Friday 9 July 2010

The life of a graduate, who'd want it?

Graduates: Ready, Steady, Stall....



So everything is rosy, you've had your degree classification in the post, got some cash and slaps on the back from your family and prepare for graduation. With the silly cap and oversize gown you have your picture taken with a plastic rolled up degree in your hand, pray you don't fall up the stairs, wait for your name, congratulate your classmates, pose for endless photos with your family and throw your cap up in the air... then gather it quickly, because it cost a small fortune to hire...


But.... what then? University is a lovely bubble for the duration you stay, in my case three years, you work hard, play hard, make new friends, throw eggs from the 9th floor, consume masses of pizzas and shots and wonder why you have £12 in your account at the end of every term.


What it doesn't prepare you for is the next step... the dreaded 'real world' where working is about surviving. There are not many people in the world who don't need some form of income to live day to day and ultimately you've worked hard in a specialist area and want a job doing something you know interests you.


After graduation I felt really enthused, excited for a new challenge, ready for work but after the lack of jobs found and rejections began to mount I felt a little bit lost. I have been fortunate enough to have a few jobs since leaving the University nest, but I'm not settled yet.


The last two years have been tough on Britain and unemployment has been a major factor that has affected us all, people getting laid off, pay cuts and freezes, forced to take early retirement and graduates have found it increasingly difficult to find jobs.


When I read an article in the The Telegraph stating that now students require a 2:1 degree as a minimum qualification, employers want relevant work experience and now 69 graduates for going for the same job as oppose to 49 from 2009, my heart sank. Those statistics almost begs to ask the question, "Why did I bother going to University?" and I feel it's a relevant one, what at the moment can we say is the benefit?


Things are getting tougher and I suppose I am still classed as a graduate and although I am employed, I want a new job. I have had plenty of interviews during the last three years but some of the better jobs with the bigger companies I don't think I ever had a chance. The amount of times I have heard "not enough experience" is enough to send me around the bend.


I have hope for the future and now like most graduates, I'm in the fight but there's a longer queue to get out of the cage.


Never give up dreaming, love SGS xoxo.

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