How I got my Digital Marketing Graduate Job During Lockdown

Run in the front door of your desired firm upon graduation and hope they let you stay. If only it was that easy. Also wouldn’t be too Covid compliant during Lockdown. A couple of months ago, I uploaded a blog post asking, “What’s Next for Covid-19 Graduates?” and the answer to that was, not much. Not much at all. Lots of applications, no responses. Several jobs advertised, not enough experience. There were a few months of this carry-on. Until one day (aware that this is starting to sound like a dramatic movie) I stumbled across a Digital Marketing graduate job on LinkedIn.

I really loved the sound of the role. It matched my experience exactly and it was an entry-level, graduate position. I took time to review my CV and two months later, I started my new job.

There were numerous things I tried that didn’t work. There were also a few things that really helped. So, by sharing this with you, hopefully, you can avoid my mishaps and use my tips. Everyone’s experiences will be different, especially within different graduate fields. And if you get another rejection, I’m really sorry, but if it makes you feel any better, I got about 30 before getting my Digital Marketing job. You’ll get there in the end.

My top tips for getting a graduate job during lockdown

1. Ask someone to review your CV

Whether it’s your sister, your mammy, or someone you know who works within your desired field, ask them to review your CV and accept constructive feedback. A fresh pair of eyes can sometimes spot things we can’t. After all, when you’re staring at a page on a laptop for hours, you can miss things like “I’m a good really team player.” (you had to read that twice, didn’t you?)

2. Don’t Apply for every job

What do you mean don’t apply for them all? I thought you had to keep applying and don’t stop til you’ve got a job? Well, not necessarily. Contrary to what we might think, applying for loads in a haphazard manner doesn’t really help, as employers can sense this. I applied for too many jobs at the beginning and when I read over it afterwards, it was quite clear that I hadn’t spent the time or effort on it (queue the “I’m a good really team player” sentences in the applications). Yes doll they’d be mad not to hire an illiterate like yerself.

It makes much more sense to take time with your application and tailor it to the position.

• What skills and attributes are they specifically looking for?
• What’s the company’s culture?
• What type of person do they want to fit the role? Do they want someone creative, or more analytical? Where are they placing their focus?

Which leads me onto my next point…

3. Structure your CV towards the Graduate Job Description

Don’t make up any lies, of course, but if they specifically say they want someone with excellent communication and teamwork skills, but your CV says, ‘great time management’, maybe replace this with some of the keywords they’re looking for instead.

Niche your experiences towards what they’re asking for- the fact you worked in a Credit Union may be really useful for one job application that requires a high standard of numeracy skills, but not your next application. Your experiences often include so much more than you initially think, so really dig deep and think about what you learned during any work experience, internships, or paid positions.

4. Research Online Careers Sources

I gained so much insight from Youtube, googling articles, blog posts, etc. on job application tips. There are even recruiters on Tiktok if you want a 10-second summary- talk about using your time wisely (albeit you don’t scroll for another hour afterward and forget everything you’ve just read).

There’s loads of information out there providing careers advice, CV tips and more for graduates. Make the most of it!

Some fields have many job titles and different positions, especially in business. Therefore, a lot of job titles can be confusing and sound similar to the next position, even though there could be disparities between the two. I watched some YouTube videos and found out the difference between each role I was applying for. I then narrowed my applications down by deciding which would be a better option for me.

5. Freshen up your Skills

For digital marketing, it was learning more about Google Analytics and freshening up my skills in Canva/ Mailchimp. This may be different for your chosen career. Look at what skills/ attributes are mainly asked for in your sector and try to upskill. You could either take a new course, watch some tutorials, or spend your time doing anything that will help you with your application. As a graduate, you may have to be competing with candidates that have further experience. So, upskilling is key!

6. Be patient. Very patient.

And then a bit more patience on top of that. It can be so frustrating when you spend what seems like a lifetime on an application. Then to receive:

1. No response, or;
2. “Dear graduate, thank you very much for your application. We had an overwhelming response from many talented candidates. Unfortunately, on this occasion, we are sorry to state that we will be going no further with your application. Please keep us in mind in the future.”

Aye I’ll keep you in mind in the future alright yeah grand. *unsubscribe from future emails*

7. Take a Break

Have a break. Have a KitKat.

Taking a break may be the last thing you’re thinking of doing. I know if someone had told me to do so a few months ago, I would’ve presumed they didn’t understand. However, the best thing I did was to take a break from applying. Forgetting to do so can fry your head.

I was incredibly lucky to find a temporary job that I loved through an agency, and whilst I was there, my current employer got in contact with me. So, sometimes, taking a step back from constantly applying can be beneficial.

Useful Sites for Graduate Job Search

Here’s some job sites I used during my graduate job search that may be of use:

Don’t be afraid to contact recruitment agencies that specialise in your sector. My brother did this and got a permanent engineering job within a week. Sometimes people are hesitant to approach recruitment agencies. Don’t be. There’s no catch. Companies generally outsource to recruitment agencies to save themselves the time/ effort of completing the recruitment process. I used to think they only offered temporary positions and didn’t really appreciate how useful they can be.

In Summary

Important Takeaways for Graduates

I know how it is. You want a job and you want it now. Analytical? Aye, I can do that. Company culture that doesn’t offer flexi time? Yeah no bother. 60 hour workweek? Em yeah really need the job, so yeah, maybe.

Don’t say yes to aspects of jobs that don’t align with you, just because you’re at a loose end. You’ll regret it in a couple of weeks and wished you had have asked for more hours at B&M bargains to tie you over until the right job came along. The whole process didn’t happen as quickly as I had wanted. There were days I was extremely frustrated and wanted to throw my laptop across the room at another declined response. You get those days. But looking back, I am grateful I got to use my time to start this blog. Imagine yous never got to hear this sweet voice through your screens. Be a serious shame.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel. You will get one at some stage. It probably won’t be today or tomorrow, but once you can accept that you’ve no control over that, you can start enjoying the process a bit more and taking your time. Sure, we’ll be working our whole lives as everyone kept telling me (that’s easy for you to say Susan when your job application was making a good cup of tea.)

Chat soon,

Eilís x