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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Graduate Recruitment

12 replies

Lilymaid · 29/10/2015 16:27

Anyone else need a bit of hand holding whilst their DC go through the mill of graduate recruitment?

DS2 has recently finished an MSc in a job friendly subject. He's now back at home filling in endless forms/online assessments etc. etc. and filling in with part time bar/waiter work. I know he'll get a job in the end, but the whole process is so much more complex than my limited experience of applying for my first graduate job in the back end of the 1970s!

And just in case someone writes that I am getting too involved: all I do is listen to his presentations and make sure he has ironed his interview shirt in a half decent manner.

OP posts:
NiceCardigan · 29/10/2015 19:39

Much sympathy from me - DD1 started freaking out so much at the online tests that she ended up having to just apply for jobs that didn't use them. She's been in her job for 18 months now so it was ok in the end.

DD2 has just started her masters so am spared at the moment!

mrsrhodgilbert · 30/10/2015 13:45

Hi Lily. We are the very beginning of this. Dd1 is about to make her first application even though she doesn't graduate until next summer. It's with the company where she has been working part time for the last couple of years. She brought home the job description a few days ago and it's pages long. Even dh, who employs people at a very high level, said he had never seen anything like it. Someone my age would struggle to have all the skills and experience they are seeking, I can only assume it's a bit of a fantasy wish list. Also, hearing her stories of what actually goes on behind the scenes it's a bit difficult to take it too seriously. Good luck to your son.

eatyourveg · 30/10/2015 18:17

ds1 rang earlier this afternoon to say he wouldn't be home for reading week. I asked him how the graduate fairs and grad scheme applications were going - said he forgot to go to any of the fairs and has yet to put in any applications. Hasn't seen anything he wants yet and doesn't want to be part of anything where they test how he gets on in a team by being asked to build towers made of weird items. Hmm Have to say I am worried if he doesn't start at least looking around soon, he'll get to December and a fair few schemes (probably the ones he would actually want to join) will have already closed.

Original poster
Lilymaid · 31/10/2015 17:07

It must be pretty difficult to find a graduate job without all the teamwork bridge building exercises nowadays. I know that almost as soon as you start looking for these jobs, the deadline is about 24 hours away ...
Anyway, DS has spent time today writing some tosh about two of the "core values" of the company he is currently applying for. And tomorrow, he'll probably have some other similar task to do for another company.
This is why he decided not to make a big effort to look for a job whilst he was doing his MSc - wouldn't have had enough time to get on with his academic work! Anyway, as he will probably have to work until he is 70, there's no reason why he should be in an enormous rush to tie himself into being a company man.

OP posts:
cashewnutty · 01/11/2015 11:30

It is a hard slog getting a graduate job. My DD didn't start looking until she had finished her degree last year. She took a waitressing job and by mid summer she had decided to do a volunteering abroad stint. She then did training and fundraising for that and went off for 10 weeks in February. She didn't start looking for a job until April this year.

She treated the application process like full time job and i helped her where i could - looking for suitable jobs, going over her applications and making endless cups of tea. She soon realised that she was never going to get any of the jobs in big companies as the testing flummoxed her every time (and she has a First class degree!)

She eventually scored a great job in London after three interviews with the company (3 flights from Scotland - thanks dad!). It was bloody hard work but it can pay off. She started her job in June and she has just had her first pay rise.

I just wanted to give you all confidence that there are jobs to be got and even with a degree in Theology Hmm a good job can be scored!

Original poster
Lilymaid · 01/11/2015 19:26

Thanks for the encouraging words Cashewnutty
DS has all the right qualifications - but lacks relevant internship experience. He'll get there in the end and is very resilient. His old mum is probably less so.
I'm now worrying he might end up spending too much time waitering when he could be writing more applications!

OP posts:
Original poster
Lilymaid · 19/12/2015 19:20

DS has secured a good job in London - took him two months of hard job applications (keeping himself going with some part time bar work). He's excited to have got entry into a very competitive field, moving to London (and earning more than the minimum wage).
There have been disappointments along the way but he is now very positive and looking forward to working hard in th big City!
Good luck to all DCs currently in the grad job applications grind.

OP posts:
MultishirkingAgain · 19/12/2015 19:55

Wow, that's quick - congratulations to your DS.

cdtaylornats · 19/12/2015 21:11

From the other side I used to hate graduate interviews. There were all so keen and confident and you knew if you employed one it would break there little hearts when they found out that not only weren't they going to change the world, for the first year they wouldn't get to change a line of code without supervision, they wouldn't be allowed near a user without a gag in case they suggested we might do something, and 75% of the job will be boring.

Leeds2 · 19/12/2015 21:33

Well Done to your DS, Lily.

Original poster
Lilymaid · 19/12/2015 22:10

Thanks for the messages. I think DS is sufficiently level headed to know he isn't going to change the world in his first graduate job!

OP posts:
Dustylaw · 21/12/2015 22:01

I do know how many hoops the grad recruitment schemes now require and sympathise but just wanted to say don't ignore good companies advertising one off jobs (not grad scheme but requiring degree). We advertised one such (actually a very good opportunity not requiring anything apart from degree and enthusiasm and, though we didn't specify salary, well paid) . All done by internet - within days we had about 80 applications BUT only 1 had bothered to send a covering letter with the uploaded CV saying why they would be interested and about 5 even forgot to upload their CV. Guess which one got the interview and the job. Maybe quite a few were suitable but we started interviews with the person who sent a (sensible, literate, interested but not OTT) covering letter.

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