JT & Dale Talk Jobs: Graduating during a pandemic

DALE: Ouch. To graduate when the pandemic hit was wretched timing, and I’m sure hiring managers feel sympathy — or did. They would have felt sympathy back when the economy was tanking and no one was hiring, but as the economy roared back in 2021, I suspect that such attitudes hardened into skepticism. After all, most hiring managers were not just “trying to survive,” they were working. And then they encounter someone who hasn’t gotten into a career job and wonder: What kind of work ethic does this person have? Employers don’t want a drifter; they want a grinder, someone who will figure it out and be unstoppable. So, your first task is to come up with a counternarrative.

J.T.: Yes, when employers ask you what you’ve been doing over the past two years, they’re looking for a story. They want to understand your mindset and make sure that you are very clear on what you want to do next. Now, I realize you don’t really know what this is, but you must explain the skill sets you want to build. So start with some career exploration and find a path, one where you can explain how various entry-level jobs will be the beginning of your journey. Otherwise, you come across as lacking any direction and that you aren’t aligned with what they’re doing. Employers need to know that you are self-directed and want to see how working for them will better your career and that you’re incentivized to do so. You can tell the story well and then explain that you weren’t able to fully commit to anything during the pandemic. They will understand that. My guess is it’s less about the pandemic and more about the fact that you’re coming across scattered and therefore not as ideal a candidate as compared to those focused on their career goals.

Dear J.T. & Dale: What is the point of applying online if I’m always going to get automatic rejections from employers? Whatever happened to the days when you could just walk into a place and apply on the spot? — Trish

J.T.: Online applications are an easy way for companies to eliminate large groups of people, even the ones that are a fit for the job. The best strategy is a proactive one where you identify companies you’d like to work for and then focus on finding people who work there so you can connect with them and find a way to get your résumé in the hands of a human being.