Unemployed graduates - How are you surviving financially?

I have been wondering what unemployed graduates have been doing that they can't find a job but they can manage to stay afloat financially...how is this possible - being on benefits or still living with parents after graduation?

Reply 1

A.U.G.

5

Personally, I moved back home after graduation so the big things are taken care of by my parents - housing and food! But I also managed to save some money during university - my loan and I also received a scholarship throughout the three years. These savings pay for anything I want really, such as going out with friends and clothes :smile:

Reply 2

roflcakes1

14

I imagine they're all living with parents. Even I'm choosing to stay at home with parents for a while after graduation - I'm full time employed in the sector I want to work in, but entry level salaries for that sector are not great and I'd rather commute and save at least some money than waste it all on London rent! With rent so high it's very common even for graduates with jobs to choose this.

Tbh I would admit though that I would find it quite embarrassing having to rely on my parents for 'pocket money' or an 'allowance' to pay for luxuries such as socializing or clothes which I know a lot of people do - even before I got my present job I worked in other jobs (both as an undergrad and recent grad) and saved as much as I could to make sure I was never in that position and was able to do the things I wanted. Granted before I got a full time job I didn't pay for food etc but did pay for all my personal costs and now I have a permanent job I can contribute to food and other costs to my parents.

Reply 3

MonsoonFlower

OP

22

Original post by roflcakes1

I imagine they're all living with parents. Even I'm choosing to stay at home with parents for a while after graduation - I'm full time employed in the sector I want to work in, but entry level salaries for that sector are not great and I'd rather commute and save at least some money than waste it all on London rent! With rent so high it's very common even for graduates with jobs to choose this.

Tbh I would admit though that I would find it quite embarrassing having to rely on my parents for 'pocket money' or an 'allowance' to pay for luxuries such as socializing or clothes which I know a lot of people do - even before I got my present job I worked in other jobs (both as an undergrad and recent grad) and saved as much as I could to make sure I was never in that position and was able to do the things I wanted. Granted before I got a full time job I didn't pay for food etc but did pay for all my personal costs and now I have a permanent job I can contribute to food and other costs to my parents.

I know just how you feel.
The whole system is absolutely ridiculous in my opinion but unfortunately this the reality of adult life.

My sister is always looking down at me asking why I can't get a job with a high paid salary.
Well you are in your late 30s, graduated from uni in the 90s and a Solicitor, so of course you are going to ask that sis.
Anyway she can't even afford to take her children to nursery 5 days a week so I don't see what she's talking about.
She thinks everything is easy in life! :dry:

I can afford to live away its just I can't drive and a full time job makes learning to drive difficult. :dontknow:

Reply 4

jelly1000

21

I moved back home with my parents, my Dad continued giving me an allowance and I had saved up a fair bit of the allowance I had recieved from both my parents whilst at uni.

Reply 5

Len Goodman

3

Scrounging off the bank of Mum and Dad, unfortunately.

Reply 6

SonoLuma

18

Original post by Len Goodman

Scrounging off the bank of Mum and Dad, unfortunately.

Ah. That explains why youre in a bubble on that train ticket thread.

Amazing how you can have such strong opinions on other peoples lives when you dont even know how it works for other people.

Let me know how you feel about train tickets when your paycheck is emptied every month. and youre paying for everything yourself.

Reply 7

lozzielizzie

14

Am living with my parents currently as I have yet to get a job in the field I want to work in. Am currently resorting to doing two jobs that I could of done before going to university which sucks but at least gives me money for social life and sports. I just keep applying for the jobs I want and wait and see. I had five or six interviews for roles I really wanted but I did not get them, I just had to say to myself stay positive and keep trying.

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Reply 8

MonsoonFlower

OP

22

Original post by lozzielizzie

Am living with my parents currently as I have yet to get a job in the field I want to work in. Am currently resorting to doing two jobs that I could of done before going to university which sucks but at least gives me money for social life and sports. I just keep applying for the jobs I want and wait and see. I had five or six interviews for roles I really wanted but I did not get them, I just had to say to myself stay positive and keep trying.

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What career is it that you want to do; what are you doing in your two jobs?

Reply 9

josh_v

17

Had to move back home.

Having to pay off over £300 a month for a loan made it especially difficult to apply for grad jobs because I was having to work as many hours as I could to cover that, as well as credit card debt, car costs etc.

Reply 10

MonsoonFlower

OP

22

Original post by josh_v

Had to move back home.

Having to pay off over £300 a month for a loan made it especially difficult to apply for grad jobs because I was having to work as many hours as I could to cover that, as well as credit card debt, car costs etc.

Ahh the joys of being in the rat race! :frown:

Reply 11

josh_v

17

Original post by Boreism

Ahh the joys of being in the rat race! :frown:

Spent a year in London doing my masters and didn't have a job or any savings before I went. As a result, I spent a year living on credit card. So now paying off all that, as well as my masters loan which is basically a bank loan that has to be paid regardless of income. Thankfully I didn't have to pay any rent whilst I was there, otherwise I never could have gone.

Grad job starting in 9 months. Hoping to clear my credit cards before then.

Reply 12

MonsoonFlower

OP

22

Original post by josh_v

Spent a year in London doing my masters and didn't have a job or any savings before I went. As a result, I spent a year living on credit card. So now paying off all that, as well as my masters loan which is basically a bank loan that has to be paid regardless of income. Thankfully I didn't have to pay any rent whilst I was there, otherwise I never could have gone.

Grad job starting in 9 months. Hoping to clear my credit cards before then.

Sounds like any typical graduate! What job are you going to be doing?

Reply 13

josh_v

17

Original post by Boreism

Sounds like any typical graduate! What job are you going to be doing?

Currently have an offer from Eon for their finance grad scheme. Wasn't exactly what I imagined I would be doing because I specialised in financial risk and risk management. But having had a look around on LinkedIn, it seems that they have people working in market risk and risk positions in general. Apparently you have the opportunity to shape your own grad scheme and if you connect with people who you want to work with, if they have projects for you to work on, then you can move across divisions.

Also have a phone interview with npower for quant risk grad scheme as well as a few unanswered applications for banks/insurance/energy firms as well.

Reply 14

MonsoonFlower

OP

22

Original post by josh_v

Currently have an offer from Eon for their finance grad scheme. Wasn't exactly what I imagined I would be doing because I specialised in financial risk and risk management. But having had a look around on LinkedIn, it seems that they have people working in market risk and risk positions in general. Apparently you have the opportunity to shape your own grad scheme and if you connect with people who you want to work with, if they have projects for you to work on, then you can move across divisions.

Also have a phone interview with npower for quant risk grad scheme as well as a few unanswered applications for banks/insurance/energy firms as well.

That's good, so things have worked out in the end...eventually. :smile:

I used to work in utilities myself, but found some of the duties quite tedious so moved on to other roles.
Graduate roles have been no interest to me because its the same average pay as any job in my opinion when you start out and most of the schemes are based in London and surrounding areas which is over my budget if I was to move out of home.
They are also ridiculously extremely difficult to get into because like everywhere else they expect experience on top of a degree! :colonhash:

Catch 22.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 15

lozzielizzie

14

Original post by Boreism

What career is it that you want to do; what are you doing in your two jobs?

Sainsbury's as an online shopper, sport coaching but am handing my notice in as it's not working out. My degree in sport and physical education but am looking for youth work roles. I had a number of interviews for roles, so that positive. I applied for a couple of local ones but going to be a bit of a wait the interviews not till Feb and am hopeful that I will get the interviews and I just keep hunting and applying for full time work. The jobs I been for in past the employers saw potential but each time someone more experienced got taken on or I messed up on one area of the overall interview, so am learning from each interview i done.

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Reply 16

jamess3

6

Original post by BritishGirl

I have been wondering what unemployed graduates have been doing that they can't find a job but they can manage to stay afloat financially...how is this possible - being on benefits or still living with parents after graduation?