Apparently it's my fault I'm an unemployed graduate...

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I'm currently an unemployed (by unemployed I mean stuck in part time retail) graduate who is interested! Which university? How do you apply? What is the application process?

All Universities. I've just worked in 2 different Universities and they both hired their own students after graduation. Universities are stuffed with their own alumni, both in academics (though often returning mid and late career) and in their professional support services (particularly recent graduates)

Reply 441

Quady

Original post by smithers123

Struggling getting that dream job because of the psychometric testing ?
let me help you, I give a guarantee that you pass your online test if it be a graduate scheme or an school leavers programme. I have done this for many years and have completed tests for top firms from investment banking, consultancy, accountancy firms, PWC KPMG, and many many more. please let me know as I get booked quick.

Cool, when are you free?

Reply 442

fastswift

Seriously? You are going to pay this guy to do your test?

Many companies would ask you to do a test when you go for an interview. It would make you look real bad if the results don't add up.

The tests are very easy. Practise more. It is definitely doable. I was told that I scored 98% in both numerical and verbal, with 5-10min left in both tests.

Reply 443

Botticello

Original post by Free.Help

I'm sick and tired of being told it's my own fault for being an unemployed graduate and people giving me obvious "advice" which is frankly patronising and insulting to my intelligence...

TELL ME ABOUT IT. My mum does it constantly and it is very irritating. I'm glad I didn't graduate in 2009 cause that was the worst year.Just makes me want to strangle the government and employers. :angry:

I mean I don't want to do a graduate scheme or work in a big company but I'm so jealous of people who graduated when it was easy to find work.

Original post by MostUncivilised

You should definitely check out university vacancies for support staff though, work in an admissions office or student support; the pay is reasonable, you get good sick pay and pensions, the hours are highly reasonable and there's overtime paid at twice your normal rate

What websites are best for this? (Other than the individual university websites obviously).

I have gone down this route a few times over the past year of applying for things and in my experience so many universities are undergoing 'restructuring' (i.e. cutting back on admin staff quite significantly) and so the few places which are available are going to be filled by those with prior experience in the sector.

Been 'employed' for nearly a year now. In a part time, min. wage, rubbish hours job.

Hasn't helped much. Just gets in the way of interviews. I've seen lots of people get better jobs after university without doing a rubbish one in between.

Anyone else care to comment on this? I'm interested in whether people's experiences with this relate to that of me and rock_climber86.

Even sitting behind a till, sometimes earning less than what you would from the dole? I would have agreed with you at one time but I'm not convinced anymore.

Reply 451

Cigarist

It certainly feels like it.

If you get a job, any job, shout Hallelujah and give thanks to whatever gods may be in the vicinity.

Reply 452

Pipsico

Original post by dnaalpha

Even sitting behind a till, sometimes earning less than what you would from the dole? I would have agreed with you at one time but I'm not convinced anymore.

Of course having something to do is better than nothing, as long as you don't take it up full time to the detriment of filling in proper applications.

It's bad to be seen having employment gaps in the CV. Even if you have the best intentions during that time, it's still seen as unemployment to an employer.

It's incredibly depressing not having anything to get up for when you're unemployed - as I and many others find it. Doing something is better than nothing, and helps break up the monotony of unemployment, albeit with something that's arguably equally monotonous.

At least with a full time job, you could try to embellish some of your achievements and take advantage of further responsibility thrown your way.

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Reply 453

Marco1

Since when did a degree, or two, or three, guarantee work in the corresponding field afterwards? There is no metaphysical law to that effect. 40 years ago there may be some truth to it but not today. Churning out graduates in the UK is a huge business now and there is no shortage of applicants because kids want the uni experience, and I don't blame them. There are plenty of jobs but be flexible and broaden your search criteria. Don't give up the ghost. Stay positive and alter your job search strategy. Plans change and you may find a very rewarding career in something you may never have even considered before, but which you love. I like the sound of your degree subject. A degree in any subject carries weight and shows you have risen to the demands of higher level education. Seriously, I wish you the very best of luck and have no doubt you will find something you like soon. But please don't let yourself be despondent and lose enthusiasm. Don't worry about what people think. It's your life.

Reply 454

charlfisher1993

Original post by Robbie242

Been blunt here but political science isn't the most useful thing to get a degree in, you should've known that you'd have more trouble than others securing a job. A degree doesn't give you instant access to jobs, you need to keep working at it and get more experience and become what employers want (otherwise they would've taken you by now)

Christ, no degree is useful any more, he wanted advice not to be put down more.

Original post by Pipsico

At least with a full time job, you could try to embellish some of your achievements and take advantage of further responsibility thrown your way.
Posted from TSR Mobile

Theoretically, yes, employers might be impressed. But frankly I think the opposite happens, they look at you as a 'mcdonalds worker' or 'shelf stacker' or whatever it is right from the outset. You can embellish them to high heavens but employers aren't that stupid, they can see through it.

Original post by Marco1

Since when did a degree, or two, or three, guarantee work in the corresponding field afterwards? There is no metaphysical law to that effect.

Of course not, very rarely will English graduates get jobs relating to English. Same with most sciences too. It's about transferable skills.

The point is that it doesn't help you to land ANY job.

Reply 457

dnaalpha

Original post by Herbie14

The Job Centre is a nightmare, "yes i know how to get a job" ..... "let's look at your skillset". So irritating and degrading!

Yes. Advice is one of the things I hate the most. People assume that because you're unemployed you're a complete moron who doesn't know how to go about getting a job, and is doing it wrong somehow. Last week I even had an employer tell me that my interview was perfect and they would have liked to hire me, but someone else with ten years' experience in the job applied and so they had to go for them instead. If they hadn't applied, I'd have got the job. And that's the reality. Us recent grads aren't so inept at job searching that we can't be employed, we are just up against a reserve army of unemployed professionals and other graduates which means that every position we apply for we are sure to be against more qualified competitors. It is very hard to get around that without spending thousands and thousands of pounds 'volunteering' for ages or getting a postgrad degree - neither of which I can afford.

But the advice people (like jobcentre staff) will give you... 'firm handshake' ... 'make sure you answer the questions on the application form'.....

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 458

Beremy99

Experience should count in the job market. After all why should someone lose their job to a newly qualified student just because the job market is bad? We have graduates come in all the time and most of them are pretty useless - then need exactly the same training up for a job as most unqualified people and some even more. A degree means you've been good at learning in one particular way only.

Having said that I feel for the OP and anyone of you having trouble. I think this thread has been hi-jacked by people who are just plain nasty. I do hope they get their comeuppance but they are people who probably are going to go into the technical areas (which do still have some jobs - however whether they progress much after that is unlikely). Or the financial areas and they are the kind of people who created this **** existence for most of us. Sadly, those areas attract those types of people and those types of people aren't necessarily the best ones for the job. You end up with wannabe wolf of wall street types who produce fabulously entertaining books - and I loved it as a story - but you have to remember that it's you, me and our families that paid for that. People lost their entire savings and lives because of people like him and even if you didn't lose your savings you now can't get a job.

I'm really sorry for the decent people on here like the O/P who actually want to do a good job and at the same time are contributing in a worthwhile way. I'd have to say at the moment if you've got connections in a trade area that could help you out job wise then retrain as an electrician or hairdresser but if you don't have those connections you can't get the experience to help you set up on your own sadly.

Plus local education is not very good any more. Education now costs and although you'll get basics you won't get the 'real knowledge' that's kept in trade and you have to pay again sadly.

There are lots of courses that say you can train as a beautician, electrician, tree surgeon etc and start your own business. And you think 'how hard can it be' and the theory - piece of cake and it is. Yes you learn but you don't have the experience after. You need to be able to get in with a company before you go on your own because the reality is different to that circuit or boiler that's presented to you in the lesson.

The cup cake queens that have survived have survived because they supply to big companies. And how do you get those contracts? Yes, your husband/sister/cousin/best friend is one of the directors and there is a mutually beneficial element.

At the moment you are going to be unemployed and it would seem to me that whilst any job is better than no job that is for your self-esteem but those crap jobs aren't going to help you get the job you want because you have no experience in the right areas even though you've worked. We need something more innovative for students in your position.

Try for the moment to get jobs in lower accounts positions for some experience and then learn book keeping separately. It's a good skill (better than shops and bars). Try nursing (if you can stomach it) but make sure you don't get stuck as a nurse aim to move up the management or specialist areas for better money and hours. However, once you're in you do still have a job but the skills (like most despite what's said) is not transferrable.

I know I sound cynical but I'm talking from experience and not just mine every other ordinary joe that I know.

Reply 459

Beremy99

I think actually we have all taken it lying down. Instead of sniping at one another we should be working in unison and making this a major political issue. Our votes count because we are the future. You can't get a job, you can't get benefits, you can't buy a house, have a pension. You have to live with your parents who may or may not be able to afford that. You won't get a good job at 27 with bar or shop experience. I can tell you now no employer takes that as experience and gives you credit for it. Plus you are competing with 21 year olds fresh out of uni with apparently the latest knowledge. It won't be long before you have to pay for health, other education, etc. It is a time bomb and you/we should not be taking this lying down.

We need suggestions on how to move this forward and how to protect our futures. If you think you're ok because you're getting on the rung, think again You won't be moving up at more than a snails pace because those of us that are in on the lower rungs are protecting our jobs and we want the next move up and no one is taking it from us. Plus employers are all restriction their pay bands. Guess what my wages went up by this month - £7 and they said that was because they were so pleased with me. With most people not being able to afford to retire until they are nearly 70 there ain't no room for you. Once you get settled in a job other realities start to sink in and you realise you aren't much better off because you can't afford the life you want without mum and dad financing it i.e. you living with them for a long long time. Believe me they don't want it any more than you do.