Generic degree = No job?

[toyland]

Ds has just finished first year of a History undergraduate at a decent Uni (Top 10 ranking).
He is feeling he hasn’t helped himself by not actively pursuing gaining career skills from looking at how poor the graduate market is at the moment.
He will likely get a high 2:1 (possibly a 1st), but knows it is leveraging relevant experience that matters - of which he has none.
He has joined clubs, but not put himself forward to any positions next year. He has tried to get local summer retail/hospitality work, but hasn’t found anything. He is thinking of volunteering- either at the local museum or citizens advice whilst at Uni next year.
He has started a few Forage courses in Insurance and Finance over the summer (he does have Maths A level) and was looking at Coursera for free courses - was thinking of a Data Analysis visualisation one and Excel skills.
He said he needs interview practice for applying for Internships, but is unsure where to look. He has set up a Linked In Page but connected with 500+ other students mainly! He had a couple of careers 1:1 half an hour sessions at uni -but this was more exploring career thoughts.

I did a degree that led directly to professional exams and career, so I can’t advise him. He does have ADHD and can struggle with focus, so I do try and help if he asks.
What has helped your dc gain skills that helped them get a job -from a degree that doesn’t lead to a specific career?

@toyland My DD just phoned up. You must have something within an hours bus ride? Something is always better than nothing. We have charity shops, care homes, and all sorts of smaller charities that can do with a hand. Get him phoning up.

He has just done a Citizens Advice application for the nearest city as it says about having computer access so he is hoping beyond the initial training he may be able to do some of the role from home. He also has sent a email to a small local museum. He did physically go in every local workplace and ask for any work, so I’ll also get him to do so in the couple of charity shops. Care homes I’m genuinely not sure he would be suitable apart from an administrative role. With working in a medical field it’s not fair on service users to have volunteers that aren’t useful to them.
@TizerorFizzThe problem with the bus is it goes round all the villages to get you to the main population centre. So what is a 25 min drive is more than double on the bus.

So Grayce and FDM take graduates and mums who haven’t worked for a while, they train them up and give them experience working for different clients (PMs, coders etc) . They all get the experience and then run off in couple of years to something more lucrative

Internship wise he can do one now if he’s up for it, lots in the IT field available

tik tok has lots available and they always advertise on Linked in , example here
TikTok Shop-Data Analyst, Project Intern, London 2025, Immediate start https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4255903421
^ this is fantastic as it’s into Data science (full on Technical with lots is AI, he ll love it if he’s into tech)

also Amazon has number of internships starting soon
example:

https://amazon.jobs/en/jobs/2823620/2025-data-center-technician-intern

within gaming there are number of internships starting soon

i totally get you have to guide him due to his adhd (I do same ) so get into his linked in account and look for internships … apply to 20-30 of them in a day

he can’t go wrong with Technical jobs, he can get into a fun and lucrative career that can excite his adhd brain

if you need anything do let me know or ping me

x

Thank you @BrentfordForever. It does feel a bit ridiculous to help him as he is capable at age 18 -but at the same time with his ADHD sometimes he really isn’t.

Oh don’t worry they need the guidance till they get there ! I do so much for my kid his planning is awful!!

these internships are in London but I guess he wouldn’t travel here would he?

if you can tell us (or PM us) the area you’re in , I ll look for tech intern opportunities near you x

Don’t be apologetic re supporting him. Looking out for opportunities and nudging in right direction is very much being done by lots of parents of teens.
Is driving on the cards if you are quite rural?

He can apply for a wide range of grad programs . Many take any degree .
Secure your graduate scheme place for 2025 | Prospects.ac.uk share.google/v6faZUCGqAfvVFifu

@toylander yes. We have no bus at all here! Taxi of mum before dc learn to drive. It’s rural life. I get it. But you keep saying why he cannot do anything. He can! DD1 did a lot of volunteering at The CAB when doing law conversion course and during her next course. One thing I would say is encourage him to get out of the house! Just staying at home is very cosy. He should be getting up and doing something. Why not help with gardening for older folk? Can he Learn to drive? He needs to be far more resourceful and focussed. I know that’s a challenge but he should understand the consequences of doing nothing.

Plus, the bus taking an hour just makes it quite a normal journey to work, for loads of people,

@CarpetKneesThats not an issue for paid work, but for volunteer work it is. It would cost him a fair amount in fares, so has to be a consideration. He can’t go back to uni financially worse off. I’m a single parent and can’t subsidise him beyond what I manage now.

@TizerorFizzHe has been having driving lessons at uni and has booked his theory test for August. He likes to get out to go for a walk and there’s a really cheap monthly gym offer he did at Easter which he can walk to - so at least there is a structure to his day. He really isn’t focused beyond what’s immediate and in front of him I’m afraid (ADHD), hence why he hasn’t got anything so far. There genuinely isn’t the opportunity to help locally beyond being a volunteer care worker. We have elderly neighbours, but they are more capable than him at gardening. They could actually teach him some practical skills but I don’t want to bother them as they like their quiet structure to their day.
I’m very conscious it sounds like me making excuses as what he can’t do, but he does need to step up and find something!

My (AUDHD) son got a job in a competitive field entirely unrelated to his degree, when most people in this profession have a specialised degree, simply by begging for work experience and then making himself indispensable to two different companies, then applying for work until he got a paid full time role.

@RedBeechThat is excellent. My ds definitely can hyper focus, but has no clear career driver to focus him.

https://www.brightnetwork.co.uk/internship-experience-uk/

My DD found their online internships/experiences useful (in her case helped rule out some career direction). They have some starting mid July.

Bar work, either during term time at somewhere near the uni, or somewhere local when he comes home during the holidays.

Look for internships with big companies. I worked for a FSTE and around 60% of those on the grad scheme had done a summer internship. It gives them a massive advantage. You can apply for a summer internship after graduation too. He’s got to get on the case in Sept / Oct for the following year intern program

@thebigyearahead How will that work when he cannot afford the bus? What big ftse companies? Yes, some will get these opportunities but this DS isn’t likely to as he cannot get anywhere.

Op - so the care home is out then? You might just havdd weed to accept his cv is a big blank space. Does he have a dad anywhere? Any grandparents where he could live for a bit for a job? Stay in university city for work? Private keys are often for a year, not 40 weeks.

@TizerorFizzThe big company that I worked at provided accommodation for the summer interns in the local Uni halls for all or part of their internship, depending whether they needed to be hybrid or not.

@thebigyearahead That’s pretty rare though! These internships are hugely competitive. They are open to literally everyone. Is a dc who has done nothing to date really going to get one?

My dc got a graduate job after a humanities degree. They were president of a society, did lots of extra curricular stuff. Never did any extra courses or internships.
A degree like history involves a lot of skills, research, time management, group work, analysing, ability to summarise a lit of information etc etc. I wouldn't panic yet.

@TizerorFizzyes, they’re competitive, of course. But it’s defeatist to not even have a go! I’ve recruited interns from all backgrounds and experience. Interns are very raw recruits, that’s to be expected

@tripleginandtonic Lots of dc don’t get grad jobs though! We’ve known dc the same as yours take over a year to get a job. It is better to have something on the cv that makes an employer look at you. Every humanities grad has the skills you mention! Nothing special - although some degrees are better than others!

@thebigyearahead Well I’m not sure the DS here is a go getter! Most replies are why something isn’t possible.

I also did a non specific degree and work in a field with no real relevance to it whatsoever other than some transferable skills. I know that you have already accepted this but just FYI in my first full time job the hiring manager specifically told me that she ignored all the cvs without any part time jobs at all -doesn't matter if its macdonalds or whatever, you learn so many skills from work, so I'd really encourage him to try and get something even if just over the holidays.

DS got a first in history from a RG university. He then did a MA. He worked for several supermarkets part time, while a student. He didn’t do any internships, except a bit of work experience for DH, also an accountant. He applied for accountancy, as we told him the salary started off then in the £27k range then, and he’d soon bypass the squeezed middle.

While accountancy obviously needs a fair amount of arithmetic on Excel, etc; an arts graduate brings the ability to produce good formal business letters, reports and analysis of information from sources.

A friend of ours, a solicitor told him not to do law as there are more opportunities in accountancy. Once you have qualified in accountancy, you can either stay in the profession and specialise in audit, tax, etc in a particular field; or you can go work in industry in any field that interests you. So, if you are into films or music or football, you can go work in the field.

DH did a geography degree and went into accountancy. He has ADHD and was able to use his hyperfocus on his work. It helped him to be successful!

@BlueandWhitePorcelain He worked part time in supermarkets! He worked! Granted he got the nepotism gig from DH but he worked! The point I’m making is that doing something is key!

As for law - DD is a barrister. If you are good enough you bypass the squeezed middle as a pupil! Ie before fully qualified. But yes, it’s very competitive!