Starting my career journey during lockdown – why you shouldn’t be scared!

As a graduate who just finished university in June, I was feeling very unsure about starting to apply for roles during a pandemic due to many factors.

The concept of a ‘normal’ interview and onboarding process seemed all up in the air and on top of that the idea that places would be reluctant to hire during such an uncertain time really put me off beginning my application process. However, I knew it was the next step for me and once I entered the interview process, I was taken back by how comfortable and safe MCS made me feel and how close to ‘normal’ it felt.  

 I searched for roles that were of interest to me every day online, set up some alerts and eventually found myself in the interview process. From the first engagement with MCS, the developments of the interview stages were made clear. I took part in a video interview, online tests and in-person interviews. The in-person interviews were extremely safe, I was sent a guide for everyone who enters the office to follow so no one's safety was jeopardised, and a normal interview followed.  

When onboarding I was lucky enough to start with 4 others who were in the same position as me, which was comforting. We had in-person training for 2 weeks where I got to know those around me well. After this, we went straight into working from home, which sounded daunting as it seemed I would be all alone to do my everyday tasks, but this was far from the case. We use Microsoft Teams which allows you to easily contact with anyone in the organisation about any queries and they expect you to have loads of questions as you are new which is good. Even though you're not working in an office, with all the daily meetings you end up seeing faces on a daily basis where you can start to get to know people. It may not be the same as getting to know people in the office, but I am surprised by the ease of communication and relationship building through virtual meetings.  

Working from home is different for everyone and you will quickly find out what works for you. Personally, the more sleep the better so having no commute means it only takes me 30 mins from waking up to being at my desk. I find it important to separate work time from chill time so I either work in one room and sleep in the other, or if I'm unable to do this then I will put all my work stuff away so it’s not sitting out, this helps me to relax in downtime hours.  

 In addition to the check-in calls, MCS Group has really supported me throughout my time working virtually in multiple ways. It can be pretty dull starting and finishing work when it's dark so MCS Group has introduced a ‘Vitamin D hour’ which allows us to get some exercise in the fresh air sometime throughout the week to refresh our brains. ‘Coffee Roulette’ is also set up once a week which pairs you with a random employee who you have a virtual chat with, this allows me to get to know different people in the organisation who I wouldn’t speak to otherwise.  

It’s understandable why people may feel nervous or reluctant to start a new job during lockdown but companies like MCS Group have made significant efforts in adapting to these changes to make it a comfortable process from the beginning. Even though starting a new job remotely seems daunting, just remember that you’re not alone, everyone is understanding of the situation and they go out of their way to make you feel comfortable so it shouldn’t stop you from achieving your career goals.  

Remember - moving job is still an option! I would urge people not to feel like they are stuck in their role until things get better. 

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MCS Group has a number of internal recruitment opportunities from graduate-level all the way to senior recruiter and management. If you're interested in a career in recruitment or want to move to a business that invests in your career and development, we want to hear from you!  

For more information, visit https://www.mcsgroup.jobs/about-mcs/work-for-mcs/