The Student Room Group
Discovering Higher and Degree Apprenticeships with UWE Bristol, get free advice >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Discovering Higher and Degree Apprenticeships with UWE Bristol, get free advice >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>

This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

Sales and Recruitment is the only thing available to Graduates

^^ Okay I don't necessarily believe this statement, however I'm a biomed grad as of this year and it appears that sales and recruitment are the only jobs that are going for grads unless you have a specific degree (ie medicine, dentistry, construction etc.)

How do you find jobs that are different to this? The only thing I've been contacted for via job boards etc is sales or recruitment. Is this really all that there is for a graduate job nowadays?

I understand with both career paths you can move on up into management and director roles, so you obviously aren't stuck with the same thing forever...but it just seems that these are the only open doors.

Scroll to see replies

Hmm its making me scared. But I have a distinct plan to become a chartered accountant so it shouldn't be a problem hopefully
Original post by walkers38
Hmm its making me scared. But I have a distinct plan to become a chartered accountant so it shouldn't be a problem hopefully


Do you have an accounting/business degree? Most of the things I'd seen related to graduate trainee accounting jobs require those degrees so obviously with a science degree I miss out
Reply 3
Avatar for Quady
Quady
20
Original post by malachitheone
^^ Okay I don't necessarily believe this statement, however I'm a biomed grad as of this year and it appears that sales and recruitment are the only jobs that are going for grads unless you have a specific degree (ie medicine, dentistry, construction etc.)

How do you find jobs that are different to this? The only thing I've been contacted for via job boards etc is sales or recruitment. Is this really all that there is for a graduate job nowadays?

I understand with both career paths you can move on up into management and director roles, so you obviously aren't stuck with the same thing forever...but it just seems that these are the only open doors.


Whats stopping grads apply for management consultancies (eg Deloitte), accountancy (eg PWC), retail management (eg Aldi), public sector (eg Civil Service)...
Law.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Quady
Whats stopping grads apply for management consultancies (eg Deloitte), accountancy (eg PWC), retail management (eg Aldi), public sector (eg Civil Service)...


Sorry I should have specified, graduating with a 2:2, but also these schemes are always massively over subscribed so for those that are unsuccessful what could they do?
Original post by Unsworth


I had seen these, training contracts starting from 2016. However I don't understand why they always start in 2 years time, what do you do in the 2 years inbetween for money? I thought the law conversion was done once the contract had started.
Reply 6
Avatar for Quady
Quady
20
Original post by malachitheone
Sorry I should have specified, graduating with a 2:2, but also these schemes are always massively over subscribed so for those that are unsuccessful what could they do?


I had seen these, training contracts starting from 2016. However I don't understand why they always start in 2 years time, what do you do in the 2 years inbetween for money? I thought the law conversion was done once the contract had started.


Well one of them accepts applications with a 2.2. They are massively over subscribed with duplicate applications. Sorry I didnt realise you meant for the minority of grads without a 2.1/1st...

Teaching or accountancy would be the obvious ones in that case.
Original post by malachitheone
^^ Okay I don't necessarily believe this statement, however I'm a biomed grad as of this year and it appears that sales and recruitment are the only jobs that are going for grads unless you have a specific degree (ie medicine, dentistry, construction etc.)

How do you find jobs that are different to this? The only thing I've been contacted for via job boards etc is sales or recruitment. Is this really all that there is for a graduate job nowadays?

I understand with both career paths you can move on up into management and director roles, so you obviously aren't stuck with the same thing forever...but it just seems that these are the only open doors.


Totally agree with you, ive spent 3-4 years doing consultative sales roles in these industries upon finishing university. Ive decided to look to the medical profession.
Original post by Quady
Whats stopping grads apply for management consultancies (eg Deloitte), accountancy (eg PWC), retail management (eg Aldi), public sector (eg Civil Service)...


Right you do know consultancy is sales i.e. pitching to clients, retail lmao your incredibly naive aldi - sales targets (kpi's)...
Reply 9
Avatar for Advanced
Advanced
7
You're not looking in the right places. You need to look for graduate schemes on graduate websites and not just on job boards like Reed etc.

http://www.graduate-jobs.com/ is a useful source for grad jobs in numerous sectors.
Original post by Advanced
You're not looking in the right places. You need to look for graduate schemes on graduate websites and not just on job boards like Reed etc.

http://www.graduate-jobs.com/ is a useful source for grad jobs in numerous sectors.


This is a website I've looked at before, it mainly has recruitment and sales graduate jobs/schemes advertised. The few trainee management positions that I've seen advertised either ask for a 2:1 or do not mention anywhere near enough detail as most job adverts seem to with regards to what the role would be or even an inkling to any sort of career progression
Original post by SloaneRanger
Totally agree with you, ive spent 3-4 years doing consultative sales roles in these industries upon finishing university. Ive decided to look to the medical profession.


When you say "look to the medical profession" do you mean medicine or as in pharmaceutical sales etc? As it stands I see myself doing recruitment/sales at the moment purely for the prospect of a bit of financial stability for a while whilst I get myself sorted out after uni, and also with the potential for fast career progression, but I have no idea if it's an industry I would be able to stay in long term
Original post by malachitheone

I had seen these, training contracts starting from 2016. However I don't understand why they always start in 2 years time, what do you do in the 2 years inbetween for money? I thought the law conversion was done once the contract had started.


The big city firms will pay for you to do the conversion (GDL) and the practice course (LPC) which will take 2 years. They will also give you a grant of between 7-8 grand while you do them which basically pays for most of your living costs.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by malachitheone
When you say "look to the medical profession" do you mean medicine or as in pharmaceutical sales etc? As it stands I see myself doing recruitment/sales at the moment purely for the prospect of a bit of financial stability for a while whilst I get myself sorted out after uni, and also with the potential for fast career progression, but I have no idea if it's an industry I would be able to stay in long term


Actual medicine, I absolutely hate sales and would never make a life time commitment to it. I think the medical profession is far more reward, money isn't everything. You should at least try recruitment/sales you might like it and yeah do your numbers you will go very far in a short period of time.
Stop looking for 'graduate jobs' and look for actual jobs. For someone with a biomedical degree there's a plethora of lab work out there that you can do, even if it's not right up your street straight away.
Yeah it does sometimes look like they are the majority of jobs on offer. Lots of jobs go unadvertised and these are the real gems to look out for. Tell me where you've looked so far and I'll see if I can give you a steer.
Just lower your standards and accept a low-sector job , gawd.
Reply 17
Avatar for M1011
M1011
19
Original post by malachitheone
Do you have an accounting/business degree? Most of the things I'd seen related to graduate trainee accounting jobs require those degrees so obviously with a science degree I miss out


Not true at all. Literally couldn't be less true...

Original post by Quady
Well one of them accepts applications with a 2.2. They are massively over subscribed with duplicate applications. Sorry I didnt realise you meant for the minority of grads without a 2.1/1st...

Teaching or accountancy would be the obvious ones in that case.


Accountancy is an obvious one for those without a 2.1? Despite practically everywhere requiring a 2.1? Seems legit.

Original post by SloaneRanger
Right you do know consultancy is sales i.e. pitching to clients, retail lmao your incredibly naive aldi - sales targets (kpi's)...


Consulting isn't sales... you're still confused on this Sloane :tongue:
Reply 18
Avatar for Quady
Quady
20
Original post by M1011
Accountancy is an obvious one for those without a 2.1? Despite practically everywhere requiring a 2.1? Seems legit.


http://www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs/trainee_chartered_accountant/horder_adey/1228494?utm_source=Indeed&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=Indeed

http://www.insidecareers.co.uk/jobs/trainee-chartered-accountant-5/

http://www.siemens.co.uk/careers/en/graduate/finance-and-accounting.htm
Reply 19
Avatar for Quady
Quady
20
Original post by SloaneRanger
Right you do know consultancy is sales i.e. pitching to clients, retail lmao your incredibly naive aldi - sales targets (kpi's)...


Thats a very broad definition...

If consultants just did sales, they wouldn't do any chargeable work.

So because I need some consultants to do some work for me, I'm in recruitment am I? In order to go out to market for them I needed to write a business case, oh am I in sales?

MPs are in sales then I guess?
And Tesco checkout assistants?
And my solicitor?
And my dentist?

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you