To be gutted and annoyed that DD did a degree and now works in Tesco?

[whitman]

DD is 21 and also pretty miserable. She has just had to up her hours at Tesco. She worked there part time while being a student and absolutely loved it for a part time job (only working 1 6 hour shift a week). She is in her 3rd full time week and hates it. She is really upset, to the point of tears. We all told her that she would be better doing a vocational degree (one that actually let to a job).

She applied for lots and lots of jobs that didn't even require a degree but definitely matched the sort of thing she studied.

She then applied to be an RSPCA officer, but unfortunately struggled at interview.

She did Biology with Animal Behaviour.

She doesn't have much work experience honestly.

It's just a shame that she spent all them years and money to end up doing the job she was doing before the degree.

She's very upset and is pretty miserable all the time. Is there hope for the future?

Yep it took me five years of volunteering before I had enough experience to get a foothold in starting my career. I couldn’t afford to reduce my hours at NMW job so I volunteered on my days off and evenings.

As she knows the company and they clearly value her perhaps she could use her degree to join a Tesco management training scheme? She wouldn't have to stay for ever, she would feel she was doing something proactive, feel more valued, and learn VERY transferable skills.
She would then have job experience and a bit more confidence.

Ha, her situation sounds similar to mine at that age. I worked at Tesco through uni, and ended up staying in retail for another two years after graduation. Managed to get my foot in the door for my desired industry, and I've had a whale of a time in a career I love ever since.

She's 21, and long as she keeps focused, she'll get somewhere.

At 16, at school, I worked in a shop.

At 22 with my degree I worked in another shop five doors down.

It worked out in the end. I am a finance director now, and another assistant is headteacher at DD's school.

(granted we are talking 20 25 years down the line, but it all works out in the end.)

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Could she do part time freelance dog training? I know someone who trains new puppies and has a dog sitting business and he does quite well! It would be great relevant experience for your DD.

There's time. I agree that finishing uni is actually a bit depressing.

That’s true, Oblomov. One of our DC graduated recently and started his «dream job» on £85k per annum. He’s miserable! It’s a huge transition.

Could she do part time freelance dog training? I know someone who trains new puppies and has a dog sitting business and he does quite well! It would be great relevant experience for your DD

Learning about dog training under someone well qualified (APDT accredited, ideally) would be a good step. Avoid anyone who mentions Cesar Milan in a positive context, pack leadership, alpha dog theories etc.

Suddenly announcing yourself to be an freelance dog trainer with no prior good experience is not a good idea because
a) you can really screw up dog training if you don't know what you're doing (and behaviour, even more so). Some theoretical modules in animal behaviour at university does not prepare someone for teaching dog training. I've known dogs that have been harmed for life by crap puppy trainers.
b) the professional dog training world is small, and reputations tend to stick. Doing it badly as a fresh graduate is going to limit options in future.

As an example of this, I have a neighbour who tells me he's a dog walker and trainer, though he's anointed himself with these titles and has no qualifications. Last time I spoke to him he was talking about a dog that had separation anxiety. On further probing he didn't actually understand what separation anxiety was.

If you want to go into dog training, go and work for a well qualified dog trainer, get your dog training qualifications (eg APDT or IMDT) and then go set up as a freelancer.

Dog walking, on the other hand, is something where rather less is prone to going wrong. Many people will pay extra for solo dog walks, so you need not worry about having to mind many dogs at once.

Does she want a graduate job more than a job with animal?

Despite all the stories about graduates struggling I think that focussed graduates with decent degrees from decent universities do still go into graduate trainee roles straight from university so wonder if she is just not getting the right advice/ looking in the right places. I’m basing this on my DS who had his job lined up before he graduated and the fact that I can think of very few of his school and uni friends who weren’t in the same position. Both DH and I recruit for graduate trainees so we were quite keen on coaching DS into applying, helping him make the best of what he had done for his cv.

Bright network might help to give your DD similar support and as a source of roles.

There are many recruiting firms that will place her. She could also try applying to all the obvious big firms that employ legions of bright graduates and have a wide range of roles e.g. Accenture, PWC, KPMG etc?

I find it very frustrating reading threads like this as the fact is that most young people would be much better served getting a job and work experience rather than incurring all the debt and three years of lost opportunity by going to university. Try reading "The Great University Con". It sets it all out in black and white and is a must for any prospective student and their parents. I realise that doesn't help you much now! Volunteering, however, is definitely good advice.

I find it very frustrating reading threads like this as the fact is that most young people would be much better served getting a job and work experience rather than incurring all the debt and three years of lost opportunity by going to university.

That's a very naive view. OP's dd only graduated a couple of months ago. The value of a degree has to measured over an entire working life of 45 years, not two months! And all the evidence shows that over that period there is a graduate premium on salary that outweighs the cost.

Agree with the majority. She needs volunteer experience. I used to work for a conservation charity, we had so many volunteers in the same situation. Tbh a degree doesn't make much difference, experience is key!

I think your dd needs to think about what it is she actually wants and where she wants to end up.

I do think schools would be better served having careers lessons and one to one advice each week than an extra lesson in English or Maths or PHSE.
There are so many people doing A levels and then going off to university without a clue or just a notion of what they want to do.
If she doesnt know she needs to sit down each evening and do different careers tests.
Things as simple as does she want to work in doors or outdoors, does she like meeting the public. Does she want a physical job or sedentary one

Does she want to work with animals or is that because she took a degree in the subject and like her part time job she has fell into that path. Has she ever worked with animals at all. Even volunteering as a kennel maid at the local animal shelter.

I think she probably needs to go back to basics and find out what it is that really drives her

When she decides what area she wants to work in then research it and write down every job associated with it that she can find and then really look at each job in detail. Earning potential, qualifications, what the job entails before coming up with a short list then trying it out if she can as a volunteer to see what she actually likes.

Then either going for it or starting again in a different direction.

She will get there she is only young.

If she is 21 she must have graduated only recently so early days yet.

My DD graduated with a Biology degree last year. It took around 6 months for her to get a "proper" graduate job that used her degree. In the meantime she did part time retail work. She is now very happy in the position she is in and she wouldn't have got it without the relevant degree.

The more interviews she does the better as she will only improve with practice.

Haven’t rtft but you’ve had some good comments so far. I graduated in 2009 with a 2:2 from an ex poly, a maxed out overdraft and a credit card bill. I wanted to be a teacher but failed to get into the training. There weren’t many jobs and graduate schemes were ruled out for me. I had 2 part time NMW jobs. Needless to say I was pretty miserable!

I wanted to pay off my debts, move out of my parents house and in with my new boyfriend so I just kept applying for jobs that seemed like I would be competent at. I had an operation in late 2009 which set me back a bit, but I got a full time NHS band 2 job in early 2010, then promoted to a band 3 in late 2011. 2012 I left the NHS for a big employer to work in admin and i still work there, but I’ve managed to upskill so I’m now 2 grades higher than what I was when I started and in an actual graduate job, that I enjoy and I’m good at. Success doesn’t look the same for everyone!

I am going to offer another perspective. I graduated and realized very quickly that I would not make a good wage with my degree. I worked and studied and gained a couple more qualifications. I was lucky to be accepted onto a graduate entry job. This job paid good wages and at one point, I volunteered for a few years at weekends with animals. As much as I really enjoyed the animals, I realized that the people who worked there full time, were badly paid, worked long hours and in all weathers. My career has progressed to enable me to pursue animal related hobbies and travels. What I am trying to say, is that it is funny how things work out.

When I first graduated, i ended up working in a bookies. They were the only ones to offer me a job and I needed to pay rent! I loathed it but needs must.

From there I temped, got my first career job and have had a successful career for 25 years.

Don't right her off yet, be grateful she has a work ethic other than sitting around expecting you to support her.

I've maybe not explained myself very eloquently. My current non animal related job, has enabled me to pay to see various animals in their native habitat, in some far away countries. Secondly, I did not do an animal related degree. I just like animals and travelling.

I also believe that very few people work in their dream job. I agree she is fortunate to be employed and she has the opportunity to save, progress and if she wishes to study further or volunteer. Bills are always incoming, hobbies, holidays, need to be paid. I know several people who have changed careers, but it takes 1000% dedication, time, effort. She has time

There is nothing wrong with working in Tesco.

If retail isn’t what you see yourself doing long term then to have a plan to get to where you want to go.

I would second trying for entry level jobs in civil / public service. DEFRA, APHA, Kew gardens, Forestry Commission, natural England, environment agency, rural payments agency. If yo u can get into 1 they encourage you to try other roles. If you can't get indirectly suggest trying the Temporary Agency that holds the Civil Service contract for temps to get a temp contract in admin. It was Pertemps & Brook Street but may have changed now.

I think cat protection run courses for students, she could volunteer with them as well. There's nothing wrong with working at Tesco but I've had friends who did much better at Lidl.