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getting a job after uni.........

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
edited March 27 in Work & Study
is looking almost impossible, or it seems that way........i thought as long as you pick a sensible degree there is demand for, and do well it shouldn't be this hard.........but now you need industrial placement/experience, then theres a 101 interviews and assessment centres, psychometric testing...........i just want a bleeding job! i decided to do a BEng in Computer Networking, because the market is fairly new as is the degree, so the demand is still there and not saturated yet........but you wouldn't know it to look at it, seems the competition is ridiculously fierce, just the other week I applied to Cisco graduate scheme, i mean i even have their fucking qualifications but I still didn't get an interview, and i'm expecting to graduate with a 1st...........am i missing something?

i mean what the fuck, i didn't spend 3 years of my life just to amass £15000 of debt and not have any certainty at the end, didn't think it would be like this..............anyone have any positive stories? i'm even thinking of going to work abroad in the IT sector, where the industry is still booming, somewhere like qatar, india, i dunno.............has anyone had any luck with this approach?...........it seems like uni is a big waste of time, at college they make it out to be the biggest deal, like if you want to get anywhere and impress employers you NEED a degree..........now this might be right, but the jobs just aren't there, a stupid amount of graduates are unemployed for quite a while afterwards........i don't want to have to move back home that's half the reason i went to uni.........only 2 more months left then it's crunch time really, and im a bit worried about it all...........i'm pretty disillusioned at the minute, kind of working on a side project but it doesn't provide full time income for the first few years so how am i gonna put bread on the table? i don't even want a fucking job, just want to go travelling and leave this shithole..........life is poo :grump: .........btw i read the mod's (spanner?) thread on tips but you still have to get an interview first!.........am i just being impatient? i guess i want to hear success stories, specifically in the i.t. sector as it seems impossible to break into..........even entry level graduate schemes are dog eat dog, what kind of life is this?
Post edited by JustV on

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    apollo_69 wrote:
    is looking almost impossible, or it seems that way........i thought as long as you pick a sensible degree there is demand for, and do well it shouldn't be this hard.........but now you need industrial placement/experience, then theres a 101 interviews and assessment centres, psychometric testing...........i just want a bleeding job! i decided to do a BEng in Computer Networking, because the market is fairly new as is the degree, so the demand is still there and not saturated yet........but you wouldn't know it to look at it, seems the competition is ridiculously fierce, just the other week I applied to Cisco graduate scheme, i mean i even have their fucking qualifications but I still didn't get an interview, and i'm expecting to graduate with a 1st...........am i missing something?

    i mean what the fuck, i didn't spend 3 years of my life just to amass £15000 of debt and not have any certainty at the end, didn't think it would be like this..............anyone have any positive stories? i'm even thinking of going to work abroad in the IT sector, where the industry is still booming, somewhere like qatar, india, i dunno.............has anyone had any luck with this approach?...........it seems like uni is a big waste of time, at college they make it out to be the biggest deal, like if you want to get anywhere and impress employers you NEED a degree..........now this might be right, but the jobs just aren't there, a stupid amount of graduates are unemployed for quite a while afterwards........i don't want to have to move back home that's half the reason i went to uni.........only 2 more months left then it's crunch time really, and im a bit worried about it all...........i'm pretty disillusioned at the minute, kind of working on a side project but it doesn't provide full time income for the first few years so how am i gonna put bread on the table? i don't even want a fucking job, just want to go travelling and leave this shithole..........life is poo :grump: .........btw i read the mod's (spanner?) thread on tips but you still have to get an interview first!.........am i just being impatient? i guess i want to hear success stories, specifically in the i.t. sector as it seems impossible to break into..........even entry level graduate schemes are dog eat dog, what kind of life is this?

    well there are only limited spaces on graduate schemes, if they have too many applicants then they will not offer interviews to the people who are not spot on top

    and as for computing jobs, while the networking degree might be new, the computing part of it certainly isnt, add that to the fact that the internet and any kind of network, is *a network*, so i dont see how the industry is new
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    MrG wrote:
    well there are only limited spaces on graduate schemes, if they have too many applicants then they will not offer interviews to the people who are not spot on top

    and as for computing jobs, while the networking degree might be new, the computing part of it certainly isnt, add that to the fact that the internet and any kind of network, is *a network*, so i dont see how the industry is new

    the industry is fairly new as far as industries go trust me, which is reflected in the new degree being offered, still not many unis do it, which is why i thought there would be a niche and greater possibility of getting a job, but without experience you dont' stand a chance in hell.........it's not really do with internet and i get what you're saying about networks, some have been around for ages but the technology is advancing a lot, when i come out half the stuff i learnt will be obsolete, so there is always a growing demand for people competent in new areas........when i did CCNA at college they made out like it was such a big deal and that there was definitely surplus demand........so i guess they lied.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    yes, in a lot of job sectors like IT you need a degree, and you endup in shit loads of debt because of it... but you have to remember, employers are looking for that little bit extra... university is a waste of time if that is all you have to offer... and you do need experience or having done a placement to get the experience... it's just the way the market seems to work... and you should be able to show skills gained in lots of other after-hours activities, so to speak.
    you've got to think, there are loads of graduates - all offering the same thing with not much difference between them!!!
    you need to be patient, don't give up applying or jobs, and abroad might be a good idea? but in the mean time, try to get some extra experience... and you'll make it eventually. :)
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Just think though...if you didn't have your degree, how much harder would it be to get jobs at that level? You need a degree nowadays to even get a chance for the decent jobs.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    TBh all the people I know with IT jobs don't have degrees they've started at the bottom and done all the networking exams etc on the job. But for most jobs these days you seem to need a degree - I have people who ask volunteer with us - you cant' get a job in my sector unless you have done work experience - and I nearly always have to turn them down if they dont' have an MSc/MA....

    My advice would be to get a part time job that is relevant or a summer holiday placement - I think about only 1% of graduates get onto graduate schemes they are really competitive - having a first isn't enough - you have to have stunning gcse's and alevels and have had loads of outside experience so you can answer all those horrible questions and things.

    However most people who graduate do get a job somewhere - there isnt' a massive unemployment problem in the UK at the moment - you just need to get some experience and maybe lower your sites slightly.

    Which university are you at????
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    the problem most graduates have is that they have mistakenly assumed that just cause they have a good degree in a good subject from a respected university, that they will be able to waltz right into the first job they apply for. so they bum about at uni.

    it doesn't happen quite that way.

    a degree is an advantage, maybe even a necessity in a lot of jobs. but it's not a one way ticket to employment. the graduates that get the first job they apply for are usually the ones who've been working their ass off for 3/4 years, have a LOT of transferrable experience and skills, had a relevant job while they were at uni, and have fantastic people skills and other employer buzzwords.

    most of us still have to start on the bottom of the ladder.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i'm at greenwich, they're pretty fucking useless to be fair.........on the open day they give this great speech how they have strong links with the industry, and can put students into placements, blah blah, when the time came in the 2nd year i went to the placements officer for some advice, and he was a right twat, he goes i can only help you once you have a placement, wtf?.......i have mates at other uni's who are a lot better with placements etc......i know the dude cos he lectured me in a module last year as well, complete nob so that was not helpful........i tried anyways but didn't have much luck, tried again this year and again no luck so i thought might as well go straight for graduate scheme, but guess what no luck so far..........arghhh today sums it up, tried to get the bus to my campus as there is a job fair, just happens the campus is snowed under and no buses are running between campuses, ffs!............and i have nearly straight a's at gcse's, straight b's at a level, and have worked 4 years part time at computer store so what the fuck do they want from me?.........and i have 'people skills' (just not today lol) but you can't really demonstrate that til you get an interview, it's a massive pile of dog poo.

    i think the problem is right now everyone is trying for a job, i heard off a few graduates that if you wait til halfway through the year there is a lot less competition so better chance of finding something..........does that mean resigning myself to 6 more months of poverty? i despair.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    .
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You'd do better to resign yourself to several more years of poverty, then you won't get disappointed. Mr Bad Seed has only recently got himself a computery type job after finishing his degree then temping forever as an admin assistant. It's a tough world out there, sorry kid.

    erm.......that's not exactly the success story i was looking for. maybe i should just give up and go work on the boats in the south of france with a mate, i'm not hanging around in britain longer than a year, not gonna waste my youth.....thanks for a dose of realism tho, i'm still not prepared to temp that long if that's how it is, guess i'll find out soon enough.......
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    no, don't give up else you'll have wasted the last few years of your life working towards getting your degree. if you stick at it, and remain positive then you will find the job you're looking for. you might just have to carry on working hard for a bit longer. it'll be worth it in the end.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm temping in a crappy job and I have a good degree from a top uni.

    Degrees help you climb higher on the ladder, but they don't put you on the first rung.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    that's quite true, i just haven't got the time or patience to be temping for more than a few weeks, i reckon if i stay in london i should find something before long, if you can't get a job in london there's no hope for anyone........network technicians are in high demand, just need the f'ing experience that no bastard will give you, unless, you have, experience........
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You will need to temp for experience. You can either temp or you can go on the dole, and I have experience of both.

    C'est la vie.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    To be honest I hate to shatter your illusions but there are an awful lot of people out there with Computing Networks degrees. And yes, the demand is there, but for lower level network admin jobs a lot of places recruit internally. (And of course, for higher level jobs they will be after a few years of experience).

    I was damn lucky, I did a decent placement, got lots of experience across a wide range of stuff and - most importantly - made decent contacts that helped me get a job after uni.

    Without such things, your best bet might be to look for a helpdesk or front line type position if graduate programmes are proving fruitless.

    Once you've had a few years in the IT industry then - unless you're sick of it and want to retrain - you should be able to cast out for a wider range of jobs.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Job hunt

    I'm the same i'm about to graduate from Hull university with a degree in advertising and marketing i have experience and no one will give me an interview to top it all off they send me shitty rejection emails not even letters cheap bastards but if you really want it bad enough i suppose you keep plugging away and i wouldn't mind doing something easy and non stressful for a while-sandwich maker sounds quite good. I keep getting told the same though they want masses of experience from a new graduate you just gotta keep trying it sucks though...........
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    **helen****helen** Deactivated Posts: 9,235 Supreme Poster
    kitcat4192 wrote:
    I'm the same i'm about to graduate from Hull university with a degree in advertising and marketing i have experience and no one will give me an interview to top it all off they send me shitty rejection emails not even letters cheap bastards but if you really want it bad enough i suppose you keep plugging away and i wouldn't mind doing something easy and non stressful for a while-sandwich maker sounds quite good. I keep getting told the same though they want masses of experience from a new graduate you just gotta keep trying it sucks though...........
    Have you contacted any agencies in the advertising and marketing sectors? Magazines such as Marketing or Marketing Week recruitment pages are probably a good place to find them.
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