The Graduate Discussion Thread

Original post by Slowbro93

Are you thinking of leaving Imperial?

Not sure, I love my job and the people. But there's a grad scheme in Thurso....

Reply 1262

King Leonidas

Original post by jam277

Anybody have good experience temping? Gonna give some a call tomorrow.

Good for some dough but that's it, temping is so unreliable.

Reply 1263

Temping/contracting is good for proving what you can do in something very skills related like IT I know someone that makes like 27k in 6 months (average length of contracts) then is able to concentrate on his hobbies while being financially stable as he finds a next contract.

Time to get back on the job hunt then as i'm relocating to Manchester in June.

Not been in this thread for ages.

Reply 1265

Slowbro93

20

Original post by sr90

Time to get back on the job hunt then as i'm relocating to Manchester in June.

Not been in this thread for ages.

Manchester should be good :h:

Would it be a similar type of role? :smile:

Reply 1266

Philissimo14

Guys, no trolling, just advice and opinions, please. I left school with bad GCSEs due to depression and bad attendance. That, therefore, resulted in the next four years of my life being a hard time doing a few basic jobs and battling my problems. However, at 21 I went to college and did an Access to HE: Law and Criminology Diploma and went to Birmingham City University. I graduated with a First, got a scholarship to do an LL.M at Warwick and just missed out on a distinction there. However, I now feel that, even though I am now 27, my past is going to prevent me from securing a good career. This is, again, making me feel down and is giving me the feeling that I have wasted my time. Any opinions, guys? Many thanks for reading.

Reply 1267

jelly1000

Original post by Philissimo14

Guys, no trolling, just advice and opinions, please. I left school with bad GCSEs due to depression and bad attendance. That, therefore, resulted in the next four years of my life being a hard time doing a few basic jobs and battling my problems. However, at 21 I went to college and did an Access to HE: Law and Criminology Diploma and went to Birmingham City University. I graduated with a First, got a scholarship to do an LL.M at Warwick and just missed out on a distinction there. However, I now feel that, even though I am now 27, my past is going to prevent me from securing a good career. This is, again, making me feel down and is giving me the feeling that I have wasted my time. Any opinions, guys? Many thanks for reading.

Your past shouldn't matter. If you get asked questions about it when applying then you spin it positively saying something like how you were ill for a while but you received treatment and you recovered. However to make the most of your university degrees you need to know what you want to do with them, have as much work experience as possible, and the more relevant the better, and be able to put together good applications.

Reply 1268

As we near the one year mark of graduating,any fellow graduates of 2015 still unemployed?

Reply 1269

Stiff Little Fingers

Original post by chosenone93

As we near the one year mark of graduating,any fellow graduates of 2015 still unemployed?

Technically I suppose - I've been given my notice of redundancy and transferred to a six week contract while they train up new lab techs, because they're restructuring the department and I'm apparently overqualified now.

Reply 1270

Original post by Stiff Little Fingers

Technically I suppose - I've been given my notice of redundancy and transferred to a six week contract while they train up new lab techs, because they're restructuring the department and I'm apparently overqualified now.

Thanks I feel slightly better,i've resorted to volunteering after 7 months of failed interviews hopefully someone chances me eventually.

Reply 1271

somethingbeautiful

18

Original post by chosenone93

Thanks I feel slightly better,i've resorted to volunteering after 7 months of failed interviews hopefully someone chances me eventually.

What industry do you want to work in? Volunteering is a really great idea - even if it benefits you in no other way except giving you structure and focus. Hope things improve for you.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 1272

jelly1000

Original post by chosenone93

As we near the one year mark of graduating,any fellow graduates of 2015 still unemployed?

I'm technically a 2014 grad but I did a Masters last year so I guess also a 2015 grad looking for work still. Have got better at, but haven't quite mastered interviews yet.

Reply 1273

Original post by somethingbeautiful

What industry do you want to work in? Volunteering is a really great idea - even if it benefits you in no other way except giving you structure and focus. Hope things improve for you.

Posted from TSR Mobile

I'm hoping to get into project management perhaps within the IT field and yes volunteering certainly gives you a purpose as opposed to sitting at home waiting for interviews.

Original post by jelly1000

I'm technically a 2014 grad but I did a Masters last year so I guess also a 2015 grad looking for work still. Have got better at, but haven't quite mastered interviews yet.

Glad i'm not the only one,interviews can be really tricky even for entry level jobs they ask questions which can only be answered if you have notable work history and some will ask things which catch you totally off guard which have very little to do with the job.Hopefully we get something by july/august won't be nice when summer begins and not having any income to enjoy it.

Reply 1274

2048435

1

Be professional, friendly but most important of all not so serious that you would appear to be uncomfortable to work with

Reply 1275

Original post by melondew26

Be professional, friendly but most important of all not so serious that you would appear to be uncomfortable to work with

Can be quite hard when some interviewers aren't particularly friendly.Just got another rejection apparently they chose someone with more skills/experience yet it was a bleeding internship, i specifically asked the recruiter before going to the interview if i needed any they said no i just need to show an understanding of the role starting to doubt i'll ever get a paid job.

Reply 1276

2048435

1

Original post by chosenone93

Can be quite hard when some interviewers aren't particularly friendly.Just got another rejection apparently they chose someone with more skills/experience yet it was a bleeding internship, i specifically asked the recruiter before going to the interview if i needed any they said no i just need to show an understanding of the role starting to doubt i'll ever get a paid job.

They may say they chose someone who had more 'skills and experience' but every new employee needs a degree of training to get settled into the role. It was probably an excuse. What are your people and social skills like? Show off your personality at an interview too, come across as easy going and most of all enjoyable to work with

Reply 1277

vilefor

10

Couldn't agree more. Took me 11 months after graduating to get a graduate role and this was because I sucked at interviews and didn't realise it (I was never told). Its all about the rapport you build with the interviewer. Social skills are very important as ultimately they are deciding if you as person have the right personality and skills to fit into their team and whether or not they'd like to work with you. If you do this whilst displaying a strong knowledge of the business, as well as the challenges within the business area you're applying to, you're in good shape. You aren't always expected to have experience in the particular field (I certainly had none), after all most grad schemes are training contracts by definition

Reply 1278

Historicity

20

Sigh... any advice?

I graduated last summer in 2015 and spent up until Christmas unemployed, then I got a graduate role. I got tunnel vision because I was happy just to have a company hire me and let me into a graduate role. I've since then realised I perhaps undersold myself and want something better (not saying I deserve it, but you only live once so may as well try right?)

Most of my friends have got on to great graduate schemes , whether that be GSK, PWC, Bank of England, Civil Service Fast Stream etc and although my role is good, I'm feeling like it's definitely one where I'd stagnate if I stayed in it and not move forward.

I'm now feeling left behind again, like I did when I was unemployed.

I've noticed some graduate schemes say that you have to have graduated within the last two years - but is tihs the case for most?

Sorry if I sound like I'm unappreciative, I am very grateful for my job, but I just don't want to be left behind and end up stuck in a 'meh' job when I could get on a graduate scheme like my friends have with great prospects.

Reply 1279

jelly1000