Is the employment situation really getting better for 21-25 year olds? (graduates)

wish yeh the best :smile:

tell us what degree are you studying:?

furthermore as a 2nd year im wondering should i spend next summer gettign experience in a pharmaceutical programme or go have fun while i still can abroad?

I have a degree in Psychology and English. 'Transferable skills' galore, haha.

If you can, I'd try and fit both in. I'm not sure how experience requirements might vary for you, but I wish you the very best too! :smile:

Reply 21

trustmeimlying1

20

Original post by Freudian Slip

I have a degree in Psychology and English. 'Transferable skills' galore, haha.

If you can, I'd try and fit both in. I'm not sure how experience requirements might vary for you, but I wish you the very best too! :smile:

Haha as much as psychology interests me Im glad I didnt study it..one of those degrees thats so damm hard to get a job in..that said stick with it yeh seem to have the right determination!

hmm see thats the thing.Im studying pharmacy with no contacts. If I do volunteering itl take up all summer...similar with campamerica. Its only interrailing I could do whilst fitting in the work experience.

do yeh reckon itd look better to get a first proper paid summer job or the relevant experience in say.. hospital pharmacy or industry:?

Reply 22

Freudian Slip

15

Original post by trustmeimlying1

Haha as much as psychology interests me Im glad I didnt study it..one of those degrees thats so damm hard to get a job in..that said stick with it yeh seem to have the right determination!

hmm see thats the thing.Im studying pharmacy with no contacts. If I do volunteering itl take up all summer...similar with campamerica. Its only interrailing I could do whilst fitting in the work experience.

do yeh reckon itd look better to get a first proper paid summer job or the relevant experience in say.. hospital pharmacy or industry:?

I am kinda on the fence with this one, since I have twelve months experience in the field I wanted to go into and still get told this is 'insufficient' (a lot of posts I apply for seem to have 'a minimum two years post-qualifying experience).

I think I'd likely be tempted to try and secure some work experience. But, at the same time, if the offer of travelling presented itself, I'd be hard-pressed to turn it down, since I passed up on those experiences in favour of working and it didn't actually do me any favours. :giggle:

Reply 23

trustmeimlying1

20

Original post by Freudian Slip

I am kinda on the fence with this one, since I have twelve months experience in the field I wanted to go into and still get told this is 'insufficient' (a lot of posts I apply for seem to have 'a minimum two years post-qualifying experience).

I think I'd likely be tempted to try and secure some work experience. But, at the same time, if the offer of travelling presented itself, I'd be hard-pressed to turn it down, since I passed up on those experiences in favour of working and it didn't actually do me any favours. :giggle:

haha bitter p

2 years is just crazy!p I have one summers experience in hospital pharmacy to my name a wee bit in community.

thinking of getting a community pharmacy job if I can to get more experience in that.

its a balance of personal development over increasing your job employability.

either way I wont be lying on my arse this summer.

Reply 24

Freudian Slip

15

Original post by trustmeimlying1

haha bitter p

2 years is just crazy!p I have one summers experience in hospital pharmacy to my name a wee bit in community.

thinking of getting a community pharmacy job if I can to get more experience in that.

its a balance of personal development over increasing your job employability.

either way I wont be lying on my arse this summer.

Haha, maybe just a little. :blush:

Whatever you do, I'm sure it'll be ace and can only help, in the long run!

Good luck! :grin:

Reply 25

Rawlie

As a recruiter and a business owner I would say that your post has brought up a few points:
1. The degree you do does not mean that you have to do anything related to it afterwards. Most employers now are looking for more than that. That grad who is being paid £26k is lucky - good for him. It sucks when you're working somewhere and someone with less experience is making more but just use it as leverage when you ask for a payrise!
2. A grad with no work experience, who has just holidayed every summer is less interesting to an employer than someone that has done some work / any work.
3. You have to really want to try and get a job, it's hard work finding one and convincing someone to hire you but this point is relevant to people at any point in their career. You have to show enthusiasm, tenacity and motivation.
4. The market is getting better for students but the standards are just as demanding. You can't expect massive salaries, you can't expect to get your dream job straight off the bat - finding your niche or your passion takes time, experience and dead ends! Just because your first job out of uni sucks or pays badly doesn't mean you're stuck in it forever! My first grad job out of uni in a capital city paid £12k (and we're not talking back in the 90's here!), it sucked. I left after 6 months and got a new job, a pay rise and 12 years later I run my own business.
5. Look at the industries which are growing now, digital etc - there are loads of opportunities to be had, you don't need a degree in the subject but you need to be knowledgable and interested and sometimes willing to drop your pants to get it. This is nothing new - grads have been doing it for ages.

Anyhoooo, willing to help and answer questions if you've got any!

Reply 26

MUN123

13

Do what I'm doing and just immigrate to countries with better pay and career prospects

Original post by TwoLimes

Yeah I totally get why he might not think that, however, it's true, it happens, I work there, I meet these guys on a daily basis, and I have the graduate entry website up in front of me which says starting salary between £25,000 & £28,000, plus a £2000 welcome bonus - requirements are a minimum 2:1 bachelors degree in any subject.

Its sad and annoying and stupid that it happens, but it's true.

Is that for an engineering role though? If it was, I suspect it would stipulate at least a BEng, with an MEng being preferable. Never, ever heard of an engineering position that merely requests any degree.

Engineering companies have more than just engineering roles, particularly if it is a manufacturing company, and I think this is where a lot of the confusion is coming from.

Reply 28

Gherk

13

Original post by MUN123

Do what I'm doing and just immigrate to countries with better pay and career prospects

How does one do that without any money?

Reply 29

TwoLimes

17

Original post by Smack

Is that for an engineering role though? If it was, I suspect it would stipulate at least a BEng, with an MEng being preferable. Never, ever heard of an engineering position that merely requests any degree.

Engineering companies have more than just engineering roles, particularly if it is a manufacturing company, and I think this is where a lot of the confusion is coming from.

Yeah he worked 6 months in a cal lab then 12 months on the job in the offices as a training candidate, but never have I ever heard of anyone being turned away after completing their 18 months as a trainee. Unless, you know, they were a major moron or something..

Reply 30

hellodave5

19

Original post by sr90

Lol nope.

I've yet to see any evidence of this. Everyone I know who graduated this summer is struggling regardless of what course they did, including myself. My CV is outstanding - full of volunteering, several years work history including experience at managerial level, a host of awards/EC's and good academics. A lot of graduates would kill for a CV as good as mine, yet i've been rejected after every interview i've had because I don't have ''relevant experience''. :rolleyes:

At least i'm in a relatively good position compared to some of my friends who can't even find a minimum wage job.

What sort of stuff have you been applying for?

Reply 31

MUN123

13

Original post by Gherk

How does one do that without any money?

You obviously need to save up before leaving to cover you for 1 month that's if you already set up a job before leaving.

Reply 32

SignOnSimon

Original post by MUN123

You obviously need to save up before leaving to cover you for 1 month that's if you already set up a job before leaving.

So where did you go? Where are you working?

Reply 33

Quady

20

Original post by SignOnSimon

I would argue that it certainly hasn't got easier, and that the outlook is rather bleak. There's a trend towards a reduction of jobs stemming from technological progress that continues to replace jobs that previously required human input.