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

shop-to-drop

Not only is the market flooded with too many graduates but some degrees like psychology are so popular that there are way more graduates than jobs. Not the case for all graduates though my husband has been interviewing graduates he is an electronic software engineer. He has struggled to find suitable graduates many interviewed have come over from india very few had a degree with any practical electronics but are purely academic/theory. Those with any more practical component to the degree even if only in the third year project or even as an interest/hobby were the successful candidates. The starting salary for these jobs is well over 20k mid 20's i think. So market is not totally flooded some good positions for graduates are out there but the degrees studied don't match the job market.

System

Muttleythefrog wrote: »

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.

This has happened to me too. I'm told I'm overqualified, or asked about my future intentions.

Post-grads in psychology are also very difficult to get into. So far, none of my friends have made it either, so we are all in the same boat.

shop-to-drop wrote: »

Not only is the market flooded with too many graduates but some degrees like psychology are so popular that there are way more graduates than jobs.

True. Any job goes for me, but a some of my friends are more fussy and won't even consider unrelated/low-pay jobs.

I can understand why though. Students spend 3 years on work, stress, essays, lab reports not the mention the 32K (soon to be 53K) debt. A levels, GCSEs etc. are all very hard work. You do all this and then end up working a job you could have gotten had you left school at 16. It's very depressing.

shop-to-drop

Have you looked into support worker, care worker type roles? These are not well paid but are plentiful and the experience would be relevant to you as presumably with psychology you are wanting to work with people. Maybe you could do additional study parttime to make your degree more relevant to the work place. Then in a year or so you may be closer to where you want to be. By the way what were your career ambitions when you applied for your degree?

System

shop-to-drop wrote: »

Have you looked into support worker, care worker type roles? These are not well paid but are plentiful and the experience would be relevant to you as presumably with psychology you are wanting to work with people. Maybe you could do additional study parttime to make your degree more relevant to the work place. Then in a year or so you may be closer to where you want to be. By the way what were your career ambitions when you applied for your degree?

Yes, a lot of the time I get a rejection, then later a letter inviting me to volunteer to increase my chances next time. I've taken it on for work experience, but it hasn't helped me get a job at any of these companies/charities. I do still apply for all care-role jobs I find. I've considered social work, but this requires another degree.

Like many psychology students my intention is to become a clinical psychologist. To apply for the postgrad you need a minimum 1 years experience on an assistant psychology post. Unfortunately, these are very rare and competitive. I didn't realise just how hard it was to get a place until I started applying. Nobody from my grad year has gotten a place. It's horrible really, because a lot of psychology students enter the degree to do this, and end up with 'just a psychology degree'.

shop-to-drop

Also voluntary work is likely to be a crucial way of you gaining relevant experience you need to get into your type of occupation. A lot more emphasis is now on volunteers to do the roles that don't require previous experience. Paid roles will become available once you have this experience. It can be really fun and rewarding too, if you don't find it so will then you will know those type of roles are not for you. I believe that if you are determined and hardworking now you will reap the rewards in the future.

shop-to-drop

candyflossing wrote: »

Yes, a lot of the time I get a rejection, then later a letter inviting me to volunteer to increase my chances next time. I've taken it on for work experience, but it hasn't helped me get a job at any of these companies/charities. I do still apply for all care-role jobs I find. I've considered social work, but this requires another degree.

Like many psychology students my intention is to become a clinical psychologist. To apply for the postgrad you need a minimum 1 years experience on an assistant psychology post. Unfortunately, these are very rare and competitive. I didn't realise just how hard it was to get a place until I started applying. Nobody from my grad year has gotten a place. It's horrible really, because a lot of psychology students enter the degree to do this, and end up with 'just a psychology degree'.

Really you had bad career advice if you weren't made aware how hard it is to become a clinical psychologist. I did a psychology degree over 20 years ago and it was already extremely competitive and over subscribed then and since then psychology has become super super popular. I always felt I should have done a more practical based degree teaching or nursing etc as psychology is really just 'a degree' unless following up with post graduate studies.

Good luck with whatever you end up doing.

System

shop-to-drop wrote: »

Really you had bad career advice if you weren't made aware how hard it is to become a clinical psychologist. I did a psychology degree over 20 years ago and it was already extremely competitive and over subscribed then and since then psychology has become super super popular. I always felt I should have done a more practical based degree teaching or nursing etc as psychology is really just 'a degree' unless following up with post graduate studies.

Good luck with whatever you end up doing.

I saw several careers advisors when I was 16, they would come to our school regularly. When I said I wanted to be a psychologist, they told me to study psychology, and that was it.

The university open-day talks made it sound easy too. A lot of people from my course feel cheated, knowing that nobody in our grad year has a place on a BPS postgrad (clinical, forensic, or otherwise) ... So, that's about 140 student with a psychology degree who can't become psychologists. Someone set up a petition that the psych department need to put their employment figures in the information booklet. The figures for our grad year are awful, the unemployment/unaccounted makes up the vast majority.

What did you end up doing with your degree?

Sixer

To avoid JSA, could you set up as a private tutor for A level students? How about using some of the work-from-home part-time options available on the Up Your Income board? You may be able to combine these with actual jobseeking or part-time postgrad studies?

tortmad

I felt really sad reading your post. My son is about to start uni - degree in accountancy - I'm tempted to tell him to forget it!!!

Good luck to you!

RAS

candyflossing wrote: »

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 presume you needed your reference from your old Department?

Who have absolutely nothing to do with your university's Careers Service.

Almost all university careers services will provide support for graduates for two or three years after graduation. And have done since I graduated decades ago.