Can't get a job, even with first class degree

I, as other people have pointed out, was not referring to your social life. I was referring to the skills you can advertise to employers. I asked how you can use the skills your learnt in things other than your degree to help you get a job. Employers don't care that you had fun and enjoyed yourself- they care that you are a skilled applicant who can do their job.

On another note, when I mentioned pride earlier, I was serious. You are being hugely defensive with everyone on here, many of whom have been in your situation or have managed to get jobs and are trying to give you legitimate advice. Instead of taking a lot of it on board you are saying "but" an awful lot and trying to justify why reasons people have pointed out are wrong. There are a lot of experienced and well meaning people here and you've reached out to them. There is a tone to the way you speak that isn't flattering and there is a chance that if that is the approach you take to applications that that is what isn't endearing you to employers.

Right, but you said you've 'never' put your grades on your CV. Do you mean even as a fresh-faced young graduate?

Maybe I did then. Don't think so though. Can't remember.

I would have to disagree with you about the poster's attitude. I think it's understandably a distressing and bewildering situation. It would be safe to assume that he came on here looking for support and advice; if he lets his guard down a bit in the process (he actually says in his original message that it's getting him down and affecting his confidence) then that's probably not a bad thing. We all need an outlet and a student forum is a fine place to go to in relation to graduate employment!

The thing no one's mentioning - which amazes me - is the DIRE state of the employment market. It's true a few people have said that unemployment amongst computer scientists is high. Is this not at the root of the poster's problem? I think it might be. If we're not open about the actual source of the problem - which is a state of austerity - then we risk personalising the problem and making it about the individual - which it clearly isn't!! By all means offer strategies for dealing for the situation - but don't blame him!

from which university have u graduated?

I know Java, C++, HTML/CSS, some PHP and MySQL. My area is more in web design though. Graduated from City University

I am more of a designer than a programmer. I'd rather show my creativity in designing websites or applications than writing software code. Besides, I can't help that the university that I graduated from is crap, that's something I can't change now.



I am probably lacking in the experience department, though having said that I did do a placement year so it's not like I have never worked. That is my only job though.

I guess the recurring feedback from this thread is lack of experience but I don't really want to get a job just for the sake of gaining experience. The reason I did a placement year was to do just that!! I am already 23 years old and I haven't done anything with my degree yet.

I know the posters feeling: I had an undergrad masters degree from a russell group uni (2:1/merit) and did shed loads of extracurricular activity even managed to get interviews for jobs at top teaching hospitals in london and other places). sadly, due to my inability to do well in exams, I ended up having to do an apprentiship in a profession which has no jobs and have had literally 14 hours work (10 hours unpaid, 4 hours paid- for which I still havent been paid despite being more than a month later) in the last 8 months. all my friends from uni have jobs and are absolutely stupefied how im unemployed

Get a portfolio up, dig into open source material, do personal projects. The excuse you're making of not being able to get experience is a clear lack of drive and creativity on your part; would you also go up to your boss and say: 'I can't do that, I don't have enough experience' when they give you more responsibility? No, so start thinking outside of the box.

The great thing about Web Dev/Design is that you can reach out to people for paid ad-hoc projects. The more of these you do, the more you begin to hone your craft and the more employers will start to take notice. So, stop moping around on TSR and humble bragging about your first. Get out there, seek out opportunities to shoe off the skills you 'supposedly' have.

Stop making excuses. Stop saying you 'can't'. Start GETTING THINGS DONE.

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Presenting a list to employers with a long list of extracurricular activities isn't gonna get you anywhere. Employers will simply say, "so what?"... It's up to the candidate to link how what skills they learnt during them which are directly applicable to the job they're applying for...

It is stressful and bewildering, I agree that it sucks. I know s/he is a bit down on the confidence front, but I'm just saying that being defensive isn't going to help his situation when there are people like us or careers advisors s/he could go to for help.

The employment market isn't as bad as it was at the height of the recession, it is getting better. I don't blame him for his situation though and it is tough. However, I think there is still a lot to be said for tactics and understanding the situation. I think people do need to be prepared to compromise in this market and play the job application 'game'.

While I think it is a fair point, I don't particularly want to get political and discuss austerity as this won't help the op and will get us off topic.

If you don't put your grades on nowadays for an entry level role, the presumption will be that you don't have GCSE English and Maths and that you got less that BBB at A level and less that a 2.1 in your degree. In most sectors, that presumption, if untrue, will harm your application significantly.

I would have to disagree with you about the poster's attitude. I think it's understandably a distressing and bewildering situation. It would be safe to assume that he came on here looking for support and advice; if he lets his guard down a bit in the process (he actually says in his original message that it's getting him down and affecting his confidence) then that's probably not a bad thing. We all need an outlet and a student forum is a fine place to go to in relation to graduate employment!

The thing no one's mentioning - which amazes me - is the DIRE state of the employment market. It's true a few people have said that unemployment amongst computer scientists is high. Is this not at the root of the poster's problem? I think it might be. If we're not open about the actual source of the problem - which is a state of austerity - then we risk personalising the problem and making it about the individual - which it clearly isn't!! By all means offer strategies for dealing for the situation - but don't blame him!

The problem is that blaming the state of the employment market allows for complacency and their is always more a person can do to make their application stronger. I sympathise with the OP hugely, I've been looking for my first graduate job since I finished my Masters degree in September last year. I've had a few interviews with no luck in securing a role. However post interview I've received detailed feedback about exactly where I didn't perform so well. I've also come to realise what was good about my cover letters which secured me interviews and consequently what was missing from the cover letters which didn't- the clear explanation of why that organisation and why that area they specialise in along with giving examples of how i met the job specification.

I can't secure a job with my first class degree in computer science. I have applied to so many companies but they just keep shooing me away at the first stage. Other times I don't even get a response which is really rude.

My CV has already been checked several times by professionals so the CV is not the issue. I am good at interviews but it's just the fact that I ****ing can't pass the first stage so I don't even get a chance to be interviewed. I am applying to relevant roles as well, ones that specifically highlight that a computer science degree is a must.

The only reason that I can think of is that my GCSE and A-Level results were poor but I thought I made amendments by getting a first class degree, that should cancel those out, right?

All my friends on 2:2 or 2:1 with the same degree have got a job with ease. Should I declare on my CV that I graduated with a 2:1? Maybe these companies are looking for average achievers? Or maybe change my name to John Smith so I don't sound so Asian? I don't know!!

It really is making me furious, because I worked so hard for this ****ing degree and I can't get a job. I want to give up and just find a job behind the counter at KFC because that's what I feel like right now.

It's just so depressing because i feel unwanted and useless.