Maddie's storyHey, I'm Maddie, a 22-year-old Criminology graduate from the University of Leicester. I now work as an Account Executive within Public Relations. It's been a bit of a weird year since graduating, which is why I've started my own blog about the highs and lows of graduate life (@mindthegapgraduates) and also love sharing my story on sites like The Blue Graduate. Q: What are your top 3 tips for graduates who are currently job hunting?A: My top 3 tips are: 1. Make a spreadsheet to keep up with where you've got to with jobs and which ones you've applied to. Have column headers that state the job title, company, stages of the application and when things have to be done by. This is not only a great way to stay organised but also a good way to track what you're doing well or not so well - if you're never getting to an interview or perhaps never passing a psychometric test, you can see a pattern and try to resolve any shortfalls with that. 2. Don't give up - it might take a week, a month or even a year to land any job after university. It's really difficult to get rejected from jobs, and I so wish we were taught how to handle that. Just keep your head up and know that one day something amazing will come to you. Keep on going and don't lose any faith in yourself. 3. Don't compare your timing and journey to others. Comparison, especially in careers, is so damaging. Someone might have got a job before you and it might make you feel worse about yourself, but you don't actually know if it's making them happy or if there's something that makes it less than ideal. Similarly, job titles don't really mean a thing, so if your friend has got a swanky Director role after a year, don't panic - that might just mean they're the only person in that department. You never know so don't compare, it's a terrible (but easy, I know) habit to get into. Q: How did you secure your current job? What was the interview process like, and what did you do to stand out?A: I actually got my job though family connections (I won't lie), but with previous jobs I did identify a few reasons why I got the job or passed interview stages. While at University and during the first year of being a graduate, I started a small business and a blog in my spare time. These were amazing ways for me to learn new skills and demonstrate to an employer that I'm committed, always going above and beyond and had good time management skills. It's often not enough to just have a degree, as so many people do, so you have to go above and beyond with things. My advice to anyone that's struggling to find a job or doesn't really have that key selling point, try and start something in your spare time and learn new skills. Whether that's a blog, a freelance business, tutoring or just proofreading other students work, it all counts and shows that you're hard working. Q: How did you feel when you started your job vs now?A: When I started my job, I felt really excited and got caught up in the whole wow look at me I'm working and get paid for it but that has recently worn off. Whether that's due to the pandemic or not, I'll never know. I've had my fair share of imposter syndorme, and still do. I go through bouts of feeling not good enough to be doing my job, wondering why I got the job (which I think about a lot more considering the family connection) and generally feeling inadequate. As the year has gone on, I've definitely developed a lot more confidence and skills in my role. So the doubting thoughts come less frequently but they're definitely there. In my day to day role, I do a range of tasks, from managing the company's social media to writing press releases and blog posts for clients. I really like the fact that no two days are the same, as this gives me a lot of practice across a range of things and lets me see what my favourite things are to take into future roles. Q: What do you miss most about university?A: I think I miss the validation of grades and assignments the most. Always working towards a deadline and knowing that I'd be given a number to reflect the effort I put in, there's nothing quite like it at work.
It's all we've ever known really - working towards GCSEs, then A Levels, then wanting to get our desired grade in our degree. So when I produce a good piece of work in my job, the 'Great, cheers for that' email doesn't quite cut it. If you would like to feature on the blog and share how you beat the blues please contact me, or read more of our Graduate Q&As here.
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AuthorThe Blue Graduate is a career and wellbeing advice and guidance blog for students and graduates experiencing post-uni 'blues'. Archives
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