Even before the coronavirus pandemic upended higher education, the “post-graduation blues” distressed students around the world. After the revelry of the graduation ceremony fades, uncertainty sets in.
Hours spent writing and revising cover letters, CVs, and job applications feel wasted. Attending interview after interview, only to be ghosted, sows seeds of self-doubt. Social media posts celebrating holidays and new careers spark sadness and envy.
The pandemic only exacerbates this already difficult phase. Students are attending virtual graduation ceremonies, receiving hard-earned degrees through the post, and hosting celebrations via video chat.
With many industries closed or operating partially due to restrictions, finding a position in the graduate job market feels nearly impossible. It’s estimated that around 400,000 students graduating in 2020 have seen opportunities evarporate overnight. While post-graduation depression typically lasts anywhere from three to eighteen months, this period might be longer for some in 2020.
If you’re feeling anxious, discouraged, or exhausted, know that you’re not alone. It’s true that other graduates may not empathize with you in the exact same way. But post-graduation slump is something thousands of people, ourselves included, have experienced. We’ve compiled useful tips to look after yourself and develop resilience while preparing to enter the post-pandemic graduate job market.
Ways to prepare for the post-pandemic graduate job market
Reflect on your accomplishments and plan ahead
While you undoubtedly follow social distancing, self-isolating, and hand-washing protocols, the pandemic is ultimately out of your control. Slowly but surely, businesses will reopen. We will inevitably return to, or perhaps create, a new normal.
In the meantime, take some time to reflect on your life, your plans, and your career aspirations. Keeping a journal is a great way to escape the confines of your inner monologue and see your goals and thoughts more clearly.
While planning for an uncertain future might be difficult, you could jot down some goals you’d like to achieve within the next few years. A few positive affirmations can also lift your mood when post-graduation depression hits.
Reconnect with family and friends
Whether you’re a domestic or international student, university already creates distance between you, your family, and your friends. Social distancing and travel bans extend the duration of that distance, unfortunately.
The good news is, we live in a time where we can video chat with family and friends all around the world in just a few seconds. Imagine living during the Spanish flu, before that was possible.
While that sentiment doesn’t alleviate the suffering and loneliness people feel today, gratitude is important. However, it is possible (and perfectly natural) to feel two things at once. You can be grateful for your smartphone and modern technology while also missing real, human contact.
Exercise, eat well, and practice mindfulness
Although the gyms and fitness centres are closed, you can still get outside for a dose of fresh air. This is especially important when so many of us are self-isolating in our homes for weeks at a time.
Binge eating, sleeping too much, or neglecting hygiene might bring short-term comfort. But ultimately, they’ll harm your physical and mental health. This will only perpetuate a cycle of mental distress.
Mindfulness can help alleviate some of that distress. In a world turned on its head by a pandemic, sitting still and returning to the present moment is more important than ever.
If you start to feel hopeless, or like the fight against injustice is unwinnable, try a loving-kindness meditation. This type of meditation involves mantras of love, kindness, and peace. You might want to follow a set script, or get creative and make up your own.
Surround yourself with positive influences and mentors
Connect with people who inspire and encourage you. While you might not be able to physically surround yourself with good influences, feel free to send an email or message.
Seeking a mentor is another great way to continue your professional development during the pandemic. You might choose to reach out to a former university lecturer or support staff member.
Not all positive influences or mentors have to be personal acquaintances, either. A few ideas for finding mentorship elsewhere include watching uplifting TED talks, films, or listening to educational podcasts.
Embrace the freedom, but practice self-care
Stay-at-home orders might give you more freedom to learn new skills and focus on your hobbies. However, don’t feel too pressured to be “productive” during this time. The pandemic has taken a toll on our mental and physical health. We are social beings. Our brains aren’t equipped to handle self-isolation and quarantine for sustained periods of time.
When you’re willing and able, try to explore something new or something you love. But remember, self-care and mental health are paramount. You can’t pour from an empty cup.
Avoid playing the comparison game
You might find that, despite the unpredictability our world is facing, your peers continue to succeed. Perhaps life appears to be going swimmingly for some of your friends, as they embark on exciting internships or even find new jobs.
Everyone’s timeline and vision of success are different. Just because other people are achieving your vision of “success” doesn’t make you a failure.
Remember, practically no one posts about their shortcomings on social media. You never know what’s really going on behind the screen.
Step away from social media
All those tips have led up to this one. No matter how many hashtags you mute on Twitter or how many people you block on Facebook, social media can still be toxic. This is especially true now, when headlines and trending hashtags centre on a pandemic and intense socio-political discourse.
While it is important to stay informed, there’s no need to be plugged in all the time. In fact, it’s bad for your mental health. Just as our brains aren’t prepared to handle self-isolation, they’re also not equipped to process a constant barrage of information.
Instead, consider pouring the time you’d normally spend scrolling through your socials into your real-life relationships. Leave the feed behind to call or message a friend or family member.
Develop resilience
Finally, it’s important to remember that this phase of your life is only temporary. And so is the pandemic. Yes, it has and will reshape society in unprecedented ways. But, like all things, it will pass.
Sitting with your anxiety, your fear, your discomfort is necessary. Be gentle with yourself. Approach all your emotions with curiosity and acceptance. With enough practice, you’ll become more resilient, more capable of bouncing back from adversity.
Navigating the graduate job market in a post-pandemic world: final thoughts
You have the rest of your life to build your career. It’s not a race and it’s definitely not a competition.
As graduates ourselves, we understand how easy it is to get disillusioned. Searching for career opportunities in the graduate job market is hard enough when a pandemic isn’t happening.
You’ve worked hard to get where you are, to graduate from university and earn the skills needed to excel in your career. You’ve accomplished so much — but there’s still work left to do.
Developing resilience to persevere through strife takes time and persistence. Building the career of your dreams may not happen as quickly as you would like. But if you don’t care for your mind and body, you won’t have the tools needed to do that work. Every bit of the work is worth the reward. And the time will pass anyway.
So don’t give up. Take things one day at a time. And if you feel like you can’t make it through the day, try making it through the next hour.
Stay the course, keep pushing, and don’t get discouraged when you get rejections to your applications – your breakthrough will come.
When you’re not sure who to turn to or what to do, we hope you’ll keep us in mind. We might not have walked the exact same path, but our journeys are similar. Visit our resources page where you can find useful links and information on graduate careers. Here’s another useful article with Job-hunting advice for graduates (from the Class of 2008). Stay safe, and take care.
