Any unemployed Grads here?

KimYeovil

starsinmycrown wrote: »

Some of the content on that course is mind-boggling, and is similar to material that would have been in A level maths a few years ago- things like Surds, quadratic equations, 3D trigonometry.

Surds, quadratic equations, 3D trigonometry should be A-level topics? What mind-boggling nonsense. If they were A-level topics 'a few years ago' please post back with the specific years so that any employers can write off any qualifications gained then as worthless.

Rosie75

A_fiend_for_life wrote: »

Hi rosie,

A couple of my friends have managed to secure roles as research assistants in science departments. May or may not be as competitive as humanities but worth a try I think. Their qualifications were to batchelor level and almost certainly were not as well paid as more qualified staff. Also the access to further training is a plus too I think.

The OP's degree is in the humanities, which is much more competitive than the sciences. Any research assistant or teaching role in a humanities dept would stipulate a PhD either nearing completion or - preferably - in hand. I know this because I work in one! The science depts can't be so fussy because they are competing with commercial companies (who can pay better)for good researchers, whereas there isn't a private sector equivalent for humanities researchers. At the moment, there are plenty of Humanities PhD graduates with teaching experience and publications who can't get these jobs.

sophisticated.

KimYeovil wrote: »

Surds, quadratic equations, 3D trigonometry should be A-level topics? What mind-boggling nonsense. If they were A-level topics 'a few years ago' please post back with the specific years so that any employers can write off any qualifications gained then as worthless.

I did surds and quadratic equations for my GCSE Maths? (I left high school in 2006)

Pink_butterfly_3

chunkeebum wrote: »

I don't have experience because I chose to spend my time studying. Now I am doing a little work as a Graphic Designer, but need a steady reliable income so have applied for literally everything I could find. So far I have applied for at least 60 jobs in the last 3 months, and I have had 2 telephone interviews and one face to face, The problem for me isn't a lack of jobs, but there are just so many applicants and they probably look at my CV and think, oh she has a degree, as soon as another job comes along she will leave. Like many, I am overqualified for a min wage job, but not experienced enough for what I went to University for.

You don't have any experience - and you have a degree in Media. I don't want to sound like i'm being horrible or anything but how does that make you overqualified for a minimum wage job??

I'm a recruiter for a major company and its experience that we are looking for NOT qualifications. Over the last 2 months we have started getting over 80 applications for each position we advertise, which makes experience the key. Plus, you can almost guarantee that well over half of those CV's have degrees in various subjects.

Unless we are recruiting for a specialist positions i.e. Management Accountant etc. then we're not interested in any education past GCSE's.

Bismarck

CHARDONNAY wrote: »

I think there needs to be a switch in attitude in this country when it comes to higher education - kids shouldn't be pushed in to it at 18 (anyone with remotely average grades was pointed in this direction at my school)

completely agree. unless the number of "graduate jobs" was going to increase proportionately there was always going to be a problem sooner or later.

when some of the graduate jobs that used to be around can be outsourced abroad then the problem is exacerbated.

a degree used to be for the minority, not simply the expected next step for many.

Sharon87

Pink_butterfly wrote: »

You don't have any experience - and you have a degree in Media. I don't want to sound like i'm being horrible or anything but how does that make you overqualified for a minimum wage job??

I think she means that potential employers see the degree and think they'll leave as soon as they find their career job. This did happen to me at an interview. He was afraid that I was going to leave as soon as a TV job came along. I had to try and convince him I wouldn't, that I wanted the job for a long time. Even though I would leave the job as soon as a decent job (contract length wise) for my career came along!

chunkeebum

Sharon87 wrote: »

I think she means that potential employers see the degree and think they'll leave as soon as they find their career job.

Thanks Sharon87. I think that Pink_Butterfly missed the real point I was trying to make. Basically, that the governement made such a big deal about going to University because it would give those people a better advantage of getting a job. When here is me, a graduate, along with god knows how many others, left with £12k of debt and no job. I was not implying that because I have a Media Degree that I am a threat to any workforce I apply to.

I understand that experience in a job is important, but I am applying for jobs which say "no experience is necassary as full training will be given". And if experience is key than how are people supposed to get experience?

That also ties in with my point, where I said I chose to study, because I was basically told that I was more likely to get a job aswell as getting a higher salary. Which in turn meant I didn't work and therefore have no experience. It is very frstrating, but these are hard times.

snowqueen555

Oh dear...

So I had an retail sales assistant interview on Wednesday, and it went really well. The interviewer was even discussing about a job higher up that i could apply for. I think i didnt get the job because he probably figured out I wasn't planning to be there for the long run, and because I wasn't enthusiastic enough when he mentioned the chance for a better job in the business.

Its quite depressing because I really had it in my mind I was going to get that job.

I got 3 years retail experience and I couldn't even get a minimum wage job sales assistant job. Is that not a kick when you're down?

There wasn't just one role, it is a new store opening so there were several roles available

GrammarGirl

I feel like I've said this so many times on this forum... but I knew it would come up in the course of this thread, so I'll say it again.

A Media Studies degree isn't a 'soft' degree if you plan to work in the media industry when you graduate. If you're planning a career in journalism, TV, advertising (like me), radio, editing, etc etc, a degree in media will ensure you know the fundamental basics of working within the industry. Just like a science degree would.

Media Studies may not be regarded as the most academic degree (and it's true that it isn't, there's often less contact time and we're obviously not curing diseases or solving equations) but it doesn't mean it's a slackers' choice, or the easy option, or that people who graduate from media degrees will end up on the dole and useless to society.

My degree is from a poly too. I have a successful career and I don't read the Daily Mail. Go figure.

Sharon87

GrammarGirl wrote: »

I feel like I've said this so many times on this forum... but I knew it would come up in the course of this thread, so I'll say it again.

A Media Studies degree isn't a 'soft' degree if you plan to work in the media industry when you graduate. If you're planning a career in journalism, TV, advertising (like me), radio, editing, etc etc, a degree in media will ensure you know the fundamental basics of working within the industry. Just like a science degree would.

Media Studies may not be regarded as the most academic degree (and it's true that it isn't, there's often less contact time and we're obviously not curing diseases or solving equations) but it doesn't mean it's a slackers' choice, or the easy option, or that people who graduate from media degrees will end up on the dole and useless to society.

My degree is from a poly too. I have a successful career and I don't read the Daily Mail. Go figure.

That's what I've been trying to get across!

SnowQueen. I had a very similar situation to you. So I left my degree off and hey presto! I now have a job! I just made it sound like I wanted to stay there. I even asked at the interview what were the career prospects like!

It was an application form (for Vue cinemas), and I couldn't remember if I put my degree down or not, so I went to the interview not knowing if I had told them. It turns out I didn't tell them about it lol. So I've got a minimum wage job! woop lol. It'll do though until I find my career job (which seems to be getting closer! Lets hope)