Graduate jobs!

[AledJ]

Thought i would start this thread to see how many others are in a similar position.

Story so far- Left uni in 2007 with a 2.2 law degree and spent the last year doing a master in law. At the moment i'm waiting to get some forms to fill in, so i can re-take a failed module that i need to get in order to start the LPC (legal practice course). Now i need a job (graduate one if i can get it) to fill in time, and then pass this module and start my LPC next year.

I have applied for god knows how many graduate jobs (have 4 that i'm waiting to hear from for a second interview). Anyone else finding it hard to get a graduate job?


At the moment i'm looking for some temp admin work to tide me over for a bit. But this is proving a problem It seems i need office experience which is a bit of a problem when i can't get a job in the first place. Would have thought a degree in law and writing up a master would be good enough.

Not sure what else i can do! Getting a bit bored at home and miss earning my own money.

[UseItNow]

Tell me about it, its a b***h!

You come across rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbishrubbish doing something you would do with ease, when you apply for the same job you get told sorry you don't have the experience. What experience? Of how to mess up everything?

Please mind the french, not in a good mood today with someone having hit my car and not owning up to it leaving me to foot the bill.

Anyway good luck to you, me and eveyone else that's looking for a job at the moment.

[TooNice]

I am not sure about Law, but the application process of the graduate positions I've looked at/applied for all take a very long time. Even if I apply now, I doubt I would get anything before the end of the year at the earliest. And that's if I can find anything (the companies I've looked at all seem to streamline their graduate application intake from around October). At the moment, I am just looking for 'work experience'/intern positions. And even that's not easy to come by.

[javalord]

There is an unfortunate chicken and egg situation with some jobs. So if possible, try to do (even for free) something related to the job your looking for beforehand, gives you the confidence to talk in interviews a bit which is where a lot seize up.

[santa claus]

I empathise. Unfortunately, this seems to be your first taste in compromising what you want with what you can get as far as jobs goes.

You also need to be careful - if you feel a degree in law and writing up a master is "good enough" evidence of ability, turning you down because you don't have office experience could just be being used as an excuse to employ someone with less self-appreciation. These days managers need people who can work in a team and I'd advise selling yourself along those lines until you get the job that you really want.

[Twigman]

Go to the careers fairs at local uni (they'll probably let you in even if you aren't a current student), and spam you email and name on all the sign up lists, and actually talk to the people rather than just trying to collect the biggest haul of corporate freebies. Worked for me

[TheAnimus]

I found it rediculasly hard to get onto a grad program, i had too few GCSEs (only 5) and medocare A-Levels..... i got rejected out of hand by the vast vast majority of the grad schemes.

Funny thing is I got lucky. Now i've skipped that whole grad course thing, been 25 months out of uni, my pay has doubled every 11 months, you don't get that on a grad scheme, i'm also very junior management (team leader of 1 other) again, a grad scheme dosen't give you that, i also sit on the strategic planning committies for tactical dev.... You don't get to do that 1 month out of a grad scheme. Its worth noting the only people beneath me are those who are <2 years from a grad scheme (excluding interns, and cleaning staff).

Theres no doubting that they are fun, DBK, Merrils, JPM all send their graddies to some city for 3 months, which is mostly spent as a pissup, but its not that greater way to get ahead. Many companies give you exposure to many aspects of the business, in 3 or 6 month doses. This is utterly pointless and not what you will want. The reason they do this is so they don't have to give you a decent payrise, you've no experiance in any one area, and no other company would poach you, even after 3 years.

So, don't panic apply for courses, read what they offer, and make sure its what you want, and remeber there are plenty of good grad jobs that use the more "experienced" channels (inq jobs etc).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLyYSLdUkBA and remeber it could always be worse.

[Blitzen]

AledJ.
Not trying to be rude but maybe the struggle is that your degree is only a 2.2

Also, why would you think that a degree and writing up amasters would be good enough?
I have interviewed people for positions MANY times, and the fact that someone has a degree, certainly doesnt make them as intelligent as they think they are. The graduates that 'think' they are good enough to work for me are quite frankly off their minds most of the time. They come to me with a 2.1 or 2.2. in mechanical/electronic engineering and think they should start at &#163;40K+. In reality, with little experience and a below average degree, i would pay them more than &#163;20+. They then trapse off to ASDA to get a job collecting trollies.
All degrees (most...not all) prove these days is that you can use the internet.

Unfortunately for you, and people in their late teens/early 20's, a degree is pretty unimpressive nowadays.

There is an unfortunate chicken and egg situation with some jobs. So if possible, try to do (even for free) something related to the job your looking for beforehand, gives you the confidence to talk in interviews a bit which is where a lot seize up.

No there is not a 'Chicken and the Egg' thing going on here at all.

What is going on is that nearly all graduates think that just because they have a degree that they are employable. Believe me...they are not!

Why would i want to employee someone with no experience and an average degree? I wouldn't, and neither would most employers. You get little from it. Couple that with the fact that, like i said above, that graduates think a degree commands a good salary (for reasons i cannot fathom), then they simply do themselves out of the job market.

A degree, in almost all instances, with a few exceptions, is not a gauge of someones intelligence or employability.

I do have a degree btw.......but i got my experience first. That seemed the best way of getting on and it definitely works because if you have the experience, then do a degree, its that point where you can start to earn good money.

Degree before experience is just not as effective.

[AledJ]

I empathise. Unfortunately, this seems to be your first taste in compromising what you want with what you can get as far as jobs goes.

You also need to be careful - if you feel a degree in law and writing up a master is "good enough" evidence of ability, turning you down because you don't have office experience could just be being used as an excuse to employ someone with less self-appreciation. These days managers need people who can work in a team and I'd advise selling yourself along those lines until you get the job that you really want.

I have plenty of experience working within in a team from working as an SIA Door Supervisor (aka bouncer) Also worked at a lot of festivals managing a team of 10 people, so I do have some experience.

Another thing that does not help is employees taking ages to get back to you when they say 'we'll let you know end of the week'. Oh and when you have a good chance of getting a second interview the recruiter person goes on holiday lol

[AledJ]

AledJ.
Not trying to be rude but maybe the struggle is that your degree is only a 2.2

Also, why would you think that a degree and writing up amasters would be good enough?
I have interviewed people for positions MANY times, and the fact that someone has a degree, certainly doesnt make them as intelligent as they think they are. The graduates that 'think' they are good enough to work for me are quite frankly off their minds most of the time. They come to me with a 2.1 or 2.2. in mechanical/electronic engineering and think they should start at £40K+. In reality, with little experience and a below average degree, i would pay them more than £20+. They then trapse off to ASDA to get a job collecting trollies.
All degrees (most...not all) prove these days is that you can use the internet.

Unfortunately for you, and people in their late teens/early 20's, a degree is pretty unimpressive nowadays.


No there is not a 'Chicken and the Egg' thing going on here at all.

What is going on is that nearly all graduates think that just because they have a degree that they are employable. Believe me...they are not!

Why would i want to employee someone with no experience and an average degree? I wouldn't, and neither would most employers. You get little from it. Couple that with the fact that, like i said above, that graduates think a degree commands a goo salary, then they simply do themselves out of the job market.

A degree, in almost all instances, with a few exceptions, is not a gauge of someones intelligence or employability.

I'm not offended by you saying i may struggle with a 2.2. But what does get me is the generalisation. Firstly, over the three years i was uni and went to the careers fairs to see what was what, they all said ' get a degree and there will be work' Now i have never been of the impression that just because i have higher education qualifications means i can walk into any job, and want £40 k etc

You say they come to you with little experience then could you tell me where this experience can be found? As I have posted above my two previous jobs have been dealing with people on a daily bases, and also having to work within in a team a majority of the time. Now that must count for some experience! At the moment i am trying to get that experience by applying for office temp work, but again experience wanted. Even if that temp job offers me £5.56 an hour i'll do it because it will give some valuable experience.

Where did i say a degree was a gauge of my intelligence? I mean i'm not supper intelligent most likely average, and i certainly don't hold my degree up to say i'm intelligent.

All I want is a chance to prove myself even if that means i'm on some sort of probation!

And to finish off- "Also, why would you think that a degree and writing up amasters would be good enough?" What the hell else do you want??? As pointed out already I have some life experience! I have had to work for my money! And i do not consider myself to be any better than someone without a degree!

[TheAnimus]

AledJ, its aug. No one cba to do work.

Also take what Blitzen is saying with a pinch of salt, i think he's been dealing with a very bad batch of people to interview.

Fact is a degree merely means that a door can be opened, it doesn't mean they will be wanting too see you, if you want an above average job, you've still got to be an above average candidate. That said its true that even people with a 3rd, earn considerably more, on average, than those without.

Just spend as much time googling for jobs that match your skills and you would want to do as possible.

[AledJ]

AledJ, its aug. No one cba to do work.

Also take what Blitzen is saying with a pinch of salt, i think he's been dealing with a very bad batch of people to interview.

Fact is a degree merely means that a door can be opened, it doesn't mean they will be wanting too see you, if you want an above average job, you've still got to be an above average candidate. That said its true that even people with a 3rd, earn considerably more, on average, than those without.

Just spend as much time googling for jobs that match your skills and you would want to do as possible.

Yes i understand a degree is really a key to another level in some cases. And yes they may not want to interview me, but would nice to get an office temp job. At the moment spend half the day searching for jobs and applying. Also have my cv on most job sites- which is where one employer found me (that's the one who has gone on holiday lol)

[Salazaar]

What is going on is that nearly all graduates think that just because they have a degree that they are employable. Believe me...they are not!

Why would i want to employee someone with no experience and an average degree? I wouldn't, and neither would most employers. You get little from it. Couple that with the fact that, like i said above, that graduates think a degree commands a good salary (for reasons i cannot fathom), then they simply do themselves out of the job market.

A degree, in almost all instances, with a few exceptions, is not a gauge of someones intelligence or employability.

I do have a degree btw.......but i got my experience first. That seemed the best way of getting on and it definitely works because if you have the experience, then do a degree, its that point where you can start to earn good money.

Degree before experience is just not as effective.

That seems like quite a blinkered point of view, you're comparing people just out of university to those with actual experience. If you need experienced people then fine, hire them but someone needs to employ fresh graduates and train them or we'll end up running out of people with experience.

On the other hand, if you're in a position where you are hiring inexperienced workers then one with a good degree is going to be far more valuable than one with a poor degree or without one at all.

We're increasingly getting ourselves into a situation where companies do not see the value in training new recruits for fear that they'll just walk out as soon as they've become experienced enough to get a better job. Unfortunately they're often right.

[directhex]

i graduated with a 2.2, and found it hard to use it to get a job

however, some fields are very easy to prove non-job experience in, and computing is one of them. the things i did in my spare time got me the job - the degree was just useful background material to draw upon

i think law it's gonna be harder. you probably need to suck it up & go for a bottom-pay legal clerk job until you've got the CV fleshed out

[TheAnimus]

Yes i understand a degree is really a key to another level in some cases. And yes they may not want to interview me, but would nice to get an office temp job. At the moment spend half the day searching for jobs and applying. Also have my cv on most job sites- which is where one employer found me (that's the one who has gone on holiday lol)

You can actually hit predudice when applying for a job thats "beneith" your degree status.

Even a 2.2 should put you above in terms of they would think you would want for a temp job, and they will think they're has to be something wrong if your looking for it. Not too mention they can have the 18 year old who's got 3 months experiance and is obsviouslly going to be willing to earn less.

[AledJ]

You can actually hit predudice when applying for a job thats "beneith" your degree status.

Even a 2.2 should put you above in terms of they would think you would want for a temp job, and they will think they're has to be something wrong if your looking for it. Not too mention they can have the 18 year old who's got 3 months experiance and is obsviouslly going to be willing to earn less.

I was actually told by the job centre to apply for temp jobs as i'm looking and applying for graduate jobs. As someone has already mentioned graduate recruitment can take months, and i really don't want to sit around that long.