Written by Becky
We interviewed Becky, a final year student from the school of LSE, to see what steps she is taking to secure her future job position. Questions asked included: have her career plans changed, what are her concerns about her future and how she is being pro-active during this uncertain time.
1) What are YOUR concerns about YOUR future?
My main concern for the future is that I feel uncertain about the path I am going to take now. Everyone has a plan on what they intend to do when they graduate, but now everything is postponed and recruitment drives are temporarily halted, it concerns me that it will take longer to get to where I want to be. I am also concerned that I may not perform as well in all of my deadlines as I would if things had not been disrupted. This means that in order to still achieve everything I want to I need to be more pro-active, organise my time to ensure I can manage my work-load and use my time productively.
2) Have YOU changed YOUR plans?
My initial plan was to apply for graduate jobs throughout January – May and start applying for a masters. This is because I was torn on what route to take, therefore I could potentially find a graduate job I was suited to/was fortunate enough to get or could take a masters degree to become more qualified and competent in my field. I had started applying for graduate jobs, however since this pandemic has occurred, the recruitment for these roles have all been put on hold. Therefore, I am still applying for the new postings I find, but the prospect of completing a masters is appearing as a more realistic and positive option for me. Therefore, the changes to plans I have made are that I will be less set on applying for jobs and more focused on completing my work and considering a masters.
3) What are YOU pro-actively doing now?
In order to use my time productively I have been completing free online courses to add more skills to my CV and equip me with more knowledge for whatever path I take. A lot of companies are providing massive discounts on their courses to help people during this pandemic, for example one course I am taking is for a software used in forensics which is usually £495. Currently this is now free and therefore taking advantage of these offers to build my skills. I have also used this time to add content to my LinkedIn profile and network with prospective employers and employees in the field.
4)What are YOUR top tips for YOUR fellow graduates?
My tips would be…
make a career plan covering a number of options which you can take in this uncertain time.
Take advantage of free online courses to boost your skillset
Take up additional work opportunities to gain more experience
Use networking sites such as LinkedIn to communicate with employers and companies and see what type of things they are doing during the pandemic
"Most importantly, try not to lose hope! I know it may seem like nothing is going well but things will get better."
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