Does your Graduate child have a job?

[Karma2023]

The volume of advertised jobs for Graduates is apparentely at a historical low which is obviously worrying for students and their parents.

Just interested in sharing experience and perhaps offering assistance to those going through the job hunting process.

Has your young person secured a job? If so what subject did they do and how did they find the role?

I have a dc who secured an internship this summer, he is studying STEM and found the job directly from the company site. He is hoping to get a return job offer however he hasn't loved the job so will be looking for other opportunities. He may take a year out and improve his language skills as it might add to his CV.

It is absolutely ok...the company has a right to recruit whoever they want, no one was discriminated against - you may not approve but it's not your decision.

Likewise, I've recruited for accountancy trainee positions, both when working for others and now for myself as self employed. The standard of literacy (and numeracy!!!) of some graduates was shocking, even those who had a degree in accounting, or economics, or businesss/finance etc.

I created my own short tests for the candidates to take at interview, very simple just 5/10 minutes, one being a profit and loss account with some "glaringly" obvious errors, such as year end date of 31 February, a figure being subtracted instead of added (when the page clearly said "Add"), a few obvious spelling mistakes (stationary, maintenence, etc), and a short column of figures that didn't add up! No pass/fail mark, just to give me an indication of where they stood in basic literacy/numeracy. Most did well, but a few, including one with a First in accounting, was shockingly bad, and also had dire handwriting too.

@Badbadbunny Yes, they had Engimeering tests but report writing is difficult when the grad is not expected to do it immediately. Use of English is something I believe universities must be tighter on and ensure grads can write well enough for employment. A well rounded grad is a much more useful one.

They also need to be able to speak English! My brother has recently conducted some interviews for internships with IT candidates at masters level (in the UK), who could not speak English well enough to understand or answer the questions. How do they get through a degree of any kind in this country, with that level of English?

I think they meant the grad ceremony was disrupted. by covid.

@pinkspeakers thank you for answering my question.

@SwirlyGates Yes. It’s unfortunate to say the least that universities don’t always expect presentations from students and too many say they are too stressful and don’t do them. They are not the same calibre as students who speak well. Employers do find its buyer beware!

I did a supplementary subject in history & philosophy of science during my chemistry degree. My tutors hated this - in their view the only supplementary worth doing was advanced quantum mechanics. But I’m now a patent attorney, and learning how to write persuasively during this course has been invaluable.

Although I’m in-house, and would never have been in the position to apply for the internal trainee position without my PhD and my R&D experience. So I’m well aware that the path to your ultimate career might not be what you initially expect it to be. And I don’t regret any of my education - even the GCSE in cookery and the RSA qualification in typewriting I did at night school during my lower sixth have been useful!

DS did CS at Uni took a year out after poor MH . He had a message on Linkedin from one of the FAANG lot and asked him to apply for a software tech role with them. Interviews were brutal but he got a yes. Grad starting salary of 80k (with shares) and a relocation lump sum. It is beyond his wildest dreams tbh and out earns me who has spent 30 years in the NHS.

I have a child who is dyslexic. Has received 25% extra time since primary school. They are anxious about requesting extra time for online tests as it flags them and when companies have a choice of 1000s of candidates why would you choose someone who takes 25 % longer to analyse info? Giving the extra time ticks the box for companies that they don’t discriminate. This AI driven world of recruitment is awful and I agree with a comment near the start of the thread that contacts will become increasingly important to circumnavigate AI driven processes.

DS graduated last year,he took a fixed term contractor in October which ended in April this year and then he got a permanent contract. Where he works, they run annual graduate programmes which last for 2 years, he was told he could have one starting this year but he declined it as it was less money (over £15k less) and after the 2 years he would have to apply for a job at the same level he is working at now. My advice would be to look at the companies the young person want to work for, get through the front door and them work hard and see what comes up internally.

I think that is right. Also, lateral moves are much easier at lower levels. So get positioned in the right function while still early.

The same here (dyslexic dc). I suspect some of the larger firms will accept this, as it contributes to their diversity profile. My dc has just finished an internship with a large company, he disclosed that he was dyslexic at the start of the process, and was given extra time during the 4-5 stage recruitment process to the internship. He is waiting to hear whether he has a return offer for next year (we are all keeping fingers heavily crossed).

There is a big push around neurodiversity now. I don’t believe DC will be disadvantaged if they disclose it. I have a DC at uni currently who is dyslexic. My advice to her is to be open.

I agree. I think especially with internships / Spring break schemes. I have even seen some internships / schemes that especially encourage applicants who fulfil diversity criteria.

Only big companies can take a hit on someone taking much longer to do a task. If that was transferred to engineering, the company would make no money. Speed of work does matter in SMEs because profit is on the line. Firms do run tests and they are not all bothered about DEI quotas. Yes, large firms offer internships widely and often choose apprentices to fill DEI quotes, but only larger employers I think. Everyone else had to employ the best person for the job, and times are challenging due to NI, wage and employment law changes.

@MeetMeOnTheCorner I completely agree. Even with the big companies when down to the final decisions and picking between 2 similar people, it’s hard to justify the one that works more slowly even if there are other less tangible qualities. It’s so expensive to take on a young person now (NI, raised min wage), and difficult to remove them (due to the Employment Rights Act), that taking a risk on someone is not something that companies need to do (and the volume of applicants is so great at the moment for a reduced number of opportunities they can pick and choose)

@Bigfatsquirrel I think the government have not understood business or employment.

Was that on the last uear? I had thought the big 7 were downsizing a little after the boom spending on AI.

One sector that night pick up is Defence It would create UK jobs due to the security clearances required. Another might be energy since demand is increasing. This is where Gov can actively step in.

Hmmm, dyslexics aren’t slower in all situations. My own DD would be slower to read a paper or write one. But she would be much faster to solve a complex technical problem than many other people. She is quite sensible and went for engineering rather than law or something like that.

@DinnerinfrontoftheTV it is not a one size fits all diagnosis is it ? Unfortunately a lot of the psychometric tests require reading information and interpreting and writing a response or choosing an answer. But if you need “reasonable adjustments” you get the label whether you can solve complex technical problems quicker than other people or not. Can’t help but think this has ended up causing a disadvantage down the track, despite passing tests etc. Hope your DD does well with engineering 💪

I think this has been the case for at least 15 yrs though. The difference is that any job is now less accessible for young people. And in some cases expectations and willingness to live in hmos. Brexit also has impact for some.

Some Engimeerjng is sitting in your office shut away doing maths, eg designing HS2, but other engineers need to read and write accurately too. It depends on the role.

She had one. Did architecture, got a part one architecture job and then after just over a year the company folded.

she was always planning to go back to uni to do her part 2 Masters but the worry now is if she can’t get a part 2 position in a year’s time she can’t be an architect and it will have been over 5 years training for nothing.

at least with engineering, medicine, nursing you are a qualified professional regardless of the lack of job and could go abroad, do locum/freelance work, set up doing your own company. 🤷‍♀️

when she got her part 1 job from June to Oct when we were looking we saw 2 jobs advertised nationwide. She was so lucky to get one of them. I keep telling myself she goes to one of the best unis for her subject so hopefully she’ll be ok.

@SulkingInTheCatio if she goes to the best Uni for her subject, they should have good contacts with industry, is it worth keeping in contact with old lecturers and the careers dept.