Securing a graduate job is just ridiculous

I remember when I got my first graduate job being asked "What draws you to this position" a lot

If I answered honestly "I'm flat broke, I haven't eaten properly in weeks and the electricity was recently cut off so I'll pretty much take what I can get, I'll probably only be with your crappy company 3 months until something better comes along" would have been the honest answer.

I've always hated phone interviews though, the people always seem massively incompetent, always made me so angry. But then I suppose they wouldn't be working in the joke part of the business (HR) if they had any discernible degree of talent.
 
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Uni isn't for everyone but that doesn't mean there aren't jobs out there for graduates. Some of my friends (with 2.1s from a just above average university) who graduate this year have secured jobs with big companies and are earning quite a bit in their first year.

BP: £36,000 + £3000 signing on bonus + company car
Exxon: £46,000
Clifford Chance: £38,000
Rolls Royce: £30,000+
Aker: £34,000
BT: £35,000

These are just starting salaries and will greatly increase after the graduate programme.
 
I have a degree in Outside Broadcasting, I'm currently working in a cafe shop. Not complaining though, its so much better than being unemployed.
 
Man, it took me 4 months and upwards of 200 applications to get anywhere last year. Yes, recruiters are horrible, yes the job market is terrible... unfortunately that's life.
 
My advice: apply to a graduate scheme/graduate level position in a far flung non-popular place (i.e. not London)

They are massively less competitive due to most graduates dreaming of the London life, strutting down Bond street in a sharp suit etc ,and after a couple of years you can just leverage your industry experience to go work where you really want to anyway.

My experience of the assessment center was a bit different to some of the anecdotes in this thread; the shouty ones who tried to dominate were seen through immediately and didn't get offers.

Also, know the company, what they do and what you want to do inside out. I only applied to one job, spent a good couple of days perfecting my application and got it. Circulars/CV spamming can be seen a mile off.
 
Tom_ed1987 said:
My advice: apply to a graduate scheme/graduate level position in a far flung non-popular place (i.e. not London)

They are massively less competitive due to most graduates dreaming of the London life, strutting down Bond street in a sharp suit etc ,and after a couple of years you can just leverage your industry experience to go work where you really want to anyway.

My experience of the assessment center was a bit different to some of the anecdotes in this thread; the shouty ones who tried to dominate were seen through immediately and didn't get offers.

Also, know the company, what they do and what you want to do inside out. I only applied to one job, spent a good couple of days perfecting my application and got it. Circulars/CV spamming can be seen a mile off.
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Would however I currently live rent free in London and so leaving it to a lower average salary city and additionally paying for rent and bills just isn't something I am prepared to do!
 
I think there is a problem with University degree's being seen as an employment tool, more than an actual education. With my degree (marine biology), a fair chunk go into marine environmental consultancy. I've spoken to someone in one of the biggest consultancies in the UK, and he bemoaned the lack of commercially useful skills of graduates. But since when has the role of Universities been to train people directly into work? (excluding medicine etc).
 
supergt said:
Indeed I have been told that if I knew a programming language then it would increase my chances hugely of obtaining the roles I wish to have!
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<gently pats my Java/SWL/HTML and CSS books/>

Hopefully that will still be the case when I complete my degree next year.
 
I just prowled milkround for my graduate job. Outside London but in the South East near home. I didn't have the degree or CV to apply for the massive banks or vastly competitive companies with huge pay packets.

So I went for one with lower pay, but still sponsor me through all professional qualifications, which I consider a massive bonus. Took me about 5 months to get the graduate job, and my CV was definitely nothing to shout about! In fact we're recruiting another finance graduate soon.

If you ever wanted the good schemes for massive companies you should have started doing summer internships from year 1. My cousin did and is on £60k+ I believe at a major investment bank in London in his first year.
 
Tom_ed1987 said:
My experience of the assessment center was a bit different to some of the anecdotes in this thread; the shouty ones who tried to dominate were seen through immediately and didn't get offers.

Also, know the company, what they do and what you want to do inside out. I only applied to one job, spent a good couple of days perfecting my application and got it. Circulars/CV spamming can be seen a mile off.
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I agree with all of the above. At the assessment days I was on, the shouty people came across as tools and got no further with their applications. Don't speak lots, speak well.

Also, the part about knowing the company is a great call. I was invited to interview at the three firms I really, really wanted to get into. I doubt that that was coincidence.
 
manjuice said:
Uni isn't for everyone but that doesn't mean there aren't jobs out there for graduates. Some of my friends (with 2.1s from a just above average university) who graduate this year have secured jobs with big companies and are earning quite a bit in their first year.

BP: £36,000 + £3000 signing on bonus + company car
Exxon: £46,000
Clifford Chance: £38,000
Rolls Royce: £30,000+
Aker: £34,000
BT: £35,000

These are just starting salaries and will greatly increase after the graduate programme.
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Some of them seem a bit... inflated. I know for a fact the Rolls Royce one is £30k but only for the highest end of graduates, although £2k of that is a joining bonus.
 
Scythe said:
Some of them seem a bit... inflated. I know for a fact the Rolls Royce one is £30k but only for the highest end of graduates, although £2k of that is a joining bonus.
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I'd tend to agree, that may be the case for the people he knows, but for the vast majority of graduate positions they pay a LOT lower than that. Mostly because graduates are VERY green and inexperienced. Uni taught me a lot but when I started in my job I soon realised that I knew jack!

Experience will count for a lot, especially in my profession as not many people do what I do. But it doesn't pay especially high, but hopefully getting promoted soon to "Senior Consultant".
 
OP I'm also a recently graduated Economics student. Despite getting a first from a top 10 university, I've got to say my chances of securing a graduate scheme/job are pretty slim. Firstly, my general work experience is pretty limited (due to laziness on my part pre uni which I'm kicking myself for now, and illness later on), and secondly because of limited relevant work experience. The latter is due to the aforementioned illness, for had to give up a placement year I had acquired and instead take a medical leave of absence, before jumping straight back into final year after doing second year exams 12 months late).

I only made one grad scheme application last year for the Bank of England, and quickly saw that unlike the placement scheme, this was full on Oxbridge territory. Given that I was still at the time struggling to get back to normal after being ill, I've held off on applying until now. It's not that I'd blame a recruiter for throwing my application in the bin, after all this is an employers market with sometimes hundreds going for one position, it's the frustration that the longer I'm unemployed, the harder it will become to find a job.

Obviously I'm looking for part time work for now (which is going to be equally challenging), and probably volunteering. I'm going to have a stab at learning the basics of C++ and html coding too, just to fill my time and have something to discuss in interviews.
 
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supergt said:
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!
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Top tip, most job descriptions are just like the BS that candidates spout about themselves.

The job I gout out of uni about 8 months ago now wanted 3-5 years experience in the industry (no experience), a BSc and MSc preferable (only have a BSc) and professional qualifications were favourable (i have none). Turns out all the role really required was someone that was good at excel, smart and funny with a decent work drive (me).

It's a pretty crap time job searching but don't give up. You have a decent degree so there IS something out there for you, you just might have to broaden your horizons/ lower your standards. My cousin who is a couple of years older than me worked in a crappy role for a year before landing a better role. Sometimes all an employer wants to know is that you're cut out for the working environment. I know plenty of people that are geniuses when it came to the material we were learning at uni, but couldn't for the life of them attend any lectures before 11am, this is exactly why employers are nervous about wasting time and money on candidates that will probably be average at best.
 
I got a degree in CompSci but didn't go onto a grad scheme, worked my way up in a big outsourcing outfit and I think my degree helped when applying for jobs thereafter.

Oh, despite doing 3 years of Java at uni, I never touched it again as I went into infrastructure support, and now design/consulting. Earning more than I would if I stuck with programming too :)
 
Turambar said:
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.
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I know you're being sarcastic, but for the most part that's true.
 
Scythe said:
Some of them seem a bit... inflated. I know for a fact the Rolls Royce one is £30k but only for the highest end of graduates, although £2k of that is a joining bonus.
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I concur, what a load of crap.

Most grad schemes you will be starting on 20-30k, potentially with good benefits. There is huge room for improvement after just a couple of years though.
 
Gideon Lorr said:
OP I'm also a recently graduated Economics student. Despite getting a first from a top 10 university, I've got to say my chances of securing a graduate scheme/job are pretty slim. Firstly, my general work experience is pretty limited (due to laziness on my part pre uni which I'm kicking myself for now, and illness later on), and secondly because of limited relevant work experience. The latter is due to the aforementioned illness, for had to give up a placement year I had acquired and instead take a medical leave of absence, before jumping straight back into final year after doing second year exams 12 months late).

I only made one grad scheme application last year for the Bank of England, and quickly saw that unlike the placement scheme, this was full on Oxbridge territory. Given that I was still at the time struggling to get back to normal after being ill, I've held off on applying until now. It's not that I'd blame a recruiter for throwing my application in the bin, after all this is an employers market with sometimes hundreds going for one position, it's the frustration that the longer I'm unemployed, the harder it will become to find a job.

Obviously I'm looking for part time work for now (which is going to be equally challenging), and probably volunteering. I'm going to have a stab at learning the basics of C++ and html coding too, just to fill my time and have something to discuss in interviews.
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Sorry to hear that. I was actually thinking of the same. Learning the basics of C++ whilst searching for a job could end up being an invaluable addition. I am trying to think of ways to occupy myself as much as possible as to not have a gap in my CV. Luckily I have a small bit of savings from my final loan to keep me going money wise but I feel like the opportunity cost of using my time applying for part time jobs rather then full time jobs I wish to make a career out of is quite large!
 
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