Entering the job market after graduating is stressful enough without the added pressure of the pandemic and its impact on employment rates.
Scotland's unemployment rate as a whole is below the UK average but according to graduate employment advice group Debut, some university leavers here continue to struggle.
The Office for National Statistics said that 12% of recent graduates were unemployed in the third quarter of 2020 which is almost double the number reported for the three previous years
Debut has teamed up with a number of experts to put together a list of things to do while you are waiting for interviews and job offers.
Avantika Vaishnav, Marketing Manager at Debut, has emphasised the importance of using the time at hand to prepare ahead: “Make a list of common interview questions and practise how you would answer them at an interview much beforehand.
"This will take the pressure off an interview.
"If you got told that your passion for the company didn’t come through, do more research the next time and incorporate what you have found out as points of discussion in your interview.
"Graduates who have been unable to avail job opportunities due to the pandemic are facing the pressure of a competitive job market as life is slowly on the path to normality.
"It’s important to set yourself up for success by differentiating yourself from your peers - work on your personal brand in order to really stand out to employers.”
According to Psychologist and Family Therapist, Dr. Kalanit Ben-Ari, graduates must avoid doing nothing while waiting on responses, because aimless waiting can turn into an inlet for frustration to creep in: “Whilst waiting to hear back, keep looking for other opportunities.
"Being active and using your initiative will not only offer a good distraction but might result in more career opportunities.
"We often feel a sense of helplessness when we are focused on something that is beyond our control, or when we victimise ourselves.
"But rather than waiting passively, you can focus on what is within your control - strengthening your skills, doing something positive for your mental health and wellbeing, seeking other opportunities, and trying to make the most from your free time, which although is not of your choosing, can be a very rare opportunity in life.”
Top 4 Tips
Debut’s top 4 tips on how to spend your time productively whilst waiting for employers to respond.
Create a schedule
When applying for a job, decide on how many applications you will put out a day and stick to it because a sense of structure will help you to feel productive and minimise the pain of waiting.
Get new skills
Build up your profile by brushing up on skills in demand in your industry through digital courses, for example.
Social media
Follow your dream companies on social media. Keep an eye out for talks and webinars by their employees, attend such events and make the effort to network with the speakers over LinkedIn for access to opportunities that don’t exist on job posting boards.
Don't compare yourself to others
When everyone from your class has landed a job, while you keep getting rejected, take another person’s success into your stride by asking them how they got to where they are and using this as feedback in your job application strategy.
However, if the wins of your classmates overwhelm you too much, it is perfectly reasonable to temporarily mute their online profiles while you’re on the path to finding your job.
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