Class of 2020 Careers Virtual Panel Event: Your Questions Answered

Q: What is the best time to start applying for jobs if you are resitting exams in August or your course doesn’t finish until August? 

A: It is recommended that you start applying to jobs as early as possible in your final year or Masters course as many of the graduate schemes will start to advertise from each September onwards. If you are yet to apply for roles, we would recommend that you start this immediately and do not leave it until you finish your course or until after you have completed a resit. If you are doing a resit, you should hopefully have your other module results so you should have a clearer idea of how you have performed with your degree/Masters to date. In your CV or on your application, ensure you clearly outline when your course finishes. Many of the roles that are advertised by graduate employers are likely not to commence until after the summer period so employers expect you to apply for roles throughout your final year or Masters. The only exception to this is if the employer wants to recruit an immediate hire and this is generally clearly outlined in the job description. You can search for roles that are currently being advertised via the DCU Jobs Board and the gradIreland website.

Q: What companies should I be applying to?

A: Keep all options open and manage your expectations. Apply to internships, graduate programmes and any suitable roles as there will be a lot of competition as businesses start to recover and re-strategizing will take some time. Expect more contract based jobs ( 6 to 12 months) than permanent jobs initially and project based work. 

So a first step could be a foot in the door role – project work/ admin/ social media marketing campaign/website update etc.. It could also be a remote working opportunity. 

Any networking that you can do either via Linkedin Twitter or any other platform is crucial for building your contacts - start with DCU’s Alumni Linkedin page as any connections gained could give you important information to enter the sector e.g. upskilling courses, a timeline for hiring and tips for interview. Join Groups (under My network) to learn of developments in your sector and follow any companies of interest on various social media.

Attend any webinars given by professional bodies in your sector especially as many are offering this platform to communicate changes in the sector and with tips to make yourself attractive to employers. Also an opportunity to network ( join them on LinkedIn).

Check our jobs-board on Engage.dcu.ie and sign up for alerts from gradireland.

For help with your job search strategy please book a ‘careers appointment’ via the DCU Engage portal.

Q: How would I find out more about work from home or remote working opportunities? 

A: At the moment we’re seeing that a lot of traditionally office based jobs have moved fully to remote working or work from home (wfh) roles in line with government guidelines. In that way, when looking on jobs boards you may see roles that are work from home or remote working but this location may be temporary as government guidelines change and there is a return to office based working. Remote working or work from home opportunities typically tend to be advertised in the same way office based roles are advertised so keeping an eye on relevant jobs board will be important. Using your network and connections in your job search may also be effective as with any type of job searching. All of the main jobs board now have a work from home or remote location feature so you can filter opportunities specifically for this if you wish. Check out engage.dcu.ie, indeed.com, linkedin.com, gradireland.com and irishjobs.ie. Ensure you read job descriptions carefully for details of where the role will be based and any other relevant terms and conditions as there are different considerations when working remotely as opposed to being office based. If you have any specific concerns or queries about remote working booking in for an appointment with your designated Careers Advisor could be useful. You can book appointments through our website.

Q: If I was to take a year out and teach english abroad for example, is this seen as a bad thing to employers, or would it be seen as taking initiative and living independently?

A: Relevant and transferable experience and skills comes in many different forms and having experience of working in a different country can be of great benefit to candidates in their job applications. Benefits of working abroad could include; experiencing different cultures, developing language skills, developing resilience, adaptability, initiative and communication skills among others - all of which would be appealing to prospective employers. Teaching English abroad will also allow you to develop either relevant or transferable skills which will be of benefit to you in future job applications. When considering moving abroad, plan ahead and think about how you can get involved in the culture and society, how can you keep up your hobbies and interests, how are you going to meet new people etc. This will all add value to your CV for when you return.

Check out our tip sheet on working abroad accessible through our 2020_CAREERS_SERVICE module on Loop and be sure to also check our online resource Going Global accessible through our website. 

Q: What questions should interviewees ask at interview?

A: What kind of training would I be  given on commencement of the job?

• Are there other training opportunities to grow and learn? (If the company already promotes this on their website then you could ask a more specific question about this).
• What does success look like for you in this job ?
• What size team(s) would I be working with? 

Q: Is there any guidance for international students in this current situation with the pandemic? 

A: International students should follow the same guidance as other students. This includes continuing to job search, apply for roles, ensure your CV and LinkedIn profiles are up to date and consider upskilling and doing additional online courses (e.g. this could include learning a new technology – useful websites for this are Udacity and Udemy).  As well as this, we would encourage you to network online and attend any relevant online webinars/events. There are some good tips around this in the answer to the question ‘What companies should I be applying to?’ in this FAQ document. It is important you keep up to date with the labour market for your area of interest. To help with this, we recommend that you follow relevant organisations and professional bodies online via LinkedIn and Twitter. The gradIreland website is also a useful resource for information around the labour market.

Specifically for international students, it is important that you keep up to date with any new information in terms of Visas. Ensure you visit the Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) website regularly. They have a useful resource which is worth reading – Information for International Students on Covid-19. We also recommend that you regularly visit the DCU International Office for up to date information. Both ICOS and the DCU International Office have LinkedIn pages which are regularly updated so it would also be beneficial to follow them on this platform.

Q: Do you have any advice for a new graduate starting out in an organisation such as Enterprise Ireland? i.e. tips on making the best impression etc, how to progress your career in that industry?  

A: It’s very exciting - but also can be quite daunting! - to embark on your first graduate role.  Nerves are understandable and normal.  While you may well have had part-time and summer jobs, you might feel that it will be very different when you start in a larger organisation as a graduate recruit.

It’s important to remember that you probably won’t be the only new graduate starting out in the organisation and that everyone feels the same way.  The organisation will most likely have prepared a programme especially designed to ease you into working life and to set you up for success.

It’s important to give yourself time to settle in.  Everybody starting a new job - even if they have been working for many years - needs time to get used to the new workplace.  It can take months, so don’t expect too much from yourself.

Some practical tips:

• Be familiar with the organisation and what it is trying to achieve.  This information should all be available online.  Make sure you read your job description and contract of employment carefully before you start.
• Dress code - try to find out in advance what this is.  There may be an informal dress code, particularly in a tech firm, but many large and more established employers will expect smart casual.
• Make the most of the Learning and Development offered by the organisation.  Be enthusiastic about learning opportunities and adopt a growth mindset.  Most importantly - DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS!  Nobody will expect you to know everything.
• Show a willingness to get involved - don’t feel that anything is beneath you.  Even if you are picking up the coffees or collecting documents from the printer, you are soaking up the culture, getting to know your colleagues and building your network.  It will stand to you!
• You may be assigned a mentor, and make sure to take responsibility for your relationship with him or her.  Try to find out all you need to know about the workings of the organisation, and demonstrate enthusiasm and willingness to learn from your mentor and all of your colleagues.
• For more information, please see the DCU Careers Service Workplace Advice document on Loop.

Q: Is it too unrealistic to focus on combining your passion (music,art etc) with your business degree by either joining a small business or starting your own at this stage? 

A: If you have the opportunity to incorporate your passion into your work, you are very lucky!  Many career theorists extol the virtues of following your curiosity as you navigate your career journey.  This journey will undoubtedly have many twists and turns ahead, so you may still find yourself working in a larger, long-established company later on, and that company will probably place a very high value on your start-up / small business experience.

There are a few considerations:

• The salary will probably be lower in a small business, at least at the beginning.  But there will be a value in the fact that you are working in an area you’re passionate about.
• Your job description may well be ‘looser’ than if you joined a larger organisation.  Generally, in small businesses, people ‘get stuck in’ wherever they are required.  As well as your core interests and responsibilities,  you may well be responsible for lots of other areas of the business - social media, the website, accounts etc.   In the case of a start-up, there may be the requirement to sometimes work long hours and weekends.
• In the case of joining an existing small business, there may not be an established HR and Training structures in place, so you might have to be proactive in getting feedback and starting conversations about your professional development.
• There can also be financial uncertainty attached to working for or creating a startup that wouldn’t exist with an established employer.
• The Local Enterprise Office (among other state supports) provides a fantastic service to individuals thinking about setting up a business.  That should be your first port of call.  They will talk to you about the feasibility of your idea, and encourage you to draw up a business plan.  After doing your due diligence, you might well decide that you would be better off to work for an established company first and then leverage your experience to set up on your own.

Q: What are the paths I can pursue to collaborate with science communicators in the psychology space? 

A: Firstly, DCU has MSc in Science Communication so you have science communicators right here in DCU. We would suggest making contact with the Programme Chair for this course. Also watch for the annual SCI:COM conference that is held each year and reach into your network within The Psychological Society of Ireland.

Q: What is a good platform to find psychologists who might want to collaborate with graduates on projects? 

A: There are groups on Linkedin and if you are/become a student member of the Psychological Society of Ireland that will provide you with a network.