FREE to download – click here
Already mentioned in the Guardian
Author best known for challenging Tony Blair, Phillip Green, Boris Johnson, Simon Cowell, Vivienne Westwood, Samantha Cameron and over unpaid internships
E-book is sponsored by Accenture, Vodafone, EY, Santander and Give A Grad A Go
Journalists can download the press release here
Let’s be honest – this is a tough year to have graduated from university. As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to turn life upside down and a second national lockdown looms, the Class of 2020 faces the challenge of finding a graduate job against a backdrop of turmoil and uncertainty that looks set to continue well into 2021.
How should you navigate this ‘new normal’ and find good employers who are hiring? How can you gain experience when internships and part-time jobs are thin on the ground? Should you do a Master’s degree just to avoid the job market for another year? And should you be laser-focused on which jobs you apply for – or is it better to take anything you can get?
All these questions – and many more – are answered in How to Get a Graduate Job in a Pandemic, the new book by Tanya de Grunwald, founder of careers blog Graduate Fog, and the Good + Fair Employers Club (a coalition of the UK’s best employers of young people). She is best know for challenging big firms and famous people over unpaid internships, including Tony Blair, Simon Cowell, Phillip Green, Vivienne Westwood, Samantha Cameron and Boris Johnson.
In line with Graduate Fog’s strong voice on social mobility, and the commitment of Good + Fair Employers Club members to diversity of all kinds, de Grunwald was determined that there must be no paywall barrier to accessing the advice and information within How to Get a Graduate Job in a Pandemic.
In order to make the e-book free for all students and graduates to download, de Grunwald is grateful that the cost of its production and promotion has been covered by sponsors Accenture, Vodafone, EY, Santander and the graduate recruitment agency Give A Grad A Go. The e-book contains advice boxes from all five sponsors, plus experts from Rate My Placement, the Social Mobility Foundation and disability specialists MyPlus Students’ Club.
De Grunwald wrote the 126-page e-book in response to clear need from the Class of 2020, who will need extra special advice this year to help them navigate a market like no other. She says:
“None of us has experienced a pandemic before, but past knowledge of how the youth jobs market responds to economic shocks suggests the Class of 2020 are likely to find this a challenging year to get their career started.
“While I don’t have a crystal ball and I can’t create jobs, my ten years of running Graduate Fog – tracking the graduate jobs market and dispensing no-nonsense advice to young – people puts me in a unique position to walk graduates through their options now, and help them to navigate their way through an uncertain future.”
De Grunwald says her ‘dual identity’ – running the Good + Fair Employers Club alongside Graduate Fog – has given her closer access to employers now than ever before, providing even sharper insight:
“Chairing monthly calls with our club members this year, I have had a front row seat at conversations involving some of the UK’s biggest and best employers of young people. It has been fascinating to view the crisis from their perspective — and heart-warming to hear that they are still keen to hire as many young people as they possibly can, from a broad range of backgrounds.
“I am so grateful that four of our club members – Accenture, Vodafone, EY and Santander – were able to find the funds to sponsor the book, especially as I didn’t give them much time! Thanks also to graduate recruitment agency Give A Grad A Go for their support. I have always loved the way they take as much pride in offering a kind and respectful candidate experience to young people as they do in offering a professional service to their clients.
“These are very uncertain times, but graduates should take heart that good employers will continue to value their contribution and are rooting for them to succeed. Perhaps surprisingly, there is a lot of positive news in the book, and I can reveal that there is good reason to think that the outlook may not be as bad as graduates think.”
Further praise for How to Get a Graduate Job in a Pandemic:

“This is a brilliant book at the perfect time. It’s been a rough year for young people, and those entering the job market are crying out for practical advice and tips. Tanya’s ability to view the youth jobs landscape from all angles shines through every page, along with her talent for presenting useful content in an accessible, relevant style. And what a great idea to call on the support of UK employers to fund the project, so it can be free to download for everyone, regardless of their circumstances. Now – more than ever – it’s vital that all young people have access to the best resources out there.” Sarah Atkinson, Chief Executive, Social Mobility Foundation
If you work for an organisation in the student / graduate careers space and want to do your bit to spread the word about How to Get a Graduate Job in a Pandemic – and make sure it reaches as many young job seekers as possible, from all backgrounds – please contact us to request a media pack. Print copies of the book are also available for bulk orders by universities and other organisations.
It is tough out there, whilst the Kickstart scheme has helped, there are dwindling opportunities unfortunately. We are seeing more and more graduates starting their own businesses, which is exciting but a daunting task. Whichever path you choose, good luck in your journey. It is always the hardest at the begining.