Job hunting after graduating

Hi all. I graduated about 2 years ago in business psychology...I've wanted to be a business analyst and have done 2 internships in the role, but I've been struggling so much to secure a perm job within this sector. I have only managed to secure a customer service role (remote) and its getting so frustrating as I feel like I can't level up in my career and salary.

I have almost little to 0 hope left, I do not enjoy my job at all, been feeling like I'm stuck at a dead end. Even entry role jobs ask for sooo much experience which doesn't make sense. During covid, I developed an interest in tech/data and took a short course in introduction to SQL and Python. but even then I cant find roles that are willing to build employees skills up and I need proper mentoring.

I was wondering, is it so bad or am I even allowed to apply to Level 4 apprenticeships with a bachelors degree qualification??
I genuinely don't know what to do at this point and would really appreciate any advice thank you

Reply 1

Blue_Cow

Original post by Maris499

Business Analysts are in high demand. When you say BA, are you talking about the kind of people that bridge the gap between developers and the non-technical clients? Or a more data analytics kind of role? Asking because you've mentioned SQL/Python in your post and BA can mean vastly different things between companies.

There are plenty of junior/graduate BA type roles out there - if it's the data type you are looking for then they may be called Business Intelligence Analyst, Business Intelligence Engineer, Business Systems Analyst, Data Analyst etc. The job listing might have a wish list of skills but from experience you do not need to be some sort of spreadsheet or SQL whizz - just knowing the basics will be fine.

Have you been in touch with your alma mater's careers service? Maybe you need some help selling your two internships on your CV.

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 2

Maris499

Hi thanks for your reply! yes BA to bridge the gap between developers and clients. I am still looking for BA roles but I do have other interests to go into the tech side of things if it's even possible. I've had my CV looked at a few times already, and its just getting so frustrating. I also think I may be limiting myself since I mostly look for remote jobs just because I've been working from home for over a year and would prefer it. I genuinely don't know what to do at this point and I keep getting rejected as most of the time don't have enough experience for entry roles!
Do you know If I can apply to level 4 apprenticeships with a degree?

Reply 3

Blue_Cow

Original post by Maris499

Not sure about the apprenticeships. Even if you can get one, I wouldn't suggest it. You have a Level 6 qualification, and Level 4 is designed for those that have just finished A-levels. That's quite a step down.

Might be limiting yourself a bit for purely remote, yeah. Can you look into hybrid work?

Reply 4

Maris499

Original post by Blue_Cow

exactly what i was thinking :frown:

I have recently been looking for hybrid work, mainly on linkedin - but even then the experience a lot of these require is knocking my confidence in applying further. I know I don't have to tick every box on their requirements list, but for the same role in diff companies the skills sometimes vary massively which I don't have, & don't bother applying. Just feeling so frustrated as its been 2 years already

Reply 5

achieve526kk

Apply Technology Apprentice at Barclays for 2023 cohort if yoy have the Drive Challenge and Empower, Study towards Professional qualifications and live the values RISE- Respect, Integrity, Service Excellence and Stewardship good luck-Barclays is very hard to get into but determination Patience and Perseverance get you their good luck

Reply 6

Blue_Cow

Original post by Maris499

exactly what i was thinking :frown:

Stop self-selecting yourself out of the process. You do not need to meet all of the requirements, especially not for a junior position. As I always tell people, let HR do the work and decide whether you are suitable or not for an interview. If you think a job looks interesting, then just apply.

Reply 7

username5997260

Yes, you can apply for a level 4 apprenticeship as long as it's not directly related to your degree and you might need to check that with the employer to make sure that the courses are not too similar. For example, if you have studied business psychology then you will not be able to do an apprenticeship which awards a similar qualification.

You have a couple of good options. You can do a 1 year masters degree in a technology related subject. For example, there is an MSc in Business Analytics. Some universities only ask for a 2.2 as part of their entry requirements and some universities accept candidates who have a degree in a non-quantitative subject and have relevant work experience which you said you have. It can be a good way to upskill if you're sure that this is something that you want to do.

I disagree with what the other person is saying. By doing an apprenticeship, you're not taking a step down, but you're getting a job and getting work experience. There are plenty of people who are more successful doing apprenticeships rather than going to uni, wasting 3 years of their life and not getting anywhere in the end. If you decide to do an apprenticeship, don't see this as a failure or taking a step down, but just as a redirection. We all take different pathways to get to where we want to be.

Reply 8

Blue_Cow

Original post by wJava

I disagree with what the other person is saying. By doing an apprenticeship, you're not taking a step down, but you're getting a job and getting work experience. There are plenty of people who are more successful doing apprenticeships rather than going to uni, wasting 3 years of their life and not getting anywhere in the end. If you decide to do an apprenticeship, don't see this as a failure or taking a step down, but just as a redirection. We all take different pathways to get to where we want to be.

The point is you can break into a BA role with any degree. Doing an apprenticeship is an unnecessary step down in salary among other things when you can land a junior role with an undergraduate degree. Same for shelling out for an MSc. OP has two internships already - they just need to stop self-selecting themselves out of job listings because they don't meet all of the requirements that HR have set (no one does)

I never said apprentices are failures - I frequently promote (degree) apprenticeships to people here if they are a prospective undergraduate. At the same time for those that have already been through the university pipeline I encourage them to look forward and go head first into junior roles for which they are perfectly qualified for instead of loading up on PG debt which is paid in parallel with UG debt, or taking a substantial paycut and doing an apprenticeship.

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 9

BDDazza

Original post by Maris499

Sorry to hear that.

I would advise against doing the Level 4 apprenticeship, all you are doing is postponing the challenging part of finding your first Business Analyst role. Business Analysts tend to work within software development, so to get your foot in the door look for a role that has similar qualities instead such as Project Officer, Project Support, Junior Project Manager etc. Those roles work with requirements gathering and stakeholder engagement too so it would be easier to write a good Business Analyst CV based on the transferable skills alone.