A Warning: Job Centre goalposts moving.

krok

makeyourdaddyproud wrote: »

Pshaw!

What is the domain of the work you do? The overarching accuracy employed by your toil on this thread suggests to me you might be trying all thing possible to avoid a "lower spec" job through subliminal excuse and semantic denial. Tell me i'm wrong?

Your degree probably invests self-expectation of job-worth. But matey, degree mandated tenures aren't so forthcoming as they were pre-2007!

Who are you commenting about?

What are you commenting about?

Nightranger

makeyourdaddyproud wrote: »

Pshaw!

What is the domain of the work you do? The overarching accuracy employed by your toil on this thread suggests to me you might be trying all thing possible to avoid a "lower spec" job through subliminal excuse and semantic denial. Tell me i'm wrong?

Your degree probably invests self-expectation of job-worth. But matey, degree mandated tenures aren't so forthcoming as they were pre-2007!

I think you may have jumped an answer from a different thread but if you are referring to me then let me explain further...Yes, I have a degree but it is true to say I do not and never have had a single domain of work. Self-expectation is an interesting phrase though and I think I recall you mentioning that your daughter has just graduated on another thread.

1. It is inescapable that in certain areas of the country there are few if any degree-requiring jobs. Indeed, I have worked a sum total of less than one year in my hometown meaning I have had to travel to work for most of my life. Indeed, I graduated in 1990 and then waited 11 years to find a job that used my degree and then only as a result of an internal transfer. I have only held one job that could be classed in my area of expertise (if that is the best way of putting it) and that involved moving away (180 miles) and to a job that was more like an Admin position and did not require a degree to qualify for the position. The end result is that I have only applied for less than 10% of vacancies that even touch upon my education and none that specifically require the qualification for at least two years.

2. It is a sad but inescapable fact that employers are still blind to what is going on with their own recruitment systems. Too many employers are aware that they are advertising unpleasant menial jobs and/or positions with poor promotional prospects. This means they will often employ the best of a bunch of rough types and get eight weeks work before they have to fire them for non-attendance whereas a graduate may genuinely only stay for six to twelve months but they will produce excellent work within that time. It is not difficult see the cost effective benefit of breaking past the seemingly obvious and in corporate-speak 'thinking outside the box'. I have in fact, done this kind of work since graduating but noticeably I have only been employed on what was a temporary basis (at least six jobs that I can remember) and never in a permanent position, which says everything about the employers attitude if you think about it.

3. When I was born a little over 50 years ago just 1% of the population studied for a first degree. By the time I graduated in 1990, the figure was already up to 10% and an MSc/MA or even a PhD was a better passport into a job in the given field of study. David Cameron inadvertently gave away the game when he referred to 'the forgotten 50% in society'. In other words, 50% of people in the UK now study for a first degree and degrees are still being sold by greedy colleges on the back of unreasonable expectations. The subjects offered are ample evidence of this and involve subjects so specific that they would not have ordinarily been touched until a post-graduate qualification when I was studying. Indeed, my degree is quite broad-based but it was still considered as slightly specific by at least one of my lecturers at the time despite it being the most popular option in the faculty. Hang on though! The numbers are starting to be so mind-blowing that we are already into an employment trend that is not only obvious in theory, it is actually happening.

4. It is inescapable that a lot of retail jobs are best served (at least from the employer's perspective) by putting young people in what is a face-to-face role. In fact, there is an element of ageism in all face-to-face jobs that is difficult to counter because each individual employer would argue that why should they be forced to employ the 'token' mature person just so the figures stack up. Believe me, this even applies to my education background because a specialist situation exists that is difficult to counter that has a parallel to the retail arena. However, that is beyond the scope of this thread and the post I am replying to so back to subject. I mentioned David Cameron's 'forgotten 50%' for good reason because higher education really has impacted on those people that do not go on beyond secondary or sixth form education. Nevertheless, you are a HR bod in a large supermarket chain and there are a number of young and old candidates, some with degrees, some without. Who do you choose and why? Simple! A young graduate demonstrates that they have managed to handle three years of college life and come out with something at the end. Another young person went to school...because they had to given the law in the UK. An older person has experience that is not required for the job irrespective of whether they graduated in a past life. OK, an interview could swing things against the trend but remember that this situation is more likely to be occurring at first-filter stage when checking through 200 applications often for just one position but seldom more than four.

Expectation? Possibly! Or more likely that I am old enough to have been given a heavy dose of reality and I know that I am wasting my time applying for menial jobs that I would happily do but the employer judges me on an erroneous set of assumptions. However, I am expected to apply for every (seemingly) suitable job but get this! So is everyone else and that means they are applying for jobs that I am experienced in because the job spec' does not require a degree. Anything from 50 applications upwards for each job to a position where they will probably only interview eight (the rough maximum for a one-day interview exercise). Oh BTW, my first job was in a chemical factory with Victorian employment standards. Still think my expectations are too high?