Securing a graduate job is just ridiculous

Castiel said:
It doesn't take a genius to realise that the more people going to University, the more graduates there are, the more competition there is, and the more employers are going to use other markers for differentiating between applicants.

As I said, Devaluation of a University Degree, it simply doesn't hold the significance it once did,basically because everyone and their dog has one.
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Mhmm, I've been saying that for many years.

The point is, students are still being sold the idea of degrees being the academic prestige that will secure you a great job and high earnings as they once easily could. So it's a bit of a shock when they are now finding out that isn't quite the case anymore.

edit: To clarify, as per Alx says, degree's from Oxbridge and the top redbricks still hold their weight of course and ones in courses where there is a demand for the graduates. But a media studies degree from Nottingham polytechnic University just doesn't cut the mustard.
 
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alx said:
I'd have to agree, although I still think good degrees from good universities still punch their weight in the job market. But maybe that's just me speaking from advantageous position because I've got an engineering degree and went into a market that pays well which also has a lack of engineers.....
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Indeed, selection by University is just one of those other markers that an employer will use.
 
Freakbro said:
Mhmm, I've been saying that for many years.

The point is, students are still being sold the idea of degrees being the academic prestige that will secure you a great job and high earnings as they once easily could. So it's a bit of a shock when they are now finding out that isn't quite the case anymore.
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Many are being sold a lie however...and as my wife will tell anyone that listens, a degree is no match for a recognised accredited professional qualification in the job market.

Although, that would depend on which profession and whether the degree is accredited with a professional body (such as many Engineering degrees)
 
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Salsa said:
Pfft come back when you have 200+ applications under your belt.

Took me 14 months and 216 applications to secure a graduate role. I worked 40 hrs a week in retail to be able to afford the travel expenses for the interviews I was offered and used all my holiday entitlement to take days off to attend.

A degree does not mean you will walk into a job immediately after graduating.

/Salsa
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I didn't even realise there were 216 graduate schemes out there !

Out of interest, how many were for companies you had never, ever heard of before applying?

I always (rightly/wrongly) saw graduate roles as the way genuine high flyers got into major multinationals (Accenture/Shell/BP/IBM/Microsoft/PWC/E&Y/etc etc sort of standard) and got fast tracked through the business.

I guess maybe thinking about it there are quite a few out there, but 216 must have been soul destroying.
 
It's an employer's market and it's absolute bullcrap. Good luck, but don't hold your breath. If you don't have a network to utilise (daddy's friends) or amazing extra-curriculars and an unblemished academic record, you're already ****ing into the wind.

Grit your teeth, persevere and hope that lady luck eventually cashes in.
 
Castiel said:
Many are being sold a lie however...and as my wife will tell anyone that listens, a degree is no match for a recognised accredited professional qualification in the job market.
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Universities are also not teaching students how to demonstrate or even recognise the skills they are learning. I have done a number of assessment centres and the number of graduates who had no idea how to demonstrate or give examples of skills as basic as teamwork and convincing others was unbelievable.

/Salsa
 
What exactly do you mean by real?

Many jobs require a degree these days, it's not exclusive to graduate-schemes.
 
Conanius said:
I didn't even realise there were 216 graduate schemes out there !

Out of interest, how many were for companies you had never, ever heard of before applying?

I always (rightly/wrongly) saw graduate roles as the way genuine high flyers got into major multinationals (Accenture/Shell/BP/IBM/Microsoft/PWC/E&Y/etc etc sort of standard) and got fast tracked through the business.

I guess maybe thinking about it there are quite a few out there, but 216 must have been soul destroying.
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Admittedly some I applied for 2 years in a row such as BP/Shell. But when you realise their intake is maybe 5 students and they have over 3000 applicants in some cases you have to really really stand out! When the big uk companies turned me down I also looked abroad in the US, Canada, Australia and China. Lots of companies that i had never heard of but would always research them first.

I did not have a bad degree either. Top of my class with a 1st in Environmental science and 3 years field experience.

Its tough out there!

/Salsa
 
I missed out on a contract for a job I had been doing for a year to a bunch of people with zero experience because they were better at telling stories than me. This is apparently the way the world works.
 
Jeez, after reading this am glad I never went to university!

Having said that, my sister secured an internship back in April, started mid-june and was offered a fully fledged graduate role within a month!
 
When I say graduate job I don't mean those labelled as graduate jobs. it was more to summarize my position. I don't go near the grad schemes as it is ridiculously competitive. I would much prefer "real" job as you put it, but majority of them require previous experience! If anything I'd prefer a smaller boutique company with large room for growth!
 
AJK said:
Are students really being sold on the idea that such a degree will secure their future? Do they believe it?
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I know someone at that university who studied that course and is now paying almost 10 grand of daddy's wealth to pursue a masters at said uni/course. Absolutely ridiculous!
 
Could put your CV online on a jobs website?

I did that and had a few calls (surpsingly) the next day and went to a few interviews. I didn't get any of the jobs, but as I said in a previous post, it helped me make sure my future choices will be right. Good for experience anyway of the interview process.
 
TommyV said:
Jeez, after reading this am glad I never went to university!

Having said that, my sister secured an internship back in April, started mid-june and was offered a fully fledged graduate role within a month!
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Internships are the way forward. It's probably my only regret from my time at uni that I didn't take some on.
 
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