With job application season in full swing, jobs are at the forefront of many people’s minds, it seems like an internship obsession has engulfed the town, with many students having seemingly secured grad jobs and summer internships relatively quickly. However, the university and grad job market for various industries has become increasingly competitive, with some internships and insight weeks having an acceptance rate of 1%. One of the biggest challenges when applying for these roles is accumulating work experience in the sector you’re interested in, especially if it is highly competitive, technical, and/or in-demand. While some students are lucky enough to know people who can help them get internships in their desired sector(s), this is not the case for everyone. Struggling to get work experience in your relevant area and sector but don’t know how to do so? Let me introduce you to job simulations!
What are job simulations? They are essentially non-selective virtual work experiences created by companies designed to give you an insight into what it would be like to work for them. These opportunities are most notably offered by websites such as Forage and Springpod. There are job simulations for various sectors, such as (but not limited to) accounting, marketing, law, consulting, and finance. Many of these simulations are created by world-famous companies such as JP Morgan, Allen & Overy, Lululemon, Clifford Chance, BCG, Bloomberg, HSBC, PwC, and more. Despite not being as flashy as a traditional in-person internship or graduate scheme, many people don’t realise these opportunities have many benefits. Therefore, I will discuss the benefits of these simulations and how they can be—and in many ways are!—your best friend.
A key benefit of these internships is that they allow you to figure out what you are and aren’t interested in in a very low-stakes environment. In a world where the choice of jobs and various sectors constantly evolves and grows exponentially, it’s really valuable to start thinking about the types of sectors you may and may not be interested in. Interested in an HR position but unsure about what it entails? Do a job simulation! Want to learn about the types of tasks involved in an investment banking job in a hands-on and practical environment? Job simulations are right there! If you do a simulation and like the work, you’re one step closer to figuring out what jobs interest you when future application seasons come around. If you do a simulation and don’t like it, it allows you to narrow down sectors and your options easily and quickly. As an aspiring lawyer, I thought that I would potentially be interested in white-collar crime. However, after completing a job simulation in it, I realised that it was not really for me. As such, job simulations can get quick work experience in various sectors without pressures such as client deadlines or the demands of various supervisors.
Another benefit of these job simulations is that they allow you to demonstrate interest in a specific field and accumulate experience without going through the Hunger Games that is most internships and grad jobs. Again, getting a summer internship is really difficult, with most companies having multiple stages in their summer internship application processes, a process that becomes more competitive as applications progress. Internships and vacation schemes in industries such as consulting and law are notoriously difficult to get through the conventional application routes, meaning that most people applying have a hard time demonstrating an active interest in the industry (or industries) they want to apply to. While job simulations are not formal work experiences, they can be a great way to accumulate relevant experience without going through the competitive application processes of spring weeks, summer internships, etc. Your experience with job simulation(s) can be included in your CVs and be used for interviews to demonstrate initiative and an active interest in the industry you’re interested in!
Job simulations can also be a good way to demonstrate the accumulation of various soft skills, many of which are highly transferable. To illustrate this point, I will take this job simulation on Forage created by commercial law firm Kennedys as an example. If you were to complete it, you would develop skills such as writing for different audiences (through tasks such as drafting witness statements), attention to detail research, and presentation skills, all of which are valuable, transferable, and essential for various jobs.
The last and main benefit for many is that these job simulations are free and flexible. Let’s be real: it is tough to be an university student. Getting a degree is hard, and many people often work throughout the week without a break and in doing so, lose their weekends and don’t have a lot of time to balance other things. Since these simulations are self-paced and you can complete them whenever you want, you can complete them in your own time and work them around your schedule. For instance, things like spring weeks and internships often clash with application deadlines, rendering such opportunities inaccessible to many. Additionally, the free and virtual nature of simulations makes experience with these companies more financially accessible to many, as you won’t need to account for travel expenses and accommodation costs. Why wouldn’t you want to complete something that’s free, flexible, and self-paced while gaining valuable industry experience?
The internship and grad job grind is undoubtedly tricky, stressful, and competitive. As a penultimate year student, I, unfortunately, understand this struggle all too well, as I’ve received enough “we regret to inform you” emails for several lifetimes. Despite job simulations not being the most well-known, they have many benefits that could equip you with valuable and accessible industry experience, develop your skills, and allow you to try different things. I hope my writing and musings around job simulations have convinced you to start a job simulation and that job simulations help you too! May the odds be ever in your favour in the exhausting rat race of job hunting.