What did you do after university?

[mildredhubblesplait]

In the three years immediately after graduating?

I spent the summer working in a residential home for adults with learning difficulties. I then did a one year training course plus some voluntary work. Got my first ‘proper’ (graduate) job after this, and then three years after graduation bought a house (dad gave me a deposit.)

Just interested in some non corona talk

Stayed at university.

Straight into work as a junior doctor.

I moved to the UK and sent off letters to every firm I thought I'd like to work for. I got a number of interviews but no job. So I took one in retail just to keep me ticking over but very depressing. I got a job in my field a few months later and stayed there gradually moving up the ladder for the next five years.

Started an MA, dropped out and went to live in a commune in the US, got bored, returned and finished MA, had a bad accident and spent six months getting back on my feet, worked in arts admin while applying for scholarships, them moved to the UK to start my DPhil.

Did a PGCE then went straight into teaching

First year - took a basic job (not related to my degree) to earn money, saving for:
Second year - went travelling around the world for a year
Third Year - got my first proper job (again not related to my degree) and then started my own business (still going 16 years later - or at least it was until CV!)

Went to London & lived it up for five years.

I worked in arts admin in London for a few months. Realised neither London or office based work was for me and spent the rest of the year working as a Teaching Assistant in a state boys school. Did my PGCE the year after and am still teaching 10 years later.

Got a shit job. Then got a few more shit jobs

Worked as a corporate fundraiser for a children's charity.

Bought a house, got married, had a baby.

Struggled to find work, ended up on JSA, started to get very, very depressed. 50p in my bank account, soul destroying visits to the job centre, etc. Eventually found a job looking after a little girl for a lovely family, sort of an unofficial nanny. It was enough to pay my share of the rent and feed us (DH was still a student, doing his course part time due to illness). Also did some volunteering at the library.

That all lasted for about 2 years and then I found out I was pregnant with DD! She's 6 now, but it doesn't feel all that long ago.

Did you ever find a graduate job, coodle?

Did a secretarial course as I couldn’t find a ‘graduate’ job . That led to an admin job in the Charity sector which is where my interest was so it was a fairly sensible thing to do. TBH I’ve never had a job that actually ‘needed’ my degree (in Social Sciences) but it was a great four years of my life and I look back with fond memories, fortunately long before Student Fees & I got a full maintenance grant.

Worked in a bar, then a call centre. Did a post grad diploma then got my first 'real' job in London earning £17.5k and felt like the richest person in the world.

God, some of these replies. I hope I don't end up back in retail when I graduate.

Stayed at the job I was doing whilst at Uni, went from part-time to full-time and worked my way up the ladder as far as was possible and then left to start my own business.

Firstly I had the summer off, and spent it with a very unwisely chosen boyfriend.

That ended and sent me into a fairly serious depression, through which I had a seasonal job in a large Boots store whilst continuing to make bad personal choices.

Somewhere in the middle of all of that I went on an assessment day for a civil service department, which put me on some sort of list for future jobs. As luck would have it I was offered a job in the civil service on the day I got sacked from my seasonal job (sacked for just being a bit of a cunt because I really didn’t give a shit and the managers were arseholes).

That was 14 years ago and I’m still in the civil service now.

I know that’s not a desirable or sexy career choice for many but it suits me. My personal choices have been a lot better in recent years though

Summer 1: job on a farm then cycle touring in Republic of Ireland
Year 1 - MSc
Year 2 - Temporary contract, degree related; travelling in Central/Southern Africa
Year 3 to 6 - PhD

I worked in a call centre for 5 years in customer service. I then left to start my own business which I stopped while pregnant with ds. I then started another business relevant to my degree and have been running that for 4 years and the customer service experience has been very valuable to me and is something I would recommend any customer facing business to have before they start, it's not something that can be learnt from a degree.

Straight to work in my graduate job

Straight into practice and studying for an accountancy qualification. Quite dull really.

First year after uni spent at law school doing my LPC.
Second and third years I was a trainee solicitor, and qualified at the end of the 3rd year. Bought a house with now DH in second year after uni.

@mildredhubblesplait

Nope! I became a SAHM (2 DC now), although I do a bit of admin WFH for a small business. Tbh, I chose the wrong degree for me anyway, so that didn't help.

pippong I think the current situation has shown us that some areas of retail are actually a great place to work ... I wish I had got into the Waitrose graduate training scheme I applied to when I was in my final year .

All very good point, customer facing experience is so important for whatever job you end up in.

Year 1- Temped, got a permanent job in pensions admin, realised I wanted to be a solicitor after all, moved towns to be with now DH.
Year 2-LPC.
Year 3- paralegal/ start of training contract.