Megan Geall
Graduation. A word full of excitement, achievement, anticipation, and anxiety. It’s the end of an era and a real step into the adult world for many young people.
Every year, millions of students finish their degrees and choose their next step, whether that be an internship, a job or further education. This is a natural time of anxiety and struggle for many; the uncertainty of finding the right path is often overwhelming. The last two years have been even more difficult than usual as the COVID-19 pandemic has completely altered our way of life, including the university experience. The unprecedented circumstances and disruption to study has made graduation and life after university even more difficult for students, with a shrinking job market and a recession bringing uncertainty to many businesses.
David Deming, a professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, suggests that “people who graduate into recessions never really catch up.” This could be true for the class of 2020, 2021 and even this year’s class of 2022, as the pandemic has caused them to sacrifice university experiences and is forcing them into an ever-changing, hostile job market.
A report by the Institute of Fiscal Studies predicts the class of 2020 will struggle through the report’s ominous title: A Bad Time to Graduate. It states “experience from previous recessions tells us that graduates will be less likely to find work and will start off in lower-paying occupations than they might have expected,” with the labour market being more difficult than back in 2008-9, suggesting “a bigger hit to employment prospects and earnings”.
The Graduates
With the idea of graduating and moving on from university life a scary prospect for everyone, adding COVID-19 and a recession into the worries of graduate life makes for an increasingly concerning situation. I spoke to three different graduates to see how their experiences of finding work in a recession has varied.
Cassie: Aged 23, Graduated 2021 in Criminology, Now Employed Full-Time
“(The pandemic) inspired me to work even harder to find a job to gain some certainty in my life”
Cassie, 23
Before graduating I had no plan of action except finding part-time work to get some money while I searched for a career that suited me. I briefly considered a Masters in law as I thought it might help me find a better paying job in the current job market, however I then started looking at going straight into work. The pandemic created so much uncertainty in the job market that it inspired me to work even harder to find a job to gain some certainty in my life.
Being an international student and moving to a town where I didn’t know anyone was very difficult for my mental health and getting lots of rejections from jobs was hard. I ended up accepting a job in a completely different sector to my degree to get some experience, build my skill set, and provide for myself. While it isn’t what I initially wanted to do, I feel optimistic about my job and I may end up staying for longer than I expected.
I feel like the pandemic and recession could have possibly put me behind other year groups as I didn’t fully know what I wanted to do as a career. This made finding a job difficult as I didn’t always have the requirements the employer was after.
Shanell: Aged 23, Graduated 2021 in Psychology, Now Employed Full-Time
I freestyled my way through third year and feel very lucky to now be fully employed as a civil servant for Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, especially as I really had no plan of action. I considered a Masters but ultimately decided that I didn’t quite have the self-discipline or resilience I feel is necessary for further study. Also, being at university in a pandemic was hard enough as it was; I was in no way prepared to jump straight into another year of studying. I may consider a Masters later in life.
“At one point I was convinced I wouldn’t get a full time job for years”
Shanell, 23
Initially, I was trying to find graduate schemes or apprenticeship opportunities to help bulk up my CV but trying to find schemes that were relevant to my degree field was incredibly tricky. At times I felt likeI was working overtime trying to find a job that would make me a key worker as some sort of guarantee that I would still be employed in a few months time. The pandemic left me feeling demotivated due to poor mental health and the limited support I feel like I got from my university and, at times, my family.
At one point I was convinced I wouldn’t get a full time job for years due to the state of the job market and the fact that I was now competing with graduates from 2020, as well as 2021. When applying for my current job I found myself really emphasising my transferable skills to my employers. However, I don’t feel like I’ve had to catch up with other year groups as I feel like I secured my job in a relatively quick time frame.
Ben: Aged 23, Graduated 2021 in Mathematics, at time of Interview Employed Part-Time, Now Employed Full-Time
Originally, I planned on taking a year out to travel but the pandemic changed those plans as I didn’t want to get stranded in a foreign country. I decided to start looking for a job straight away in the insurance industry as, having resat my first year and so taking four years to complete my undergraduate degree, I was eager to move on and start my career, even with the job market in its current state. To boost my CV, I did an online diploma in Excel as the job market is increasingly competitive. More people are getting degrees and, due to the pandemic causing job losses, there are also a lot of people in the market with experience too. I feel like I really need to show off my skill set and prove why they should employ me over others.
The pandemic has made it hard for me to get into a routine and I also found that a lot of companies preferred to hold online interviews over Teams or Zoom which was hard because of connectivity issues and home distractions that affect my performance. While I feel very determined to find my dream starting job, I definitely think I am more open to accepting any offer that I receive as companies seem to be valuing experience more and more. Just getting a role in the industry on my CV is most important. This has been even more difficult due to the pandemic as companies aren’t offering as many internships or shadowing opportunities as they’re trying to keep the amount of staff in the office to a minimum.
“Disadvantages like these at this early stage could realistically affect you for the rest of your life”
Ben, 23
I believe finding a job has always been difficult but doing it in a recession is even harder because you might have to accept a lower paid job compared to your initial goals and you could find it harder to get onto the property ladder. Disadvantages like these at this early stage could realistically affect you for the rest of your life.
How to set yourself apart
Despite the difficulties faced by these graduates and the uncertainty of pandemic life, there are many things that graduates can do to help themselves succeed after graduation. I spoke to Andrew Fennell, former recruiter and Director at StandOut CV, who shared his advice for graduates entering this uncertain job market.
1. Get work experience
Due to the challenging nature of the job market, it is essential to try and “make the most of work experience opportunities”, even if these are remote shadowing days or longer internships, suggests Andrew. Remote working means you can access a larger variety of businesses all across the country. Although Andrew warns graduates to “make sure your internships [are] a learning experience and not weeks of employers taking advantage of you”.
2. Use skills from your hobbies
In your CV, try and include any details of skills that are transferrable from your hobbies. Andrew explains, “running a blog can mean you have experience with WordPress and writing, or perhaps you sold candles on Etsy, which means you have experience selling and dealing with customers”.
3. Remote Communication
“It’s a good idea to highlight expertise in remote communication and working tools such as Teams, Zoom, and Google/Office software”, advises Fennel. “Ensure any potential businesses know you are well versed in working online and still achieving objectives.” It is important for graduates to take advantage of the remote-boom opening up opportunities across the country.
Ultimately, whilst graduating in a recession can make the job market more volatile, there are steps you can take to increase your employability, and ensure you are not left behind by your peers.
Featured Image Courtesy of Megan Geall. No changes were made to this image.
Megan Geall
Megan is a 23-year-old recent English and American Literature graduate and aspiring journalist. Her interests include food, fitness, lifestyle writing and dance!
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