What a difference a Masters makes...
Hi everyone!
As you all know, i've not long graduated. I've boxed up my things and moved on home to Devon with the family and like many other graduates that haven't been fortunate enough to fall straight into employment, i've been on the job hunt. Big time. I've not been reaching for the stars applying for any of my dream features writing jobs fresh out of uni, i've just been applying for pretty responsibility free retail or bar jobs, something to make a few pennies without getting in the way of my MA. This, as i'm sure it has for many others proved pretty tricky, and not just because of the rubbish economic climate (two words I never thought i'd ever use on this here blog!). I was chatting the other day with one of my oldest friends Hanny, she's also a recent graduate going on to do a Masters, and we've both come across the same kind of thing. In every interview we've had this summer (i've had quite a few), we've both received a pretty unexpected sour reaction as soon as we've dared to mention that we're doing a Masters as of September. In some instances I can see why this may put an employer off, students generally work around their studies and as such what with deadlines and exams and trips home to see the family uni tends to come first and employers do tend to think they'll be a bit flaky, quitting on a whim and asking for loads of holidays. But the thing is, my masters means i'm only actually IN uni for two days out of the week. I'm living at home and commuting up to uni which means that for the other 5 days i'm completely free and willing to work. This hasn't seemed to have mattered though.
This isn't a naming and shaming kind of thing, but i've had interviews this summer which range from ones for a job in a bar which included a 9 hour unpaid 'trial shift' to a sales assistant job for one of my favourite homewear brands and many in-between. About 90% of the interviews i've had have ended with a handshake and the words, 'we'll let you know by (insert relevant day the following week)'. Thing is, they never do let you know. Despite waiting around for a phone call on those nominated days, they don't take a second out of their day to follow this through. Whether i've got the job or not, a courtesy call takes no time at all. Anyway, all of these jobs have differed in their job descriptions but one thing i've found at every single interview that i've been to is the furrowed brow at the mention of my continuing studies. Now I completely appreciate that for the jobs i've gone for this summer, I simply might not be what they're looking for. I appreciate that to employ a 22 year old, in business terms, costs more for an employer than employing an 18 year old sixth form student and I appreciate that I just might not have the skills they actually need me to have. But what I don't appreciate is the years of education where i've been told that lots of studying 'will look good on your cv', apparently isn't all that true. I was even told that I was overqualified for a role i'd actually had at a high street store a couple of years ago. It was exactly the same role, in exactly the same department, but it appears that a degree renders me unable to do that now... damn all those books preventing me from being able to scan items through a till...
I'm not expecting miracles. I was never expecting to leave university and step straight into my dream job. I don't think anybody does. In fact i'm continuing my studies to get that little bit closer to actually getting my dream job. But instead of that working in my favour, with people seeing my determination and my drive, they just take that to mean that i'll leave at the first sign of an upcoming essay deadline and never turn up on time. I'm lucky that i'm not entirely jobless and my lovely old job at the village pub was always put on hold and waiting for me when uni ended, but to fund my masters I need something else to top that up. I'd been hugely interested to hear your own tales of post university job hunting as it definitely isn't just me thats having a bit of a time of it! Let me know in the comments!
Congrats on your masters and hope you get a job soon :)
ReplyDeleteFashionkween.Blogspot.Com
Thanks lovely =) xx
DeleteI am really feeling for you here - I graduated from university in June and job hunting currently. I've got a part-time job to keep me going back at home for the time being, but obviously I would like to get a job where I'd be using some of the skills I've developed over the last FIVE YEARS. The career I'm looking at is really hard to get into, so starting to apply for some alternatives but it's just so difficult! I keep reminding myself that there's lots of people in the same position!
ReplyDeleteAt least you have your Masters to focus on so you know you're furthering your prospects in some way, but I hope you manage to get something soon!
Rachel xx
weebitofrachel.blogspot.co.uk
Oh definitely, it's so, so hard! That's all I keep telling myself, that loads of people are in the same boat! I hope your job hunting ends well lovely! xx
DeleteCongrats on graduation! :) I've just seen you follow my blog but on my old bloglovin where the posts don't update anymore. If you still want to follow please pop over to my blog and follow the new bloglovin in my sidebar. Thanks so much if you do. I've lost hundreds! :(
ReplyDeleteLots of love x
I have experienced exactly the same thing!! I graduated from uni in 2012 and only just started my masters this year. So I had 'a year out' where I tried to figure out if I actually wanted to do a masters or not. I was applying for jobs and being told that I was overqualified so in the end I decided to take off my degree from my CV and try and not mention that I had a degree in the interview and certainly didn't mention that I was planning on going back to uni. And I ended up getting a job literally straight away after that. I guess it's quite sneaky but if you really need a job maybe you could do that? Because tbh you don't HAVE to tell employers, if it is for a sales assistant job for example, that you have a degree as technically it's not relevant to the job role. It's kinda sneaky isn't it :/ haha but it worked for me! Eventually they found out but didn't seem too fussed about it. I know what you mean about the whole 'go to uni, get a degree, it'll look great on your cv' and I think it does but it just depends on what the job is, or I tell myself to try and make me feel better haha! Good luck with your masters and the job hunt!! :)
ReplyDeleteSaadiya x
www.thatgirlsaadiya.blogspot.com