The Student Room Group

Graduates: Who else is struggling to even get an interview

It's a very difficult market :eek:
Reply 1
Who've you been applying to? Is your problem weak academics or something else?

It's still early days if you're applying for 2013, no need to panic yet. Just learn from the setbacks!
Reply 2
Original post by M1011
Who've you been applying to? Is your problem weak academics or something else?

It's still early days if you're applying for 2013, no need to panic yet. Just learn from the setbacks!


No I have a good 2.1 business degree and am applying for business and marketing jobs but I almost always get rejected.

And I can't just hang around until 2013 I would really like to have a job as soon as possible :mad:
Reply 3
Original post by serious.sam
No I have a good 2.1 business degree and am applying for business and marketing jobs but I almost always get rejected.

And I can't just hang around until 2013 I would really like to have a job as soon as possible :mad:


Ah so you're applying for 2012, in that case you're running late! Sounds like your academics are solid, if you're getting rejected at the paper stage then perhaps it's down to a lack of relevant experience? Lots of candidates these days have placement years / summer internships on their CV's, do you? If not then perhaps look to address this!
Original post by M1011
Ah so you're applying for 2012, in that case you're running late! Sounds like your academics are solid, if you're getting rejected at the paper stage then perhaps it's down to a lack of relevant experience? Lots of candidates these days have placement years / summer internships on their CV's, do you? If not then perhaps look to address this!


Easier said than done. If nobody takes you on for internships or grad jobs, how can you get experience for grad jobs?!

Speculative applications aren't working for me either. I'm getting a lot of 'the vacancy has been filled', and I've got no idea if they're telling the truth or if my application wasn't good enough. A straight answer from employers would at least help.
I can completely understand. :redface:

Things are very tough. A lot of my friends are in the same position. All have solid 2.1 degrees and work experience in different sectors, yet they are not getting work.

I am in a bit of an odd situation. I want a teaching job, which I cannot secure at the moment. I am hoping some January start jobs will appear around October. However, to help keep my foot in the door, I've been registering with supply agencies but I keep hearing negative stories about them and the consensus is that a few days work a week is the best you can hope for. :frown: I've ended up taking a part time non-graduate job to tide me over - and even getting that was difficult. I've been rejected [before interview] from so many places. It is rather depressing lol. :redface:


Good luck and I hope you find something soon. :smile:
Reply 6
Original post by wanderlust.xx
Easier said than done. If nobody takes you on for internships or grad jobs, how can you get experience for grad jobs?!

Speculative applications aren't working for me either. I'm getting a lot of 'the vacancy has been filled', and I've got no idea if they're telling the truth or if my application wasn't good enough. A straight answer from employers would at least help.


Yea it sucks if they don't give proper feedback. The thing to remember is that everyone has lots of experience, whether it's the societies you took part in at Uni or the part-time retail job you held during your first year, it all counts! It's really down to how you sell it. E.g. "Worked in Next doing stock replenishment" doesn't sound as good as "worked in a dynamic team to provide real-time stock replenishment to ensure customer demand was met on a rolling basis". The first one screams 'did a minimum wage job' whereas the second suggests teamwork, communication, customer focus, organisation, ability to handle pressure etcetera without having to lie or distort the facts.
Reply 7
Original post by M1011
Yea it sucks if they don't give proper feedback. The thing to remember is that everyone has lots of experience, whether it's the societies you took part in at Uni or the part-time retail job you held during your first year, it all counts! It's really down to how you sell it. E.g. "Worked in Next doing stock replenishment" doesn't sound as good as "worked in a dynamic team to provide real-time stock replenishment to ensure customer demand was met on a rolling basis". The first one screams 'did a minimum wage job' whereas the second suggests teamwork, communication, customer focus, organisation, ability to handle pressure etcetera without having to lie or distort the facts.


But it just sounds so fake..
Reply 8
Original post by MeineJunge
But it just sounds so fake..


But it's not fake? It's just wording it to express what you actually did in a way that makes you stand out from the 1000s of others who did similar minimum wage jobs. I'm not advocating being dishonest as I think that'll just get you caught at interview, but candidates do need to make the most of the experience they have.

The person looking through your application is most likely looking for evidence of you displaying a certain set of competencies. The first example ("worked in Next..") displays nothing at all, they read that line and move on. The second example ("worked in a dynamic..") displays a whole host of competencies that the person looking at your application can use to justify giving you an interview over other applicants.
Reply 9
To be honest, I'd roll my eyes at the statement, but what do I know; I'm not a recruiter.

Anyways, I'm in the same boat. Been applying since I finished Uni in May with a First and still haven't gotten an interview. I'm contemplating going on JSA even though I really don't want to.
Reply 10
Original post by Chapeau Rouge
Having a first doesn't make you more qualified for a job than other people. (From someone who also has a first).


I'm perfectly aware of that. :P But I do have the experience to back up my degree and I'm told by people who work in the industry I want to enter that my portfolio is excellent so I guess my only option is to keep plugging away until I get lucky. :shrug:
Original post by Chapeau Rouge
Having just spent a week working in a HR department of a company in London I can tell you that all the speculative applications sent there were put straight in the recycling bin unfortunately. The only time you will get something out of it is if you are lucky and apply at the same time an internal vacancy pops up that matches your exact specs.


I think I was really unclear with my post, but I actually meant trying to get work experience so I'd be working for free. So just sending them a letter saying that I'd be willing to work for free... although this also seems like it'd get rejected. I'm not sure companies have the time of day to spend on talking to people who want experience.
Original post by Chapeau Rouge
Just have to get lucky I guess. I got my work experience through a contact and the whole company had a policy that they would only take people on for work experience who knew someone within the company but they are not all like that. What sector are you interested in?


Insurance and finance sectors, really. Any office or data work would be incredibly useful to add on my CV for the 2013 milkround, though.
Reply 13
Original post by MeineJunge
But it just sounds so fake..


This is why I'm getting fed up with interviews myself. Having to feign interest all the time is getting difficult. Applying for ****ty jobs with no prospect, poor wages, short term contract, nothing stimulating or interesting at all, yet you have to go through the motions and play the act, and fake several things.

A huge part of being successful is playing the game or act, as lets be honest half of the time you have to give answers that are deemed appropriate or what they are looking for. This is why a lot of people who are crap at jobs, can BS their way to a job, because they can act quite well.

If you are asked what interests you about the role, and absolutely nothing does; you are going to have to lie. That is the hardest part for me. How comfortable are you working with a team or similar question; if you don't like working with people and prefer to work on your own, you can't really be honest. A lot of questions you have to fake, which all seems part and parcel of an interview. Sure, people say be yourself, but it is quite different when you get asked questions like that.

I just really hate the whole interview setup, and everything indeed feels fake.

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