To be panicking about DC’s employability post uni?

I’m a business development manager in the city. Lots of interesting strategy, purchasing behaviour, messaging stuff. Currently recruiting for a business development assistant role with a salary of £33-42k, no experience necessary, 5 years in you can be a manager on £70-80k. I’d snap her hand off at the £40k level as a starting salary, would love to have a keen Anthropology grad from a RG (if of course it was something she was interested in!)

I graduated with a 2:1 from a RG and now nearing 6 figures at 35. There are plenty of routes out there - and I say that as someone who worried a lot about not being on a grad scheme 14 years ago.

Well there you go - she doesn’t want a toxic workplace, so that rules out law and finance 🤭🤭

What about looking at graduate schemes, they are not all law/ banking.

Can she do a masters with some kind of internship or work experience as part of it?

Try not to panic DS was looking last year and he has a grad job with a 2:2 in a construction related disapline from an ex poly! He didn't get work experience/ year in industry but has worked as bar / event staff for the same employer since he was 16. That's what impressed his interviewer more than the degree. They were looking for someone who stick with a company and knows how to talk to people so bar work and explaining to the groom why he won't give him another drink went down well. Pay is ok but not stellar for the 1st 12 months while he does initial rotation through diff areas on the grad scheme but he then should progress more ,job planed it's not a 12 month contract and comes with car.and health plus pension. As a nhs employee I'm still getting over the all expenses paid trip to London for induction and the Costa voucher for a coffee! Just ger her to cast her net wide and apply for anything even vaguely interesting

'I feel that I am spiralling'

YOU are spiralling ?!!!
step back / back off

she is not you

your daughter is her own person.

good grief, are you considering filling in application forms for her, and attending her interviews on her behalf ?!!!

OP whilst I understand the fear your DD has to find her own path. She also has to have a few rubbish jobs to really decide what she wants to do.

I didn't get into any hint of a career until 5 years after I graduated. The banking disaster played a part in that but actually doing stop gap jobs made me realise what I did want to do. By 31 I reached the job I wanted.
7 years later still doing a job I love in STEM (environmental), 2 children and a house.

Josh Widdecombe recently gave a speech to Exeter uni students it's on Instagram I suggest watching it.

She might want to check out civil service jobs large range there but need to invest time in learning how to do the applications

Plenty of other places to live than London - and most people don’t earn enough to live an affluent life there. The anthropology grads I know word for an education company and a local solicitor company. Many other jobs out there can give her a nice life

CS Fast Track turned down my Oxford educated DC as the computer said they didn't display a willingness to learn! Super competitive. There are many alternative routes to greatness (or simply having a nice life)

I did a languages degree at a RG uni and didn’t do any internships or graduate schemes, just took one interviewer to see potential and I had my first job 2 months post uni as an account manager for a large manufacturing company.

She will be absolutely fine, might not get her dream job straight out of uni but it really doesn’t matter.

If that's the sort of thing she wants to do, what about applying for VSO or another similar scheme when she finishes, to actually go to the parts of the world she is interested in and work for a bit?

If she is clear she doesn't want to go down the corporate route, corporate internships won't add much. Relevant other work and volunteering might. But something like a local government entry level job or apprenticeship where she can be involved in aspects of social policy etc might be more up her street. You don't have to go to civil service just because you're clever! RG and Oxbridge are very linear-focussed on a certain type of career, which is overwhelmingly with a corporate focus, and if it's not corporate, it's the Bar or the Civil Service or it's management consultancy or academia. These careers in reality are the minority of jobs, even for very clever people!

Has she thought about things like civil service, or local government graduate schemes? Also... In my experience 'grad schemes' can be no better than just looking for an entry level graduate role in a large organisation or something like local govt, higher education sector, charities and third sector, big corporates that have large marketing/communications/HR/sales/recruitment departments.

Yes it is. You don’t need to join the grad scheme though, come in at a lower grade and work your way up. My ex was rejected from a fast track scheme but made it faster to the grade they were working to anyway.

Grad scheme is competitive but a lot is about knowing how to do the application and perform at the assessments.

She could also just apply for a job in the Civil Service. She will progress less quickly but it’s much easier to get in that way - again understanding the format for the application and interviews is key though.

Yup. As an adult you reap the benefits of your personal decisions.

Or not.

Is she feeling anxious/helpless/spiralling?

If not, I'd leave her to it to find her own way as an adult.

I know someone who has a degree in anthropolgy and went into careers guidance. She works at one of the universites in Oxford and is on good money. She did a post grad MA in Careers Development.

This is good advice @NeedXanaxPlease

The first step is always the most difficult and market forces are quite challenging for everyone right now as Winterjoy has pointed out.

Encourage her to keep going with looking the job boards at both 'work your way up roles' as well as various Grad Schemes coming up to keep her options open.

I understand how you feel, as in the same position as you doing recruitment, so understand what you are seeing and realise the competition is really stiff.

With the positive work ethic she has already shown, it will be a matter of just getting her foot in the door

Keep open minded , she's still a recent graduate and with a 2:1 she will find a way with persistence. Best of Wishes

I'm a secondary and sixth form teacher, and I see lots of students head off to do 'soft' degrees each year. We always follow up and see where they end up; this includes graduate roles in local authorities or other public sector services, top up courses (like a PGCE) that puts them in-line for specific roles, and higher level apprenticeships are quite popular at the mo as well.

https://www.graduate-jobs.com/?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADv_kVVte-MpleAHcBN39tArlb7Yx&gclid=CjwKCAjwqre1BhAqEiwA7g9QhpSU4BOeB0-QTyK49x_J9hB8yXdUhvqCQayG9UKSbAE-v4UYKvKgHBoCuKMQAvD_BwE]]

graduate jobs

I know several graduates who have taken months to find a job, and some have gone backward (eg. School leaver apprenticeship) to go forward, or got jobs in completely different fields.

I’d advise a masters in literally anything other than anthropology.

Isn’t the CS grad scheme super-competitive? How easy is it to get in?

Shes not going to be unemployed though is she