Graduated with a 1st, no job

I started looking for jobs from October of my final year at uni (5 years ago), applied to in excess of 50 in the end. I called everyone constantly at the 3 places I really really wanted to work at and got hold of the details of the grad recruiters, phoned them up to chat about the potential placements, how the process works,everything. I really didn't want to be jobless coming out, I made it a personal goal. My now wife applied to >75 and she had the top degree score in a tech degree in each year of uni, top 3 of the entire UK for Computing A2 and still had an interview rate of less than 1/10, never give up hope, you will get something.

I moved a huge distance for the job but it was 100% worth it. Many grad schemes even pay for re-location for what it's worth. The field you chose to go into will always dictate pay but my experience of my position and friends is that this isn't something to get hung up on at the start - the experience of working in a grad scheme is (often, but not always) worth the smaller money for a year or two then it's hopefully a faster path to wherever you want to go.
 
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Rockitt5 said:
No its still number 1 apparently in "league tables" and its Russell group
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It's not going to matter where you did your degree or how highly ranked it is in some league table if you come across in interview as much of a plank you appear to be in your first few posts.

You could at least find some temporary work to give you an income and perhaps even open doors. Might not be anywhere near what you want to be working in to begin with but until something better comes along it's a paycheque.

It really shouldn't be that hard to figure out.
 
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Did anyone here graduate with a Computing Science/Software Engineering degree? How easy was it to find employment?
 
Yeah I did Garee (that's my exact degree name), details are 2 posts above. Just be prepared to expand your horizons and try to avoid the mindset of "I can do only do language X or skill Y" - you just need to be able to learn to do a lot of grad stuff :)
 
Well done on your first but remember just because you have a first doesnt mean you should be handed jobs or a right to a job that "you" think you should be able to do.

Take a look at yourself and see maybe what is letting you down. It could be your attitude, people skills, dress sense, life experiences. There are a million things its could be and what you have to remember is that each person in a interview is looking for something they want you to have for the job. Having pieces of paper will get you to the interview but doesn’t mean you will get the job if you come across the wrong way.

I have seen this a few times recently where we had people for interviews that thought they knew everything but didn’t realise that work world is completely different to being in education. The best people are the adaptive type who are willing to learn and don’t presume anything.
 
BennyC said:
It's not going to matter where you did your degree or how highly ranked it is in some league table if you come across in interview as much of a plank you appear to be in your first few posts.

You could at least find some temporary work to give you an income and perhaps even open doors. Might not be anywhere near what you want to be working in to begin with but until something better comes along it's a paycheque.

It really shouldn't be that hard to figure out.
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I've had a summer job related to engineering in every summer, its not like I've never had a job. But in all of those times I knew that after 3 months I had the option to leave, now I dont know what to do now that I have to commit myself.
 
Im sure that most universities have a career office/department. Both of mine did.

If you have applied to a lot of places and are getting knocked back, it might be an idea to goto your university's careers office and ask them to see if they can see where you are going wrong...perhaps poor interview technique, or poor application form filling OR perhaps you are aiming for the wrong type of job, given you particular skill set/experience.
 
UK-AL05 said:
I'm sorry but pretty much all students I know have jobs, except the odd exception.
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During my first degree (back in 1996), most of my fellow students did not have jobs. Some of them worked during the Summer, but most did not work during term time.

I got my first part time job at 20.

When I did my Masters (2002), the course director actively discouraged us from working a job. He said that this is an intensive course and if you think that you can work a job AND complete this course successfully...you will be wrong.
 
KaHn said:
Basic - Graduate Production Engineer (Talisman)

KaHn
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According to the Talisman careers website the graduate programs aren't open yet for 2012.

Or is this a direct entry position via someone you know?
 
Klo said:
Well this thread is making depressing reading. In my 2nd year, got a highish 2:2 this year, will probably need to up my game next year to increase the overall average to 2:1.

To be fair, with at most 3, usually 2, sometimes 1 days revision for each exam (had 7) at the end of the year, that hopefully shouldn't be too hard, but I guess we'll see.
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My second year was capped at 40% because I retook the whole thing (tried to keep my first year social life, didn't work), but I still grabbed a first. Aslong as you get a first in all your final year modules you should be fine. I rarely did more revision than the day/night before the exam, I work better cramming stuff in at the end than spreading it out. I did my final year project in about 2 weeks (15k report + plenty of coding/porting).

Garee said:
Did anyone here graduate with a Computing Science/Software Engineering degree? How easy was it to find employment?
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I graduated with a First in Computer Systems Engineering, so almost. Tends to be more technical and practical than CompSci/SoftEng. Anyway, had a job lined up before I even finished, every single graduate on my course had jobs sorted by June ish, it's like shooting fish in a barrel. The wages are ok at a graduate level, 26-28 seems to be the average.
 
I can't believe so many people are trying to help this guy when he wont even help himself.

I wouldn't mind working in the Taliban, err Talisman, building - reminds me of an aircraft carrier with that weird roof.
 
Surely with proper time management and effort a first is obtainable for everyone? I find it dissapointing that some people regard those with a first as having no personality.
 
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