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Archive for the ‘STUDENTS AND GRADUATES’ Category
Friday, August 20th, 2010
Hi I’m at the end of my tether, I’ve been looking for a job in graphic design since I graduated in 2009. Please can you suggest any relevant help. I don’t need any generic links, I’ve read them all but would appreciate any practical advice anyone can give me. Thanks.
First thing I’d suggest is to review what you have already done. You may well have been applying for jobs, but to what extent have you been contacting companies direct, have you approached companies from a position of REALLY knowing what their business issues are and how you can help. This can be both design companies but also companies who may not realise the benefits of what a graphic designer can do for them.
I know you will want to do paid work, but could you see about doing work experience for a couple of days a week for a month. Or look to do some work as a freelancer for small businesses to help expand your portfolio.
There is lots more advice in my book – How To Get A Job In A Recession.
Posted in Job Hunting in a Recession, STUDENTS AND GRADUATES
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Thursday, August 19th, 2010
Why do people keep talking about the ‘graduate premium’ of 100k over a lifetime. This figure is an average over all graduates.
So this means some people, e.g. those that work in the city or become senior managers in blue chip companies could earn well in excess of this, but also there will be many that will not earn anything like this in addition to if they had ‘worked their way up’ or studied part time whilst working.
But let’s take this 100k.
From this deduct 25k debt that a typical graduate leaves university with. Plus the £15k a year they could have earned if they had worked over 3 years (leaving the difficulty in getting a job at the moment to one side), so this is 45k.
This takes the extra money an average graduate will earn as £35k which over a 40 year working life is well under 1k per year. So is it really worth it?
Will be writing more on graduates later.
Love to know what you think, do comment below
Posted in STUDENTS AND GRADUATES
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Tuesday, August 17th, 2010
I’ve been encouraging my clients to get unpaid work experience, now called Internships, as a means of developing their skills and gaining relevant work experience to increase their chance of success with job applications.
My view of unpaid work experience, is as something you would do for a few weeks, where you would do supervised work and actually learn and develop. Possibly not even full time, as 2 days a week unpaid work over 3 months could be a brilliant addition to a CV and can also help to test drive if a career is something that you should really give your all to try and move into, better to find now that the reality doesn’t match your thoughts.
For years I’ve been hearing from clients that certain careers demand a year or more of unpaid work experience, from George who wanted to work as a lobbyist to Rachael trying to get work in TV, others seeking work in fashion and PR, George and Rachael were unable to work for nothing and had to adjust their plans. George was also interested in advertising and is doing really well. Rachael has a job in another industry, not exactly what she wanted to do but she could segue into a job within a TV company with a bit of creative thinking and an upturn in the economic climate.
There are quite a few stories from interns such as this one from Sarah Geraghty.
The media today refer to Alan Milburn’s idea to offer all young people the sort of internship that the well off can offer their offspring, but I can’t seen this happening. Even if some form of payment was available, you still need to find these opportunities, and there’s a lot of competition for even unpaid work.
Paid internships are available – see Graduate Talent Pool and Wexo but the opportunities listed include many that are unpaid, or just with expenses covered.
Many people think you have to go to London to take up these Internships, and for some careers this will be true, but you could still look to create your own opportunity local to where you live.
Here’s what I suggest to my clients:
You can read more here >>
Posted in STUDENTS AND GRADUATES
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Monday, August 9th, 2010
I’m included on Alvin Hall’s Generations of Money second programme in the series which focuses on young people. Out of a 90 minute interview just a couple of quotes are included but this is quite typical. When I was on The Tonight Programme we spent around half an hour walking through a shopping centre and just a couple of seconds were included.
One of the other speakers was Patrick Ainley who, along with Martin Allen has written a book – Lost Generation?: New Strategies for Youth and Education. On the radio broadcast he said that we are seeing the bursting of a huge education bubble, young people, and their parents, were sold a pipe dream which can be compared to a package holiday but the end result is a lack of jobs.
By 2009 the number of young people going to university had reached 45% but those who enter the professions tend to be those who went to a certain group of universities where the companies have connections and visit.
Now far too many young people end up in the sort of jobs that were taken by those who left school 35 years ago. Back then 4 O levels got you a good office job, now they are mostly taken by graduates.
It is a challenging time, and this is when expert career advice can be helpful – both in helping young people work out what sort of job they ideally want, what will be a useful interim step or steps and in helping them to present themselves well both in application, at interview and assessment centre.
If you would like to discuss working with me please email me. Alternatively you may like to review the articles and blog posts on my site. You may also like to buy one of my books:
Posted in STUDENTS AND GRADUATES
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Wednesday, July 28th, 2010
Lots in the media recently that 8 out of 10 graduate recruiters refuse to interview applicants who don’t have a 2:1. This is being written as if it is something new, but 15 years ago when I did graduate recruitment, this was always the criteria we worked to although was possibly not told to the candidates.
I’ve never been sure why to use this as a criteria, as ability to get a 2:1 or first does not always translate to the best workers. Far more important is drive and application, being willing to get stuck in and get a job done, and to be proactive.
What gets me about all this doom and gloom is that it is referring to the ‘top’ graduate recruiters – people trying to get into the big 4 consultancies and blue chip training schemes, but there are so many jobs available outside of these traditional graduate schemes.
There was a good article on this in The Independent and some key advice from Martin Patrick.
Other newspapers seem to set out to be a scaremonger, with one saying that up to 270 graduates are battling for every job vacancy, but I don’t know how they have come up with this figure, although reading into the article there is a more realistic 45 applications per vacancy raising to 270 in some industries such as Unilever and Proctor and Gamble.
However, when I used to do graduate recruitment with companies such as those a percentage of the applications were extremely poor and put in with little thought, especially when people apply online. I think that this was because they would probably have an initial attempt to understand the questions and then go back in and put in a proper application. Sometimes that’s the only way to get a list of questions so you can take your time to create a well considered application
Another article says that a third of graduates are in low skill jobs or on the dole 6 months after leaving university. But that has always been the case as graduates decide what it is that they do want to do, or take a job as a stop gap till they get the job they want.
There is certainly a need to be proactive and flexible, as The Independent writes more on the ‘doom and gloom’ for graduates.
Being proactive could mean setting up your own business and any businesses were started in a recession.
It’s also being flexible and being willing to ‘work your way up’ In an article in The Times Sunday Magazine the writer Eleanor Mills reminds people that the world does not owe us a living, and says that back in 1992 her first job was working on a trade magazine and she learnt that you have to start somewhere. Her flat mate who wanted to work for Goldman Sachs had to start as a waitress but eventually got into her preferred company as a temp and worked her way up to a top analyst.
So much is written about the high earning potential of graduates, but this Is in general terms, not for everyone. Even back in the 1980s when just 12% of the population went to University, not every graduate got straight onto a great graduate job. some did later, and others, for various reasons did no better with a degree than they would have without, although they had had an enjoyable 3 years at uni. now 40% of young people go to university and they aren’t all going to get these high paid jobs.
Back when I was young (sorry for sounding so ancient) you could get a great office job with 4 O levels, now companies have so many applicants with degrees that the entry standard has raised. Which makes it very hard for those with 5 or 6 GCSEs.
How to stand out from the crowd – and ideally you should be doing this before graduation
* Seek an internship in the area you want to work in
* Demonstrate you are able to work, you understand the requirements of being an employee and have work experience to back this up
* Create a CV targeted to the job you seek and be proactive and contact companies direct.
Posted in STUDENTS AND GRADUATES
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Monday, July 19th, 2010
The Open University has reported that the number of 18-21 year olds starting degrees with the OU is up 17% on the previous academic year. 25% of new OU students are under 25.
This method of study means you can study part time alongside a job and you are unlikely to get into high levels of debt.
I have gained all my qualifications part time, and did my first degree from 1981-88 whilst building a career within Royal Mail. Back then it was 6 years for an ordinary degree and 8 years for an honours degree, and studying for 12 hours a week meant it would take 6 or 8 years. you can now get an honours degree in 6 years.
I was working full time so 12 hours of study was all I could manage, but if you were working part time you could do 2 courses a year and still get a degree in 3 years, with no debt and 3 years of work experience.
I highly recommend the OU having gained both my first degree in psychology and my MBA with them. There are of course other options including Birkbeck College, University of London. I did my MSc in Occupational Psychology via their distance learning course which was mainly study from home but we met up for a weekend once a term. There was also the night school option for those who were able to attend 2 evenings a week.
The benefits of an OU degree
- you can pay as you go so don’t build up a lot of debt
- you can work part time and live from home
- employers love the way you demonstrate great time management skills
- study and work can enhance each other, so you are more likely to get promoted
What do you think about part time study? Have you done it? Would you?
Posted in ABOUT DENISE, Career Discovery, STUDENTS AND GRADUATES
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Tuesday, July 6th, 2010
In the news today – there are now 69 graduates chasing each job, up from 49 last year.
It really is tough, and partly this is due to there being far more graduates than companies actually need. Also, this year’s graduates are competing against those who graduated in the past couple of years.
Now you need a 2:1 to be even in with a shout for a graduate trainee scheme, but it is the work experience that counts, but you still need to ’sell’ yourself via a great CV, cover letter, application and then at interview.
Don’t turn your nose up at non grad jobs, seek out anything that will help to enhance your CV. I gave good advice last summer, focused on parents for how to help their graduate children.
So options to consider are:
Paid Options
Their ideal job
There are still good jobs out there, but your son/daughter needs to be clear on what they want and why they match up well. In particular, jobs are still available in retail, engineering and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG). Companies know that employing graduates is a great investment.
Graduates should look online but also use other methods such as contacting companies direct, letting other people know what they are looking for and using fact finding interviews, internships and work experience to build contacts within a company, and enhance their applications.
They must also make sure that they research both the job and the company and ensure they have created the most effective application they can. That’s when some of the other options below can help.
When they apply for jobs they will find that many companies require extensive detail which they will need to input again and again.
(more…)
Posted in STUDENTS AND GRADUATES
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Saturday, June 12th, 2010
Working with a client recently to help with his job search he told me that he has dyspraxia. I wondered how this was impacting his working life as he had experienced some difficulties. Dyspraxia wasn’t something I knew much about so I’ve looked on line to find out more
A useful site includes details on:
These can include:
· Poor balance
· Poor hand-eye coordination
· Lack of manual dexterity
· Difficulty with typing, handwriting and drawing
· Unclear speech and unable to pronounce some words
· Tendency to be over sensitive to noise
· May be unable to distinguish between left and right
· Difficulty in planning and organising thought
· Poor short term memory
· Accuracy problems
· Difficulty in following instructions
· May only do one thing at a time properly
· May daydream and wander aimlessly
· Tendency to opt out of things that are too difficult
· Slow to adapt to unpredictable situations
· Prone to low self esteem
I now have a much better understanding about my client and think that these symptoms are one of the reasons why he hasn’t stayed at a job. So to be successful in a job he is going to need to educate a company. Another site suggests that job seekers create a one or two page summary that they submit to companies along with application forms. The following link should help you create something relevant to you:
If you have dyspraxia how do you deal with it at interview and what impact has this had on your career? You can use the ‘add comment’ link below
Posted in STUDENTS AND GRADUATES
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Monday, April 5th, 2010
Many degrees are not vocational and so studying, for example, English Literature does not necesarilly lead onto a career path, unlike e.g. Quantity surveying, but many are unable to get a ‘graduate job’ and, if they are lucky, get a job in a non graduate job such as in a call centre. However the survey also said that many graudates (28%) felt that they didn’t have the skills needed for the workplace. That’s why work experience is so important, from a part time job to an internship in vacations, it is being out in the real world that gives a student/graduate their most marketable skill.
Why does the government have this goal of 50% of young people going to university, there aren’t the graduate level jobs, and for so many jobs it is skills rather than a degree that is needed.
Years ago you got a full grant to attend university, now young people leave university with thousands of pounds of debt – is it worth it?
Posted in STUDENTS AND GRADUATES
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Monday, March 29th, 2010
Being an intern …
Prompted to write this after hearing back from one of my clients, let’s call him John. John wants to get into a very competitive field, working in film and TV ultimately as a producer/ director. It’s going to be tough and he knows this. There are so many people who want to do this sort of work that he has to look for ways to enhance his CV and that means working for free to begin with. Not ideal, but without some effective work experience he stands little no chance of getting the work he wants.
If you are seeking work as an intern there are sites which advertise opportunities, both paid and unpaid. These include Graduate Talent Pool and Wexo and these are both short and longer term assignments.
You will still find yourself in a competitive market place so you can still be even more proactive and identify companies that you would like to work for and approach them direct. That’s what John did. We’d already had a couple of sessions discussing what he wanted to do, and his options for getting there, revising his CV and creating a brilliant letter to send to companies. We then drew up a list of companies that he could approach, initially by letter and then in a fact finding (informational) interview.
I was delighted to hear that John had been successful in getting a 3 month internship with a film company – it’s a great length, time to get some significant work experience, and this should really enhance his chance of getting a paid job.
With an internship there’s a need to make sure that you get the best out of your experience. This includes discussing your objectives at the start, getting feedback on how you are doing. Making contacts and gathering testimonials. LinkedIn can be brilliant for this. Of course you have to be careful not to be too pushy, but you don’t want to look back on this in a few months time and realise that you didn’t make the best of your opportunity. It’s also worth gathering examples of what you have done which you can use as part of a personal portfolio when you start applying for paid work.
John is one of a number of people I’ve helped get great internships, and they aren’t just young graduates. Unpaid work experience can also be a brilliant way to segue into a new career when you realise you have lost your passion for your old job and must find something new.
Can I help? Don’t hesitate to get in touch
Posted in Client Stories, JOB SEARCH, STUDENTS AND GRADUATES
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