Liam Donaldson is a final year Commerce student, majoring in Logistics and Supply Chain Management. This means he’s currently applying for grad programs in his area, but also general business and commerce positions. Liam recently shared his experience of going through the recruitment process in the current climate.
I’m sure a lot of you are in the same boat I’m in – last year of studies, trying to find a graduate job, and wondering what the graduate process is looking like in today’s world of social distancing. I have experienced a few of these graduate processes so far, ranging from delayed assessment centres, cancelation of graduate programs, and making it through to the final round of interviews.
The first piece of advice I’d give to anyone is apply, apply, and APPLY! No matter the situation, some companies still need graduates for their business to run. A great way to apply is through GradConnection, it’s an amazing resource to use. There’s also UniHub, Curtin’s version of GradConnection, where I’ve found quite a few grad opportunities that I wouldn’t otherwise have applied for.
Hold UP! Before you apply, the second piece of advice I would give is to get your resume checked. Did you know a recruiter only looks at your resume for an average of 10 seconds? So you need to make the most of it!
If you’ve made it through to an assessment centre, first of all congratulations! This is where things have changed. Assessment centres and interviews are now more than ever held online through different platforms, including Microsoft Teams or everyone’s favourite Zoom.
This made me nervous at first, but it was also calming as I was at home in my normal surroundings. When preparing for my digital interviews, I used a practise software called Vieple. This helped me tenfold as a lot of the questions I was asked by the majority of companies where the same questions I was asked in the simulated digital interview.
Lastly, just be yourself. When applications are filled in and submitted, a company looks for the best fit for their team. If you get chosen for this unique graduate process, that’s awesome! However, remember there are only a finite amount of seats at this table. There is always other opportunities such as graduate entry level roles, junior positions, and full-time employment.
Here’s some practical tips I found invaluable:
- Get some feedback on your resume from the Careers team – they’re wizards with words and resume restructuring.
- Practice your interviews using Vieple – as a Curtin student you can access it for free.
- Read other articles on Careers For Tomorrow for some great hints, tips, and tricks, especially Video Interviews and Virtual Recruitment
- Check the weekly Cube Q&A sessions
So, if you’re applying for grad roles during a pandemic – good luck, and remember you’re not the only one!
