Jessica Barrett: Part 2

ovid Calendars and Career Advice

The concept of a ‘Covid Calendar’ is a list of everything you’ve done in lockdown to aid your professional development or secure a job. In the chaos of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s really important that those who are applying for work experience or jobs keep a cool head and are organised.

Some of the hardest hit areas of student life are finding and enrolling onto work experience or signing contracts to begin work after graduation. This strain on student’s professional development is recognised by many companies, but we should try to put our best foot forward. Now is a great time to seize opportunities and build upon our existing skills.

Creating a Covid Calendar is a great way to do this. It shows employers that you have a host of transferable skills to bring to the role and would be an asset to their team. Here is an outline of which skills you will be demonstrating through your Covid Calendar:

You’re dedicated and proactive

• Being proactive is one of the best qualities you can have when you’re job hunting. It shows employers that you think on your feet and always strive to work to the best of your ability.
• Compiling a list of all you have achieved over the past couple of months will help you to strengthen your CV and write brilliant cover letters. It’ll also show prospective employers that you are hardworking, proactive and will bring this work ethic into the office.
• Being dedicated and proactive are key qualities to demonstrate when you first begin your role. Displaying these qualities are key if you have a probation period at the beginning of your employment, a Covid Calendar is the perfect tool to show companies that you are the perfect employee to hire.

You’re organised and can manage your time

• Lockdown has flown by and we have spent the past few months occupying ourselves by attending online workshops and filling out job applications. Look back and make a list of every application you’ve submitted, every remote internship you’ve completed and all of the talks you’ve attended. That way, you can see all you have achieved over the past few months and feel proud. More importantly, this list demonstrates to any employer that you have utilised your time effectively and have kept a cool, organised head during lockdown.
• Showing employers than you are organised is vital when job hunting, particularly in the hectic world we currently live in. Keep a Covid Calendar to show others that you are organised and able to manage your time effectively.

You’re enthusiastic and able to use your initiative

• Watching webinars, completing courses and undertaking remote internships proves that you are keen to learn and develop your skills to companies that are hiring.
• Showing a willing to develop and expand your skillset will prove to recruiters that you would be an asset on any team. This is the kind of image you will want to display to prospective employers.
• Increasingly, using your initiative has become a desired trait for employees to display. Being on the ball shows that you will always be thinking of ideas and striving to complete your job to the highest standard.

Personally, I’ve had such a positive reaction to keeping my own Covid Calendar. I’d fully recommend noting down all you have accomplished over lockdown so that you can put your best foot forward when starting your career.

All aspects of graduate life have been impacted severely by lockdown this year. Not only has our time studying been cut short, but now we are heading into a turbulent jobs market. There is a massive strain on students at the moment, but Covid Calendars provide the perfect opportunity to showcase ourselves to recruiters in order to secure jobs and work experience.

Jessica Barrett is a recent English Literature graduate who now works as a Content Marketer and Freelance Journalist based in Cambridge.

If you haven’t already, take a look at Part 1 of Jessica’s Blog: Log on and Learn.

Listen out for her Podcast episode too over at Class of 2020: The podcast, brought to you by The Branding Man.

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