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I'd start looking from next month. It varies by profession, but many grad schemes open in August/September. In fact one of the big four accountancy firms is already open for next year IIRC.
Securing a graduate job is just ridiculous
- Thread starter supergt
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I'd start looking from next month. It varies by profession, but many grad schemes open in August/September. In fact one of the big four accountancy firms is already open for next year IIRC.
Don't believe everything you read.
There is plenty of jobs around, yes there is some competition for some but don't expect that 30K/40K + job straight away.
I am sure with that degree you won't have a problem at least getting past the first cut of apps. Then it's all up to you
Good luck
Soldato
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I'm not sure why people are expecting to earn 30-40 grand a year as a graduate- that is a excessively high salary when you consider the UK average is ~25k or so, and more for senior levels I would have thought! These kinds of expectations may be what is making it take a while to find a job?
I got a upper second in Geography from an average uni (not a mickey mouse degree, but not in the same league as Engineering or pharmacy/medical) and was looking at 25k-ish specifically geography related jobs- didn't get a single interview for months. I then lowered my expectations to Assistant level at 18k and boom I got an interview after a couple of weeks and got that job as an Assistant Transport Engineer (i.e planner).
I remember when i was applying for unis in 06 07 talking with my parents about student loans and that I didn't have to pay it off until I was earning 18k, to which my parents response was "you don't go to university to earn £18,000". Times change and I feel very lucky to get a job, but I perhaps wouldn't have done if I was still looking at the level above assistant and below senior.
Or maybe I'm completely out of touch and if you do happen to be a 'real' engineer working in the right business then 40k is realistic- if you're top 10% material...
I got a upper second in Geography from an average uni (not a mickey mouse degree, but not in the same league as Engineering or pharmacy/medical) and was looking at 25k-ish specifically geography related jobs- didn't get a single interview for months. I then lowered my expectations to Assistant level at 18k and boom I got an interview after a couple of weeks and got that job as an Assistant Transport Engineer (i.e planner).
I remember when i was applying for unis in 06 07 talking with my parents about student loans and that I didn't have to pay it off until I was earning 18k, to which my parents response was "you don't go to university to earn £18,000". Times change and I feel very lucky to get a job, but I perhaps wouldn't have done if I was still looking at the level above assistant and below senior.
Or maybe I'm completely out of touch and if you do happen to be a 'real' engineer working in the right business then 40k is realistic- if you're top 10% material...
I have only read OP so don't know if this has already been asked, but I have also just graduated (different field of study though, so sorry if this post isn't relevant to you at all) and I have had numerous job offers and a dozen of so interview offers all through LinkedIn. I know many people think LinkedIn is only for those in the IT industry but it's full of recruitment firms headhunting in all business sectors. If you do have LinkedIn already is it up to date, have you read online on how to maximise your exposure in the professional environment (an example here)?
Once again I apologise if my lack of knowledge in your professional area deems this post as irrelevant but surely LinkedIn would a worthwhile investment of your time?
Edit:
I don't think 30-40 is unreasonable for a graduate job, my close friends at university and myself who are starting grad jobs this year have had offers within and above that range - in a field of engineering (software). Even those in northern England are approaching 30k (perhaps not exceeding) but very closely. It seems the large companies either go down the route of "We're huge, you're new and don't know anything so here's your tuppence" or "We're huge, we want to invest some of our vast wealth into you."
Once again I apologise if my lack of knowledge in your professional area deems this post as irrelevant but surely LinkedIn would a worthwhile investment of your time?
Edit:
I don't think 30-40 is unreasonable for a graduate job, my close friends at university and myself who are starting grad jobs this year have had offers within and above that range - in a field of engineering (software). Even those in northern England are approaching 30k (perhaps not exceeding) but very closely. It seems the large companies either go down the route of "We're huge, you're new and don't know anything so here's your tuppence" or "We're huge, we want to invest some of our vast wealth into you."
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It all depends what industry you go in. If you go into finance/law/oil&gas/chem eng/mech eng industry then earning at least £30k is a given. You don't need to go to a prestigious university to land a top job either. I know someone from Caledonian University who has now started working as a Barclays Analyst and is earning over £35k + bonus. I went to a "better" university than this person and I will be starting on a lower salary come August and yes I am jealous but fair play to him.
I don't know what kind of jobs you can get with a Geography degree so I can't comment on that.
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Have just finished my uni placement year (at Blackberry) and am going to finishing my final year this September in Computing at Nottingham Trent. I know the uni isn't exactly decent but I am hoping that my experience at Blackberry will give me an edge when I come to apply for grad schemes over the next year.
It definitely will! Try to get involved in some extra curricular activities such as societies or volunteering work to give yourself an extra advantage.
100% Placement year experience is invaluable.
Why? Lots of graduates with economics degrees get into high paying finance jobs in London (and other locations).
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What were you expecting with a mickey mouse degree like geography? Do a proper degree and expect a good salary out of it.
When i was doing my engineering degree, I was practically in lectures 9-5 everyday while students doing your degree (or similar) were lucky if they had 1 full day per week of lectures.
I now earn over 45k/year (not much since many graduates earn this at the start of the scheme while I've just finished mines) while many graduates doing mickey mouse degrees are either on JSA or working away in McDonalds etc.
As I understood it, the OP was talking about the MD of a small firm not sticking to a telephone interview, not an HR or Graduate Recruitment department. As such, my response was with regards to how interviews, particularly telephone-based graduate interviews are handled by small firms.
There are a hundred valid reasons for to not sticking to a scheduled telephone interview - largely relating to loss of business as a result of prioritising a graduate interview over the imperative investment/client concerns - just as there are a hundred of graduates who would jump at the opportunity toe interviewed. Doesn't make it right, but from experience of running a small company, a client threatening to take their business elsewhere or an unexpected call from legal/accounting/external counterparty/etc. takes priority over an easily rearranged telephone interview with an unemployed graduate.
At the other end of the scale, I'd be pretty miffed if an HR or grad recruitment department failed to stick to an interview - seeing as it IS a main priority of their role.
Don't be scared.
Just be smart, treat trying-to-get a job like a job. Go after every tiny opportunity you get.
Either way, if you suddenly find out that you're going to be stuck in a long meeting, you at least give someone a shout and ask them to call the person you're meant to be calling. As Burnsy said, he could be your next big employee, wouldn't want to pee him off.
Getting any job these days if you're a born and bred Brit is difficult, nevermind graduate jobs.
Made even harder by the revelation that the EU is offering companies a cash incentive to take on workers from the EU rather than the UK.
Made even harder by the revelation that the EU is offering companies a cash incentive to take on workers from the EU rather than the UK.
Really? I'm from India and have met firms who straight away say that they don't take international students.
I think most jobs gear days want experience >>>> education.
Obviously this doesn't apply to grad schemes (though experience will do you no harm) but generally me experience of grads, and knowing what I was like as a fresh grad too, is they are blinking useless for 6-12 month. Most still think like students (one in my office at the mo dresses like a student, acts like a student and I will blinking kill him one day) and it dies not work well in a busy work place.
Getting some form of experience as a student is vital, just to show you know what work actually means otherwise you will struggle greatly.
Obviously this doesn't apply to grad schemes (though experience will do you no harm) but generally me experience of grads, and knowing what I was like as a fresh grad too, is they are blinking useless for 6-12 month. Most still think like students (one in my office at the mo dresses like a student, acts like a student and I will blinking kill him one day) and it dies not work well in a busy work place.
Getting some form of experience as a student is vital, just to show you know what work actually means otherwise you will struggle greatly.
This is why placement years are such a nice thing to have/do. While it's only 1 year's experience, it's still a year more experience than a lot of the people a fresh graduate will be competing with are likely to have.
For example, most of the people who graduated with me (this year) haven't had much trouble getting jobs. Admittedly it's a chemistry degree from a good university, so a different field completely to a lot that has been discussed in this thread, but so much of it is down to the placement year and the related work.
I totally agree. Looking back to when I was a grad, I was an utter waste of space. It didn't click until my MD told me to stop writing marketing reports like a PhD paper, and just to tell him what he needed to know. Possibly the best piece of work advice I've ever had!
The UK is the third largest exporter of workers in the EU. Far more Brits work abroad than the French or Germans. We do pretty well out of the arrangement.