Cambridge graduate can't get a job.

Emmzi

I am afraid the title of your thread says it all to me. "Cambridge graduate." Is that all you have?

A degree = ability to pass exams and write dissertations. (Before you contradict me, I have three of them. Not one prepared me for the world of work)

Every year I do graduate recruitment. Every year I see geniuses on paper who, in real life, have no people skills, no customer service or consultancy skills, no ability to manage budgets or projects.

People care that you had the gumption to pass your degree well but, actually, they don;t give a stuff about your A grades at school, etc.

If you have no work experience, you need to get volunteering in any field at all, right now.

If you get a consistent messaage that the world of business is not for you - try academia.

McGuiver

I think most of the other posters make some valid points. 'Cambridge graduate', and your emphasis on having abilities off the chart mark you out as being someone who likes to make out how very good they are. There is such a thing as overselling oneself.
If I were you, I'd remove the overinflated opinion you have of yourself, as it will only lead to bitterness and disappointment in the long run. Perhaps it may help if you also 'dumb down' your CV for mere employers, so remove all the little statements that refer to how brilliant you are and, 'pick me! pick me!'
Welcome to the world of graduate employment and being one of the tens of thousands of little minnows fighting to get a job, many of them better than you and some of them not. Perhaps you can use your abilities to begin a successful business? Alternatively, why not battle with many graduates to continue in academia? Although with only a 2.1, you may find it difficult to begin a funded programme like a PhD or (rarely) a Masters. Most people applying for these have 1sts or a 2.1 and a Masters.
Good luck in whatever you decide to do - and just keep trying (law of averages and all that).!

snowqueen555

A few rejections shouldn't dim your spirits, it sounds like you were a worthy appointment for all these jobs.. Unlike me, and standard grduate from an average university, I think you just need to keep trying. Everybody gets knocked back, but keep trying.

I must've failed over 10 interviews to get my current job, and its a basic entry level job that any Joe could do on the street, it did not require any previous experience

I think a Cambridge degree certainly puts you at an advantage to 80% of graudates out there, so take advantage of it!

All the best

Kaleidoscope27

I'm a graduate on my 4th job since graduating 2 years ago. Out of those 4 jobs, one of them was a "graduate position" and I was let go after a month because it wasn't working out.

I'm currently a part-time sales advisor in Debenhams. (Which, by the way, I am enjoying.)

I got my current job by almost losing it with my interviewer (who has become my floor manager). He asked why I was going for a sales job with a degree and I just said (a bit loudly) "Why does having a degree automatically make me uninterested in retail work? What if I like retail? What if I want to start at the bottom and work my way up because I think it'd be something I'll enjoy doing?" So by sort of admiting that, yeah, I'm aware that I'm overqualified for the job but prepared to do it anyway, clearly made a mark. Because he rung me up 6 hours later and offered me a job.

Like other's have said, what skills do you have other than the ability to get through Cambridge University? When I interviewed for my current job, I stayed away from using anything academic related to answer questions. I used examples from previous jobs and other aspects of my life. Because, to be frank, being an graduate isn't what it used to be. At the moment, it's kinda "get what you can." And I think a lot of employers, as I mentioned above, are finding graduates overqualified. And are worried that a graduate won't stay in the role.

Best of luck.

maninthestreet

OP, have you kept in touch with your felllow graduates from Cambridge? If so, are they facing the same problems as you?

getmore4less

As I read the post a couple of things stood out.

Chomeur wrote: »

I got straight As in my 'A' levels, distinctions in both 'S' levels, and a 2.1 at Cambridge. But I can't get a job, and have always had terrible problems with jobhunting. Here are a few examples:

- I went for a job interview at RBS. They required candidates to take a written test. I was later told that I had scored the highest anyone had ever scored on the test. They rejected me because they said we wouldn't get on. (I'm a really nice guy, honestly, so if there was fault in regard to getting on, it wasn't on my side).

- I went for a job interview with a City firm. I heard nothing from them after the interview until they wrote back four months later. They said that my details were very impressive but unfortunately they had no positions suitable for someone of my areas of expertise (I am quite certain that they did have such positions).

- I was told at a job interview at another bank "The trouble is, in a way, your thinking is too far advanced."

It feels like everyone is afraid of me. Might it be worth me going to the doctor and asking for a prescription for some lead tablets to make myself a bit thicker?

You have come across a bit smug, almost I desreve a job.

This may be coming through in the interviews.

I know a few years back when I was doing a lot of recruiting(entry level technical IT) a decent* UNI got you in the door but anyone that had "attitude" got no further we needed people that could work in a mixed ability team environment, then move on to better things within the company.

As others have said I think you need to focus on the people skills.

The bit in red was the clincher, it's not me, can't be me, its them others.


* we had to stop inviting people from the "second" tear unis they were just not capable, in a lot of cases the degree was border line useless educational dressing.

BexInLondon

OP - I really sympathise as a lot of my friends from Cambridge found themselves in the same position. I didn't find it hard to get a job but I think that's because I had been working in one way or another since I was 16 and had done a lot of volunteering so had a lot of experience. I was always very resentful of having to work my way through Uni. while my well-off peers spent their evenings getting wasted (or writing essays!) but maybe it was an advantage after all. The days of walking straight from Oxbridge (or any Uni.) straight into a job are over, it seems. Don't panic, there are still loads of great jobs out there, you just have to think a bit more creatively to get one! I strongly recommend volunteering if you can. There are a few good websites out there with different graduate jobs - try escape the city. If you have reasonable IT skills, join a temping agency and get some money in so you can use your evenings and weekends to build up your work-related skills.

Have a think about who you know. Where are your peers working? I got my first job out of uni through a mate who I'd met while we both volunteered at the Oxfam shop!

Can you afford to do an internship?

David_Brent

Sounds like you may need to brush up on your interview skills and the way you come across to the employer, regardless of any academic qualifications you may have, or which institution you graduated from.

snowqueen555

Thats a good idea, I failed a lot of interviews because apparently I was to relaxed and my posture was awful, I was leaning on the armrests and chatting like old buddies. Stuff like this you can't discover yourself, you need someone to point it out to you

HB81

As well as getting your cv checked and interview advice from your careers service as others have mentioned, I would advise to not just look at 'graduate' jobs, and not just at jobs that you see as a suitable career for your background, but to consider any and every job and focus on getting yourself in to work asap. It might be volunteer work, or part time, it might be mind-numbingly dull and you might hate it, but any experience is worthwhile and you might find that you learn valuable skills, or meet a useful contact, and you can still spend your free time looking for something you'd rather do.

(btw, I graduated from Oxford in 2002 and it took me the best part of a year to get what I considered my first 'proper' job, but in that year I did temp work through an agency in a couple of local warehouse/factories, worked in a pub, worked at the local council on a temporary part time contract... not what I really expected or wanted to be doing, but better than nothing and I honestly did learn things that helped me get that first 'proper' job)

Good luck!