Covid-19 and your career

The current circumstances are a challenging time for many organisations. Whilst many are reviewing their recruitment needs and delaying decisions, plenty of organisations continue to recruit and reconfigure their internships and work experience programmes to operate remotely. Whilst the situation continues to evolve, regular conversations with our employer contacts tell us that:

• ​​Some employers are adapting roles to meet the needs of the current situation, and in some cases this is resulting in additional recruitment, for example in IT and digital roles
• Recruiters are using fully-remote assessments, with a focus on video/online interviews and psychometric tests
• Summer internships are being reconfigured into online experiences where possible. This could mean that more places are available. 
• Some start dates may be delayed.

To help you source job opportunities during the pandemic, we have created a special 'Remote working' page on MyCareerHub which features a list of where to search for remote/home working opportunities. If you have any questions or concerns about the recruitment situation or would like to talk it through with one of our careers advisers then make an appointment via MyCareerHub.

It’s advisable that when applying for jobs and opportunities being advertised during the current pandemic that you check, as far as practicable, that the organisation is adhering to government guidelines on keeping their workforce safe before you commit to a role.

Visit our dedicated finalist pages, with lots of useful information, advice and details of support available. 

Once you have completed your degree course, we’re still here to provide any careers support you may need for up to three years after graduation. This includes access to careers appointments, events and continuous access to MyCareerHub. Explore our graduate careers support pages for full details of the support available to you. 

Congratulations! We have plenty of tools and support available to help you do the best you can.

On MyCareerHub there is a whole section dedicated to helping you prepare for assessment centres and interviews, in particular video interviews, including our practice interview tool where you can practice your interview technique under timed conditions and watch yourself back. You can also access hundreds of typical interview questions that employers tend to ask and what they are looking for in your answers. 

Psychometric tests are also a popular tool used by many employers to check applicants’ verbal and numerical reasoning, situational judgement and other skills. MyCareerHub features an extensive selection of tests you can practice in timed conditions, receive feedback and monitor your progress. 

For further interview or assessment centre support, why not book an appointment with a careers adviser.

It’s understandable to be concerned, so don’t be afraid to contact your employer to ask for clarification of the situation. Try to be patient if they don’t respond immediately and even if the response isn’t what you were hoping for, try to keep communication polite and professional. If you’re able to be flexible with the timings of your internship or job start date, and perhaps even the nature of the work, this may increase the chances of your job or internship going ahead.

There are still opportunities for jobs and internships that can be done remotely, and broadening your search into different roles and sectors can help. 

Many employers are continuing with planned recruitment, so look for opportunities on the job vacancy portal on MyCareerHub where new opportunities are being added regularly. Also take a look at our 'finding part time, internship and graduate jobs' page on MyCareerHub for more opportunities. 

Many companies have moving their face to face recruitment events online so we have compiled a list of forthcoming virtual events​ on MyCareerHub. This is being added to regularly so do check back.

Check company websites regularly for updates, and use LinkedIn to follow companies that interest you, build your network and find opportunities.

Gain work experience and support your community by volunteering and choose from thousands of expert-led courses on topics you are interested in, on platforms like LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, Edx, Udemy which are just a few examples of platforms available. Many organisations are offering free online training and events for a limited period, so to help you with this we have compiled a list of online courses and learning opportunities that you can access, on MyCareerHub.

If you would like to talk through your options with a careers adviser then book an appointment​ via MyCareerHub.

If you need some guidance on your BU placement contact your placements team.

A virtual internship is a way of getting practical work experience without physically going to a company’s premises. Virtual internships have been in existence for a few years now, but the current circumstances have resulted in many more of these opportunities arising. The nature of the work can be varied, but could include research, analysing information, writing, working with data or using social media. You can search for virtual internships the same way you would search for a traditional internship.​

InsideSherpa​ is a free virtual work experience platform offering programmes designed in partnership with a range of well-known graduate employers – from banking and commercial law to technology and marketing. As this is simulated, rather than actual, work for a company there is no competitive application process so anyone can take part.

In keeping with this, Rate My Placement have teamed up with InsideSherpa to offer a free, virtual work experience programme for all students. This 4-5 hour, self-paced experience, is designed to equip students with all the work-readiness skills they need to get ahead in their career. ​Find out more and register.

If you would like to discuss this further with a careers adviser or your placement co-ordinator then book an appointment​ via MyCareerHub. 

There are many ways in which you could make a valuable contribution to your local community and beyond, whilst developing valuable skills that will be useful to you in the future. You could do anything from online mentoring of young people or supporting a visually impaired person to contributing to research or crafting items for donation. We have produced a list of current volunteering opportunities (many of which can be done remotely) on MyCareerHub, but new ones are arising all the time, so keep checking back.

From project management and data analysis to social media marketing and creative writing – there are a wide range of online learning options if you’re looking to develop some useful skills. Choose from thousands of expert-led courses on topics you are interested in, on platforms like LinkedIn Learning, Coursera,& Edx, Udemy, which are just a few examples available. Many organisations are offering free online training and events for a limited period, so to help you with this we have compiled a list of& online courses and learning opportunities that you can access, on MyCareerHub.

You can also join the new BU Skills Development Programme and build the skills you need to succeed.

However constrained your circumstances, time or resources may be, even small challenges you take on can be a great way to keep motivated, develop skills and impress potential employers.

If you would like to discuss this further with a careers adviser then book an appointment​ via MyCareerHub.  

Many areas of work now have increased demand for staff due to current circumstances – retail, farming, logistics, cleaning/house-keeping and support or care work are just a few examples. For help with finding work opportunities check out our 'looking for part time, internship and graduate jobs' page in MyCareerHub.

If you would like to discuss this further with a careers adviser then book an appointment​ via MyCareerHub.  

Yes – in theory - though you’ll need to check with individual course providers. Unlike for undergraduate degrees, in most cases there’s no single portal for postgraduate study applications so it’s worth contacting institutions directly to find out if they are still accepting applications. Expect any upcoming interviews to take place online. 

Check our postgraduate researchers - Covid-19 FAQs for further information.

If you’d like to discuss postgraduate study and whether it’s right for you, why not book an appointment with one of our careers advisers.