Graduate Scemes... how good.

altin_2

Final year IT student...
Of course after worries of exams etc.. looking 4 job is another battle.
Are the Graduate Schemes the best option to go into the industry(with no experience)?

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Lokolo

Yep! Do it for a few years, don't like it, get out, but you'll have a lot of experience which can be useful. 2 of my favourites.

IBM

HP

altin_2

Thanks for reply..
Try to find a place not a thousands miles away.
Looking around London (S/W).
Maybe will need to forget the idea of driving 10 min to work :wall:

melancholly

given the economic climate, any job on graduation is a good thing at the moment. those who graduated last june had a really really tough time! lots of deadlines will be coming up (some may already have gone) so have a look online and get to the careers service when you're back at uni - they usually have lots of info on the various schemes and can tell you what would be good/bad for you.

Lokolo

melancholly wrote: »

given the economic climate, any job on graduation is a good thing at the moment. those who graduated last june had a really really tough time! lots of deadlines will be coming up (some may already have gone) so have a look online and get to the careers service when you're back at uni - they usually have lots of info on the various schemes and can tell you what would be good/bad for you.

IBM are actually recruiting a lot more this year because they are forcing a lot of people to retire.

Stubert

As a graduate, often you'll need to more flexible than a 10 minute drive....

Lots of the grad schemes are based in London anyway but you need to open to moving. Especially to get your foot in the door somewhere, at least for a couple of years perhaps.

happywarmgun

No hesitation in saying 'get on a grad scheme with a bluechip if you can'. It set me up for life.

olly300

altin wrote: »

Final year IT student...
Of course after worries of exams etc.. looking 4 job is another battle.
Are the Graduate Schemes the best option to go into the industry(with no experience)?

Yes and no.

I worked for a small employer and went on an IT graduate scheme. I was better of personally with the small employer as I had lots of responsibility, there as I know others who were better of with the graduate scheme.

Also if you do get on a bluechip IT graduate scheme be prepared to move around the country, an area or be placed in a location that you wouldn't choose to work in.

Someone I know who is on one at the moment has to move around the country every 6 months for up to 2 years. There as I had to move around the SE every few months. The upside for me is that I managed to rent in one place but I had commutes that varied from 30 minutes to an hour and a half one way. Others I know who went for a short commute each time so moved every time they were placed on a project at a different location. They often lost their rental deposit as it was considered reasonable by the company to commute an hour and a half one way.

altin_2

Filling the forms for few Graduate Schemes with tomorrow deadlines.
How about Employment Agencies? I used them years ago for not professional work, but with economic changes, I don't think they may be a good option(hope I'm wrong).

And thanks for replies.

happywarmgun

I would attack options in reverse order of preference - once you are in a job you kind of need to stay for a while so you don't look too fickle on your CV - if you take something that is wrong it is a chunk of your life spent unhappy. Obviously, you will reach a point of 'needs must' and have to take a job that may not be ideal - but you want to leave that until it really, really is 'needs must' and not just because the wrong people are the first people who will have you.

As I said above getting on a good graduate scheme set me up. Doors were open to me that were not open to people who had joined the company via other routes. Because I was on the fast track scheme the company would take a punt at promoting me into roles without directly relevant experience - impossible for people not with the right flag on their HR file. This is of course a virtuous circle - you get the experience and then you can move to another company with your blue chip credentials and your pay bargaining is far better than someone from a little company.

It is particulalry true in IT where credibility is everything and all employers believe that all bluechip co's are amazing at their IT - you really get totally undeserved kudos for having the right names on your CV (if only they knew!).

Yes, it was staggeringly hard work and long hours and there was a sacrifice to family life. But the rewards were amazing. Not just financial: work was intellectually challenging, I was able to work on every continent on the planet travelling business class on someone else's dime, seeing places I had only dreamed about.

Anyway, at the age of 35 I've just left that career to follow my dream and start up on my own - but I do so with the mortgage paid off and a confidence in my ability that comes from having done what I am doing on a much much bigger scale for someone else.

Try and get on a bluechip graduate scheme with either a FTSE100 company or a big five consulting firm before you resort to agencies! You have one shot at life...

altin_2

Hi happywarmgun. Thanks 4 your reply. That was really informative.
When I mentioned the employment agencies is only because I think there are still graduates unemployed from last year's. That makes competition very tight, and chances to go to a good scheme are minimised.
You know some days you feel hight and have hight hopes, other days ......
But I have been so dedication to finish hight this degree, studying long hours and letting apart my family life. Hope to finish with First(at least2.1).