The Graduate Employment Gap
Why graduates find it hard to find work after graduation
When you make the choice to continue your education by studying at University, chances are that you think that this will really help your chances in securing a job once you have graduated.
Of course, if you have a particular career in mind, then having some form of degree in your chosen subject is likely to have a positive impact. But despite this, some graduates still find that once they have celebrated their graduation, they are still left finding it hard to find work.
So, what are the reasons for this? Why is there a graduate employment gap?
You have no work experience
Whilst having educational experience is important when you are applying for a job, one thing that can really have a negative impact on your job hunt, is the fact that you haven’t got much in the way of work experience. The trouble with this is that there isn’t much you can do to combat this, if you don’t study and secure a degree, then you are not going to have the right educational credentials. However, if you take the time to study, then you are simply not going to have the same level of work experience that you have had if you went straight into a career.
Of course, you can take on a part-time job whilst you study, or you could even secure yourself some unpaid work experience in your chosen career. Both of which will show that you have experienced working as well as studying.
Poor interview skills
When you are trying to land yourself your dream job, you are going to need to pass through an interview and be able to impress them with your personality. The trouble is, interviews can be tough especially if you have never sat through one before. You are going to be asked lots of questions, questions that you are not quite sure on how to answer and you are going to need to stay calm and focus, as well as keep your nerves under control.
These are all things that can come relatively easily to those who have had some interview experience in their life, however, if you haven’t sat through an interview this isn’t going to be the most natural of processes.
A perceived lack of people skills
It is no secret that at University you are going to need to make friends and build yourself a network, but this usually has alcohol and bars involved. The people skills that you need to take with you into your working career are, in essence, similar, but you need to be able to interact with people and build your network, without partying.
The great thing about people skills is that you can fake them. Be friendly, be polite, be professional. Make sure that you smile and speak to people when you are attending an interview and try to present yourself in the best way possible. That way, your prospective employer will definitely think that you have plenty of people skills.
It may be hard to graduate from university and land yourself a job, but it isn’t impossible. Make the effort to search for jobs, make sure you get your name out there and of course, make sure that you present yourself the best that you can. These are all definitely going to help when it comes to being able to secure yourself the job of your dreams.
Obviously we are a little bit bias, but experience is something we can help you with. Check out the project page and see if there is anything there you can apply for.