Sunday 9 December 2012

What kind of graduate do you want to be?




This may seem like a strange title to you but if you are currently doing your degree or finished your degree have you got a ultimate goal or know what you would like to do? If not maybe start to think about this now. Just looking at some of things I have observed about people who have graduated please see some examples of what could happen. Everyone is different so I am not generalising but hopefully it will give you guys a clearer picture of what you exactly want as a graduate so you know where you are going and where you want to be. I am also writing this post with the firm belief that what ever job you enter into you should be happy. Yes we all need money but if you don't like what you do, even if this doesn't affect you at the beginning it may affect your future. Long term affects of being unhappy at work could result in stress, high blood pressure and general bad health please see these articles to verify this.
 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1366367/Unemployed-people-happier-jobs-hate.html
 http://positivesharing.com/2007/11/top-10-signs-youre-unhappy-at-work/

There are many graduates and university students in the uk but what type do you want to be? What I talk about here doesn't cover everyone as that would be impossible but hopefully it helps encourage your dreams in this current period of high graduate unemployment. Not all dreams can come true but if you have passion in what do you do should work at your best.

1. The unemployed graduate- If you are a graduate who is unemployed there may be many reasons for this. You want a career specifically catered to the degree you have studied i.e Sociology,Geography etc. There may not be many jobs linked into those subjects and a lack or no experience could be another factor. If a potential employer sees little or no experience they won't call you for a potential interview. I am not trying to shatter your self-confidence but its the plain honest truth. Another reason why some graduates are unemployed and remain so is sometimes they have no idea how to start their job search. Where can they go for advice? Did they know where to go for guidance whilst at uni for many the answer to this would probably be no or they didn't have time to go and use the university careers service.

2. The Graduate with work experience but not a great degree- This type of graduate is someone who may have a retail job that helped support them whilst at university. They have built on their skills as a worker team player, communication etc. However unfortunately they didn't achieve the grade they wanted in their degree and this may result in them working in retail indefinitely. Or doing a job that doesn't match what they wanted to do.

3. The Graduate who had the great degree but no experience - This graduate could be a perfect student they may of gone to LSE or Queen Mary but a lack of no experience is limiting their progression into the workforce. This may seem a bit far fetched as in some cases the university you go to can sometimes help employment prospects but not always.

4. The graduate who seems to have it all but why aren't you happy!!- This graduate is someone who may of done a sandwich course got a job through their placement and then discovered that its not what they ever really wanted. This can sometimes be a big reality check for many Finance and Law students who realise that much hard slog is required and its not all fun and games. They work to pay off their student loans but don't actually love what they do. The saying of money doesn't make you happy could be true here.

5. The graduate scheme graduate - This graduate is trained up has a great degree and given a golden ticket of opportunity. Graduate schemes are great but make sure its something you really want to do. Talk to others who have done one. One danger of this type of graduate is they are likely to stay in that same company. Its not always the case but it can happen.

7. The graduate who has a job they hate- This type of graduate is someone who is smart and prospectively very employable but in a job they dislike. One of the things I have noticed about this type of graduate they may go from job to job because they need the money. Its a means to end and they end up working for various different places. From telesales marketing to retail to anything in between that. Many of these jobs give on the job training and give you that monetary asset you need but it doesn't always give you job satisfaction. If you are bored at work and disinterested in some cases this will impact on your personal life.  

The term Graduate is only a term the main point I am trying to make through these examples is the frustration many people feel when they graduate. University is an exciting time for many people it can empower you and help build on you social skills and so much more. I am not saying your career will ultimately be that way too. Everyone works for different reasons but at the end of the day isn't it better for you to come home at the end of the day with a smile on your face because you truly love what you do. Rather then keep on looking at your watch counting the number of hours you have left till the day ends.

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