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Are grad schemes the be all and end all?

A lot of my family members got on to grad schemes but I didn't even though I may be more intelligent than some of them.
Some of them got on to them through contacts - their parents know people with a lot of money and power in the field.

I'm still figuring out my career and wonder if I'm at a disadvantage for not having got on to one. I attempted to get on to a few in HR.. they were so competitive. Should I try again, or just carry on with what I'm doing now? I'm currently in a job earning £19k per year, but want to apply for better paid jobs soon.
No, graduate schemes are not the be all and end all. :smile:
I enjoy collecting postgrad qualifications and have worked at recruitment consultancies.
I've never applied to any grad scheme because I know that they are far too competitive and only suited to those with very strong verbal communication skills who are capable of almost always giving flawless performances at interview to strangers.
No but i’m not gonna lie if you don’t get one its damn hard to get your career on a similar path and make the same money.
There is entry level jobs for grads though.
Reply 4
Avatar for lojawa
lojawa
14
Original post by Little pecker
No but i’m not gonna lie if you don’t get one its damn hard to get your career on a similar path and make the same money.

This depends upon your career path, experience, networking skills, tenacity, additional qualifications among many, many other things. Plenty of people go on to be successful without having taken a graduate scheme.
Original post by lojawa
This depends upon your career path, experience, networking skills, tenacity, additional qualifications among many, many other things. Plenty of people go on to be successful without having taken a graduate scheme.

hence why I said no, but generally a grad scheme makes a significant difference. Those that didn't either go into fields where typically a grad scheme doesn't mean much or have compensated/lucked out significantly. Myself being the latter.
Original post by Anonymous
A lot of my family members got on to grad schemes but I didn't even though I may be more intelligent than some of them.
Some of them got on to them through contacts - their parents know people with a lot of money and power in the field.

I'm still figuring out my career and wonder if I'm at a disadvantage for not having got on to one. I attempted to get on to a few in HR.. they were so competitive. Should I try again, or just carry on with what I'm doing now? I'm currently in a job earning £19k per year, but want to apply for better paid jobs soon.


No they are not. You can end up a small cog in a big wheel and feel pretty 'useless'. If you go for a job you often get a wider range of experience.
Original post by Little pecker
hence why I said no, but generally a grad scheme makes a significant difference. Those that didn't either go into fields where typically a grad scheme doesn't mean much or have compensated/lucked out significantly. Myself being the latter.

Would you say a creative field would typically require a grad scheme to be successful? i.e. marketing and specifically content writing?
Reply 8
Avatar for josh_v
josh_v
17
Certainly not the be all and end all.

However, they do have some benefits. Placement rotation, additional training, relatively good starting salary. Obviously different companies have their own approach.

It's good to remember that it doesn't have to be graduate scheme at a big company or job at a small company. You can still apply directly for roles at large companies without experience. Several people I work with came straight from uni in to their role without prior experience or grad schemes.
apprenticeship's are way forward earn while working
Original post by achieve526kk
apprenticeship's are way forward earn while working

Deffo way to go for vocational subjects. I would go back and do apprenticeship route.
Graduate schemes are mainly offered by big organisations that recruit a large number of students each year. Some of them also offer the opportunity to work in different departments or areas of the business. But they're not the be-all end-all. They're not available in some career paths, and the types of organisation that offer them may not suit everyone.
Original post by Anonymous1152
no

Im doing an apprenticeship instead despite finishing uni. 29k salary too, which is on the high end for grad schemes

People dont want to do apprenticeships because they feel like it’s below them. Silly to think of such. Then they go on continuing to work in retail, waiting for a magical 25k grad scheme

i was thinking of apprenticeship but thought they prioritize college students. what company has an apprentship of 29k wtf National Grid?
Original post by Proxenus
i was thinking of apprenticeship but thought they prioritize college students. what company has an apprentship of 29k wtf National Grid?

Lots do. Not easy to get into though.
Original post by ajj2000
Lots do. Not easy to get into though.

SUrley a bit easier than grad schemes
Original post by Proxenus
SUrley a bit easier than grad schemes

Why? If a job pays that well as a starting salary with training and prospects if will be competitive.
Original post by ajj2000
Why? If a job pays that well as a starting salary with training and prospects if will be competitive.

depending on the level of appretiship (from level 4-7) grad schemes are for 21+ and apprreship younger people so the ac is less challenging?
Original post by Proxenus
depending on the level of appretiship (from level 4-7) grad schemes are for 21+ and apprreship younger people so the ac is less challenging?

Apprenticeships are not for younger people specifically. You could be an experienced executive and do an MBA on a apprenticeship contract.

I think the difficulty of ACs varies between firms where they have both apprenticeships and grad schemes. Some use the same tests - in part for their own stats for comparability purposes. To muddy the water further some grad schemes are on apprenticeship contracts.
Original post by Anonymous1152
A civil service EO role

Like a grad scheme application, there were multiple hoops to jump through.. application, online tests and a comptency/strengths based interview

No assessment centre though… maybe because of the pandemic but not sure

damn easy process for 29k😭😭

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