William Hague today suggested we must all 'work harder' to drag the country out of recession, drawing parallels with Norman Tebbit's 'on your bike' message of the eighties, the suggestion being that many today are simply too feckless to do a hard day's graft. This idealised view of a depression era work-ethic is symptomatic of a wider problem associated with the current job market - that recent graduates are privileged, lazy and apparently know little of the so called 'real world'. While the man on the street has long perceived students this way, it seems employers are increasingly adopting a similar view. This brings me neatly on to this week's topic: that of demonstrable experience.
In my search for employment, it's particularly frustrating to see employers demanding two years relevant experience for supposed 'graduate' jobs. This is unfortunately a recent problem. In decades past candidates may have been employed based on their potential; a solid performance at university was indicative of the ability to grow into a job role (or so I am reliably informed!). Today, it seems recruiters are demanding fully fledged professionals immediately after graduation, as is demonstrated by the many demands from big employers to teach 'key business skills' - whatever they may be. It is entirely unreasonable of employers to expect candidates to have amassed a wealth of practical experience alongside their academic studies. Even those I know fortunate enough to have completed internships and summer placements (a significant financial burden for many) are struggling to land that all-important first graduate job.
The demands for 'experience' seem to be a problem for arts graduates in particular, where the transferable skills acquired are sidelined in favour of vocational qualifications. Employers want to minimise their risk rather than gambling on untested candidates. In my opinion, a balance must be struck. There will always be a demand for those with vocational skills, but the transferable skills acquired in more general degrees are equally important. These are graduates that can be shaped and moulded into a whole variety of job roles; it is the responsibility of employers to recognise potential and use it to their own benefit. There is a vast pool of talent out there but businesses seem increasingly unwilling to take a short-term risk for a long-term gain.
Instead, there are many talented graduates working in roles where their skills are either not needed or vastly underused. To take the example of my current minimum wage job, I work in a role that, in all reality, the vast majority of people could do with the right training. Many young, ambitious and talented people are working exceptionally hard in tough times, yet are not being offered the opportunities that will allow them to progress in their careers. In my layman's opinion, it is not 'working harder' that will drag the country out of recession, but investment in potential.
I am enjoying reading your blog, as I too was miserable with unemployment after graduation, hence my decision to return to university and retrain as a teacher- yes I am having to make a career change before it had even begun!
ReplyDeleteI have a 2:1 BSc in Construction Management, which is a vocational degree. I have done so many extra curricular activities throughout university to boost my CV and demonstrate these transferable skills. I was able to do voluntary work in a local practice one day a week throughout my second year, have had summer placements volunteering and some paid work too, in order to gain practical experience as well my academic qualifications. I even did one of my modules abroad in China! yet still I didn't seem to stand out in the graduate job market.
great article alex, this is the first time i have read your blog but ill be a regular from now on.
ReplyDeletein a lot of ways i agree with what your saying i know that it is hard for many graduates to find positions within reputable companies and that investment in graduate development is minimal at best, but i do think think that graduates need to except a few things as well
luckily for me i never had a problem finding a job, admittedly i didnt work very hard at uni didn't have any relevant experience and ended up getting a 2:2 in business from durham university, which is basically worthless as no employer outside of the north east is really aware of Durham's reputation. but i managed to find a graduate role in manchester selling commercial property within 1 month of me leaving. in my interview my employer stated that my university degree meant nothing and that they were more interested in the fact that i had managed to blag myself flights to iceland on a charity jail break.
i think when it comes to graduate roles competition is greater than ever, you now have a pool of at least three years worth of graduates competing for a decreased amount of job roles in a dire economic climate. graduates need to understand that businesses are looking at the bottom line and reinvestment is a big thing when many companies are struggling to cover their current over heads.
i also think many graduates set their hopes too high and need to be a bit more realistic in their aspirations, just because you get a 1st doesn't mean you will work in Canary Wharf.
also when you say their are many talented graduates, what is this talent based on? i would describe talent as proven ability. and 95% of graduates have no proven ability in anything but studying which in the wider world is a pretty useless skill. i appreciate that it demonstrates a capacity to learn but given time anyone can learn anything especially with money as a motivator. some of the most successful people in my office have a shocking academic background.
i feel that the role of university has now changed it shouldn't be looked at as a way to increase your average earnings by 15k a year. instead i feel university offers a place for people to study something they are interested in and develop as individuals in a social sense. the lessons i learnt at uni have certainly help me in my current job roles but non of these lessons were learnt in lectures.
employers value skills such as the ability to sell, confidence, professionalism and drive. i don't feel university fosters any of these skills. i really think now that before someone goes to university they need to ask themselves what the realistic outcome is, unless you go to cambridge or oxford there are no guarantees regarding work. in most cases any role you get as a graduate could have been achieved through starting in work after GCSE's, 5 years of relevant experience will always trump 5 years of non related education and thats just the way it is.
Thanks for your comments Emily and Damien, this is exactly the kind of feedback I was hoping for.
ReplyDeleteGood luck in your teacher training Emily - I find it quite shocking that even with such extensive voluntary work experience you were still unable to secure a graduate job. It is one of my biggest regrets about my time at University that I didn't do more to pursue these kind of opportunities.
Damien, you raise a number of very important issues that I would like to address in my next full post. Its really helpful to get a different perspective on the job market - there certainly is a tendency amongst graduates to feel a false sense of entitlement (a crime I myself am guilty of sometimes!) and not appreciate the considerable pressures on businesses in the current economic climate.
Thanks again, keep reading and commenting!