Lewis Goode’s Ultimate Grad Guide: The Not-so Glamorous Art of Securing A Graduate Job
Because we all deserve an equal chance...
Hey everyone! I’m Lewis Goode, a recent First-Class Economics graduate from Coventry University. In this guide, I share my rollercoaster journey of applying for graduate jobs, which sees me land a role at a Top Tier, Global Strategy Consulting firm.
In this guide, I shall share the highs, the lows, and of course, the tips and tricks I picked up along the way of securing a Graduate Role. It’s not going to be pretty, but we’ll get there in the end!
I think this guide will be most relevant and relatable for those in their Final Year of University, hoping to pursue a career in the UK. However, I share a lot of gems that can help anyone find a job, at any stage in their life, any sector, any country.
This is just me doing my little bit to help level the playing fields, sharing hoarded information and secrets to the masses.
Enjoy the read!
Estimated read time: 20mins
Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Why
3. September: Unexpected Outcomes
4. October: Open Up The Floodgates!
5. November: Pivoting At Pace
6. December: The 9th Round
7. January: A Glimmering Light/Don’t Kick A Man Whilst He’s Down
8. February: I am
9. Close
10. Takeaway Tips
Introduction
Hey everyone! I’m Lewis Goode, a recent First-Class Economics graduate from Coventry University. In this guide, I shall be sharing my rollercoaster journey of applying for graduate jobs, which saw me land a role at a Top Tier, Global Strategy Consulting firm.
I’m going to be completely raw with you: sharing the highs, the lows, and of course, the tips and tricks I picked up along the way.
Fasten your seatbelts; it’s going to be one hell of a ride.
But before I begin…
The why.
The Why
Why am I writing this guide?
Access to information is not equal. – That’s the tweet.
For centuries information has been hoarded by the rich and powerful. Allowing them to become, more rich and powerful.
Historically, this has been by those operating in the upper echelons of society – the blue-blooded aristocrats, billionaire businessmen and those who have otherwise benefited from generations of oppressing a people.
This unequal access to information has further fuelled the power imbalances prevalent within our society, and continues to do so today.
This has kept people like me (and many others), oppressed.
This oppression, this structural imbalance of power, this hoarding of information; must end. And end now.
There are many reasons why one could say I am ‘oppressed’, why success should be unattainable for me.
However, these are the things that in fact, empower me.
I am empowered because:
1. I am Black
2. I am the descendant of Jamaican migrants to the UK
3. I am from a working-class background
4. I am state school educated
5. I am from the North of England
I am empowered, because I am able to share this information with you today.
This is how we level the playing fields.
This is how we take our power back.
I recognise that my story is unfortunately not that common. People who look like me, who come from where I come from, don’t operate in the spaces in which I find myself today.
This isn’t okay.
We all deserve equal access to opportunities. Social mobility should and can be a real thing. We just all need to do our bit to make that a reality. And this is me, just doing my little bit.
But anyways, let’s get into it. My rollercoaster ride of searching for a grad job….
September: Unexpected Outcomes
In September, I started my final year of university, eager to smash my studies, knock my ridiculous amount of extra-curricular roles out of the park, and of course, find a graduate job.
This seemed difficult but most definitely doable. I had performed well academically throughout university, achieving a First-Class average every year. Secondly, I had always done a stupid amount of extra-curricular activities and roles (societies, sports clubs, internships, volunteering, etc.). And finally, due to the volunteering, internships, networks and a humbly, stacked CV; I thought the final endeavour - securing a graduate role - would be a breeze. I thought I simply just had to choose my target (the role/sector), aim and shoot.
Seems simple enough, right?
To begin, I reflected on ‘what do I actually want to do’? Which sector and role does Lewis genuinely want to work in?
Before joining, and during university, I had been very passionate about working in the Public Sector and/or Third Sector. Thus, allowing me to follow my dream of delivering social impact worldwide, tackling the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Accordingly, I volunteered and worked extensively within these spaces throughout my university years. Therefore, I imagined myself working for a large charity, government, or supranational organisation. For example, UNICEF, The UK’s Department For International Development (DFID) (now- FCDO) or the UN/World Bank/IMF, etc. (I had worked for/with some of these organisations, which already gave me great insight into the career I could have there.)
It appeared I had my target acquired – The Third and Public Sector.
Therefore, I started to research and apply for jobs in the Public/Third Sector - in line with 18-year-old Lewis’ plan.
I had successfully applied for a million and one jobs, exclusive schemes and internships/insight days during university so I was feeling confident. I would simply send off a handful of applications and voilà.
Graduate Job secured, in the first recruitment cycle* of the year.
*I’ll come back to recruitment cycles later – very important to note.
October: Open Up The Floodgates!
To great surprise, come October I got REJECTED!
I can’t lie, I was shocked.
I did all the right things - I volunteered, I did internships, I networked, sports clubs, societies, academic performance. You name it, I did it.
But I,
Lewis Goode,
was REJECTED.
I had FAILED.
And it felt sh*t.
Namely, I had been rejected by the Civil Service Fast Stream and an International Development Consultancy firm. They were my dream roles. They blended my skills, experience, passion and would have stretched me to my best ability. And they rejected me.
I had spent years (6 approximately), building my experience, skills, and network in the Third/Public sector. But the rejections relentlessly came flying in.
Something needed to change.
So, I went back to the drawing board, racking my brain and thinking what jobs COULD I do.
What else am I interested in? What transferable skills do I have? What experiences have been most enjoyable, and how can I leverage them?
Following this self-assessment (encouraged by some fabulous mentorship), I decided to start considering some non-strictly Public and Third Sector roles. I decided to go against 18-year-old Lewis and apply for some jobs in the big, bad, ugly corporate world.
I felt apprehensive because it seemed a million miles away from my 6+ years of charity work. However, I was encouraged by my mentors to pursue companies and roles where I could build skills, learn, and have access to pheromonal people.
So that’s what I did.
I widened my search and began to apply…
Alas, my fate remained the same: rejection.
November: Pivoting At Pace
November came and I was starting to get worried and disheartened. I looked at my job application tracker and all I saw was ‘RED, Rejected @ 1st stage’. (Yes, I wasn’t even making it past 1st stage – CV & Cover Letter).
I honestly thought, “my CV is the bomb, I have an incredible network, I have delivered results on results, have tons of experience, but still can’t get a job!!!! Where did I go wrong?!?”.
I had a lot of job application deadlines coming towards the end of November/start of December for firms that I was in love with.
I realised I needed to take action. And quick.
Something had to change (again).
I knew I had to change my strategy, in order to get different results. But I didn’t know where to start…
I started frantically asking for advice. Friends, family, mentors, old colleagues, successful graduates I knew – everyone got a call.
And this, this was the game-changer.
Following these conversations, I managed to gather pivotal (and I mean pivotal) information, advice, and guidance, that would shape my new and revised strategy.
(I’m glad to let you know, much of that fills out this guide).
Insights from my guardian angels:
1. Laser Focus: If you laser-focus on one thing, one industry, one goal, you are far more likely to achieve it. As opposed to, scattering your efforts across multiple goals.
2. Network: A network allows you to gain industry insight, learn about upcoming opportunities and increase your chances of being hired by a firm (never apply cold! - I’ll touch on this later).
3. Skill Set: If you are going to be applying for a job you need to know what skills your prospective employer needs and wants (acquire the wants too). Simple as that. So, if you have the skills, great. Begin to cultivate a story that sells these and highlights them. If not, get to learnin’.
Thus, my new strategy focused on:
1. Focusing on one industry - Management Consulting
2. Building my network - my network was Public/Third Sector concentrated and not Management Consulting… yet
3. Developing an industry-relevant skillset and accompanying story – identifying my existing transferable skills
December: The 9th Round
So now it’s early/mid-December, I had been networking like crazy, namely, conducting informational interviews (major key), reaching out to recruiters, and attending industry events.
I was learning what it actually meant to be a Management Consultant.
The required skillset, the day-in-the-life, common exit options, what do consultants eat for breakfast, the jargon (is my shopping list MECE?). Everything, I wanted to know it all.
I had many many job listing notifications set up (LinkedIn, Glassdoor, etc.) and was checking my alerts daily. I was calling and emailing firms to presumptively apply. I was practicing psychometric tests weekly.
I was active, very active.
I was ready.
December was going to be my month.
I took a subtle punch to the face in September. A right hook to the ribs in October. And a swift jab to the mouth in November.
So, December had to be my month.
(A Grad job is a humble ask from Santa Claus if you ask me).
I fired off my applications and now; we play the waiting game.
And guess what…
After all of that…
MORE REJECTION.
….
I was UPSETTTT.
Like upset, upset.
I had very little left.
January: A Glimmering Light/Don’t Kick A Man Whilst He’s Down
January rolled around and I was KO’d. I was approximately 30 rejections deep, had only made it to a few 2nd stages (online tests for the majority). This deeply annoyed me as I am a fabulous interviewee. I knew if I got in that chair, the companies would want to hire me on the spot.
Additionally, to add to the pain, it felt like I was surrounded by people who were getting offers and I was the ugly duckling. The kid who gets picked last on the school playground (despite playing like Messi for 3 years!)… Talk about kicking a man whilst he is down.
I was still drilling my consulting skills, with weekly case interview prep with friends. I was learning about the industry, through YouTubers like FirmLearning. And I was continually networking, conducting informational interviews, learning more about how people broke into Management Consulting. Learning what their day-to-day is actually* like, and maybe get a cheeky referral (I’d strongly advise getting these).
*I’ll save you the time – some variation of “No day is the same” is the answer you’ll get.
These informational interviews were very important.
What I learnt is that securing a Grad role is no easy feat. People get rejected and rejected a lot (the average seemed to be about 40/50 rejections before getting a job).
This was important for a few reasons, it taught me:
1. It’s a numbers game - keep applying.
2. Keep pushing - all it takes is one YES.
3. Someone has travelled this road before you and turned out a-okay (kinda what this guide is all about, right?).
So back to it, more applications…
Come mid-January I had seen a slight glimmer of hope. I managed to secure a handful of video interviews! Wooohooo!
Come end-of-January, these become an extra handful of rejections. Not-so-Wooohooo.
At the end of this January window, I reflected, I reflected a lot (maybe this was induced by my incoming 23rd Birthday and lots of career-related conversations).
I realised that amid all these rejections, I am good enough. I don’t care if X Company or B Firm don’t see it, but I am.
(The copious amount of rejection started to make me feel far different to this.)
I reflected on who I wanted to be and what I wanted to achieve out of life. And I realised no job could define or validate that.
I realised that I had a whole host of options if I couldn’t land a grad role.
I could travel, build a charity/social enterprise, or spend time volunteering. I could learn a new skill, follow some of my passions that I’ve not had time for, or get a job locally and spend time with myself and my family. The world was my oyster.
It felt like I was 18 years old again, planning my gap year, where I could do absolutely anything. (That year ironically ended up being one of the most enjoyable and defining years of my life to-date).
I felt free.
All of a sudden, the idea of unemployment and not getting this coveted grad job didn’t seem so bad.
Unemployment excited me.
(Who needs to eat food or pay rent anyways!)
February: I am
In mid-February I decided, I wouldn’t submit any more applications. I had a few applications that I was in the latter stages for, and after that, I was done.
I was packing up shop.
Shutting down the application factory.
These firms do not define me, or my value.
I am Lewis Goode.
…
And this, this is where it becomes interesting.
…
I received job offers.
Yep. In writing. Size 11. Arial font.
Real offers.
I had done what seemed to be the undoable.
And not only were they offers. They were offers for companies who I truly admired. I loved their culture, their values, the work they did. And I could really see how I could grow there and shape the world for good.
(On top of that, the salaries were amazing – in fact, higher than all those I was rejected for).
Close
And that’s the story kids.
That’s how I, Lewis Goode, secured a Grad role.
A story of rejection, more rejection, and even more rejection. The odd glimpses of hope, a little bit of upset, resilience, believing in one’s ‘sauce’ and at long last - success.
I told you it was a rollercoaster, right?
I’m a big believer that you don’t personally have to make the mistake to learn the lesson. Where you can learn from others’ mistakes, do so.
Thus, I hope you can learn from my ‘mistakes’, understand how truly valuable you are and land a graduate role you truly desire (or not!).
Let’s dive into the key tips that I mentioned throughout this guide that I’d like you to really takeaway.
Takeaway Tips
Disclaimer: These are based on my opinion, from my experiences and observations. Take with ½ tsp of salt.
Making the Most of Your Hunt:
1. Self-assess - understand your interests/passions, skills, and experience. A job that balances all 3 is the sweet spot.
2. Identify your target - what sector/s? What type of role? The more specific you are, the higher the chance of success.
3. Map your network and utilise appropriately - who can support you? Emotionally? Practically? Physically? The best individual athletes have teams behind them - why don’t you?
4. Build your network in the industry and firms you aim to apply for.
5. Understand the desired skillset and learn as appropriate - you should understand what makes an excellent/successful [insert Job title]. Understand the playbook. Learn the playbook.
6. Build, Test, Review and Repeat with your CV and Cover Letter - I applied an Agile testing methodology to my CV, which helped get it to be the best quality it could be. Ask for as much feedback on your CV as possible, and keep improving it (get feedback from credible people of course - i.e. in industry, have recruiting knowledge, etc.).
7. Fall in love with the company, the role, etc. - Your authentic passion and enthusiasm will shine through.
8. Build an application tracker - meticulously keep note of application deadlines, key contacts at X firm, application status, feedback received, interview dates/location, etc.
9. Conduct informational interviews - a great way to build your network, understand the industry/role and maybe get a job referral (Try to get these (where applicable) – very helpful!).
10. Always be ready - have your CV + Cover Letter prepped and ready to go. You should be able to see a job and apply within a few hours (with some light research). (Don’t ever compromise on quality).
11. Apply early - aim to apply for a role the day it goes live (especially if it is a ‘Rolling’ deadline) – for most companies once they have filled the roles, they are gone. (Trust me, I made this mistake.)
12. Apply warm - try and build a relationship with the company beforehand. When/if your name is circulated internally, they’ll know who you are, and you’ll have internal advocates. (This could manifest as an employee referral, building a strong relationship with recruiters or existing employees via informational interviews, attending company events, etc.).
13. Follow-through - after submitting your application, call (where possible) or email to check the application has been received. A great way to show your enthusiasm, for them to hear your voice, and to build some rapport with the recruitment team.
14. Follow-up - if you haven’t heard back after a few days. Give them a call and check on the status of your application. Remember to be friendly!
15. Sharpen your tools - keep practising and developing the skillset you need to be an incredible ‘X’, this could be practising psychometric test, case interview prep, assessment centre prep, etc.
16. Build community - find people in the same boat as you. You can share tips, advice, opportunities, practise together and so on. Steel sharpens steel. (Check out organisations such as, ‘Bright Network’ and your university careers events/services to find your people.)
17. Timing is vital - I noted the following recruitment cycles (RC), which attract different employers, size of companies etc. There are always jobs around, just consider what do you want and prepare appropriately.
Recruitment cycles (RC):
RC1 (September – October) - larger/high-paying/exclusive/elite companies.
RC2 (November-December) - large to medium companies, still fairly exclusive with low acceptance rates.
RC3 (January - February) - the busiest RC, a mixed bunch of employers from SMEs to large multi-national corporations.
RC4 (March - April) - smaller companies, family-owned businesses, lower salaries.
RC5 (May - Summer) - these tend not to be graduate programmes per se, but they are still jobs available!
For the visual learners, based on the number of live applications, it’s somewhat like a bell curve, with January being the peak. (See diagram below – not to exact scale).
Health & Safety Whilst Hunting:
I secured a graduate role whilst balancing my Final Year of studies, tons of extra-curricular, a part-time job and trying to be a normal, human being. My big saviour was organisation. Without a good system and schedule, you will quickly become overwhelmed, burn out, and begin to drop some of those spinning plates.
(Taking a year after graduating to find a grad job is also a great idea due to the intensity).
Let’s dive into some more Takeaway Tips, focusing on Managing Your Self & Your Wellbeing.
1. Your health (mental and physical) comes first. Always.
2. Understand your North Star - where do you want to go? Who do you want to be? How does this job/role fit into the bigger picture?
3. Schedule time to focus on job application-related tasks - this could be 8 hours a week, split into searching, applying, learning relevant skills, etc, for example.
4. Remember to stretch - this will be a marathon and not a sprint, remember to take breaks, smell the roses, and enjoy life.
5. Flex your resilience - when the going gets tough, keep going! (To an extent).
6. Build community – on the tough days, this can be vital to keep you pushing on.
That’s all from me.
I truly truly truly hope this has been helpful.
I know whatever you set your mind to you can achieve. I hope you believe that too.
Peace and blessings,
Lewis Goode x
Wow really engaging and super informative.
Wow this was an excellent write up . So glad you shared your experiences .
I just recently completed my final year in Ecology and Biodiversity a very uncommon program in my country Zambia. Navigating jobs and meeting certain ends has truly been a hassle. Stumbling upon this has truly given me some hope .