put young people first. Whether or not they do, when faced with this pandemic-induced pandemonium, you can be sure this generation will still be out here championing inclusiveness, resilience and creativity.

Lucy Williamson

Tweet to @lucycwilliamson

Featured image courtesy of Lucy Williamson (Canva).