Resumes, cover letters, networking and LinkedIn all became my buzzwords over the course of 2020. The graduation day I’d once dreamed of was replaced with a last submission from my bedroom and a handshake from the postman as he handed me my long-awaited ‘piece of paper’.
It was a tough year to be living in Victoria, and an even tougher one to be finishing Uni and trying to break into the workforce.
If you’re a graduate you know the feeling that application letters and rejection emails bring. I was certainly not immune, but I was lucky enough to land an internship and then a position in the Marketing team at Viridian! Like many in my cohort, financial advice has not always been my passion, but I’ve learnt to embrace the opportunities that have come my way as despite the challenge, the chance to work amongst a great team and gain experience has been invaluable.
As exciting as this time is, it’s been difficult knowing that so many of my friends and cohort are still on the hunt for a job. ABS predicts that COVID has resulted in almost 360,000 fewer jobs than there were 12 months ago, making graduate positions more competitive than ever.
It is the end of the first financial year of many for me. It’s been eye opening to see how the deadline of June 30 changes the pace of things. The engine accelerates, the music has picked up a beat… everyone is working hard to get in their “final client meetings” until another one is scheduled, or a friend will tell me they’re on their last campaign worked on …until it becomes a part of the next one. And all figures are final… before starting all over again in FY22!
Whilst the rush of the EOFY may be a little daunting… there is a sense of excitement, and I am looking forward to this next chapter of my life.
Bridget King is a Marketing and Communications Administrator at Viridian Advisory.