University graduate, can't find a job, need help with benefits please.

Legacy_user

I graduated university last year, due to ill health I was out of work for about 9 months, I didn't claim benefits during this time because I had some savings put away for my post graduate study.

Now that I am a bit better, I am job hunting but am finding it much harder than I expected to get any job! I am considering going on job seekers allowance to help me until I get a job.

I am living with my parents, and I pay them rent to cover my bills etc. I ran a 'benefits calculator' and it said I was only entitled to Job seekers allowance, is this true, or am I missing out on something here?

Sam____2

No, your only entitled to jobseekers while looking for employment

thegirlintheattic

As you are living with parent's it's only JSA, be thankful that you haven't settled down with a partner - usually that means you get nothing!

Don't rely on the Job Centre to help you find an appropriate job, they are completely useless when it comes to graduates/professionals. They will offer you key skills help, to go through your CV and if your lucky some interview technique. They will also send you for any job that comes up and you will get into the pattern of turning up just for the employer to say you are over qualified.

Try searching for graduate schemes/internships - a lot of these have closed now, but there are still some around and others for Jan starts.

Try temp agencies.

Do you still have money for post-graduate study? If so that may be a better option than sitting around on JSA, especially if you can get a last-minute bursary.

System

thegirlintheattic wrote: »

As you are living with parent's it's only JSA, be thankful that you haven't settled down with a partner - usually that means you get nothing!

Don't rely on the Job Centre to help you find an appropriate job, they are completely useless when it comes to graduates/professionals. They will offer you key skills help, to go through your CV and if your lucky some interview technique. They will also send you for any job that comes up and you will get into the pattern of turning up just for the employer to say you are over qualified.

Try searching for graduate schemes/internships - a lot of these have closed now, but there are still some around and others for Jan starts.

Try temp agencies.

Do you still have money for post-graduate study? If so that may be a better option than sitting around on JSA, especially if you can get a last-minute bursary.

Unfortunately I didn't get a place on my chosen course (psychology postgrads are extremely competitive). I am spending most of my savings on living costs so I will not be able to afford to go back to uni until I get a job and make the money back. It will be impossible to do this whilst on JSA. I am desperate for literally any job right now!

I have applied for a lot of graduate schemes, I am finding it very difficult to even get to the interview stage. I am literally applying for every job I can find, even low-pay, fast-food, cleaning etc., and unfortunately, a major issue is that employers think I'm over qualified and won't be suitable as I don't have loyalty/long term employability. It has been suggested to students in my position to omit their degree from their CV when applying for low-pay jobs, so I may consider doing this.

I have posted in the employment forum for advice too.

clemmatis

unfortunately, a major issue is that employers think I'm over qualified and won't be suitable as I don't have loyalty/long term employability. It has been suggested to students in my position to omit their degree from their CV when applying for low-pay jobs, so I may consider doing this.

Yes, it's a really difficult situation. Starbucks -- e.g. -- employ graduates as baristas, have you tried them?

MrsManda

Have you looked to see if the NHS is recruiting in your area?
https://www.nhs.uk/jobs

It may be worth contacting your local voluntary centre and having a look on https://www.do-it.org.uk to see if there's any voluntary work you can do to gain some experience.

Claim JSA - you will at least get some money which is better than no money at all and you'll get National Insurance contributions paid as well.

thegirlintheattic

Have you contacted your old university careers department? They should be able to help with interview/CVs so that you get interviews for the graduate schemes.

Contacted Graduate Recruitment Companies? The OH got an interview the day after submitting his CV to one and got the job a week later.

nannytone_2

menher wrote: »

It does really make me wonder why kids go to uni, end up in debt when they STILL can't get a job and have to join the rest of society!

go and ask Tony Blair, it was his brainwave that so many kids shoyuld go to university.
Anyone with the slightest bit of sense could see that flooding the market with graduates would lead to many being unemployed.

And I agree, it's harder for graduates .. either over qualified or lacking experience.

[Deleted User]

candyflossing wrote: »

Unfortunately I didn't get a place on my chosen course (psychology postgrads are extremely competitive). I am spending most of my savings on living costs so I will not be able to afford to go back to uni until I get a job and make the money back. It will be impossible to do this whilst on JSA. I am desperate for literally any job right now!

I have applied for a lot of graduate schemes, I am finding it very difficult to even get to the interview stage. I am literally applying for every job I can find, even low-pay, fast-food, cleaning etc., and unfortunately, a major issue is that employers think I'm over qualified and won't be suitable as I don't have loyalty/long term employability. It has been suggested to students in my position to omit their degree from their CV when applying for low-pay jobs, so I may consider doing this.

I have posted in the employment forum for advice too.

the problem with omitting the degree is explaining the 3 year gap

System

clemmatis wrote: »

Yes, it's a really difficult situation. Starbucks -- e.g. -- employ graduates as baristas, have you tried them?

No starbucks roles have come up during my search but if they ever did I would certainly apply ... like I said, I'm so desperate, anything goes!

MrsManda wrote: »

Have you looked to see if the NHS is recruiting in your area?
https://www.nhs.uk/jobs

It may be worth contacting your local voluntary centre and having a look on https://www.do-it.org.uk to see if there's any voluntary work you can do to gain some experience.

Yes, NHS is one of the big recruiters for psychology posts.

I have done quite a lot of volunteer work. A lot of the time when you get rejected from psychology posts you get letters offering an unpaid position. I've taken a few of these up before, for the experience.

thegirlintheattic wrote: »

Have you contacted your old university careers department? They should be able to help with interview/CVs so that you get interviews for the graduate schemes.

Contacted Graduate Recruitment Companies? The OH got an interview the day after submitting his CV to one and got the job a week later.

:rotfl: Your first question made me laugh! After graduating my university couldn't care less about us. We had to beg for months to get references for our post-grad applications this year.

I am signed up with a few agencies. Some of the agencies I've found charge ridiculous amounts though :eek:

menher wrote: »

It does really make me wonder why kids go to uni, end up in debt when they STILL can't get a job and have to join the rest of society!

Pressure from school teachers & parental pressure, some parents don't understand that a degree in 2011 isn't worth the same as a degree when they were young. Hell, my parents are still saying 'How can you not find a job, you have a DEGREE!'.

At my sixth form college the 'not applying for uni' option was never presented to us. We ALL were sat in front of computers and had 'ucas time' every week & meetings with our tutors to discuss our personal statement.

nannytone wrote: »

And I agree, it's harder for graduates .. either over qualified or lacking experience.

I have 3 friends who left school at 16 and they are all much more successful than me, careers wise. It's shocking, really.

I never expected my degree to guarantee me any job, mind. But one thing I was not expecting, was that it would actually lower my chances of getting a job!

Muttleythefrog

Yes Candy.. probably JSA is all you'll get. The problems you describe I suspect are common. You're in that difficult situation of facing a lot of rejection as being overqualified. Many outsiders would say just take any job... problem is not any employer will employ just anybody for any job... someone who has a degree they will assume has career amibitions and may be a fantastic cleaner... until they find something more suited to their skills and desires. I left one interview dismayed when the interviewer said I was the best candidate she'd interviewed for any job.. she said I could walk into the job and do it with my eyes closed... and for that reason she felt I was unsuitable..lol. But jobs for graduates are low for several reasons.. lots of graduates... very few jobs full stop. You've had good advice above but actually you sound pretty switched on to the issues you face and how you might try get over them. My advice as someone who has been on both sides of the fence is that when you're in competition with many people who are going to have the skills and experience for a job then mark yourself out with something unusual... different.. I used to use catchphrasing. I liked the idea of sticking words and sounds in people's minds that would torment them. Sometiems if opportunity arose I'd insert an unexpected fact about me.. anything that would at the end of the day have me in a special place in the laughs and chats and minds of those who viewed the applications and found many to be very strong and on a par. Being a psychology graduate you may be better placed than I to do it...lol.

Build a mental resilience to the rejections... the being ignored for jobs... luck plays a big role usually... the last job I got my primary referee was interviewed for the job immediately before me and we both by then knew he'd screwed up the computing test just prior so he fired them up regarding me before I went in..lol... they saw the man who was my supervisor for 6 years. When I saw the applications process from the other side (NHS recruitment site mentioned above) I was stunned to find over 150 applied and I think it was over 20 people met desirable and essential criteria... more than places available for interview. The irony is I applied for a different job with same job description and criteria on the same street (opposite building) with exactly the same application on exactly the same day to exactly the same organisation and didn't get called for interview...lol.

If you ever need a study subject should you get onto a postgrad course then call me up..lol. I'm interested in psychology... and better still I'm a mental health patient..lol. I've already been interrogated by a couple of medical students and I really enjoyed that... they even liked my jokes about bodies in the garden and the problems they're causing with the soil pH.

Good luck!