Employment after graduation.
I can't be the only person out there feeling like their degree was an utter waste of time.
I currently volunteer in a charity shop but my manager was weary of taking me on, she used to work in a large tnc (I've omitted company names to protect identities) and refused to employ graduates on the assumption that graduates would never work at said shop as degrees should lead to a desired career path which you should walk straight into.
I live in rural devon and this attitude prevails throughout the county, my cousin graduated from Uni 12 months ago now and is still unemployed. My friend told me about a job, she left school at 18 with alevels. After I applied they told her that she was silly to suggest a graduate for the job as I should only be applying for graduate jobs and that my degree combined with lack of experience would not justify the higher rate of minimum wage.
Now worse still the job centre have told me to effectively abandon plans for joining the civil service as there isn't any jobs down here related to that. Instead I should apply for shops, call centres and admin work of which there is plentiful supply, I've been spared cleaning jobs which are also plentiful!!
Given this rough treatment I wonder why was I so stupid as to go to Uni, I see all my friends in 37.5 hour jobs with nothing more than gcse's or alevels yet I can only get volunteering and 16 hours stacking shelves.
I know that I will be lucky to get a full time job as people view Uni as an excuse to stay in bed all day and party on the tax payers dime when they could have been working.
Does anyone else feel that in terms of employment they would have been better off not going Uni?
I currently volunteer in a charity shop but my manager was weary of taking me on, she used to work in a large tnc (I've omitted company names to protect identities) and refused to employ graduates on the assumption that graduates would never work at said shop as degrees should lead to a desired career path which you should walk straight into.
I live in rural devon and this attitude prevails throughout the county, my cousin graduated from Uni 12 months ago now and is still unemployed. My friend told me about a job, she left school at 18 with alevels. After I applied they told her that she was silly to suggest a graduate for the job as I should only be applying for graduate jobs and that my degree combined with lack of experience would not justify the higher rate of minimum wage.
Now worse still the job centre have told me to effectively abandon plans for joining the civil service as there isn't any jobs down here related to that. Instead I should apply for shops, call centres and admin work of which there is plentiful supply, I've been spared cleaning jobs which are also plentiful!!
Given this rough treatment I wonder why was I so stupid as to go to Uni, I see all my friends in 37.5 hour jobs with nothing more than gcse's or alevels yet I can only get volunteering and 16 hours stacking shelves.
I know that I will be lucky to get a full time job as people view Uni as an excuse to stay in bed all day and party on the tax payers dime when they could have been working.
Does anyone else feel that in terms of employment they would have been better off not going Uni?
If I ever had a chance to change my plans, I would probably have gone to do something else instead of going to uni. I'm really disappointed that I didn't had an opportunity to do apprenticeships which I think is a good way to get into employment. Yet I don't think that my studies were a waste of time because I've learnt so much things and gained qualities that I can easily direct towards job needs 
Jobcentre should know that even Admin is very competitive nowadays and most of the places ask you to have at least 1 year of experience in that area. Do you really feel you would like to work in a Call Centre? You could try shops which could support you financially whilst you go on your way to what you really want
As for cleaning jobs, if you are a graduate, it isn't easy as well because I did apply for many cleaning jobs that didn't specify certain requirements and haven't heard back.
You say you want to get into civil service.. Have you thought about volunteering to help you to get into that area?
Jobcentre should know that even Admin is very competitive nowadays and most of the places ask you to have at least 1 year of experience in that area. Do you really feel you would like to work in a Call Centre? You could try shops which could support you financially whilst you go on your way to what you really want
As for cleaning jobs, if you are a graduate, it isn't easy as well because I did apply for many cleaning jobs that didn't specify certain requirements and haven't heard back.
You say you want to get into civil service.. Have you thought about volunteering to help you to get into that area?
I've thought about it but there isn't any civil service jobs in the area, I tried begging to get on an apprenticeship, but no one wanted me because I have alevels, I feel that my chances of finding meaningful employment faded the day I started Uni! I've had everyone ask me "so are you going to be a teacher then?" Because that is what history graduates do. For them the only degrees worth having are the ones that lead to a direct career path eg medicine, Dentistry etc. and I was nearly forced into three months work experience unpaid. They say about the forgotten 50% what about those of us who find ourselves in an endless cycle of low pay no pay after graduation? I certainly wouldn't go Uni now with £9000 fees and seeing how graduates in my area struggle, as people perceive us as lazy!
If you want to go into the civil service, the best place to look is the graduate fast stream. You can google it, and there are threads on it on the public sector forum. The application process is open now, and as a grad you could apply for it, regardless of what the Jobcentre say. You might also want to look at the local government graduate scheme, which is separate.
If there are no jobs in Devon, look for jobs elsewhere and then move?
Do you mean civil service as in one of the ministerial departments? It's ridiculously difficult, an effective lottery in fact. But that's not even the main issue here.
The problem with jobs as a graduate is pride. Drop the pride and start doing what you can. Just work part time on something temporary, develop a determination to nab your first career role and work at it non stop. I stacked shelves at the crack of dawn. Bloody hell did it grate, but I got out of it and was more determined to do so with each passing day. Every one of those mince pie boxes I had to shift, it got my jobhunting work ethic into gear that little bit more.
The problem with jobs as a graduate is pride. Drop the pride and start doing what you can. Just work part time on something temporary, develop a determination to nab your first career role and work at it non stop. I stacked shelves at the crack of dawn. Bloody hell did it grate, but I got out of it and was more determined to do so with each passing day. Every one of those mince pie boxes I had to shift, it got my jobhunting work ethic into gear that little bit more.
(edited 10 years ago)
As I see it if I hadn't done a degree I would have got an entry level job and hoped to work my way up through doing a good job and being noticed/having more stuff to write on my CV.
That's basically where I'm starting now after my degree, except that hopefully my degree will give me a tiny headstart in that I'm aiming for about £7 an hour stuff and hopefully stuff that *could* lead somewhere.
But I think graduates on £30,000 is only realistic if:
- You get on one of the big graduate schemes (doesn't appeal to me)
- You get into sales and are really good at it (no chance for me)
- You did IT or something really specialised/have a rare skill
So I'm just going to accept my lot and look for the best just-above-entry-level position I can. The optimist in me still says I can hopefully do a good job and get noticed....
That's basically where I'm starting now after my degree, except that hopefully my degree will give me a tiny headstart in that I'm aiming for about £7 an hour stuff and hopefully stuff that *could* lead somewhere.
But I think graduates on £30,000 is only realistic if:
- You get on one of the big graduate schemes (doesn't appeal to me)
- You get into sales and are really good at it (no chance for me)
- You did IT or something really specialised/have a rare skill
So I'm just going to accept my lot and look for the best just-above-entry-level position I can. The optimist in me still says I can hopefully do a good job and get noticed....
I work in boots 16 hours atm, but there are no government departments near me except DWP and I still have a few bones to pick with them! The DVLA left not so long ago we also have the met office but that is it. Moving away isn't an option, my family got into some serious debt because I was at uni and I do blame myself as it was selfish of me to go and get a degree and leave them struggling when I could have been working only to graduate and then mooch off of them as I struggled to get a job. Most of my friends who left school have moved out, got decent employment and if we all ended up on the same wage they would still be better off as I would have to repay my student loans. A degree isn't worth the money as far as I am concerned, a job is all that matters, it means food on the table, a roof over your head and a treat every now and then. If I started the same job three years ago I would probably be a manager by now because of my ethics. Sea Cadets taught me to always work hard to prove myself in order to be rewarded with responsibility and respect, I had to come in at the lowest rank and you had to prove yourself in order to be promoted to a higher rank and at the start as a cadet you were treated well because you were new, but within 6 months you were no longer new and in theory the next rank up, when I was this rank I learned that if I didn't want to be treated like I was the bottom of the pile I would have to shine my boots better and work harder and I did and got a promotion before having to leave due to school pressures but I did learn some life lessons. Nothing will ever be given, you will always have to start at the bottom and hard work will always be rewarded. I would rather start at the bottom and work up to earn respect and the way the company works rather than come barging in with ideas and annoying everyone below me
Original post by amy2311
I can't be the only person out there feeling like their degree was an utter waste of time.
I currently volunteer in a charity shop but my manager was weary of taking me on, she used to work in a large tnc (I've omitted company names to protect identities) and refused to employ graduates on the assumption that graduates would never work at said shop as degrees should lead to a desired career path which you should walk straight into.
I live in rural devon and this attitude prevails throughout the county, my cousin graduated from Uni 12 months ago now and is still unemployed. My friend told me about a job, she left school at 18 with alevels. After I applied they told her that she was silly to suggest a graduate for the job as I should only be applying for graduate jobs and that my degree combined with lack of experience would not justify the higher rate of minimum wage.
Now worse still the job centre have told me to effectively abandon plans for joining the civil service as there isn't any jobs down here related to that. Instead I should apply for shops, call centres and admin work of which there is plentiful supply, I've been spared cleaning jobs which are also plentiful!!
Given this rough treatment I wonder why was I so stupid as to go to Uni, I see all my friends in 37.5 hour jobs with nothing more than gcse's or alevels yet I can only get volunteering and 16 hours stacking shelves.
I know that I will be lucky to get a full time job as people view Uni as an excuse to stay in bed all day and party on the tax payers dime when they could have been working.
Does anyone else feel that in terms of employment they would have been better off not going Uni?
I currently volunteer in a charity shop but my manager was weary of taking me on, she used to work in a large tnc (I've omitted company names to protect identities) and refused to employ graduates on the assumption that graduates would never work at said shop as degrees should lead to a desired career path which you should walk straight into.
I live in rural devon and this attitude prevails throughout the county, my cousin graduated from Uni 12 months ago now and is still unemployed. My friend told me about a job, she left school at 18 with alevels. After I applied they told her that she was silly to suggest a graduate for the job as I should only be applying for graduate jobs and that my degree combined with lack of experience would not justify the higher rate of minimum wage.
Now worse still the job centre have told me to effectively abandon plans for joining the civil service as there isn't any jobs down here related to that. Instead I should apply for shops, call centres and admin work of which there is plentiful supply, I've been spared cleaning jobs which are also plentiful!!
Given this rough treatment I wonder why was I so stupid as to go to Uni, I see all my friends in 37.5 hour jobs with nothing more than gcse's or alevels yet I can only get volunteering and 16 hours stacking shelves.
I know that I will be lucky to get a full time job as people view Uni as an excuse to stay in bed all day and party on the tax payers dime when they could have been working.
Does anyone else feel that in terms of employment they would have been better off not going Uni?
I totally agree. I've come back home from uni and have seen friends who opted out of uni having brilliant jobs, well payed and enjoying life. Then there's me who's spent 3 years working for a degree and can't find anything remotely related to it and I'm thinking I should have gone straight into employment after my GCSE's or A-Level's instead of wasting 3 years.
The sad part is that I've had to go on JSA and have been told I have to apply for everything and anything available, if not I won't get the allowance. So i'm applying for jobs I want to and other that I don't but have to. I'm more stressed being on the JSA than I was before.
I'm constantly applying for jobs and I'm getting rejection letter after rejection letter and it's not exactly filling me with hope.
I'd really like a job in the civil service. I applied to a job at the Home Office a while back and received an email saying that they've had a lot of applications in so there will be a delay in giving a response back.
On top of that people I went to uni with have been offered good jobs, related to our degree...some even had more than one offer and are having difficulty decided which one to accept.
Sorry if I ranted a bit, i'm just really frustrated lol
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