University graduate & can't find a job ANYWHERE! Please please help!

Racheldevon

Just to balance things out re: the lady who posted about her daughter considering this as a possible route... I studied psychology at undergraduate level (graduated in 2006), and in August of that year obtained a full time managerial post for a brain injury chairty that allowed me to develop clinical and managerial experience. I stayed until late 2008, having started as an outreach worker for the company at the end of the first year of my degree. I've now moved onto something else clinically relevant, and have been since leaving the brain injury charity. I turned down a place to do an MSc to take up the first post on graduating, but have been able to find another way to do this through my work which have sponsered me to do it. I'm just trying to point out a balanced view, in that it is tough without any doubt, but it isn't impossible.

I know quite a lot of psychology graduates who are now working in either psychology related fields (IAPT, CMHTs, CAMHS, or as assistant psychologists), or in other relevant fields. It hasn't been an easy journey for any of them (myself included), but gaining as much experience is vital (voluntary or otherwise, e.g., support worker, volunteering in a mental health hospital, with young offenders, samitaritans, health care assistant posts etc). Many of these can be done through the university's volunteering department/team throughout studying, which can help build some relevant experience on graduating (to reassure the lady who was worried about her daughter applying).

Prior to applying, I think it is very clear that an undergraduate degree along doesn't actually qualify you to work clinically with any population, and will require typically a doctorate for many of the fields, e.g., health, clinical, educational psychologist professions.

I think the fees are worth bearing in mind with the recent increases, but certainly around the 2006 period, a lot of my friends graduating with approximately £10, 000 of debt.

Best of luck for your future searching

Rockporkchop

OP as you have a psychology degree, have you considered becoming an ABA tutor/therapist and working with special needs children? With so many children being diagnosed with autism nowadays, tutors are like gold dust. You might have to do some expenses only work to gain experience but after that you can command a decent salary. Then after a few years as a tutor you can go on to become a case manager where you supervise tutors (and earn around £95 per hour plus expenses!).

You can get loads of information on sites like Peach, The Behaviour Change Clinic, ABA Tutor Finder, and hundreds more if you google.

wantsajob

ABA and the underlying theories are something often not taught in Psychology degrees any more. It's considered somewhat antiquated. Issues relevant to the behaviourist perspective it uses are nearly always covered at GCSE and A level, though.

It's worth noting that many people on the spectrum able to articulate themselves campaign vigorously against the use of ABA with Autistic children. See http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/ and read the second aim on the list. ABA is about adapting the individuals behaviour to social norms, when the reality is that "normal" people should be more accepting of people who are different. If people were more accepting, I myself with Aspergers might have some sort of a job by now.

Rockporkchop

wantsajob wrote: »

ABA and the underlying theories are something often not taught in Psychology degrees any more. It's considered somewhat antiquated. Issues relevant to the behaviourist perspective it uses are nearly always covered at GCSE and A level, though.

It's worth noting that many people on the spectrum able to articulate themselves campaign vigorously against the use of ABA with Autistic children. See http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/ and read the second aim on the list. ABA is about adapting the individuals behaviour to social norms, when the reality is that "normal" people should be more accepting of people who are different. If people were more accepting, I myself with Aspergers might have some sort of a job by now.

Thousands of people disagree with you regarding ABA, hence the national shortage of tutors. It's an extremely rewarding and interesting job and I have seen miraculous changes in children in a very short space of time.

wantsajob

Rockporkchop wrote: »

Thousands of people disagree with you regarding ABA

My point was thousands of people who have related Autistic conditions themselves disagree with the use of ABA. I think the things most Autistics disagree with are if:

• punishment is involved (probably rare these days)
• the aim of treatment is to reduce behaviour that is considered normal for people with Autism, such as stimming. Stimming is often a coping mechanism they engage in to reduce anxiety. If you remove this coping mechanism, what do you think happens inside their mind?
• the aim is to teach behaviours they naturally find extremely stressful such as eye contact.

The £95 an hour reflects the desperation of parents to find a miraculous "cure" that does not exist. Besides, the principles used in ABA often form the basis of good effective parenting/teaching anyway. Just watch any episode of Super Nanny. Giving it a fancy name, making people supposed "experts", and charging thousands of pounds for it doesn't change what it is.

chrissy_E wrote: »

so there are no fees at the moment). I can't attach the links you might like as I'm new to the forum but you can email me if your interested

a) you may wish to remove your email address to prevent spam. People can contact you via private message on the forums should they wish.
b) home work schemes involving any fee or up-front payment are invariably a scam. Think about it, you're supposed to be making the company money - why should you give them anything?
c) you can post a link by removing the http://www. bit at the start

zkellerman

There's simply not many jobs related to a bachelors or diploma in Psychology - at those levels they're just an 'add-on' degree to your CV - your only options right off the bat are research positions and how many of those do you see? Not many.

You can become a counsellor / therapist but that needs additional training... and about two years worth of clinical supervision which you won't have (placements which offer clinical supervision are hard to come by).

If you are passionate about Psychology still I'd suggest you take it up at a Doctorate / MSc level so you can become a Psychologist.

If anybody is considering studying Psychology as a degree, just don't do it. Too many people do it thinking its 'interesting' - it's one of the most studied degrees with the least career paths. Go for Psychiatry based degree (psychiatric nursing or psychiatrist based training) or a degree which includes therapist training which includes placements AND clinical supervision.

an9i77

I concur. I studied Psychology back in 1999 and ended up doing a masters in occupational psychology - I then went into people management /HR and so whilst what I do now is not completely irrelevant to that, it's pretty far off what my ideal job would have been. I fervently wish I'd gone into medicine or something, at least then lots of jobs! Plus top dollar to be earned! I could have specialised in psychiatry for my interest in the mind, but had general medicine to fall back on.

Its such a shame that you're expected to pick your career so young, and it can be so difficult to change paths later on. Also, I found there was not a lot of advice on which career ladders were easy and which were greasy poles, the focus was on what one wanted to do and not what one could feasibly expect to do.

19lottie82

I did a Psychology / Sociology degree when I left school @ 17 and graduated when I was 20.

I was still a kid then and didn’t really go in to it or come out of it with a graduate career in mind, I only really went as my school and parents expected me to go to University after school.

I did bar work for a couple of years afterwards then started office temping, and then got a permanent role with an engineering company. Now I work in the Oil and Gas sector! I’m glad I went to Uni and got my degree. Although it’s not really relevant to the field I am in now, or any of my previous roles, it still looks good on my CV and has worked in my favour, in the past.

OP, as echoed by another poster, if you really want a career in this field, then you will need to do a Msc.

I’m not calling you liar for one second, and from what you say you are willing to take any work going, but I really struggle to believe that an intelligent young graduate, can’t find a job, trying day in, day out for over 6 months!
Where do you live? Is relocating to somewhere with better work prospects an option?

I guess my advice would be get some volunteering admin experience and after a while register with every agency you can, to try and get some temp work. This is a great way to get your foot in the door and “work your way up”.
But I’m guessing you’ve already tried this?

dawyldthing

an9i77 wrote: »

Its such a shame that you're expected to pick your career so young, and it can be so difficult to change paths later on. Also, I found there was not a lot of advice on which career ladders were easy and which were greasy poles, the focus was on what one wanted to do and not what one could feasibly expect to do.

I agree with this. In America and Canada (or possibly just one, can't remember which) you study subjects in your first and maybe 2nd year then choose your major after that. At 18 its too young to decide what you want to do for the next 50 years imho and thats whether its degrees, vocational courses or anything else of that matter

Caroline_a

OP, if you are struggling to get a job in Windsor I would say that you need help with your jobsearch. My daughter got a job within 2 weeks of coming home from uni last year - ok, it isn't the greatest paid job, but it's a job and it will give her experience to progress within the organisation which seems to be happening already.

Are you registered with all the local agencies? You mentioned that you were registered with 'a few'. The likes of Reed, Manpower, and also local agencies (I live in the Windsor area so I know quite a few) are all good sources for jobs. You should keep in touch with them at least 3 times a week, whether you go in, or just phone them. Registering with them and then just sitting back doesn't work.

You should look at any entry level jobs the agencies offer, whether it be reception, general admin, etc etc. There are some big pharma companies in this area, and a foot in the door is always the best way. I know of one receptionist who is now a project manager!

Finally, you won't like this I'm afraid, but often new graduates think that they are worth so much more than they are - I know, I was one, and very quickly had that knocked out of me with my first job! You have to realise that you are now starting your career, and if you think that you are better than existing staff because you have a degree you are going to have a tough time.

You say

I always worry that something like that will happen to me. I'm not sure how I'd ever cope. One of my friends got a job in Mcdonalds and walked out a week later when her boss gave her a patronising lecture on how to clean up spilled drinks. When you have a degree I imagine that kind of thing must feel so degrading.

A degree does not mean you are competent at cleaning! However you aren't the first grad who has thought this, and you will find patronising people in all walks of life, so you'll just have to suck it up at this stage I'm afraid.

Good luck in your jobsearch. If you want I can PM you with suitable local agencies, in particular one which has a Windsor office that my daughter found very helpful.