Graduate desperately searching for a job

tuftyclub

have a look at :

http://www.it4communities.org.uk/ it puts it skilled people in touch with charities - to do small free projects. Good for your CV, get's you a reference and a foot in the door.

Good luck

barnaby-bear

GregHesp wrote: »

I've spent the past 4 months since I finished University hunting for a job.

The hunt started last October, applying for Graduate Training Schemes. Then I took a break due to trainings schemes closing and concentrating on my University work.

I had several phone interviews and got through to one assesment centre. When I got there, I was the only graduate and didn't get the job because I didn't have any experience.

I currently work part-time with my contracted hours being 7hours a week. They can't offer me anymore hours since they can't afford it.

I have signed up for all the recruitment agencies such as Hays, Reed etc Used many websites like Fish4jobs, Monster etc.

From this I have had about 10 interviews, and for every single interview I never got the job because I lack experience, however all my skills are top notch. These itnerviews have been for jobs ranging from Helpdesk support, to website design to Database Analyst.
How do they expect me to have experience when I can't get a job in the first place?

My degree covers a wide range of I.T. however a lot of the jobs now being advertised are not in my field of IT, are managers positions or are located to far away.

Relocating was originally an option for the higher paid jobs and graduate training schemes, however this is no longer and option since the jobs I am looking at are low paid jobs even for skilled work..

I am thinking about applying for JSA, however I have a feeling I may have too much in savings. I know some of you may say, use your savings to live on until you get a job etc, however that is not the idea of them.. They are they to help me put a deposit down on a house, afford essentials in the future etc, not as a means of income for daily use.

I have managed to cut down on a lot of my outgoings. I no longer go to the pubs etc, all I do now is visit my friends, go out to the cinema or bowling every now and again and try to avoid spending money. However I am struggling a lot, especially in the current economic climate.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to get a foot in the ladder?
My main skills/interests are with I.T, covering Web Design, Databases etc. I also have various other interests in my car, keeping it clean in a "like new" state etc so anything where I can build up IT skills or extend knowledge on other areas is a possibility.

I know a lot of people are in this position. I don't think any of my friends who have just graduated from University have a permant job as of yet...

http://www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/vacancies/ lots of vacancies but lots of competition too at the moment - silicon fen? or there's the Reading-London M4 hi-tech corridor.

[Deleted User]

GregHesp wrote: »

If they provide traning and its a specialist area then im prepared to move. If its just a job as a web designer earning £16k a year and I have to move to London or the likes then im not willing to relocate for that.

You still wouldn't get hired as a web-developer on 16k without a portfolio showing some experience anyway. There are hundreds, nah thousands of people who can whack together a website in dreamweaver these days.

I just searched for 'Graduate IT' on monster.co.uk and got back 446 results. Get applying!

Regshoe

ringo_24601 wrote: »

I just searched for 'Graduate IT' on monster.co.uk and got back 446 results. Get applying!

The problem is that 95%+ of those jobs will be utter rubbish, they either won't exist, may already have closed etc etc. At least that is the case for finance and accountancy related jobs (the area I work in).

When I was applying after finishing uni I applied for hundreds (approaching thousands) of jobs through monster and the like. Most of the jobs on their are posted by recruitment agencies to get people signed up (fish4jobs, more like fish4people-to-put-on-the-books). Half the time it's pointless going for these listings - you may as well just contact the listing agency direct and see what they have - they get to decide what they put your forward for anyway. The only real exceptions to this are the public sector jobs listed, e.g. NHS etc. (This may not be true of all sectors on these sites - but from what I saw it was for Finance/Accounting/IT)

It took we from finishing Uni in June 06 until January 07 to find a permanent position which was vaguely in line with finance, albeit a very badly paid menial (worked out ok as I was promoted within about 3-4 months to a much better job).

I wouldn't be too worried about not getting on a graduate scheme, some of them may be brilliant but a lot of them don't push you along that quickly (at a previous employer I progressed at least as fast as the people on the Grad scheme).

Given your current situation and the situation in the jobs market in general I would have to agree with soem of the previous posts - it would be best to get any job at the moment no matter how menial - just to have some generic work experience and some cash. If you can get this sort of position in a large company/corporation then all the better - as this may make it possible to tranfer/apply internally to a more IT related role, or to get on the Graduate scheme, I know of people working for a year at a company then joining its graduate scheme.

mark1234567890

GregHesp wrote: »

I've spent the past 4 months since I finished University hunting for a job.

The hunt started last October, applying for Graduate Training Schemes. Then I took a break due to trainings schemes closing and concentrating on my University work.

I had several phone interviews and got through to one assesment centre. When I got there, I was the only graduate and didn't get the job because I didn't have any experience.

I currently work part-time with my contracted hours being 7hours a week. They can't offer me anymore hours since they can't afford it.

I have signed up for all the recruitment agencies such as Hays, Reed etc Used many websites like Fish4jobs, Monster etc.

From this I have had about 10 interviews, and for every single interview I never got the job because I lack experience, however all my skills are top notch. These itnerviews have been for jobs ranging from Helpdesk support, to website design to Database Analyst.
How do they expect me to have experience when I can't get a job in the first place?

My degree covers a wide range of I.T. however a lot of the jobs now being advertised are not in my field of IT, are managers positions or are located to far away.

Relocating was originally an option for the higher paid jobs and graduate training schemes, however this is no longer and option since the jobs I am looking at are low paid jobs even for skilled work..

I am thinking about applying for JSA, however I have a feeling I may have too much in savings. I know some of you may say, use your savings to live on until you get a job etc, however that is not the idea of them.. They are they to help me put a deposit down on a house, afford essentials in the future etc, not as a means of income for daily use.

I have managed to cut down on a lot of my outgoings. I no longer go to the pubs etc, all I do now is visit my friends, go out to the cinema or bowling every now and again and try to avoid spending money. However I am struggling a lot, especially in the current economic climate.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to get a foot in the ladder?
My main skills/interests are with I.T, covering Web Design, Databases etc. I also have various other interests in my car, keeping it clean in a "like new" state etc so anything where I can build up IT skills or extend knowledge on other areas is a possibility.

I know a lot of people are in this position. I don't think any of my friends who have just graduated from University have a permant job as of yet...

I can't offer any advice myself however can I say that I am in exactly the same position as you - its almost scary lol.

I did a similar course and have similar attitude to living off savings.

Good luck

eira

Some teaching agencies take on graduates (or they used to) as unqualified supply teachers-not that supply teaching is for the faint hearted. LocaL councils also advertise for adult ed tutors round about this time of year-they also throw in NVQ training

coffee_prince

I'd look for any part time work and then volunteer for a charity or some sort of organisation to help run a website or do their IT work.

I have scoured volunteering places, most normal businesses don't get back to you, the only ones that do are the ones that really need youe.g. charities. Most charities have websites etc, you could certainly help them out even if its one day a week its something on the cv.

I volunteered part time for 3 months doing basic admin, and that got me several interviews, though in the end I didn't have enough experience, just that three months of say 12hrs a week allowed me to get a chance at getting a job.

Anyway, I am in a menial part time job, kinda depressing and I hate it so much it stresse me out but its all I got atm.

All the best

Louise22

My advice would be stop being fussy and take anything - and dont think that having a degree makes you any better or more valuable in the job market. It doesn't, trust me. I know someone with a phd and a 1st who signs on.

Take anything. This is the real world. Since I graduated last year I have not had a job related to my degree, and I dont think I will for a long time.

Xeorix

I have a large portfolio of personal work and of work when I did a 2 month job as a web designer - from the 2 month placement I have a portfolio of 12 websites I designed, created and got up and running within the 2 months.
This was working for a small web design company. I went for an interview at a large web design and internet company and their targets for websites (including small sites) were within 12 months, that had designed, tested, created and got up and running...10 sites.
10 websites in 12 months from a proffesional company with over 80 employees. I on my own, single handly got 12 sites done in 2 months. This is on my CV and I get asked about it a lot with positive responses.

As I said, I am prepared to move, however I cannot afford to relocate and only earn a salary of 12k or so. The cost of living would be more than I was earning.
Even if I relocated and got a salary of £16k it would not be enough because I would get money deducted to pay off my student loan.

As i've said before, I have applied to work for free, however people in the area generally do not seem interested. I spent the last 3 years at University creating websites and helping people get theirs sorted for free ( as well as studying for my degree of course)

I have spoken to a lot of my University friends and every single one of them is in the same boat, and to be honest, we're all getting annoying with it since its not like were not trying. I must spend at least 5 hours a day browsing local papers and websites for jobs. There was even an article in The Times on Sunday stating that if we got a job at 16 or 18, we would be better off now and in the future. i.e. 3-5 years of experience is worth more than a degree.

As for being fussy, I can tell you that I am not being. I have applied for 5 jobs this morning in anything to do with IT that I can do, some are even based 50 miles away because if I get an interview, at least its giving me an opportunity. However all the interview responses are the same "Chose someone with more experience"
I have applied for JSA as have my friends, however one of them was given a job handing out food on a business park on the minimum wage to get him off JSA...

barbara_anne

GregHesp wrote: »

I have a large portfolio of personal work and of work when I did a 2 month job as a web designer - from the 2 month placement I have a portfolio of 12 websites I designed, created and got up and running within the 2 months.
This was working for a small web design company. I went for an interview at a large web design and internet company and their targets for websites (including small sites) were within 12 months, that had designed, tested, created and got up and running...10 sites.
10 websites in 12 months from a proffesional company with over 80 employees. I on my own, single handly got 12 sites done in 2 months. This is on my CV and I get asked about it a lot with positive responses.

As I said, I am prepared to move, however I cannot afford to relocate and only earn a salary of 12k or so. The cost of living would be more than I was earning.
Even if I relocated and got a salary of £16k it would not be enough because I would get money deducted to pay off my student loan.

As i've said before, I have applied to work for free, however people in the area generally do not seem interested. I spent the last 3 years at University creating websites and helping people get theirs sorted for free ( as well as studying for my degree of course)

I have spoken to a lot of my University friends and every single one of them is in the same boat, and to be honest, we're all getting annoying with it since its not like were not trying. I must spend at least 5 hours a day browsing local papers and websites for jobs. There was even an article in The Times on Sunday stating that if we got a job at 16 or 18, we would be better off now and in the future. i.e. 3-5 years of experience is worth more than a degree.

As for being fussy, I can tell you that I am not being. I have applied for 5 jobs this morning in anything to do with IT that I can do, some are even based 50 miles away because if I get an interview, at least its giving me an opportunity. However all the interview responses are the same "Chose someone with more experience"
I have applied for JSA as have my friends, however one of them was given a job handing out food on a business park on the minimum wage to get him off JSA...

I think you are being very fussy. Very fussy indeed, and slightly snobby when you refer to your friends handing out 'food on a business park' you really need to remember that we are in a recession here. I think you need to get a job of any sort, and be realistic about what you can earn. Outside of work, continue to work on your own projects, see if you can get some work commissioned. A degree won't allow you to walk into a job these days. As for student loan repayments, I paid approximately £50 a month off my student loan when I was earning £16,000