Thread 55 - Covid GCSE Cohort - Autumn 25 - Yr 4 Uni and Graduates

[Oblomov25]

This is a support thread for our young adults post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting, and their results ( or life updates for those who went into work or have had results earlier). It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, uni vs employment please don't within this thread.
Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this will continue. We were previously on the secondary board and then further education, now we shall be here in 'Parents of Adult Children' gulp
Our DS/DD may continue down various pathways ( employment, apprenticeships, higher ed). Experience is that everyone is welcomed wherever, whatever their child is doing we have some in work, gap years , apprenticeships etc too. Lots of contributors with different experiences and always sympathy and advice to be had.
Previous thread 54:
Thread 54

DD took a scatter gun approach and just applied to all grad schemes that appealed to her: nothing to do with finance, mainly logistics, transport, geography based. She had plenty of rejections too at the first round stage- BA, Sky, Next etc.

She had AAA at A level and went to a state primary, state grammar school and then LSE. I think the difference is she is good at selling herself, is a confident speaker, good at group tasks, can think quickly and prioritise/analyse information. She has lots of interesting experiences from VSO in Nepal, being an NHS vaccinator during Covid, being a youth member of parliament, a house assistant in a boarding school for summer language camps. Lots of interviews ask you to talk about a time when... She had lots of experience to call upon, especially dealing with difficult situations, asking for support from more experienced colleagues etc.

Thanks @Aslockton that’s really helpful. She’s done well!

She has better A Level results than my Ds, but he will hopefully have lots of relevant experience by then too, so he’ll just need to make sure he’s though though scenarios he could be asked about. He’s very good communicator, my concern is getting to the interview stage in the first place. Did she do any research as to buzzwords to include or was it a case of mirroring the job description in her CV/application?

When applying for my new job, I found AI was helpful at matching my experience (as per my CV) to the person specification/job descriptions and writing me a nice cover letter! But I only did one application and that took long enough!!

Yes, she used AI as a starting point, then made changes to ensure it reflected her. When you are making lots of applications you have to use as many tools at your disposal.

That’s really useful thank you. It’s def a graduate scheme over two years - will ask about whether there’s a job at the end. Think she needs to look at aldi!!

Very interesting Aslockton thank you.

@Aslockton Your day sounds fabulous. I wondered if you were there when they did some quayside interviews on the One Show. Very moving.

@NCTDN DS is on a grad scheme. The pay is £28k. Not London or SE. No guaranteed job but of the 12 intake of two years ago they retained 10. (Intake this year was 14.) It was the only one he was offered but he really wanted it and stopped applying for others as soon as it was offered early 2025. I also think it was various work experiences, including public facing, over the preceding summers that helped.

Just remembered DS's flatmate at university is on the same salary on a grad scheme with a pensions company. He's finding it financially tight as renting in Manchester. If he passes the professional exams next year he will get a decent pay rise and should get a job with them.

Good to know @EwwSprouts thanks.

We watched the One Show tonight. It was very moving and brought back how special it was. I will try to post some photos tomorrow. We were on the sea walls with thousands of others when the ship came in. Then we walked round to 'the jetty' for all the crew coming off. They were expecting 6500 family members alone to meet the ship, there were so many great viewing points and lots of locals too. It was quite a spectacle.

@Aslockton the FB group I’m in is called Portsmouth Past and Present, there have been some amazing shots in there, there is a really good set by someone taken from the Gosport side with a shot which shows pretty clearly all the people on the seawalls, it’s a public group, look for someone with initials MC. Also i have discovered a tiny RN connection myself, the RN have a new advertising campaign coming out tomorrow and I know one of the singers on it.

Thank you @Aslocktonfor answering our queries.
Your DD sounds exceptionally together & well done to her.

Photos of the homecoming, as promised.

Wow they do know how to put on a show! You must have been bursting with pride. Did you know where your DD was on the ship or even spot her?

We knew she was up on the first tower of the ship at the front, but could not see her. We were frantically waving a banner we had made, but she said she could just see a sea of people. She certainly saw the banner coming down the gang plank and ran straight towards us for a hug.

DS has signed his graduate job offer (from his placement year employer) commencing Sept 2026. His scheme is 12 mths (software engineer in defence sector). Starting salary of £33K with £1k welcome bonus and £1K bonus at completion of 12 mths. £3K relocation. The contract states that it is a permanent job and he's returning to the same team he worked for during his placement in the NE. If he had wanted to switch to a diiferent location/team, he would have been fast tracked to final interview for that location/team.

Last year, he was paid £25K during his placement year plus the £3K relocation plus £1K bonus. He was also allowed to join the pension scheme - he paid in 8% and his employer paid in 15% which is exceptional in the private sector!

That’s an amazing pension deal @sansou! And a pretty good package overall - well done to him. It’s encouraging to hear that the young people in this group are getting grad jobs/onto grad schemes, as there’s so much negativity out there.

There are still some good pension schemes in the private sector. My employer pays 25% (employee contribution is 5%).

That sounds great Sansou.

Great pictures @Aslockton , the blue skies were an added bonus for her homecoming.

@sansou that job offer and pension scheme sounds amazing!

DS's GF (1st in stem subject from RG) took a graduate role at a local council (after a 3 mth summer placement). It's a 2 yr graduate scheme paying £25K in YR1 and £26.5K in YR2 in a fixed term contract.

DS contacted the GP about the Army medical and they were fab. Got a letter and email following day. He had a phone consultation in June 2020 and they thought he had a slight heat rash but in no way was it exercise induced urticaria, they'd never put that as a diagnosis, it was a one off little rash as they had a photo and it has never reoccurred and he is fully fit. So let's see what happens now...hopefully Army will accept that.

Looks like a quiet Xmas here just the 3 of us. In laws say they want to be at home - which is literally half a mile from us - they've really aged this year i think. So am inviting them for Xmas eve instead. DS will finish week Friday for school holidays. He has been in C this weekend and had an unofficial pre interview PGCE meeting to discuss stuff. He seems keen.

That's great about the GP @craggyrat

I feel very under-prepared for Christmas. I have been spending virtually all my free time on parent-related admin or visiting. DB is not pulling his weight and as usual will be opting out of family Christmas (we have been hosting parents for 20 years). It will be different this year as DF is now in a care home.

@EndlessDistraction I've done v little Xmas related yet either. It's taken a month to discover in-laws won't be coming for first time in years. There is only my DB on my side but he is beyond useless and I hear from him about twice a year. What is it with DBs?!

Fingers crossed for the Army medical appeal @craggyrat Great news that the GP was able to write.

I only have my DB left. Both my parents died in their early 70s. My DB is great. He just lets me get on with things (probate etc) and said he would be there to help at any time needed. No fallings out, arguments, just mutual support and trust. Very different to our childhood/teenage relationship where we hated each other!

Fingers crossed re the army medical re-evaluation. Hope they see sense as this is so obviously a non issue so well done for fighting it @craggyrat

I got all goose bumpy seeing those pictures @AslocktonHow marvellous you were there for the home coming and that you have your girl back for a bit now.

We always host Christmas as have more space but family are great at bringing bottles and finger Hors d'oeuvre but checking with us first what is suitable. We’ve done it so many years now we’ve got it down to a fine art and it just goes like clockwork apart from not knowing what mood my niece will be in as she’s a bit unpredictable but still a sweetie.

Sadly we lost DH’s dad unexpectedly this week but they’re rushing the autopsy through as they know we’d want the funeral before Christmas if we can. DH is running around doing all the admin and appointments with (but for ultimately) his Dmum - she wants to be involved with it all understandably but has limited mobility and is profoundly deaf so poor DH is cancelling his work left, right and centre to accommodate picking her up and keeping her in the loop (he’s self employed and this is a busy time for him)
We would normally have our tree up but not feeling Christmas-y now really.
DD rushed home this weekend to see us and have hugs after starting her school placement this week and not having a friendly head teacher so was feeling a bit wobbly. She’s not told anyone at uni or her placement school about her DGF. She finishes uni on the 19th and has 3 assignments to hand in so she may need an extension - would be her 1st ever ask if so.
She’s delighted her school placement is a 10min drive away as last two years they’ve all been 2 buses or 2 trains and a long walk away. Having her car there esp in the winter will be a game changer.

Will you get to meet your DC’s new partners @crazycrofterthis Christmas?
We’re hoping to meet DD’s boyf parents this Christmas period if we can as 2nd Christmas together so it’s about time. We really like him and he’s local to us so fingers crossed.

Anyone got snow? We have rain, rain and more rain but I managed the Park Run in the mostly dry yesterday before heavens opened and got a PB despite slowing down for muddy slippy bits and puddles 😃 Missed the last two weeks as too wet - fair weather jogger here.