Get a great job after uni

There was a time when students were not only paid to go to university, but also when they could expect to get a great job after graduation.

Not so long ago, people didn’t really have to look, jobs just landed in their laps.

That time is almost unimaginable now.

Indeed when you consider your choice for uni, the likelihood of a job after graduation and its quality will rank among your top criteria. 

Business schools rank themselves by the increment of salary increase students get on completing the course and it is likely that similar tables will emerge for starting salaries for uni. 

And why shouldn’t it?  If you’re going to pay over £25k for your degree, you are certainly going to want to see a return. In effect you are buying a university education and it will be one of the most important purchases you make in your life.

When making such an important decision, there are a number of important points you should consider.

These are your degree, whether you will get any coaching on professional skills and how your uni assists you in finding a job.

Generally speaking, it makes sense to study a subject that is considered to have some academic rigour. 

Importantly, this doesn’t have to be a science or technical subject. 

The humanities are prized by many employers for the ability of successful students to make and present an argument, the fact that they show curiosity about the way things work and their understanding of how people and organisations can affect outcomes. 

The degree you do to some extent should be influenced by your thinking about what you’d like to do on graduation. 

Studying philosophy may not be the best starting point for people who want to build bridges. 

But if you’d like to work in the creative industries either on the commercial or the creative side, English will probably stand you in better stead than chemistry.

The most important thing is that you should enjoy what you study and be able to demonstrate enthusiasm for it.  Nobody wants to hire a cynic.

Secondly, what is your uni going to do about getting you the professional skills you need?

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) complains that a few graduates leave college often without basic capabilities like turning up on time. 

Let’s leave that to one side, because if you’ve got as far as this in this article, you probably don’t have this problem.

More seriously, the CBI also says that employers don’t particularly want Classicists or Physicists. 

They want problem solvers, people who can work in teams and who are numerate.  These are things that can be taught.  Are you going to get coaching in these skills this as part of your degree programme? 

If not, you should reconsider your choice of uni or think seriously about how you can supplement their offer.

Employers also want people who have drive and energy and can get things done.

It will be critical to demonstrate that you have these qualities….so extra curricular activities will be as important as academic achievement.

Finally, how will your uni assist you in finding the job that is right for you?

Plenty of places have careers services and offer you resources to help you prepare a CV and apply for a placement at a big corporate, for instance. 

However, this is likely to be not enough.  The big corporates can only take a minority of graduates.  Most will have to ferret out their own jobs with smaller companies.

Will your uni make the time to sit down with you to help establish what might be right for you, help you create a targeted approach and actively assist in finding job leads off the beaten track?

If not, the reality is that you’re on your own, just at the point when you most need an ally.

All this sounds rather depressing.

But as in many things in life, the other side of the coin is overwhelmingly positive. 

Back in the day when everyone got a job, the jobs were not necessarily that exciting. 

Today there is an unparalleled range of opportunity not just in what you do, but where you do it. 

The top jobs will pay large salaries. And youth is prized now, rather than dismissed.

So it’s there ready for the right people.  Take advantage of the opportunities, but just make sure you have the right people by your side to assist you.

Article by Matthew Batstone

Matthew is a Director of New College of the Humanities (http://nchum.org)