The Student Room Group

Graduate Employment

Hi Everyone

So you're one of those recent graduates who achieved a fantastic 1st or 2.1 degree, possibly from a Russell Group University (or an ex-poly by the likes of me) and your expectations are extremely high when it comes to graduate employment.

You're also (possibly) inexperienced or have never worked in your life before or during your studies at university, but you still expect employment straight after graduation.

Well now you have officially entered the adult world you've started to realised your expectations are beyond that matter when it comes to employment.
You are in debt, still haven't found that perfect dream job yet and you are starting to feel depressed and downright miserable - am I correct?

The traditional ‘I have a first class degree and I deserve to get a job straight away’ is far from the norm in the modern contemporary day it proves and obviously as you can see, many graduates are still unemployed 6 months after graduation or even a year or 2.

About me
I graduated with a 2.2 in 2014 (a major average like most graduates) from an ex-poly university. Although I am a tad disappointed about my classification I realised it wasn't the end of the world and it was better than failing the whole course and importantly my degree.

A week after graduation I decided to do an internship at a day care centre close to where I live to do office work.
2 weeks into it I get a call from a recruitment agency to do temporary office work which I accepted.
I did that for 6 months and then got a call from another agency again to do office work on a temporary basis. That was meant to last 3 weeks initially but the manager was extremely impressed with my performance, he decided to take me on; I lasted for another 6 months and thats when I started working for the Jobcentre (my experience will be explained later in this thread post). That lasted for 3 months.

What I am doing now/Life after graduation
As a result of my previous work experience, I am now a Senior Administrator/Leader at a Media and Publishing company. This job was advertised through Indeed (job search engine for those who haven't heard of it). I applied and received a call the day after I applied and the manager invited me to go in for an interview the next day. The interview itself was an informal chat with the Director and Managing Director (no pressure!) and I thought it went OK (not good but OK) and so the next day got another call from the manager - I got the job. So overall, the recruitment process took nearly 2 days! :smile:
So anyway, my current job involves 40% of recruitment (as the company I work for is expanding), and I have looked at many CVs where graduates have claimed that they are self-motivated people, but yet they have nothing to prove it on their CV (experience wise), only that they have managed to graduate with a 1st/2.1 degree, however they haven’t managed to find a paid job (or even an internship/work experience) even after a year of graduating, so this isn’t exactly motivating is it?

When I worked at the Jobcentre that was when my eyes actually opened (metaphorically) in regards to employment.

I met a male graduate who graduated the same year as me. I helped him get a placement at a charity, but as you would expect he rejected the offer and thought he deserved the free money.

As a general rule if a claimant doesn't accept a placement offer you would need to stop their benefits (sanction), which I did to this claimant, and he was clearly having none of it. Lets just say he never got 'his' money. End of story for that guy.

Now the way I think when recruiting people is while I do appreciate graduates who have achieved a fantastic grade I also look at what experience they have. If a person has a 1st class degree but no experience; but a 2.2 graduate has...well I would obviously pick the 2.2 graduate. Why may you ask?
Well the candidate realised that his grade wasn't that great (of course I know that feeling!) so he took his initiative and determination to look for something to compensate for it. This demonstrated he was able to think for himself (independence) and that he didn't really need to rely on his degree for it.

Generally employers don't actually care whether you have either a 1st or 2.1 class degree, but your experience does count to almost anything and everything.

A few days ago I offered an internship to a 1st class degree graduate to do basic Data Entry tasks.
He had no previous work experience so I decided to give him a trial.

It is important for me to say that the office where I work is medium sized (about 30 people).
You will soon find out why in this next paragraph.
So two hours into the job, I asked him wether he settled in and his reply was that everything was fine and dandy...well so he tried to pretend until he came crying to me claiming that he never worked in a busy office of this size before and that it was all too much pressure on him and the work I allocated was 'too difficult.' I thought 'really?' as this is a Data Entry job!). On top of this the phones were ringing non-stop from clients and hence why he was feeling pressured, not that he was required to answer the phones.
Moral of his story - he has learned the hard way and in my personal opinion, that is the better way of learning.
Now do you see my exact point of why gaining previous experience is extremely important?

Another thing to point out is when I recruit people, I invite them to come for an interview, but they DON’T even attend; or let me know that they won't be coming in…and then complain that they didn’t get the job and was never given a chance! Err..excuse me? Talk about gratitude.
Also when I call them on the phone, they're not exactly buzzing when it comes to talking (lack of confidence) which often leads to extreme hesitation; consequently leading me to think they're not sure if this job is suitable for them.

Well, let me tell you something. You’re not the only person who has a degree nowadays and most of the time, without any prior experience you probably (not saying you will never) won’t stand a chance with those who have.

Also when you are job-hunting you will notice most jobs are paid and negotiable depending on EXPERIENCE not on degree classification.

I need to confess, truth be told I too found it extremely difficult to find a paid job first hand after graduation, but guess what?

I never actually complained about it and just got on with life and quickly found work experience on my own without anyone telling me to do so. It was also actually my determination to do that.

As a result of gaining experience, I gradually gained confidence and met new people. It was even an added bonus when I gained new connections for future jobs (my previous managers) which was how I got my other jobs - that were paid (never volunteer and internships).

So instead of complaining about how employers are not giving your dream job on a plate and how depressingly miserable your (‘brilliant’) graduate life is, my strong advice to you is to gain some practical work experience, whether it’s working for free or volunteer it doesn’t really matter.

Do some research, ask around about potential opportunities, create a LinkedIn profile...anything to keep you motivated.

But what actually does matter is your determination and self-motivation to get what you want…work extra hard for it and don’t expect anything free or handed to you on a plate.

Remember you're an adult now and you’re supposed to be able to think for yourself rather than others thinking for you.

I’m not trying to brag about my achievements here but I wanted to give you some realistic and truthful advice that could actually help you in the long term, otherwise - LEARN THE HARD WAY LIKE MY INTERN DID!

Basically this thread is more about getting off your backside because sitting down complaining and doing some blaming will really help with your life and change things wouldn’t it?
(edited 7 years ago)

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Reply 1
To summarise, experience is important when searching for a job.
Original post by M1011
To summarise, experience is important when searching for a job.


Essentially? Yes.
Experience is so important, am kind of lucky went into working world before going to university and have experience in a range of areas. Am due to graduate in July subject to grades and have a conditional place on a masters course in youth work and I wouldn't have got on the course without having a number of years experience in a volunteering role and I will be spending four weeks in summer doing a paid job that provides me more experience and possible connections for the future. Am gutted am not making more money in summer which I could definitely use, but this role benefits me far more and provides me with four weeks of work, in my dream area. Am lucky I have enough experience in other areas and should be able to pick up a part time job to allow me extra money while studying.


Posted from TSR Mobile
Great post! A lot of people need to hear this.
The saying goes:

A degree opens doors, but experience gets you through the door.
Reply 6
This post would have more credence if it wasn't such self congratulatory nonsense. Yes, get some work experience. Does it help you get a job? Yes.

If you get a 2:1 or first from a decent Uni compared to a 2:2 from an average one with the same work experience, who's going to get a better job? The former. If you want to get onto a decent grad scheme you need a 2:1 or first from a good uni.

I got a 2:1 from a decent uni. Went into recruitment / sales for 5 years. Realised that it would be an idea to use my degree grade and now work in finance in the city. There's plenty of solid staff where I work who don't have much work experience, but doesn't mean they can't do a good job.
Original post by jsccc12
This post would have more credence if it wasn't such self congratulatory nonsense. Yes, get some work experience. Does it help you get a job? Yes.

If you get a 2:1 or first from a decent Uni compared to a 2:2 from an average one with the same work experience, who's going to get a better job? The former. If you want to get onto a decent grad scheme you need a 2:1 or first from a good uni.

I got a 2:1 from a decent uni. Went into recruitment / sales for 5 years. Realised that it would be an idea to use my degree grade and now work in finance in the city. There's plenty of solid staff where I work who don't have much work experience, but doesn't mean they can't do a good job.


I didn't make this thread to make myself proud, I only made this thread because graduates just expect too much out of everything that they have studied for. Even I can understand that saying from personal experience; but my point was you can't get spoiled forever.
I've seen far too many parents who do that and thats why their sons or daughters can't cope on their own, but obviously not everyone is like that.
For me I am constantly put under pressure by my parents and I would like to make them think, 'yep thats my daughter' in a proud loving way. Thats what motivates me to succeed in life.

My main point about degree classifications that obviously it is fantastic that you have achieved an excellent grade for it and graduate schemes do need 1st or 2.1 as a minimum but due to extreme competition even thats not enough to prove to employers these days because of that frequent E word.
Yes everything is fantastic and all, but you have to show a little more effort to make yourself stand out.

I'm not saying that graduates who achieve a 1st or 2.1 with no experience can't do a good job either; my point was that even high achievers can't handle the pressure at a range of working environments as I suggested in the OP; which is why experience is important to employers' perspective.
Everyone works at a different pace.

Seem as though you worked in recruitment, you would know what employers expect from graduates then?
(edited 7 years ago)
I'm trying to gain experience via internships (paid or unpaid) etc, but I can't even get that. I worked in retail for a while and gained everything there is from that experience.

Where exactly am I going to get that experience ?
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by tonystark
I'm trying to gain experience via internships (paid or unpaid) etc, but I can't even get that. I worked in retail for a while and gained everything there is from that experience.

Where exactly am I going to get that experience ?


I started out in retail then I moved onto office work as a volunteer for 2 weeks, have you tried to go for that instead, possibly charity shops?
I've heard that British Heart Foundation is supposed to be good?
Original post by Boreism
I started out in retail then I moved onto office work as a volunteer for 2 weeks, have you tried to go for that instead, possibly charity shops?
I've heard that British Heart Foundation is supposed to be good?


I've not yet tried charity shops, but I joined a work development programme which lasted around 3 weeks (Making The Leap) - and I even have a certificate from the company. I worked in retail for a year for over 40 hours a week. I can't gain anything else from it.
Boreism could i send you my CV too look over? thanks
Original post by jsccc12
This post would have more credence if it wasn't such self congratulatory nonsense. Yes, get some work experience. Does it help you get a job? Yes.

If you get a 2:1 or first from a decent Uni compared to a 2:2 from an average one with the same work experience, who's going to get a better job? The former. If you want to get onto a decent grad scheme you need a 2:1 or first from a good uni.

I got a 2:1 from a decent uni. Went into recruitment / sales for 5 years. Realised that it would be an idea to use my degree grade and now work in finance in the city. There's plenty of solid staff where I work who don't have much work experience, but doesn't mean they can't do a good job.


It's not as simple as that. The way you put the experience across in an application is also important too.
Original post by jelly1000
It's not as simple as that. The way you put the experience across in an application is also important too.


Grammar for example, I know some people are still struggling to differentiate between there and their. Proper use of apostrophes are also important.
Original post by Boreism
Hi Everyone

So you're one of those recent graduates who achieved a fantastic 1st or 2.1 degree, possibly from a Russell Group University (or an ex-poly by the likes of me) and your expectations are extremely high when it comes to graduate employment.

You're also (possibly) inexperienced or have never worked in your life before or during your studies at university, but you still expect employment straight after graduation.

Well now you have officially entered the adult world you've started to realised your expectations are beyond that matter when it comes to employment.
You are in debt, still haven't found that perfect dream job yet and you are starting to feel depressed and downright miserable - am I correct?

The traditional ‘I have a first class degree and I deserve to get a job straight away’ is far from the norm in the modern contemporary day it proves and obviously as you can see, many graduates are still unemployed 6 months after graduation or even a year or 2.

About me
I graduated with a 2.2 in 2014 (a major average like most graduates) from an ex-poly university. Although I am a tad disappointed about my classification I realised it wasn't the end of the world and it was better than failing the whole course and importantly my degree.

A week after graduation I decided to do an internship at a day care centre close to where I live to do office work.
2 weeks into it I get a call from a recruitment agency to do temporary office work which I accepted.
I did that for 6 months and then got a call from another agency again to do office work on a temporary basis. That was meant to last 3 weeks initially but the manager was extremely impressed with my performance, he decided to take me on; I lasted for another 6 months and thats when I started working for the Jobcentre (my experience will be explained later in this thread post). That lasted for 3 months.

What I am doing now/Life after graduation
As a result of my previous work experience, I am now a Senior Administrator/Leader at a Media and Publishing company. This job was advertised through Indeed (job search engine for those who haven't heard of it). I applied and received a call the day after I applied and the manager invited me to go in for an interview the next day. The interview itself was an informal chat with the Director and Managing Director (no pressure!) and I thought it went OK (not good but OK) and so the next day got another call from the manager - I got the job. So overall, the recruitment process took nearly 2 days! :smile:
So anyway, my current job involves 40% of recruitment (as the company I work for is expanding), and I have looked at many CVs where graduates have claimed that they are self-motivated people, but yet they have nothing to prove it on their CV (experience wise), only that they have managed to graduate with a 1st/2.1 degree, however they haven’t managed to find a paid job (or even an internship/work experience) even after a year of graduating, so this isn’t exactly motivating is it?

When I worked at the Jobcentre that was when my eyes actually opened (metaphorically) in regards to employment.

I met a male graduate who graduated the same year as me. I helped him get a placement at a charity, but as you would expect he rejected the offer and thought he deserved the free money.

As a general rule if a claimant doesn't accept a placement offer you would need to stop their benefits (sanction), which I did to this claimant, and he was clearly having none of it. Lets just say he never got 'his' money. End of story for that guy.

Now the way I think when recruiting people is while I do appreciate graduates who have achieved a fantastic grade I also look at what experience they have. If a person has a 1st class degree but no experience; but a 2.2 graduate has...well I would obviously pick the 2.2 graduate. Why may you ask?
Well the candidate realised that his grade wasn't that great (of course I know that feeling!) so he took his initiative and determination to look for something to compensate for it. This demonstrated he was able to think for himself (independence) and that he didn't really need to rely on his degree for it.

Generally employers don't actually care whether you have either a 1st or 2.1 class degree, but your experience does count to almost anything and everything.

A few days ago I offered an internship to a 1st class degree graduate to do basic Data Entry tasks.
He had no previous work experience so I decided to give him a trial.

It is important for me to say that the office where I work is medium sized (about 30 people).
You will soon find out why in this next paragraph.
So two hours into the job, I asked him wether he settled in and his reply was that everything was fine and dandy...well so he tried to pretend until he came crying to me claiming that he never worked in a busy office of this size before and that it was all too much pressure on him and the work I allocated was 'too difficult.' I thought 'really?' as this is a Data Entry job!). On top of this the phones were ringing non-stop from clients and hence why he was feeling pressured, not that he was required to answer the phones.
Moral of his story - he has learned the hard way and in my personal opinion, that is the better way of learning.
Now do you see my exact point of why gaining previous experience is extremely important?

Another thing to point out is when I recruit people, I invite them to come for an interview, but they DON’T even attend; or let me know that they won't be coming in…and then complain that they didn’t get the job and was never given a chance! Err..excuse me? Talk about gratitude.
Also when I call them on the phone, they're not exactly buzzing when it comes to talking (lack of confidence) which often leads to extreme hesitation; consequently leading me to think they're not sure if this job is suitable for them.

Well, let me tell you something. You’re not the only person who has a degree nowadays and most of the time, without any prior experience you probably (not saying you will never) won’t stand a chance with those who have.

Also when you are job-hunting you will notice most jobs are paid and negotiable depending on EXPERIENCE not on degree classification.

I need to confess, truth be told I too found it extremely difficult to find a paid job first hand after graduation, but guess what?

I never actually complained about it and just got on with life and quickly found work experience on my own without anyone telling me to do so. It was also actually my determination to do that.

As a result of gaining experience, I gradually gained confidence and met new people. It was even an added bonus when I gained new connections for future jobs (my previous managers) which was how I got my other jobs - that were paid (never volunteer and internships).

So instead of complaining about how employers are not giving your dream job on a plate and how depressingly miserable your (‘brilliant’) graduate life is, my strong advice to you is to gain some practical work experience, whether it’s working for free or volunteer it doesn’t really matter.

Do some research, ask around about potential opportunities, create a LinkedIn profile...anything to keep you motivated.

But what actually does matter is your determination and self-motivation to get what you want…work extra hard for it and don’t expect anything free or handed to you on a plate.

Remember you're an adult now and you’re supposed to be able to think for yourself rather than others thinking for you.

I’m not trying to brag about my achievements here but I wanted to give you some realistic and truthful advice that could actually help you in the long term, otherwise - LEARN THE HARD WAY LIKE MY INTERN DID!

Basically this thread is more about getting off your backside because sitting down complaining and doing some blaming will really help with your life and change things wouldn’t it?


I don't get that bit.
"Gained confidence"
"Met new people"
Gosh, tell it to those who hide away on a student forum.
Original post by shawn_o1
"Gained confidence"
"Met new people"
Gosh, tell it to those who hide away on a student forum.


Hence why they would need to get log out and get off their backside to look for work experience.
Original post by Boreism
Hence why they would need to get log out and get off their backside to look for work experience.


I'm looking for work too but in a different situation than most others. I was fired from my previous job. I know I have to "hide the truth", and my previous employers have offered to help by pretending they only hired me on a contract. If I talk about this experience then they might think I'm not prepared for a permanent role. They might even raise doubts on whether I was actually employed as a temp. Interview over, no chance. Right?

But then again I only graduated last year so it's almost like I did nothing. I could easily have done such a short job between uni terms.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by shawn_o1
I'm looking for work too but in a different situation than most others. I was fired from my previous job. I know I have to "hide the truth", and my previous employers have offered to help by pretending they only hired me on a contract. If I talk about this experience then they might think I'm not prepared for a permanent role. They might even raise doubts on whether I was actually employed as a temp. Interview over, no chance. Right?

But then again I only graduated last year so it's almost like I did nothing. I could easily have done such a short job between uni terms.


I was in a similar position; I did temporary jobs in call centre and in offices most of 2015 until this year where I have finally found a suitable permanent position, and to know it all paid off. Which is my point exactly.

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