The Student Room Group

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Reply 1
superface
I graduated with a 2:1 in criminology 6 weeks ago and did a placement at Microsoft in which I won an award for my performance.

Yet the only job I have been offered since then is 3 days on an assembly line.

I feel like just an example of why so many people shouldn't go to uni.

Anyone know of any graduate roles still going? I would be happy earning 18 000 but can't get anywhere near that.


Well, it's a sad state of affairs and I sympaphise with you, but it seems to me (from what I read here and there) that there are now simply too many "general" graduates for too few "general" graduate jobs. It was bound to happen.
Reply 2
Yeah I completely agree with those who say that sending everyone to university is a waste of time.

I'm a bit fed up to be honest, i think if i take my degree off of my CV at least I can get some sort of job.
Just out of interest, which university did you go to? I haven't started university yet but I'm starting to worry that in 3 years time I'll be in the same position as you.
Reply 4
superface
Yeah I completely agree with those who say that sending everyone to university is a waste of time.

I'm a bit fed up to be honest, i think if i take my degree off of my CV at least I can get some sort of job.


As I say - it's fine if you specialize. There's still plenty of work for doctors and architects and civil engineers etc but it's becoming more and more difficult for the non-vocational "general" graduate to get decent employment unless he or she has a prestigious degree from a decent university. "General" degrees are now two for a penny I'm afraid. I pity a lot of these graduates today tbh - all scurrying around competing for an assistant managers job in a shoe shop for 13k a year.
Reply 5
MissSurfer
Just out of interest, which university did you go to? I haven't started university yet but I'm starting to worry that in 3 years time I'll be in the same position as you.


It's not just about where you go but also what you study. What marketeable skills will you have at the end of your three years?
Reply 6
Erm have you thought that your CV and supporting info could be wrong?

When I left university I could not get work. I setup my own business and out of four interviews for part time work I have done since I got the job.

I suggest you start doing some voluntary work. The problem is unemployed people are not liked by employers.

I worked at currys part time for a few months, must of the sales staff were graduates just waiting to something better. Most left to get their dream job while I was there :smile:.
Reply 7
superface
I graduated with a 2:1 in criminology 6 weeks ago and did a placement at Microsoft in which I won an award for my performance.

Yet the only job I have been offered since then is 3 days on an assembly line.

I feel like just an example of why so many people shouldn't go to uni.

Anyone know of any graduate roles still going? I would be happy earning 18 000 but can't get anywhere near that.


You would stand more chance getting a job that is related to your degree since criminology is a specialist. Why kind of work are you after? IB/Business/Accountancy?
Reply 8
It's a sorry state of affairs, unfortunately. Too many graduates, not enough "decent" (i.e. graduate-calibre) jobs out there. Perhaps do some voluntary work or get involved in things that will develop your transferable skills? Remember employers generally aren't bothered about the actual degree, just that you can demonstrate you have the skills needed for a role.

What I would say, is not to give up. Freshen up the CV, have it checked out and see what could work for you; See what skills you have built up over the years (and most of them come from menial tasks!) but make sure you make these known to any potential employer.

Good luck, something will work out.
Reply 9
Well at least it's a 2.1, so you have a bit more employability. Have you considered the Civil Service? It's true that a degree is no longer the instant route to a good career, though.
Reply 10
Cage
Well at least it's a 2.1, so you have a bit more employability. Have you considered the Civil Service? It's true that a degree is no longer the instant route to a good career, though.


No it isnt an instant route, and neither should it be expected to be really. The people that are now getting the top jobs are the 1s that have got a 2.1/1st from a good quality university but as well as this have probably done the following.

held positions in societies and can demonstrate what they have actually added to the society

have worked during the summer, and not in a supermarket but on an internship program.

Anyone that has basically got out there, thrown themselves into things and has shown inititative.

As a result they can demostrate transferrable skills with far greater ease and show a drive and ambition. Although what I would say that if you are doing a humanities degree from universities outside of the Russell Group and top 20 in the country you are going to struggle because the jobs just dont appear to be out there. Good job both me and you are going to York to do the same course next year by the looks, a solid top 10/15 institution :p:
Reply 11
Why don't you get in contact with any and every person you know from Microsoft and try to organise yourself something there. Anyway, you really just got to keep trying. Life is what you make out of it. As people have said, one great way to gain new skills and get experience is to do voluntary work and you should definately give it a thought. Plenty of places are still looking for grads, and many of the smaller places are waking up for their recruitment now so if you get your act together you should be able to find something!
To be blunt, you picked the wrong degree if you want to work for Microsoft. A member of my family teaches university criminology, and the vast majority of the people he teaches want to go into 1) the police 2) the probation services 3) academia/public policy. Doing a degree like criminology for general interest is really little more than an expensive hobby these days, since just having "a degree" proves almost nothing now. My advice is to look at the career paths I mentioned and, if none of them appeal to you, consider doing something like a post-grad accountancy course. What sort of thing do you want to do at Microsoft? If you're interested in the business side, an MBA or a shorter business course might be worth looking at.
Reply 13
crema
Why don't you get in contact with any and every person you know from Microsoft and try to organise yourself something there. Anyway, you really just got to keep trying. Life is what you make out of it. As people have said, one great way to gain new skills and get experience is to do voluntary work and you should definitely give it a thought. Plenty of places are still looking for grads, and many of the smaller places are waking up for their recruitment now so if you get your act together you should be able to find something!


Plus of course, the world is a big place. If you can't find work in the UK then try somewhere else. I'd rather go and work in a bar in Spain than "volunteer" to work in the local SCOPE shop personally.
Reply 14
Collingwood
To be blunt, you picked the wrong degree if you want to work for Microsoft. A member of my family teaches university criminology, and the vast majority of the people he teaches want to go into 1) the police 2) the probation services 3) academia/public policy. Doing a degree like criminology for general interest is really little more than an expensive hobby these days, since just having "a degree" proves almost nothing now. My advice is to look at the career paths I mentioned and, if none of them appeal to you, consider doing something like a post-grad accountancy course. What sort of thing do you want to do at Microsoft? If you're interested in the business side, an MBA or a shorter business course might be worth looking at.


Yes, I think I'd have to agree with you there.
You are going to have to sit down with a careers advisor and cooly reflect on the options available to you. Despite the tone of this thread the statistics for graduate employment are very good after 3 months at least.

You need to exaggerate your tranferable skills using evidence from what sort of things you got involved in and it is a good idea to try to use your contacts and networks to help you.

There are plenty of jobs out there, but your degree needs to be relevent and you need to be working 100% of the time with an absolute determination.

Good Luck.
How many jobs have you applied for? Success rates for graduates can be as low as 1% you know so unless you've applied for over 100 jobs I think you should keep trying.
1% success rate? Yeh if you graduate from Anglia Polytechnic!

This is exactly the reason why 60% of universities in the UK should be demolished and replaced with factories to employ their students (because that's where their grads end up anyway).

Only unis worth going to are the top 30-40, outside that you're wasting your time.
You're going to have to keep looking; it takes some people months to find jobs. Unfortunately, criminology is not really that sought after of a degree outside of the civil service and police. Why don't you go for jobs there?

Actually...you could try for jobs in human resources and recruitment, you've studied human behavior (kind of)...
Reply 19
If I had a 2.1, i'd hvae a job by now

you're obviously doing something wrong


experience at a global, well recognised amazing company too... you should walk into any job (tried finance?)