View Full Version : Graduate Jobs
pencil shavings
25-09-08, 03:10 PM
Im graduation from uni in in May-ish and have starting thinking about work. What kind of a job could I be likly to get considering these parameters:
1: I dont want to work in London/Mancs etc
2: More a place like Reading/Bath
3: Degree is 'War, Peace and International relations'
4: Im prediced at 2.1 but if I pull my finger out a 1st is definatly a realistic goal.
job type isnt really that important, although I would like to do somthing in government, though I think I would have to be London based for that.
Thanks for any help/advice/tips
suzsv650
25-09-08, 03:15 PM
My Mrs just graduated with a 1st and she’s struggling for work... they all want experience but how do you get experience without getting a job!
missyburd
25-09-08, 03:15 PM
Nowadays experience is mainly what employers are looking for, got much of that?
pencil shavings
25-09-08, 03:20 PM
Ive done alot of random work where I have (without boasting done well)
I was sole security guard in charge of a shopping center at 17 (yes, I did lie to get the job)
moved up from pot wash, to assistant chef, to actaully making pizza from scratch for 150 people, in 4months, by getting some good breaks and showing I can work hard and well.
Worked in a army museum, where I got a glowing report from the Captain in change, which included mentioning me bringing inovation to the way in which they used IT in the museum.
But I dont know how much that will help?? Although it does show i work hard, can adapt and want to do well in what ever I do.
custard
25-09-08, 03:21 PM
get your finger out!
there is MI5 in london but i think they have things at the likes of GCHQ whose location escapes me for the minute.
diplomatic service?
What does your degree actually qualify you to do for a start?
www.milkround.com (http://www.milkround.com)
The best grad site on the web.....
Depending on what you would like to do there is even a few options close to your degree on there, such as MI5, commonwealth and a few other goverment related jobs like that.
It really is a bloody good website.
missyburd
25-09-08, 03:28 PM
But I dont know how much that will help?? Although it does show i work hard, can adapt and want to do well in what ever I do.
From what you've listed I'm guessing they're just jobs you've had and although they do show off certain skills, they mightn't be exactly what a potential employee would be looking for.... Do you have the oppurtunity to industrial placements in your degree? Could be a bit late for those now I guess, seeing as you're in your last year.
pencil shavings
25-09-08, 03:28 PM
What does your degree actually qualify you to do for a start?
Ummm.... :confused: I wish i knew! lol
boiled down, it is politics in the international environment related to war
www.milkround.com (http://www.milkround.com)
The best grad site on the web.....
Depending on what you would like to do there is even a few options close to your degree on there, such as MI5, commonwealth and a few other goverment related jobs like that.
It really is a bloody good website.
cheers, i will have alook at that!
dizzyblonde
25-09-08, 03:44 PM
My other half graduated this year. Apart from recovering from the hip op, hes looking for work now. Its not too brilliant so far, even with experience.
He could work in Dubai.. i think not! My dad worked over that part of the world for years and 10 days leave every 6 months turned my mother mad.
He could work in defence..but that don't appeal to him.
It seems its not so easy to find a job as he expected
Miss Alpinestarhero
25-09-08, 03:45 PM
My Mrs just graduated with a 1st and she’s struggling for work... they all want experience but how do you get experience without getting a job!
That is the exact problem I had. Got a 1st in Psychology but everyone wanted experience. Luckily I could afford to do some volyuntary work for a while which resulted in me getting my current job.
Can your mrs do anything like that?
missyburd
25-09-08, 03:46 PM
Ah I can see this thread is going to fill me with hope...:rolleyes:
Miss Alpinestarhero
25-09-08, 03:55 PM
Probably will not be much help but I found the following links which mentions the kinds of jobs that you could do with your degree
link 1 (http://http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/degreein/war.htm)
link 2 (http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/IntRelations.htm)
link 3 (http://www.reading.ac.uk/spirs/ug/spirs-ugcareers.asp)
To sum up, they mention a variety of stuff like jobs in the armed forces and foreign services, international business etc...
Im sure London is not the only place for jobs. I guess you'll have to get an idea of what you would like to do, then look for stuff based on that?
Other graduate sites for jobs:
Reed.co.uk
Hays
Prospects.ac.uk
Hobsons
Graduate Recruitment Company
Totaljobs.com
Thebigchoice.com
Graduate-jobs.com
Graduate Recruitment Bureau
Doctorjob.com
Monster.co.uk
HTH
Maria
Paul the 6th
25-09-08, 04:05 PM
not to put a dampner on but it seems most graduates need a lucky break to get anywhere these days!
my missus did 3 years at uni studying psychology and got a first, then she did a year doing her masters. Ever since she's been applying for psychology research assistant jobs (the next step) and she was even lined up to start her phd this year (the other next step). She's had loads of mini jobs working in schools as a SEN teacher, or volunteering in a hospice for 6 months, she worked as healthcare assistant in the nhs for a year and has contributed alot in terms of tax & n.i.
So far, every single job has come back and said "you don't have enough experience" and the phd lot at york university dropped her with just 2 weeks to go before she started = she's missed all the application processes for all the other academic routes for this year. It has properly ****ed us both since she's now jobless. Oh and the best bit, she doesn't qualify for any kind of benefits to help cover costs for a few weeks while she's sorting out another job.
i just keep thinking I'm glad I decided not to bother with uni after college as I wouldn't have gotten half as far as I have now.
</rant> anyway good luck finding a job :)
Paul the 6th
25-09-08, 04:20 PM
oh miss alpinestarhero, the missus was wondering what your current job is? vicky's sorting things out to do her pgce so she can teach... (but she'd probably steal your job if she had half the chance :razz:) but even that is causing alot of trouble because the course co-ordinator's don't bother doing their jobs' properly.
grrr
Apply for everything and definitely start looking soon, there are plenty of deadlines before Christmas.
What sort of Government job are you thinking of? I worked for the civil service in south wales and now work for a governmenty organisation on the south coast.
nik_nunez
25-09-08, 05:10 PM
i went to uni and had the same problem, been working a few years since then, the biggest problem is people do alot of random degrees that have no bearing on jobs - if i could go back i would do something specific - chem eng etc
my mrs is at uni now and doing a course in consumer law that leads to trading standards work so she has a job in mind
but it is hard when you first leave uni
To be honest you are just another graduate to a lot of people who will see your CV/application form. So first things first do not take things to heart. The chances are you will be rejected a lot.
Location wise you should be fine...M4 corridor(ish).
Be prepared to do the really boring dead end work and take a lot of smelly poo from others. Graduates usually get called (well I did and now I call my gradates ) things like cannon fodder, plebs, f### wits etc and I worked at a top 20 ftse company.....But you do learn real stuff in a short period of time
If you want to make money then the chances are you will have to become a company *****....this will most probably mean many months/years living away from home and travelling anywhere at the drop of a hat. Your degree/background could be useful to start that type of life.
One last thing, whatever you get first, don’t worry you can change over time.
Getting a graduate jobs is a piece of cake.......getting a graduate job relevant to your degree subject is the hard part.
For example 100+ people probably do Psychology at each uni throughout the UK so 1000's of people all looking for a psychology job.....not many jobs to go around.......simply put your not going to find a job easily thats relevant to your degree.
There is thousands of jobs out there that you HAVE to have a degree for to apply.....its still a graduate job and they still pay anything upwards of £25k+.
My girlfriend did criminology at univesity.....theres next to no jobs in criminology anywhere, FACT, so she could sit unemployed moaning she cant get a job after university and add to the statistic that gives people ammo to say university is ****.
Instead she opted to do a graduate scheme with one of the biggest banks, starting salary was only £24k but she got a £2k starting bonus and 6 monthly pay reviews.......she has now worked her way up fairly highly into the Corporate Security Department working on fraud, money laundering and general corporate security and risk....... so is finally doing something relevant to her degree.
All this crap saying graduates cant find jobs is utter nonsense.
i went to uni and had the same problem, been working a few years since then, the biggest problem is people do alot of random degrees that have no bearing on jobs - if i could go back i would do something specific - chem eng etc
Nail on the head there.........40 people on my uni course, every single one of them had at least 2 jobs offers before even getting there results.
A friend from uni not on my course did history....then wonder why their no jobs about specific to his degree and wont consider anything else:rolleyes:.
i went to uni and had the same problem, been working a few years since then, the biggest problem is people do alot of random degrees that have no bearing on jobs - if i could go back i would do something specific - chem eng etc
Yep, you need to do an analytical degree to be in with the best chance of getting a job. Something in the fields of Science, Maths or Engineering etc.
When I first read this thread and saw that the degree was in War, Peace and International relations - not one job possibility popped into my head!
Sounds more of an interest topic rather than a career starter!
Apologies if this offends you in any way! :)
timwilky
25-09-08, 07:07 PM
When I first read this thread and saw that the degree was in War, Peace and International relations - not one job possibility popped into my head!
Sounds more of an interest topic rather than a career starter!
Sounds like an ideal qualification for a job in politics. Start with war monger and head onwards and upwards
gettin2dizzy
25-09-08, 07:18 PM
there is MI5 in london but i think they have things at the likes of GCHQ whose location escapes me for the minute
Cheltenham.
pencil shavings
29-09-08, 10:55 AM
Apply for everything and definitely start looking soon, there are plenty of deadlines before Christmas.
What sort of Government job are you thinking of? I worked for the civil service in south wales and now work for a governmenty organisation on the south coast.
Somthing to do with direct contact with other people, rather than just pen pushing.
Getting a graduate jobs is a piece of cake.......getting a graduate job relevant to your degree subject is the hard part.
For example 100+ people probably do Psychology at each uni throughout the UK so 1000's of people all looking for a psychology job.....not many jobs to go around.......simply put your not going to find a job easily thats relevant to your degree.
There is thousands of jobs out there that you HAVE to have a degree for to apply.....its still a graduate job and they still pay anything upwards of £25k+.
My girlfriend did criminology at univesity.....theres next to no jobs in criminology anywhere, FACT, so she could sit unemployed moaning she cant get a job after university and add to the statistic that gives people ammo to say university is ****.
Instead she opted to do a graduate scheme with one of the biggest banks, starting salary was only £24k but she got a £2k starting bonus and 6 monthly pay reviews.......she has now worked her way up fairly highly into the Corporate Security Department working on fraud, money laundering and general corporate security and risk....... so is finally doing something relevant to her degree.
All this crap saying graduates cant find jobs is utter nonsense.
Well Im with you on this point, Im just after a job that will have the scope with time to do somthing that interests me. I work hard and know things can take time, so Im not that worried about it.
Yep, you need to do an analytical degree to be in with the best chance of getting a job. Something in the fields of Science, Maths or Engineering etc.
When I first read this thread and saw that the degree was in War, Peace and International relations - not one job possibility popped into my head!
Sounds more of an interest topic rather than a career starter!
Apologies if this offends you in any way! :)
No offence taken at all! The degree is set up to show how countries interact with each other and why wars can start in certain situations and not others. My disertation is on the effectivness of terrorism. If only I could speek Arabic......
Sounds like an ideal qualification for a job in politics. Start with war monger and head onwards and upwards
That what I tell everyone I will be!! :cool:
Cheltenham.
Well thats nearly Bath!
Thanks for all the replies guys, I know it s a competitive market and Im going to start looking now, need all the help I can get, and Im not affraid to ask for it!! :)
My girlfriend ... starting salary was only £24k but she got a £2k starting bonus and 6 monthly pay reviews
'Only' £24K? And a £2K golden hello? Dear me, what a derisory salary that is.
Minimum starting salary for a trainee solicitor outside London is £13,500, and I know several on this figure. That's after a degree, and one post graduate year if the degree was in law, and two if it was in anything else.
gettin2dizzy
29-09-08, 03:26 PM
Yeah. £24k is a VERY good starting salary. When I've been looking around, the average starting salary is far below that.
'Only' £24K? And a £2K golden hello? Dear me, what a derisory salary that is.
Minimum starting salary for a trainee solicitor outside London is £13,500, and I know several on this figure. That's after a degree, and one post graduate year if the degree was in law, and two if it was in anything else.
Its bad when you consider what some graduate programmes pay and offer.
Mars graduate programme.....£29k, Fully expensed Audi A4, Fuel Card, Xmas Bonus Scheme, all the usual BUPA + Dental schemes etc
Capital One graduate scheme £27.5k, Fully expensed 3 Series, Fuel Card, all the usual BUPA + Dental schemes etc.
The point is non Degree specific graduate jobs are ALL over the place, they pay very very well, and are relatively easy to get and a real motivating challenge to keep unless you can impress like a graduate should be able to.
If you want a degree specific job then its a competitive market, they dont have to pay aswell, sad fact is you may not even get a job unless your top of your game......then you can sit, sulk an add to the statistic of graduates who cant get jobs and give people ammo to say uni is crap.
gettin2dizzy
29-09-08, 03:35 PM
Its bad when you consider what some graduate programmes pay and offer.
Mars graduate programme.....£29k, Fully expensed Audi A4, Fuel Card, Xmas Bonus Scheme, all the usual BUPA + Dental schemes etc
Capital One graduate scheme £27.5k, Fully expensed 3 Series, Fuel Card, all the usual BUPA + Dental schemes etc.
The point is non Degree specific graduate jobs are ALL over the place, they pay very very well, and are relatively easy to get and a real motivating challenge to keep unless you can impress like a graduate should be able to.
If you want a degree specific job then its a competitive market, they dont have to pay aswell, sad fact is you may not even get a job unless your top of your game......then you can sit, sulk an add to the statistic of graduates who cant get jobs and give people ammo to say uni is crap.
I've been looking at Engineering roles. Nearly all of which pay less :(
kwak zzr
29-09-08, 03:43 PM
arr funny this thread has just come up, a graduate has just taken my job:( i was doing my managerial position temporary for the last 7 months when this woman graduate came to the business and took it from me:( ooo guess who had to give her tuition? ME!!! :(
Flamin_Squirrel
29-09-08, 03:49 PM
The point is non Degree specific graduate jobs are ALL over the place, they pay very very well, and are relatively easy to get...
:laughat:
I've been looking at Engineering roles. Nearly all of which pay less :(
Which is odd, 'cos that's one sector that really does need people.
I've been looking at Engineering roles. Nearly all of which pay less :(
I feel for you there, I looked for a job specific to my degree (got offered two before even graduating) sadly they do pay less, as there is a hell of alot more competition.
The people who look for jobs specific to their degree generally enjoy what they are doing (most of the time), so the employers can pay less because the candidate wants it more.
:laughat:
Have a quick look around milkround.com
Most of the jobs on there pay £25k+ (Good for graduate roles) apply for 10 and if your a good candidate you will get offered 10 interviews and offered 5 jobs.
I suppose if you havnt got the confidence and whits about you or your not a great candidate, then you might think thats amusing and impossible ;)
arr funny this thread has just come up, a graduate has just taken my job:( i was doing my managerial position temporary for the last 7 months when this woman graduate came to the business and took it from me:( ooo guess who had to give her tuition? ME!!! :(
Sorry to hear that dude, where does that leave you :(
I assume you have a permanent contract and you were just in that role temporarily so have something else to do? Not completely out of a job?
gettin2dizzy
29-09-08, 04:11 PM
I feel for you there, I looked for a job specific to my degree (got offered two before even graduating) sadly they do pay less, as there is a hell of alot more competition.
:laughat:
Which is odd, 'cos that's one sector that really does need people.
It's no surprise no one wants to study Science/Engineering based courses. It's a hard slog, to then find yourself working for someone who has studied 2 hours a week in 'management' earning twice your salary.
It also seems very difficult to get out of an engineering role. I suppose if you have the 'technical knowledge' you can never really be any more than a technician.
I suppose if you have the 'technical knowledge' you can never really be any more than a technician.
Which is much what I do all day.
£24K to me is a lot of £££, specific or not.
*Makes mental note to boycott Mars, they're plainly making far too much money*
Miss Alpinestarhero
29-09-08, 05:15 PM
oh miss alpinestarhero, the missus was wondering what your current job is? vicky's sorting things out to do her pgce so she can teach... (but she'd probably steal your job if she had half the chance :razz:) but even that is causing alot of trouble because the course co-ordinator's don't bother doing their jobs' properly.
grrr
Pm'd you!! but to sum up..I work for the mental health research network (north london hub) http://www.mhrn.info/index.html
Maria
Which is much what I do all day.
£24K to me is a lot of £££, specific or not.
*Makes mental note to boycott Mars, they're plainly making far too much money*
The lad I know who works for mars is actually a territory manager selling pedigree chum lol, theres alot of money in selling pet food it would seem.
To be fair its not a glamorous or particularly fun job, and its hard work, also becomes risky if your not very good at meeting your targets....so it has to have an attractive package or no one would consider it.
If you have a good techinical knowledge you will always be safe, so pay isnt so great. In theory.
kwak zzr
29-09-08, 05:33 PM
Sorry to hear that dude, where does that leave you :(
I assume you have a permanent contract and you were just in that role temporarily so have something else to do? Not completely out of a job?
i am still full time managing but the area i run was taken away, i now run any available area :( trouble is you cant settle when they keep moving you to cover others :(
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