FDM Group, a major provider of graduate IT jobs in the UK, has been praising the talent in the North West of England and revealed that there is a particular demand in the region for Test Analysts.
Chief Executive Officer at FMD Group, Rod Flavell, said that his company ‘firmly believed’ in the graduate talent pool the North West region and added that their existing graduates in Manchester had got their IT careers off to a wonderful start.
The Group is looking to recruit 1,000 graduates this year and look for candidates from a range of backgrounds and disciplines. The company pays the same starting salary to graduates in the North West as they do in London and Brighton and their professional IT consultants work with big name clients all over the world.
FDM Group’s recruitment manager, Madeleine Field, spoke about the worries of students who are looking for graduate IT jobs in Manchester and other parts of the UK:
“I have spoken with many students who are concerned about their ability to get a fulfilling job post-university. With the current uncertain economic climate, prospective and new graduates are anxious about their ability to find careers that will be fulfilling as well as financially beneficial. At FDM we provide a unique opportunity for graduates to start a rewarding career in the IT industry,” said Ms Field.
Source: E4s.co.uk, Monday 27th February 2012
Jobsbody provides a dynamic forum in which businesses can view and connect with graduates.
Wednesday 29 February 2012
Tuesday 28 February 2012
Graduates leaving university found it harder in 2011 to get jobs than students finishing A-level courses
Latest jobs data shows 25% of 21-year-olds that left university with a degree were unemployed.
Only 20% of school leavers with A-levels were unemployed, compared to 25% of those that have graduated according to recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The ONS figures also show that it is easier for older graduates to find work as only 5% of 24-year-olds were unemployed.
Charlie Ball, deputy director of research at the Higher Education Careers Services Unit commented that the figures were misleading as the number of people leaving with A-levels was smaller than the number graduating. He also commented that the graduate jobs market had "hardly returned to its state pre-recession", but most of those leaving university were likely to get jobs within six months.
"Although the number of young people out of work is historically high, the graduate unemployment rate in this recession has not reached the levels it did in the 1980s or 1990s,"
Many students will look at the recent figures on graduate jobs and will have to think longer and harder on whether a degree is the better option for career development. However recent research into graduate careers by Skandia has suggested that they still earn a premium over the course of their career. Graduates can on average earn £1.6m over a working career of 45 years, whilst an 18-year-old can earn £1m over 48 years. A 16-year-old will earn around £783,964 over 49.5 years.
The TUC's general secretary, Brendan Barber, said the figures showed the importance of higher qualifications in helping young people into work. But he added: "With ministers putting up fresh barriers to higher education by hiking tuition fees and scrapping the EMA, the scar of mass joblessness that is hitting today's youngsters could follow some of them into their late 20s or even 30s.
"The government's cut-price work experience scheme is woefully ill-equipped to deal with the scale of our jobs crisis. Young people need tailored support and experience of proper paid jobs to give them the best possible chance of moving into work."
Source: Pareto.co.uk, Monday 28th February 2012
Only 20% of school leavers with A-levels were unemployed, compared to 25% of those that have graduated according to recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The ONS figures also show that it is easier for older graduates to find work as only 5% of 24-year-olds were unemployed.
Charlie Ball, deputy director of research at the Higher Education Careers Services Unit commented that the figures were misleading as the number of people leaving with A-levels was smaller than the number graduating. He also commented that the graduate jobs market had "hardly returned to its state pre-recession", but most of those leaving university were likely to get jobs within six months.
"Although the number of young people out of work is historically high, the graduate unemployment rate in this recession has not reached the levels it did in the 1980s or 1990s,"
Many students will look at the recent figures on graduate jobs and will have to think longer and harder on whether a degree is the better option for career development. However recent research into graduate careers by Skandia has suggested that they still earn a premium over the course of their career. Graduates can on average earn £1.6m over a working career of 45 years, whilst an 18-year-old can earn £1m over 48 years. A 16-year-old will earn around £783,964 over 49.5 years.
The TUC's general secretary, Brendan Barber, said the figures showed the importance of higher qualifications in helping young people into work. But he added: "With ministers putting up fresh barriers to higher education by hiking tuition fees and scrapping the EMA, the scar of mass joblessness that is hitting today's youngsters could follow some of them into their late 20s or even 30s.
"The government's cut-price work experience scheme is woefully ill-equipped to deal with the scale of our jobs crisis. Young people need tailored support and experience of proper paid jobs to give them the best possible chance of moving into work."
Source: Pareto.co.uk, Monday 28th February 2012
Monday 27 February 2012
Social media platforms key for spotting new talent, says Nokia’s global talent acquisition manager
A strong social media presence and identity is vital in the competitive graduate jobs market, according to Nokia’s Global Marketing Talent Acquisition Manager and Social HR lead.
Last week Nokia, along with graduate job portal Milkround, hosted a series of social CV surgeries on how to build a perfect social CV. The briefings were led by Nokia’s Rebecca Gloyne, who believes that having a standout digital CV is the key for graduates to get the job they want.
Gloyne advises that graduates should consider the ’30-second rule’ as the first step to making an effective social media profile. “When a recruiter’s looking at a digital CV the golden rule is that you search for 30 seconds – if that person doesn’t stand out then you generally move onto the next one,” she says.
Gloyne also believes that, when looking for a job, it’s not just about your A4 sheet of paper CV. Graduates should be proactive in their job search, leveraging their social media platforms or they could miss out. “When I’m on Twitter the one thing I’m looking out for is trendsetters, people who really showcase their initiative, their passion. It’s a great way for spotting up and coming talent,” Gloyne adds.
Gloyne also advised on some of the do’s and don’ts of Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn:
- Make your LinkedIn profile standout with your one sentence story – showcase your skills, experience and expertise
- Don’t post anything online that you wouldn’t want seen on a billboard
- Don’t wait for jobs to appear on a jobs board – go out there and network
- Facebook is your social space – keep it separate from your professional life
- If you want to keep your Twitter profile for personal use make it obvious in your bio
Nokia has a Facebook page for its talent community, which they manage as a way of communicating events they’re running around the world, showcasing what it is like to be employed at Nokia and keeping the group informed of career opportunities.
Since Gloyne took over responsibility for the group last year, it has grown from 5,000 members to over 23,000+ members.
“We are really looking after our future talent,” says Gloyne. “I had an email this morning – a guy wrote to me saying, ‘I probably wouldn’t have joined Nokia if I hadn’t joined your future Facebook group’.
“I wrote back and asked him why and he said, ‘You made me fall in love with Nokia.’ It’s exactly what we want to achieve - by sharing unique and engaging content, we can generate real excitement and put Nokia in the forefront of their mind as a company that they want to work for.”
Source: Thegrapevinemagazine.com, Monday 27th February 2012
Last week Nokia, along with graduate job portal Milkround, hosted a series of social CV surgeries on how to build a perfect social CV. The briefings were led by Nokia’s Rebecca Gloyne, who believes that having a standout digital CV is the key for graduates to get the job they want.
Gloyne advises that graduates should consider the ’30-second rule’ as the first step to making an effective social media profile. “When a recruiter’s looking at a digital CV the golden rule is that you search for 30 seconds – if that person doesn’t stand out then you generally move onto the next one,” she says.
Gloyne also believes that, when looking for a job, it’s not just about your A4 sheet of paper CV. Graduates should be proactive in their job search, leveraging their social media platforms or they could miss out. “When I’m on Twitter the one thing I’m looking out for is trendsetters, people who really showcase their initiative, their passion. It’s a great way for spotting up and coming talent,” Gloyne adds.
Gloyne also advised on some of the do’s and don’ts of Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn:
- Make your LinkedIn profile standout with your one sentence story – showcase your skills, experience and expertise
- Don’t post anything online that you wouldn’t want seen on a billboard
- Don’t wait for jobs to appear on a jobs board – go out there and network
- Facebook is your social space – keep it separate from your professional life
- If you want to keep your Twitter profile for personal use make it obvious in your bio
Nokia has a Facebook page for its talent community, which they manage as a way of communicating events they’re running around the world, showcasing what it is like to be employed at Nokia and keeping the group informed of career opportunities.
Since Gloyne took over responsibility for the group last year, it has grown from 5,000 members to over 23,000+ members.
“We are really looking after our future talent,” says Gloyne. “I had an email this morning – a guy wrote to me saying, ‘I probably wouldn’t have joined Nokia if I hadn’t joined your future Facebook group’.
“I wrote back and asked him why and he said, ‘You made me fall in love with Nokia.’ It’s exactly what we want to achieve - by sharing unique and engaging content, we can generate real excitement and put Nokia in the forefront of their mind as a company that they want to work for.”
Source: Thegrapevinemagazine.com, Monday 27th February 2012
Sunday 26 February 2012
Does having a degree really pay off?
According to official figures, a 21-year-old graduate has about the same chance of being out of work as a school leaver aged 16 with just one GCSE, This is Money reports.
Around 25% of both groups are currently unemployed, highlighting just how tough the current job market is for graduates looking for work after university. What's more, with six people currently applying for every job vacancy, economists have predicted that the total number of people out of work - 2.67 million - will rise further.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed that 25.9% of 16-year-olds who left school with at least one GCSE at grade C or above are currently jobless. But the situation isn't much better for 21-year-old graduates, 24.8% of whom are unemployed, despite having a degree and A-levels.
At a time when students face graduating with debts of up to £50,000, the figures are likely to raise discussions of just how valuable having a degree is in the current jobs market.
Many graduates are turning to unskilled jobs - in some cases, even their old holiday jobs - in order to make ends meet.
A spokesperson for Think Money commented: "With graduates facing record levels of debt, it's certainly cause for concern that those with a degree are often in no better position, when it comes to getting a job in the current market, than those without."
Source: Daniel Culpan, Thinkmoney.com, Friday 24th February 2012
Around 25% of both groups are currently unemployed, highlighting just how tough the current job market is for graduates looking for work after university. What's more, with six people currently applying for every job vacancy, economists have predicted that the total number of people out of work - 2.67 million - will rise further.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed that 25.9% of 16-year-olds who left school with at least one GCSE at grade C or above are currently jobless. But the situation isn't much better for 21-year-old graduates, 24.8% of whom are unemployed, despite having a degree and A-levels.
At a time when students face graduating with debts of up to £50,000, the figures are likely to raise discussions of just how valuable having a degree is in the current jobs market.
Many graduates are turning to unskilled jobs - in some cases, even their old holiday jobs - in order to make ends meet.
A spokesperson for Think Money commented: "With graduates facing record levels of debt, it's certainly cause for concern that those with a degree are often in no better position, when it comes to getting a job in the current market, than those without."
Source: Daniel Culpan, Thinkmoney.com, Friday 24th February 2012
Saturday 25 February 2012
More Oxford graduates are waiters than engineers
The University has published statistics on graduate employment which reveal that, six months after graduating, more people worked as waiters or bar staff than worked as mechanical or civil engineers.
Of the students who replied to the survey, 49.5 per cent were in work only, six per cent in study and work, and 31.8 per cent in study only, with 5.9 per cent unemployed. In comparison, the most recent figures suggest that the national graduate unemployment rate is currently 20 per cent while the general national rate is 8.4.
Will Heard who graduated from Jesus in 2010 commented, “Oxford graduate unemployment is only just below unemployment rate in the UK. Shocking.”
The director of the Oxford University Careers Service, Jonathan Black, told Cherwell that one reason for a lower unemployment rate than the national average is that Oxford students are a “Highly desirable group of people, sought out by employers. They have fabulous transferable skills.”
However, Black added that employers, “Do mark Oxford students down on teamwork and business awareness.”
Emily Jamieson, a 2010 history graduate from Jesus, commented, “At other universities far fewer people are going to choose to keep on studying, or even have the option available to them. So the fact Oxford has low unemployment is maybe more a reflection of people carrying on study than being able to go straight out and find work.”
Those studying medical sciences were most likely to find a job six months after leaving university, with only 2.2 per cent of them unemployed, none of whom were undergraduate medics. In the humanities, this figure jumps up to 7.8 per cent, with 13 per cent of graduates from the Oriental Studies Faculty unemployed.
While Magdalen had only 2.4 per cent of students claiming to be unemployed, Mansfield has the highest unemployment rate of 10 per cent.
However, Susanna Elliott, an Oriental Studies student from Mansfield, commented, “I’m not particularly worried about my employment prospects - which degrees are most valued come and go in phases. Having a good degree from Oxford, in whatever subject, is still a solid basis for gaining employment.”
Joshua Felberg, another Mansfield student reading Oriental Studies, commented, “While I am confident about my prospects in the future, I am worried that this disparity between colleges comes down to nepotism within other colleges. An Oxford degree should be worth the same whatever college it is from.”
According to the report, science undergraduate students were the best paid, with materials scientists claiming an average salary of £35,300. Those who graduated from the English Faculty were the worst paid, with an average salary of £18,700.
Univ English student, Louise Carey, commented, “I’m taking this degree because I love the subject rather than because I think it will land me a great job. I find English fascinating and rewarding so I wouldn’t say it’s been useless to me. If I’d wanted to maximise my employability I would have taken PPE or something.”
Keble undergraduates had an average salary of £35,900 six months after leaving, whereas those who graduated from Wadham were paid an average of £20,700. The college with the most students going on to further study is Merton, at 54.3 per cent. New College had the highest percentage of undergraduates finding employment, with 59.6 per cent of all students securing a job six months after leaving.
The largest employer of Oxford students is the NHS, which employed 281 graduates over the last three years. Oxford University employed 266 six months after their graduation. Thereafter, the major employers are financial services firms such as Deloitte, PwC and Deutsche Bank.
40 per cent of those with undergraduate degrees earned less than the student loan repayment threshold of £21,000.
Considering graduates of both graduate and non-graduate degrees, 51 per cent of humanities students were paid less than this figure, whereas only 15 per cent of the Medical Sciences division had a salary less than this.
The figures also highlighted a significant gender divide in salary levels. In the Social Sciences, 62 per cent of male undergraduate students earn the median wage of £24,500, whereas only 37 per cent of female students earn that amount sixth months after graduating.
Marta Szczerba, a 2011 PPE graduate from St John’s, and now a management consultant, claimed that there was “a definite advantage” from studying at Oxford. She asserted that many companies only visit Oxbridge, LSE and Imperial so students from those universities are much more likely to be employed in those services. She also said that an Oxford education was a “signal” to employers, making Oxford students “more credible candidates”.
She added, “I think the job situation was much better for those in my year who got a job in third year, even for industries such as banking and management consultancy. Those of my friends who did not find work in third year are finding it a lot harder to get a job now.”
Matthew Robinson, a 2008 Law graduate who was employed by McKinsey after leaving Oxford and then co-founded a technology company, commented, “I think Oxford graduates have the same level of workplace-related skills as other graduates. However, it does give a huge advantage in how employers perceive you.
“There is an increasing value in technology skills which make businesses more efficient, and degrees which give these skills or rigorous maths-based skills are more valuable. The exception to this is PPE, which employers believe gives a suitably broad skill-set.”
Oliver Moody, a journalist who graduated last year from St Anne’s, said, “I think it is easier for Oxford students to find jobs - as long as they focus. If you know what you want to do, build up a half-decent CV and think hard about where you want to go after university. You can make an Oxford degree work for you.”
However he continued, “There were a lot of people who just assumed that an Oxford degree would magically confer a perfect, well-paid job without any real effort or thought. They didn’t do so well. There are a lot of hungry, focused students at less prestigious universities who are serious competitors in the marketplace, and, as employers are increasingly looking for the finished article, they have the edge over Oxford students who don’t get around to looking beyond university.
He added, “Of my friends from Oxford, about half have just started white-collar professional jobs, and the other half are still living with their parents.”
Source: Peter Fitzsimons, Cherwell.org, Thursday 23rd February 2012
Of the students who replied to the survey, 49.5 per cent were in work only, six per cent in study and work, and 31.8 per cent in study only, with 5.9 per cent unemployed. In comparison, the most recent figures suggest that the national graduate unemployment rate is currently 20 per cent while the general national rate is 8.4.
Will Heard who graduated from Jesus in 2010 commented, “Oxford graduate unemployment is only just below unemployment rate in the UK. Shocking.”
The director of the Oxford University Careers Service, Jonathan Black, told Cherwell that one reason for a lower unemployment rate than the national average is that Oxford students are a “Highly desirable group of people, sought out by employers. They have fabulous transferable skills.”
However, Black added that employers, “Do mark Oxford students down on teamwork and business awareness.”
Emily Jamieson, a 2010 history graduate from Jesus, commented, “At other universities far fewer people are going to choose to keep on studying, or even have the option available to them. So the fact Oxford has low unemployment is maybe more a reflection of people carrying on study than being able to go straight out and find work.”
Those studying medical sciences were most likely to find a job six months after leaving university, with only 2.2 per cent of them unemployed, none of whom were undergraduate medics. In the humanities, this figure jumps up to 7.8 per cent, with 13 per cent of graduates from the Oriental Studies Faculty unemployed.
While Magdalen had only 2.4 per cent of students claiming to be unemployed, Mansfield has the highest unemployment rate of 10 per cent.
However, Susanna Elliott, an Oriental Studies student from Mansfield, commented, “I’m not particularly worried about my employment prospects - which degrees are most valued come and go in phases. Having a good degree from Oxford, in whatever subject, is still a solid basis for gaining employment.”
Joshua Felberg, another Mansfield student reading Oriental Studies, commented, “While I am confident about my prospects in the future, I am worried that this disparity between colleges comes down to nepotism within other colleges. An Oxford degree should be worth the same whatever college it is from.”
According to the report, science undergraduate students were the best paid, with materials scientists claiming an average salary of £35,300. Those who graduated from the English Faculty were the worst paid, with an average salary of £18,700.
Univ English student, Louise Carey, commented, “I’m taking this degree because I love the subject rather than because I think it will land me a great job. I find English fascinating and rewarding so I wouldn’t say it’s been useless to me. If I’d wanted to maximise my employability I would have taken PPE or something.”
Keble undergraduates had an average salary of £35,900 six months after leaving, whereas those who graduated from Wadham were paid an average of £20,700. The college with the most students going on to further study is Merton, at 54.3 per cent. New College had the highest percentage of undergraduates finding employment, with 59.6 per cent of all students securing a job six months after leaving.
The largest employer of Oxford students is the NHS, which employed 281 graduates over the last three years. Oxford University employed 266 six months after their graduation. Thereafter, the major employers are financial services firms such as Deloitte, PwC and Deutsche Bank.
40 per cent of those with undergraduate degrees earned less than the student loan repayment threshold of £21,000.
Considering graduates of both graduate and non-graduate degrees, 51 per cent of humanities students were paid less than this figure, whereas only 15 per cent of the Medical Sciences division had a salary less than this.
The figures also highlighted a significant gender divide in salary levels. In the Social Sciences, 62 per cent of male undergraduate students earn the median wage of £24,500, whereas only 37 per cent of female students earn that amount sixth months after graduating.
Marta Szczerba, a 2011 PPE graduate from St John’s, and now a management consultant, claimed that there was “a definite advantage” from studying at Oxford. She asserted that many companies only visit Oxbridge, LSE and Imperial so students from those universities are much more likely to be employed in those services. She also said that an Oxford education was a “signal” to employers, making Oxford students “more credible candidates”.
She added, “I think the job situation was much better for those in my year who got a job in third year, even for industries such as banking and management consultancy. Those of my friends who did not find work in third year are finding it a lot harder to get a job now.”
Matthew Robinson, a 2008 Law graduate who was employed by McKinsey after leaving Oxford and then co-founded a technology company, commented, “I think Oxford graduates have the same level of workplace-related skills as other graduates. However, it does give a huge advantage in how employers perceive you.
“There is an increasing value in technology skills which make businesses more efficient, and degrees which give these skills or rigorous maths-based skills are more valuable. The exception to this is PPE, which employers believe gives a suitably broad skill-set.”
Oliver Moody, a journalist who graduated last year from St Anne’s, said, “I think it is easier for Oxford students to find jobs - as long as they focus. If you know what you want to do, build up a half-decent CV and think hard about where you want to go after university. You can make an Oxford degree work for you.”
However he continued, “There were a lot of people who just assumed that an Oxford degree would magically confer a perfect, well-paid job without any real effort or thought. They didn’t do so well. There are a lot of hungry, focused students at less prestigious universities who are serious competitors in the marketplace, and, as employers are increasingly looking for the finished article, they have the edge over Oxford students who don’t get around to looking beyond university.
He added, “Of my friends from Oxford, about half have just started white-collar professional jobs, and the other half are still living with their parents.”
Source: Peter Fitzsimons, Cherwell.org, Thursday 23rd February 2012
Friday 24 February 2012
Shocking truth about graduate unemployment: They have the same chance of being out of work as a school leaver with one GCSE
A graduate aged 21 has the same chance of being unemployed as a 16-year-old school leaver with one GCSE, official figures revealed yesterday.
Around one in four of both groups is currently without a job.
The shocking statistics highlight the problems facing graduates leaving university at a time of crisis in the jobs market.
Nearly six unemployed people are chasing every vacancy and economists warn that the jobless total, which has hit 2.67million, will climb even higher.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that 25.9 per cent of 16-year-olds who left school with as little as one GCSE at grade C or above are currently unemployed.
The situation is almost identical for a 21-year-old graduate. Despite having A-levels and a degree, 24.8 per cent are unemployed.
The figures will fuel concerns among parents and their children about whether a degree is worthwhile at a time when students face the prospect of leaving university with debts of up to £50,000.
They also raise serious doubts about Labour’s famous pledge to have 50 per cent of school leavers going on to university.
Tanya de Grunwald, founder of the careers website Graduate Fog, said she regularly hears from graduates who are in work but have had to return to their old holiday jobs.
She said: ‘They are pulling pints or doing data entry because they cannot find a graduate job that pays any better.’
Source: Becky Barrow, Dailymail.co.uk, Thursday 23rd February 2012
Around one in four of both groups is currently without a job.
The shocking statistics highlight the problems facing graduates leaving university at a time of crisis in the jobs market.
Nearly six unemployed people are chasing every vacancy and economists warn that the jobless total, which has hit 2.67million, will climb even higher.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that 25.9 per cent of 16-year-olds who left school with as little as one GCSE at grade C or above are currently unemployed.
The situation is almost identical for a 21-year-old graduate. Despite having A-levels and a degree, 24.8 per cent are unemployed.
The figures will fuel concerns among parents and their children about whether a degree is worthwhile at a time when students face the prospect of leaving university with debts of up to £50,000.
They also raise serious doubts about Labour’s famous pledge to have 50 per cent of school leavers going on to university.
Tanya de Grunwald, founder of the careers website Graduate Fog, said she regularly hears from graduates who are in work but have had to return to their old holiday jobs.
She said: ‘They are pulling pints or doing data entry because they cannot find a graduate job that pays any better.’
Source: Becky Barrow, Dailymail.co.uk, Thursday 23rd February 2012
Thursday 23 February 2012
Graduate unemployment levels on a par with school leavers
Graduates leaving university found it harder to get jobs in 2011 than students finishing A-level courses, as youth unemployment hit its highest level since the 1980s, official data shows.
In 2011, 20% of 18-year-olds who left school with A-levels were unemployed compared with 25% of 21-year-olds who left university with a degree, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. Graduate unemployment rates were almost on a par with those for people leaving school with just GCSEs, with 26% of 16-year-olds with these qualifications out of work.
But the ONS figures show it was easier for older graduates to find work: at age 24 only 5% of degree holders were unemployed compared with 7% of those who finished their education after A-levels and 13% of those with only GCSEs.
Charlie Ball, deputy director of research at the Higher Education Careers Services Unit, said the figures were "absolutely correct, but give a misleading impression", as the cohort of people leaving with A-levels was smaller than the number graduating.
He said the graduate jobs market had "hardly returned to its state pre-recession", but most of those leaving university were likely to get jobs within six months.
"Although the number of young people out of work is historically high, the graduate unemployment rate in this recession has not reached the levels it did in the 1980s or 1990s," he said.
Research by investment firm Skandia suggests graduates still earn a high premium over the course of their career once they do find work. It says a graduate leaving university today should earn an average of £1.6m over a working career of 45 years compared to £1m for an 18-year-old entering the workforce and retiring 48 years later. A 16-year-old working 49.5 years will typically earn £783,964 over their career.
Although the prospects for graduates may not be as gloomy as they first appear, the ONS figures make grim reading for young job seekers.
The ONS said unemployment for those aged 16 to 24 stood at just over 1m in the last quarter of 2011, the highest number since 1986/87. This represented one in seven (or 14.2%) of this age group and is the highest rate of youth unemployment since 1984/85. Of these, 307,000 were full-time students actively looking for work alongside their studies.
London was the region with the highest youth unemployment rate, with 24% of economically active 16- to 24-year-olds unemployed from July 2010 to June 2011. However, the ONS said this was a result of the number of students in the capital, some of who were looking to work. When students are discounted, the highest proportion of youth unemployment was in the north-east at 15%.
The TUC's general secretary, Brendan Barber, said the figures showed the importance of higher qualifications in helping young people into work. But he added: "With ministers putting up fresh barriers to higher education by hiking tuition fees and scrapping the EMA, the scar of mass joblessness that is hitting today's youngsters could follow some of them into their late 20s or even 30s.
"The government's cut-price work experience scheme is woefully ill-equipped to deal with the scale of our jobs crisis. Young people need tailored support and experience of proper paid jobs to give them the best possible chance of moving into work."
Recently, some large firms have stepped up their recruitment of school leavers to attract bright students put off by the cost of going to university.
All of the UK's "big four" accountancy firms, which between them recruit several thousand graduates each year, have established degree-equivalent school-leaver training programmes, including Ernst & Young which launches its programme in the autumn.
Stephen Isherwood, head of graduate recruitment at Ernst & Young, said the company had already recruited 30 of the 60 school leavers it planned to take on from hundreds of applications.
"There is a sense that the mantra of the last few years that everything is about university is not necessarily right, and that A-level students should really be thinking about what they want to do and whether that means going to university, and making sure they get the best deal for themselves."
Source: Hilary Osborne, Guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 22nd February 2012
In 2011, 20% of 18-year-olds who left school with A-levels were unemployed compared with 25% of 21-year-olds who left university with a degree, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. Graduate unemployment rates were almost on a par with those for people leaving school with just GCSEs, with 26% of 16-year-olds with these qualifications out of work.
But the ONS figures show it was easier for older graduates to find work: at age 24 only 5% of degree holders were unemployed compared with 7% of those who finished their education after A-levels and 13% of those with only GCSEs.
Charlie Ball, deputy director of research at the Higher Education Careers Services Unit, said the figures were "absolutely correct, but give a misleading impression", as the cohort of people leaving with A-levels was smaller than the number graduating.
He said the graduate jobs market had "hardly returned to its state pre-recession", but most of those leaving university were likely to get jobs within six months.
"Although the number of young people out of work is historically high, the graduate unemployment rate in this recession has not reached the levels it did in the 1980s or 1990s," he said.
Research by investment firm Skandia suggests graduates still earn a high premium over the course of their career once they do find work. It says a graduate leaving university today should earn an average of £1.6m over a working career of 45 years compared to £1m for an 18-year-old entering the workforce and retiring 48 years later. A 16-year-old working 49.5 years will typically earn £783,964 over their career.
Although the prospects for graduates may not be as gloomy as they first appear, the ONS figures make grim reading for young job seekers.
The ONS said unemployment for those aged 16 to 24 stood at just over 1m in the last quarter of 2011, the highest number since 1986/87. This represented one in seven (or 14.2%) of this age group and is the highest rate of youth unemployment since 1984/85. Of these, 307,000 were full-time students actively looking for work alongside their studies.
London was the region with the highest youth unemployment rate, with 24% of economically active 16- to 24-year-olds unemployed from July 2010 to June 2011. However, the ONS said this was a result of the number of students in the capital, some of who were looking to work. When students are discounted, the highest proportion of youth unemployment was in the north-east at 15%.
The TUC's general secretary, Brendan Barber, said the figures showed the importance of higher qualifications in helping young people into work. But he added: "With ministers putting up fresh barriers to higher education by hiking tuition fees and scrapping the EMA, the scar of mass joblessness that is hitting today's youngsters could follow some of them into their late 20s or even 30s.
"The government's cut-price work experience scheme is woefully ill-equipped to deal with the scale of our jobs crisis. Young people need tailored support and experience of proper paid jobs to give them the best possible chance of moving into work."
Recently, some large firms have stepped up their recruitment of school leavers to attract bright students put off by the cost of going to university.
All of the UK's "big four" accountancy firms, which between them recruit several thousand graduates each year, have established degree-equivalent school-leaver training programmes, including Ernst & Young which launches its programme in the autumn.
Stephen Isherwood, head of graduate recruitment at Ernst & Young, said the company had already recruited 30 of the 60 school leavers it planned to take on from hundreds of applications.
"There is a sense that the mantra of the last few years that everything is about university is not necessarily right, and that A-level students should really be thinking about what they want to do and whether that means going to university, and making sure they get the best deal for themselves."
Source: Hilary Osborne, Guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 22nd February 2012
Wednesday 22 February 2012
English undergraduates: unemployable?
As an English student, I have received considerable ridicule from science students for being 'unemployable' and 'not doing a proper subject'. Sadly, these beliefs are not entirely unfounded- employment prospect statistics for English graduates remain among the lowest: only 29% have jobs within six months of graduating, which is all the more worrying when compared to Dentistry's 83%. Even for those English graduates who do find jobs, their average salary is £3,000 below the national average.
So why are English graduates perceived as less employable than graduates of other disciplines? Perhaps the lack of contact hours we have in comparison with other students is off-putting to potential employers; the number of hours of lectures, seminars and workshops the average English student has in a week is roughly equivalent to the number of contact hours the average Biology, Chemistry or Physics student has in just one day.
However, the fact that English students have so few contact hours is not necessarily a bad thing. While our almost empty timetable may make it look like we have all the spare time in the world, most people do not realise the amount of reading required for a degree in English- far more than that required for a degree in Maths or Engineering. The volume of independent work undertaken by English students should surely make any English graduate far from unemployable; crucial skills such as time-management and self-sufficiency are acquired.
Unfortunately, the common misconception that English students do nothing seems to have reached the ears of employers, which is why many perfectly employable English graduates find themselves without jobs. The skills of analysis and reasoning developed and the eloquence gained in the undertaking of an English degree are overlooked in favour of numerical skills. English graduates are not unemployable, but far too many people are under the false impression that a degree in English does not make someone a desirable candidate for a job.
Source: Zena Aboarkaba, Theyorker.co.uk, Wednesday 22nd February 2012
So why are English graduates perceived as less employable than graduates of other disciplines? Perhaps the lack of contact hours we have in comparison with other students is off-putting to potential employers; the number of hours of lectures, seminars and workshops the average English student has in a week is roughly equivalent to the number of contact hours the average Biology, Chemistry or Physics student has in just one day.
However, the fact that English students have so few contact hours is not necessarily a bad thing. While our almost empty timetable may make it look like we have all the spare time in the world, most people do not realise the amount of reading required for a degree in English- far more than that required for a degree in Maths or Engineering. The volume of independent work undertaken by English students should surely make any English graduate far from unemployable; crucial skills such as time-management and self-sufficiency are acquired.
Unfortunately, the common misconception that English students do nothing seems to have reached the ears of employers, which is why many perfectly employable English graduates find themselves without jobs. The skills of analysis and reasoning developed and the eloquence gained in the undertaking of an English degree are overlooked in favour of numerical skills. English graduates are not unemployable, but far too many people are under the false impression that a degree in English does not make someone a desirable candidate for a job.
Source: Zena Aboarkaba, Theyorker.co.uk, Wednesday 22nd February 2012
Tuesday 21 February 2012
Iain Duncan Smith: it's better to be a shelf stacker than a 'job snob'
In a strongly worded defence of his department's policy of giving unemployed youngsters work experience placements in exchange for benefits, Mr Duncan Smith said supermarket shelf stackers are of greater value to society than the 'commentating elite'.
He claimed employers are hiring foreign workers because young Britons think being a reality television star is the only career worth having.
Under the programme, the young unemployed work for up to eight weeks for 30 hours a week, after which they may be interviewed for a job. Those that pull out after the first week face having their benefits withdrawn. The scheme is supported by major chains including Boots, McDonald's, Argos, Tesco and Primark.
The Government says half of those who join the scheme have either found work or stopped claiming benefits after 13 weeks. Some 34,200 people have taken placements.
But critics say the programme is 'slave labour'. Supermarkets that take part have been hit by demonstrations and chains including Sainsbury's and Waterstones have withdrawn.
Cait Reilly, an unemployed graduate, last month launched an legal action against the government after being told to take a placement at Poundland. She claimed it was "forced labour" and breached her human rights.
Mr Duncan Smith said he was "enormously proud" of the scheme and said its critics, who have branded it 'slavery', were indulging in "lies".
"Over the past few days, the battle lines have been clearly drawn on the issue of youth unemployment. In one corner, we find those prepared to do everything they can to give a chance to young people who are looking for a job and help them gain experience of the workplace."
"In the other, armed with an unjustified sense of superiority and sporting an intellectual sneer, we find a commentating elite which seems determined to belittle and downgrade any opportunity for young people that doesn't fit their pre-conceived notion of a 'worthwhile job'," the former Tory leader wrote in the Daily Mail.
"Sadly, so much of this criticism, I fear, is intellectual snobbery. The implicit message behind these ill-considered attacks is that jobs in retail, such as those with supermarkets or on the High Street, are not real jobs that worthwhile people do.
"How insulting and demeaning of the many thousands of people who already work in such jobs up and down the country!
"I doubt I'm the only person who thinks supermarket shelf-stackers add more value to our society than many of those 'job snobs' who are busy pontificating about the Government's employment policies. They should learn to value work and not sneer at it."
Mr Duncan Smith added Tesco's former chief executive Sir Terry Leahy "started life scrubbing floors at a Tesco store in his school holidays."
He said the Government's critics, who have dubbed the programme as 'slavery', "are throwing around these misleading terms in a deliberately malicious and provocative fashion".
"What is utterly unacceptable is that many of Britain's largest and most prestigious employers have found themselves caught up in the middle of this undignified row," he added.
Mr Duncan Smith suggested many employers now hire immigrants because young Britons do not value work and think the only career worth having is that of a celebrity.
"We are caught in a battle between those who think young people should work only if they are able to secure their dream job, and those like myself who passionately believe that work in all shapes and forms can be valuable, for it gives people a sense of purpose and opens up further opportunities.
"Anyone who is gulled by those who believe in the first path is in danger of creating a society with a twisted culture that thinks being a celebrity or appearing on The X Factor is the only route worth pursuing in life.
"The belief that you can just sit at home or wait to become a TV star and that work simply lands in your lap, in turn, feeds the pernicious idea that success is not related to effort and work.
"In light of such attitudes from so many indigenous Britons, it's small wonder that businesses have hired so many foreign nationals in the past decade or so. The fact is that they can't find the employees of quality that they need from the available British workforce."
Labour is today expected to criticise the scheme as "shambolic" but back the "something for something" principle of making people do more in exchange for receiving out-of-work benefits.
Source: Matthew Holehouse, Telegraph.co.uk, Tuesday 21st February 2012
He claimed employers are hiring foreign workers because young Britons think being a reality television star is the only career worth having.
Under the programme, the young unemployed work for up to eight weeks for 30 hours a week, after which they may be interviewed for a job. Those that pull out after the first week face having their benefits withdrawn. The scheme is supported by major chains including Boots, McDonald's, Argos, Tesco and Primark.
The Government says half of those who join the scheme have either found work or stopped claiming benefits after 13 weeks. Some 34,200 people have taken placements.
But critics say the programme is 'slave labour'. Supermarkets that take part have been hit by demonstrations and chains including Sainsbury's and Waterstones have withdrawn.
Cait Reilly, an unemployed graduate, last month launched an legal action against the government after being told to take a placement at Poundland. She claimed it was "forced labour" and breached her human rights.
Mr Duncan Smith said he was "enormously proud" of the scheme and said its critics, who have branded it 'slavery', were indulging in "lies".
"Over the past few days, the battle lines have been clearly drawn on the issue of youth unemployment. In one corner, we find those prepared to do everything they can to give a chance to young people who are looking for a job and help them gain experience of the workplace."
"In the other, armed with an unjustified sense of superiority and sporting an intellectual sneer, we find a commentating elite which seems determined to belittle and downgrade any opportunity for young people that doesn't fit their pre-conceived notion of a 'worthwhile job'," the former Tory leader wrote in the Daily Mail.
"Sadly, so much of this criticism, I fear, is intellectual snobbery. The implicit message behind these ill-considered attacks is that jobs in retail, such as those with supermarkets or on the High Street, are not real jobs that worthwhile people do.
"How insulting and demeaning of the many thousands of people who already work in such jobs up and down the country!
"I doubt I'm the only person who thinks supermarket shelf-stackers add more value to our society than many of those 'job snobs' who are busy pontificating about the Government's employment policies. They should learn to value work and not sneer at it."
Mr Duncan Smith added Tesco's former chief executive Sir Terry Leahy "started life scrubbing floors at a Tesco store in his school holidays."
He said the Government's critics, who have dubbed the programme as 'slavery', "are throwing around these misleading terms in a deliberately malicious and provocative fashion".
"What is utterly unacceptable is that many of Britain's largest and most prestigious employers have found themselves caught up in the middle of this undignified row," he added.
Mr Duncan Smith suggested many employers now hire immigrants because young Britons do not value work and think the only career worth having is that of a celebrity.
"We are caught in a battle between those who think young people should work only if they are able to secure their dream job, and those like myself who passionately believe that work in all shapes and forms can be valuable, for it gives people a sense of purpose and opens up further opportunities.
"Anyone who is gulled by those who believe in the first path is in danger of creating a society with a twisted culture that thinks being a celebrity or appearing on The X Factor is the only route worth pursuing in life.
"The belief that you can just sit at home or wait to become a TV star and that work simply lands in your lap, in turn, feeds the pernicious idea that success is not related to effort and work.
"In light of such attitudes from so many indigenous Britons, it's small wonder that businesses have hired so many foreign nationals in the past decade or so. The fact is that they can't find the employees of quality that they need from the available British workforce."
Labour is today expected to criticise the scheme as "shambolic" but back the "something for something" principle of making people do more in exchange for receiving out-of-work benefits.
Source: Matthew Holehouse, Telegraph.co.uk, Tuesday 21st February 2012
Monday 20 February 2012
Graduate recruiters should stay away from ‘career experience’ if they want to find the best candidates
So many young people now attend Britain’s Universities that it is becoming prohibitively expensive and difficult for employers to sift through a growing surge of CV’s marked “graduate”.
The University expansion of the 1990's, and the questionable quality of some degree courses, is in danger of harming business confidence in graduates and creating legions of over-qualified bartenders.
Despite the number of graduate applicants having trebled over the past three years, a staggering four fifths of prospective employers report that the latest bumper crop of applicants lack the skills or knowledge for the role.
A third of prospective employers told The Association of Graduate Recruiters most recent survey that they were unable to meet their recruitment target this year, because of the poor quality of applicants.
And this is despite the fact that there are more 16-24-year olds out of work today, than at any time since records began.
The ongoing failure of employers to find suitable graduates is creating a vicious circle, with the number of applicants swelling year-on-year, generating a backlog of applications, which makes modern recruitment the equivalent of finding a needle in a haystack.
With one sixth of hiring firms receiving a dizzying 10,000 graduate applications in 2011, it is becoming prohibitively expensive for employers to review every graduate CV that lands in the inbox, and interview or assess every potentially suitable candidate.
As a result, many graduates are now forced to apply outside their skill-set and seek low-paid or temporary work, if they can find work at all.
It is little wonder many employers no longer regard University degrees as a litmus test of candidate suitability. Yet research shows 'previous experience' is an even worse predictor of future job success within a role.
Recent reports have confirmed the fear that employers are responding to this deluge of graduate applicants by simply rejecting any Uni-leavers who have not either worked for the company or within a related field in the past. We already know that the first place many recruiters choose to look in a CV is the 'career history' section.
This is a not only a travesty for the many excellent graduate job-seekers set to face rejection before they can even prove their suitability at an interview; we now know that this will harm employers ability to find suitable talent.
A series of studies have found that previous experience within similar roles merely reinforces ingrained habits and patterns of behavior, which means those recruited from similar past roles, scored the lowest on "adaptability" within a new role.
One of the key barriers to adaptability is 'cultural fit': the extent to which graduates can fit in with the cultural "DNA" of an organisation, something which differs massively among companies within the same sector.
Google and Apple may both make smart-phones, but they both have a radically different corporate 'identity', which may well prevent employees from one, making a smooth transition to the other.
Several studies have found that bad habits picked up from past jobs last far longer than any supposed benefits gained from previous experience, in terms of knowledge and skills.
Ironically, graduates who have already worked within a similar sector may need even more intensive training than inexperienced employees, who come without pre-conceived ideas or behavioral patterns, and are far easier to mould in the corporate image.
Individually-tailored assessments can illustrate the degree of synchrony between individual behaviors and company culture, allowing employers to measure candidate suitability, long before the interview. In other words, they tell you the things about a graduate that do not appear on their Career Experience.
Online internal-assessment tools can distil organisational culture from analysing brands, "mission statements" and rewards and promotions systems, before using social media metrics to mine the market for graduates with matching attributes or attitudes.
Sophisticated tools that measure practical skills and emotional intelligence can discover both a candidate's aptitude for a specific job and the likelihood that their behavioral styles will match that organisation's corporate culture.
Overall, the internet has increased the volume of unsuitable applications, by making it easier than ever to apply for a job and, in an economic downturn, the temptation to mass-mail CV's has never been stronger, and the resulting burden for recruiters will get even worse.
But the internet is also allowing companies to filter applicants earlier, with greater ease and greater sophistication than ever before.
Intelligent online software pre-empts failed applications by automatically analysing candidates and guiding them towards roles which match their profiles, freeing employers from the burden of sifting indiscriminately-emailed CVs.
The University expansion of the 1990's, and the questionable quality of some degree courses, is in danger of harming business confidence in graduates and creating legions of over-qualified bartenders.
Despite the number of graduate applicants having trebled over the past three years, a staggering four fifths of prospective employers report that the latest bumper crop of applicants lack the skills or knowledge for the role.
A third of prospective employers told The Association of Graduate Recruiters most recent survey that they were unable to meet their recruitment target this year, because of the poor quality of applicants.
And this is despite the fact that there are more 16-24-year olds out of work today, than at any time since records began.
The ongoing failure of employers to find suitable graduates is creating a vicious circle, with the number of applicants swelling year-on-year, generating a backlog of applications, which makes modern recruitment the equivalent of finding a needle in a haystack.
With one sixth of hiring firms receiving a dizzying 10,000 graduate applications in 2011, it is becoming prohibitively expensive for employers to review every graduate CV that lands in the inbox, and interview or assess every potentially suitable candidate.
As a result, many graduates are now forced to apply outside their skill-set and seek low-paid or temporary work, if they can find work at all.
It is little wonder many employers no longer regard University degrees as a litmus test of candidate suitability. Yet research shows 'previous experience' is an even worse predictor of future job success within a role.
Recent reports have confirmed the fear that employers are responding to this deluge of graduate applicants by simply rejecting any Uni-leavers who have not either worked for the company or within a related field in the past. We already know that the first place many recruiters choose to look in a CV is the 'career history' section.
This is a not only a travesty for the many excellent graduate job-seekers set to face rejection before they can even prove their suitability at an interview; we now know that this will harm employers ability to find suitable talent.
A series of studies have found that previous experience within similar roles merely reinforces ingrained habits and patterns of behavior, which means those recruited from similar past roles, scored the lowest on "adaptability" within a new role.
One of the key barriers to adaptability is 'cultural fit': the extent to which graduates can fit in with the cultural "DNA" of an organisation, something which differs massively among companies within the same sector.
Google and Apple may both make smart-phones, but they both have a radically different corporate 'identity', which may well prevent employees from one, making a smooth transition to the other.
Several studies have found that bad habits picked up from past jobs last far longer than any supposed benefits gained from previous experience, in terms of knowledge and skills.
Ironically, graduates who have already worked within a similar sector may need even more intensive training than inexperienced employees, who come without pre-conceived ideas or behavioral patterns, and are far easier to mould in the corporate image.
Individually-tailored assessments can illustrate the degree of synchrony between individual behaviors and company culture, allowing employers to measure candidate suitability, long before the interview. In other words, they tell you the things about a graduate that do not appear on their Career Experience.
Online internal-assessment tools can distil organisational culture from analysing brands, "mission statements" and rewards and promotions systems, before using social media metrics to mine the market for graduates with matching attributes or attitudes.
Sophisticated tools that measure practical skills and emotional intelligence can discover both a candidate's aptitude for a specific job and the likelihood that their behavioral styles will match that organisation's corporate culture.
Overall, the internet has increased the volume of unsuitable applications, by making it easier than ever to apply for a job and, in an economic downturn, the temptation to mass-mail CV's has never been stronger, and the resulting burden for recruiters will get even worse.
But the internet is also allowing companies to filter applicants earlier, with greater ease and greater sophistication than ever before.
Intelligent online software pre-empts failed applications by automatically analysing candidates and guiding them towards roles which match their profiles, freeing employers from the burden of sifting indiscriminately-emailed CVs.
Source: OraRuth Rother, Hrmagazine.co.uk, Monday 20th February 2012
Sunday 19 February 2012
Oxford graduates pull pints in dire jobs market
For the first time the institution has published detailed data about how its students are faring six months after graduation.
The study provides a snapshot of the desperate employment market and shows that while many secured jobs as doctors, bankers or management consultants, others are struggling to get their foot on the career ladder.
Of the 3,500 students who supplied information nearly 200 were working in non-graduate occupations such as such as office clerk, sales assistant or waiter.
Among the most popular positions for undergraduates six months after leaving Oxford were GPs, financial and investment analysts, registrars and consultants, researchers, teachers, management consultants and advertising and marketing executives.
Graduate unemployment, which nationally has hit record levels of 25 per cent, averages six per cent at Oxford but varies across colleges and departments.
A fifth of graduates who studied classical archaeology and ancient history said they were unemployed six months after leaving university.
Classics and modern languages and Oriental Studies had rates of about 15 per cent. Colleges with the highest unemployment rates included Mansfield, at just over 10 per cent and Pembroke at nine per cent.
Jonathan Black, director of the university career service, said: “We are insulated from the worst effects of the recession because employers see Oxford as a quick filter but that does not mean that all our students walk in to jobs.
"But an Oxford education is for life and what an individual might be doing six months after graduating is unlikely to be what they are doing in 10 years time.
“We have more and more employers coming here. There is a flight to talent. We have had companies recruiting students that have never been here before like Abercrombie and Fitch [the fashion retailer] and Ocado [the online grocers].
"But we still have a lot of worried students that it is our job to help.”
The study shows that the highest paid graduates – earning £36,000 a year within six months of completing an undergraduate degree – came from Keble, one of Oxford’s largest colleges whose alumni include Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, Lord Adonis, the former Labour minister, and Chad Varah, the founder of The Samaritans.
Male undergraduates from the college were on an average starting salary of £45,000 a year, compared to the £26,000 of their female counterparts, revealing a gender pay gap that permeates across most subjects and colleges.
Wadham, renowned for its liberal and progressive attitude and with a high proportion of state school students, had the lowest paid graduates at £20,000 a year.
Its alumni include Michael Foot, the late former Labour leader and Rosamund Pike, the actress.
Undergraduates from the English faculty were the least well-paid, compared to other departments, earning just under £19,000 a year.
Material science graduates topped the earnings lists at an average of £35,000, followed by business and computer science graduates and medics.
Students looking to maximise their incomes should consider a masters degree. The figures show postgraduate study boosts starting salaries considerably.
Postgraduates from Christ Church, which is traditionally a destination for independent school pupils and has produced 13 prime ministers, were on an average of £57,000.
A Masters of Business Administration or Masters of Financial Economics brought average earnings up to £72,000 a year, while those with postgraduate qualifications from the continuing education and law departments were on salaries of more than £50,000.
In total, 40 per cent of graduates were earning less than the £21,000 figure which, from this year, will trigger loan repayments.
The figure rose to more than half for humanities graduates. More than a third of female students were under the threshold, compared to less than a quarter of male students.
The survey covers 80 per cent of UK undergraduate and postgraduate students, 65 per cent of EU and 35 per cent of international students who graduated from Oxford in 2009 and 2010.
All universities supply similar graduate employment data to the Government each year to provide a national picture. But many chose not to publish their own figures. It is the first time Oxford have done so.
A spokesman for the university said: “We believe it is important for our current and prospective students to be as fully informed of actual destinations so they can make good career decisions.
"We have, therefore, put the destination data in the public domain.”
Holly Graham, 23, studied English at Oxford University's Exeter College and obtained a 2:1 in her degree. She currently has a paid placement at a food television channel.
She said: “I wanted a job that had something to do with food. I worked as a waitress in a restaurant after graduating and started a food blog, Cheaper by the Oven.
“That became my route in when I was applying for internships. People could read how passionate I was about food and it was a good showcase for my writing. If you do a humanities subject and want to get into a competitive field it’s important to have some sort of edge.
“I know I shouldn’t feel lucky, I worked hard to get here. But there are lots of people just as able as I am that are still desperately searching.“
Marta Szczerba, 22, obtanied a First class degree in politics, philosophy and economics at St John's College. She is a management consultant with a starting salary around £45,000.
She said: “It is tough in the market at the moment, and that’s why you’ve got to think ahead, before leaving university.
"If people got a job before graduating they seem to have fared OK, but if they left it until late in their last year they tend to be struggling and left doing short-term internships.
“An important factor in students’ prospects can be their college. St John’s was very mixed.
"At Christ Church College graduates are more likely to go into the standard industries of law and investment banking and seem to be very successful as their path is already carved out.
“Graduates wanting to get into media or the arts industry earn less. Women tend to opt for non-profit or media jobs. That’s maybe why there’s a big pay gap between genders.”
Isabel Murray, 22, obtained a 2:1 in politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford's Exeter College. She is currently seeking a job in international development.
“I went to India on what was supposed to be a four-month internship in marketing organised by the university. It turned out to be a terrible waste of my time. When I got there it turned out they just wanted me to be a waitress.
“Since I got back home I have been struggling quite a lot finding work. I’ve been applying, but it’s so competitive, especially if you only have an undergraduate degree. I don’t want to have to start applying for work outside of international development though.
“I’m not just looking for a well-paid job – just one in a field I'm interested in, whatever the salary. Everyone who did certain subjects like law and engineering have found jobs without any problem. It helps to have gone to Oxford but it doesn’t count for as much when you’re in a climate like this one.”
Source: Julie Henry & Josie Ensor, Telegraph.co.uk, Sunday 19th February 2012
The study provides a snapshot of the desperate employment market and shows that while many secured jobs as doctors, bankers or management consultants, others are struggling to get their foot on the career ladder.
Of the 3,500 students who supplied information nearly 200 were working in non-graduate occupations such as such as office clerk, sales assistant or waiter.
Among the most popular positions for undergraduates six months after leaving Oxford were GPs, financial and investment analysts, registrars and consultants, researchers, teachers, management consultants and advertising and marketing executives.
Graduate unemployment, which nationally has hit record levels of 25 per cent, averages six per cent at Oxford but varies across colleges and departments.
A fifth of graduates who studied classical archaeology and ancient history said they were unemployed six months after leaving university.
Classics and modern languages and Oriental Studies had rates of about 15 per cent. Colleges with the highest unemployment rates included Mansfield, at just over 10 per cent and Pembroke at nine per cent.
Jonathan Black, director of the university career service, said: “We are insulated from the worst effects of the recession because employers see Oxford as a quick filter but that does not mean that all our students walk in to jobs.
"But an Oxford education is for life and what an individual might be doing six months after graduating is unlikely to be what they are doing in 10 years time.
“We have more and more employers coming here. There is a flight to talent. We have had companies recruiting students that have never been here before like Abercrombie and Fitch [the fashion retailer] and Ocado [the online grocers].
"But we still have a lot of worried students that it is our job to help.”
The study shows that the highest paid graduates – earning £36,000 a year within six months of completing an undergraduate degree – came from Keble, one of Oxford’s largest colleges whose alumni include Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, Lord Adonis, the former Labour minister, and Chad Varah, the founder of The Samaritans.
Male undergraduates from the college were on an average starting salary of £45,000 a year, compared to the £26,000 of their female counterparts, revealing a gender pay gap that permeates across most subjects and colleges.
Wadham, renowned for its liberal and progressive attitude and with a high proportion of state school students, had the lowest paid graduates at £20,000 a year.
Its alumni include Michael Foot, the late former Labour leader and Rosamund Pike, the actress.
Undergraduates from the English faculty were the least well-paid, compared to other departments, earning just under £19,000 a year.
Material science graduates topped the earnings lists at an average of £35,000, followed by business and computer science graduates and medics.
Students looking to maximise their incomes should consider a masters degree. The figures show postgraduate study boosts starting salaries considerably.
Postgraduates from Christ Church, which is traditionally a destination for independent school pupils and has produced 13 prime ministers, were on an average of £57,000.
A Masters of Business Administration or Masters of Financial Economics brought average earnings up to £72,000 a year, while those with postgraduate qualifications from the continuing education and law departments were on salaries of more than £50,000.
In total, 40 per cent of graduates were earning less than the £21,000 figure which, from this year, will trigger loan repayments.
The figure rose to more than half for humanities graduates. More than a third of female students were under the threshold, compared to less than a quarter of male students.
The survey covers 80 per cent of UK undergraduate and postgraduate students, 65 per cent of EU and 35 per cent of international students who graduated from Oxford in 2009 and 2010.
All universities supply similar graduate employment data to the Government each year to provide a national picture. But many chose not to publish their own figures. It is the first time Oxford have done so.
A spokesman for the university said: “We believe it is important for our current and prospective students to be as fully informed of actual destinations so they can make good career decisions.
"We have, therefore, put the destination data in the public domain.”
Holly Graham, 23, studied English at Oxford University's Exeter College and obtained a 2:1 in her degree. She currently has a paid placement at a food television channel.
She said: “I wanted a job that had something to do with food. I worked as a waitress in a restaurant after graduating and started a food blog, Cheaper by the Oven.
“That became my route in when I was applying for internships. People could read how passionate I was about food and it was a good showcase for my writing. If you do a humanities subject and want to get into a competitive field it’s important to have some sort of edge.
“I know I shouldn’t feel lucky, I worked hard to get here. But there are lots of people just as able as I am that are still desperately searching.“
Marta Szczerba, 22, obtanied a First class degree in politics, philosophy and economics at St John's College. She is a management consultant with a starting salary around £45,000.
She said: “It is tough in the market at the moment, and that’s why you’ve got to think ahead, before leaving university.
"If people got a job before graduating they seem to have fared OK, but if they left it until late in their last year they tend to be struggling and left doing short-term internships.
“An important factor in students’ prospects can be their college. St John’s was very mixed.
"At Christ Church College graduates are more likely to go into the standard industries of law and investment banking and seem to be very successful as their path is already carved out.
“Graduates wanting to get into media or the arts industry earn less. Women tend to opt for non-profit or media jobs. That’s maybe why there’s a big pay gap between genders.”
Isabel Murray, 22, obtained a 2:1 in politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford's Exeter College. She is currently seeking a job in international development.
“I went to India on what was supposed to be a four-month internship in marketing organised by the university. It turned out to be a terrible waste of my time. When I got there it turned out they just wanted me to be a waitress.
“Since I got back home I have been struggling quite a lot finding work. I’ve been applying, but it’s so competitive, especially if you only have an undergraduate degree. I don’t want to have to start applying for work outside of international development though.
“I’m not just looking for a well-paid job – just one in a field I'm interested in, whatever the salary. Everyone who did certain subjects like law and engineering have found jobs without any problem. It helps to have gone to Oxford but it doesn’t count for as much when you’re in a climate like this one.”
Source: Julie Henry & Josie Ensor, Telegraph.co.uk, Sunday 19th February 2012
Saturday 18 February 2012
The conversation: when will there be jobs for young people?
At 2.67million, the UK's official unemployment figures released this week reached a 17-year-high, though the actual figure could be far higher, and includes more than a million 16-25-year-olds. Katie Shaw, 24, tells John Cridland, director of the Confederation of Business Industry, what it's like to be young and jobless, while Emine Saner listens in.
Katie Shaw: I graduated in September, after studying fine art and history. I've been trying to get a career started, to do with my degree, and I'm interning at a gallery and working part time. I'm essentially being supported by my partner.
John Cridland: That's not what you expected when you started the degree?
KS: I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I started in 2008, just as everything started crashing, and I went into the degree with a different mindset. It was a wonderful degree, but looking at it with the benefit of hindsight, I don't think I could justify taking it.
JC: The current circumstances could not be more difficult for graduate employment. We don't know how long it's going to take to get back to better times.
KS: There are so many people who take part-time jobs to stay afloat, and they don't get included in these unemployment figures. We're only in part-time work because we can't find full-time jobs. The issue for my career is that funding cuts to arts organisations means they are relying more heavily on volunteers and interns to pick up the slack.
JC: Internships are incredibly valuable because there are lots of arts institutions and charities where it's not a choice between paying and not paying, it's a choice between someone having the opportunity to get experience or there being no opportunity. At a charity, for example, if those internships had to be paid, they wouldn't exist. I think you need to keep those opportunities open. In a difficult labour market, research shows the scarring effects are particularly damaging for young people. Unemployment is horrible for anybody, but at the beginning of a career it can hold you back for a long period. So the benefit of internships is in keeping your CV fresh, so when the market turns and employers see you have relevant experience …
KS: I recognise that scarring effect, and I've seen a lot of people going through it. There is a lot of frustration for people going into these [work experience] schemes. I know I'm not going to get employed by the people I'm interning with – I'm on a three-month rotation of other interns. You're essentially working for free, regardless of the experience you gain. Then, it's divided into people who can afford to be an intern and still pay their rent, or their parents can afford to support them, and people who can't, and so don't get that experience. Already you're getting the rich/poor divide. There are these work placements that are essentially working in Tesco, which I have an issue with. It's one thing small arts organisations taking on interns and perhaps not behaving the way they should, but it's different for companies like Tesco, who make millions, and they aren't paying people. It's billed as this great "getting people into work" thing, and I have an issue with that.
JC: The companies would say they have more applications for graduate jobs than they can take on. They can fill the job requirements without difficulty. It's a buyers' market, and so I don't see companies exploiting people, I see them saying we will create some work-experience opportunities – which are not jobs being filled by work-experience people. Some of these choices aren't very enviable, but I think it's much better that somebody is keeping their skills fresh and has some work experience on a CV.
KS: You can understand that this buyers' market is open, regardless of the best intentions, to exploitation?
JC: It is. There are always bad apples. Regulation needs to be targeted at people who are abusing the situation.
ES: Does it worry you that a generation of young people can't get jobs at a time where executive pay is high?
JC: What does worry the CBI is if what business is doing isn't acceptable to the rest of society – if there is a gap between what happens in the boardroom and what happens on the street. There is a relatively small number of people on these mega salaries that the media like to focus on. I think it's good news for Britain if we have world-class companies headquartered in the UK. That small minority of really big companies, their CEOs are in a global pool of talent, so if you want to have someone running one of those companies, you are attracting somebody who could work anywhere else in the world, and there is a labour market price. But that's not the whole of the business community.
ES: Is there not something wrong about Tesco's chief earning £1.1m [although his total package could be worth £6.9m this year], and advertising unpaid jobs in return for jobseeker's allowance?
JC: Let's be clear what the senior management of Tesco are running – a global company. We're talking about a supermarket that employs half a million people. What do you pay the boss of a business that is responsible for them? You probably pay them rather more than I earn – I employ just under 250 people.
ES: The CBI supports spending cuts, but how do people live if they are volunteering or working as an unpaid intern?
KS: It's presented as preparing your CV, but people have to pay the rent and eat.
JC: It depends how long it lasts. Sometimes we can cope with difficult circumstances if we can see light at the end of the tunnel. Business will start recruiting if it believes the economy is picking up. I think early 2012 feels a lot better than late 2011. Although the Eurozone crisis is on the news every night, it's beginning to feel less bad. This week we've had bad unemployment news, but we've had more encouraging inflation figures, and if it falls such that when we go to the petrol pumps or the supermarket we see we have more money to spend on other things, then business can start to employ more people. Jobs are a consequence of demand in the economy.
ES: Katie, how optimistic do you feel about getting a job?
KS: It will be a case of juggling jobs. I don't think I will walk into a full-time job, I don't have any illusion about that.
JC: Government can't create jobs, only business can. The main responsibility of government is to tackle the deficit and to have a growth strategy, because you can't achieve growth simply by cutting. Although I don't think the government can create jobs, it can certainly influence who can get the jobs. The CBI has been very clear that the priority group today are young people.
Source: Emine Saner, Guardian.co.uk, Friday 17th February 2012
Friday 17 February 2012
How to be a resilient job hunter
A recent study from Ernst & Young found that resilience is a key factor in getting a graduate job. Employers look for workers who can cope with setbacks and overcome difficulties. So if you’re finding hunting for a graduate job a tough and sometimes discouraging process, take heart – this experience is an opportunity to develop your resilience, and will stand you in good stead throughout your career.
The key to success in your graduate job hunt is to keep going, however difficult this seems at times. Our top tips on staying motivated and focused will help you take stock and move on.
Remember you are not alone
Plenty of others are either going through the testing process of applying for jobs, or have been in the same situation. Sharing your feelings can help to diffuse them, so do talk to your family and friends, and seek advice and help from your university careers service. Make sure, though, that you only confide in people who have your best interests at heart. The people you turn to for support may change over time; you and your friends may all be in the same boat for a while, but it can be difficult if they land jobs before you do. Don’t get sucked into complaining about your situation rather than taking steps to change it.
Be realistic
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, set yourself small, manageable, time-limited tasks that you can achieve on a regular basis and that will take you closer to your overall goal. If job hunting daunts you, break it down until it’s doable, and then start doing it. For example, instead of thinking ‘I must get a job, but I never will,’ think ‘I’ll spend an hour researching jobs and making a shortlist of positions to apply for’. Focus on the process and you’ll move towards your goal.
Take control
There are many aspects of the job hunting process you can’t control – and some that you can: your employer research, your applications, your attitude. If recruiters are willing to give you feedback on your interview technique, make the most of the chance to find out if there’s anything you could improve. If you have a tendency to procrastinate, cut corners or approach job applications with self-defeating pessimism, think about ways of rewarding yourself for changing your habits.
Let go of what you can’t control
If some recruiters don’t so much as acknowledge your painstakingly completed applications, or you can’t get any useful feedback, don’t dwell on it. If you’re living back home with your parents it may be hard to adjust, but chances are you’d be worse off elsewhere, so try to count your blessings (and remember it’s not forever).
Take care of yourself
Make time for activities you enjoy as well as work or study and job hunting. Don’t beat yourself up. If your peers get jobs before you do, don’t let it knock your confidence, and don’t waste your energy on envying them. Remember, the more you keep looking over your shoulder, the harder it is to focus on where you’re going. If you’re not working, keep busy, and create a structure for your day.
Give yourself credit
Think back to other stressful or worrying times. How did you get through them? Build your self-esteem by reminding yourself what you’ve already achieved. Be proud of yourself.
Hold onto good moments when things get tough
When you find yourself feeling anxious or fearful, remind yourself of times in the past when you were relaxed and confident. Examples that you can relate to the world of work may be particularly helpful. Did you have a good time on work experience, or earn your manager’s praise at your part-time or vacation job? Do you enjoy team sports, volunteering, or getting involved in extracurricular activities? Remind yourself of any positive feedback from job interviews. Giving your attention to anything helps to amplify it, so focusing on your successes will help to minimise your fears.
Develop insight
Ask yourself what you can learn from your situation. How do you cope with pressure and disappointment? What helps you most? You can learn much more from situations that challenge you and throw you back on your own resources than from times when everything goes your way.
Source: Alison, Targetjobs.co.uk, Thursday 16th February 2012
Thursday 16 February 2012
Employability: it’s all about attitude, says Ernst & Young
‘A good degree from a respected university no longer guarantees students a job. We interview over 3,000 bright graduates every year, but only about 25% have the all-round skill set that we recruit for,’ says Stephen Isherwood, head of graduate recruitment at Ernst & Young.
What are the skills he thinks students are lacking? According to a survey of over 1,000 UK university students, devised by the Centre of Applied Positive Psychology (Capp), students need to work on developing and demonstrating the following skills if they want to get a graduate job:
- resilience
- time optimisation
- showing courage at overcoming their fears
- taking risks
- making themselves the centre of attention.
On a positive note, the survey revealed that students are particularly good at:
- taking pride in their work
- problem solving
- being true to themselves
- building relationships
- having a sense of humour.
Building your skill set
Employers want to see skills such as resilience and courage because working life will put you into situations you haven’t encountered at university. As Isherwood explains, recruiters need to know, for example, that graduates ‘are going to be able to cope if they are sent half way across the world to work on a client project’.
He is keen to point out, however, that demonstrating that you possess these skills may be easier than you think: ‘You don’t need to have thrown yourself out of a plane to demonstrate to an employer that you have a sense of adventure or are resilient. Think about examples from your work experience placements or even your part time job. It could even be an occasion where you dealt with a difficult customer in a busy restaurant, whilst working as a waiter.'
Don’t feel you need to possess every single attribute on the list, either. ‘Students need to stay focused on what they are good at’, stresses Alex Linley, Director at Capp, ‘and develop their experience around these core areas, rather than trying to cover all bases.’
How to demonstrate the right attitude
Capp and Ernst & Young have come up with ten tips they believe will help you develop the kinds of attitude that wins jobs:
- Take some risks and make mistakes – employers are happy to hear about when things go wrong, as long as you have learnt lessons.
- Do something that makes a difference – don't just focus on your studies. Employers want to see that you've used your drive and initiative to do more than the average.
- Shout about your part-time jobs – if you work on a checkout you are delivering client service, in a business and working in a team
- Develop your commercial awareness – if you want to work for a commercial organisation you need to show you are interested in business.
- Study hard – your academic results demonstrate your intelligence, work ethic and ability to solve problems.
- Find out what you are good at – different jobs require different strengths and you will be much more motivated and successful if you are playing to your strengths.
- Learn to work to deadlines – we don't live in a perfect world and you will have to deal with time, budget and resource constraints effectively.
- Develop people skills – you need to show you can work well with others and deliver results collaboratively.
- Be positive – organisations want people who can deal with setbacks and overcome challenges.
- Become self-aware – if you know what your strengths and weaknesses are, your likes and dislikes, you can grow and develop effectively.
Source: Targetjobs.co.uk, Wednesday 15th February 2012
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