How do you help your child to think about life after university?

[Afteruni]

We all know how tough the job market is for new graduates at the moment. And this will presumably get worse, because of AI.

My DC has one more year at a Russell Group university doing an essay type degree that doesn't lead to anything in particular. Up to now, their approach to thinking about job/career options has been to keep their head in the sand. There's vague talk of doing an MA, perhaps abroad (which would also lead to nothing in particular), which would of course add to their debt. DC is bright but doesn't love academic work in any event, so I'm not encouraging more education that doesn't actually help towards a particular career path. DC hasn't gone for any of those hard-to-get internships which can lead to jobs in the City. They have however done a number of summer jobs (so there is some evidence of work ethic, working in a team, customer service) and have managed to organise a couple of one-off internships locally, but they were prodded to do those things. One of their strengths is that they're nice to be around - they get positive feedback from the people they work with.

I've bought DC what looks like a very useful book designed to help people still at university to consider careers. This remains unread at the moment. I've also said that I would pay for a psychometric test if we can find one that would help DC to work out which direction to go in. I've also said that I would offer some financial help (finances are limited though) to do a postgraduate course if it qualifies them for a specific career path. I've suggested a few career options which I think might suit them (though getting a job would be difficult, as for most things). None of this has had any visible impact. I've urged them to speak to their university careers office for guidance, but they haven't done so yet.

I feel that DC is heading towards leaving university without any real plan, let alone a job, with a large debt, possibly doing a course they're unlikely to enjoy and which will add to their debt and leave them no more employable. Living at home wouldn't help them, because we live in an area where there's very little employment. They're not grasping or accepting how tough the job market is, and that it's unlikely a fun, exciting and well-paid job will just land in their lap.

I'm sure I'm not alone in having a DC who is at this stage. Does anyone have any advice, or any experience to share?

Would they consider doing a PGCE as that would at least open up the possibility of teaching if they have a humanities degree? And if not, why not?

They are not a child anymore. They are an adult one year away from graduating. Time to let them figure this stuff out and stand on their own feet.

I'm very aware that things are much worse than they were when we were their age, and that they're getting worse fast (including global warming and AI, in particular). It's not easy to figure life out anymore. This is from another thread that's running at the moment:

"My dd graduated from university (good university, good degree) 2 years ago and in that time all she’s been able to find is part time barista work. She’s applied for 100s and 100s of things, everything from min wage jobs to graduate jobs. People just don’t realise how difficult it is. Out of her friendship group of graduates - all different subjects- only one has managed to find a graduate type role. The others are either unemployed, not for want of trying, or working part time min wage jobs."

@Hellohelga That's helpful, thanks. I have mentioned the possibility of doing a postgraduate qualification in something like occupational therapy - so that you end up actually qualified to do something, and it's not obviously at high risk of takeover by AI. But DC dismissed that idea. They seem to want to stay with academic study, though they don't appear to be suited to it, frankly. And it doesn't really lead to jobs apart from for really brilliant and ambitious people. They've also dismissed the idea of teaching, which would be an option. Maybe they need to experience how bad the job market is, to make them more realistic.

@Hellohelga Have you heard of private schools offering a teaching year to a new graduate, without a PGCE? I know they don't have to have one for private school. I think that teaching at private school might be more manageable than at state school, in terms of discipline etc. Though DC isn't currently interested in teaching. That might change in the future, when they experience the job market.

I feel similarly op. Ds is just about to finish his masters in HR. He had a gap year after A levels (cut short due to covid), started Uni but only lasted 8 weeks due to MH and Covid. Started again and got a 2:1 in Business Management. Took a 2nd gap year and is now doing this masters. Had worked for the same hospitality company for 5yrs but was recently let go from there. So now is jobless, has a dissertation to finish (start!) and then look for a JOB.
I am similarly worried OP. His MH is quite fragile so the thought of him applying for jobs all over the UK just to get a job is scary. I would worry hughly that he wouldn’t have our support and would flounder 😞
He is also showing a very lacklustre approach to job hunting

If they’re interested in policy work there’s no reason why they can’t get involved while still studying, either in local politics or volunteering with smaller charities that need a policy researcher. A Masters would give them good research skills which are vital for that kind of role. They’ll need to do some leg work but there are good careers to be had in policy and public affairs. They could also look at case working for their local MP.

My DC are both graduating this year and quite a lot of their peers have no idea what they want to do so it’s not unusual. They are however doing a mix of panic masters, panic PGCEs (not a good idea if not actually keen on teaching), ski seasons and bar and retail work while they try to find a path.

Which is why he needs to utilise the careers service! Their job is to help him work through these dilemmas and discuss options you and he don’t even know exist! Part of their work is to future scan and understand the labour market as it exists and how’s it’s evolving.
It baffles me that he’s refusing to engage with them.

DC has never shown much interest in politics, and I feel that it's the idea of doing this kind of high status work that appeals, rather than the reality of it. They want to do something interesting and high-flying, rather than an ordinary boring job. I've tried to explain that 1) most work is boring for at least part of the time and does actually involve working hard in exchange for money, 2) some jobs which may sound boring, like HR, are actually pretty interesting and challenging, so they need to look into what jobs actually involve before writing them off. They need to look into what would suit them, what they have the potential to succeed at, to think, research, get careers advice, talk to people, etc. But they're just refusing to do so.

I suppose this is basically procrastination / avoidance. Doing an MA for the sake of it would kick the problem down the road.

I hoped that the summer jobs would lead to a good work ethic. But maybe it's led to DC not liking the idea of being stuck in the day to day grind of a job.

DC is now complaining about how money isn't really about jobs anymore, it's about property and inheritance. They're right that that's where a lot of wealth comes from. But being aggrieved about that isn't going to help them to get on with leading a satisfactory life. Maybe part of the problem is that they have some university friends who are from wealthy families and / or who are top achievers who've done those city internships and are headed for well-paying careers.