Graduate limbo

Two years down the road from university, Chris B seems no nearer to where he wants to be.

I do need to say how reassuring it is to read Prospects and find out that I am not alone in my graduate 'limbo'. After trawling through other graduate recruitment websites and the press it is all too easy to become disheartened by stories of successful graduates going straight from university into interesting, well-paid jobs with real responsibility.

Due to the fact that Prospects encourages participation from graduates it is the only publication not afraid to admit that life post graduation is not the proverbial bed of roses for everyone.

My situation is probably common to that of many others - I graduated in 2004 with a 2:1 in Politics from a well-regarded university. However, nearly two years on I find myself still temping, having had a single permanent job in the meantime. I accepted this permanent position as it was a job I was doing as a temp at the time, except with the added benefits of better salary, paid holidays, sick leave and a certain degree of job security. I have since parted ways with the company and am currently temping elsewhere in an administrative position.

If only…

I blame myself partially for my situation. As is the way with the gift of hindsight, I wish I had been more proactive whilst I was still a student in terms of both looking for a graduate role and perhaps gaining some relevant (albeit unpaid) work experience.

I worked evenings and weekends during term-time and temped full-time almost every single university vacation (including Easter and Christmas). Coupled with the fact that I temped prior to starting my degree, this means I do have quite a considerable amount of work experience. Unfortunately this largely extends to general administrative duties more befitting a 16-year-old school leaver - like data input, filing, photocopying, making tea and staring out the window until the clock strikes half past five.

As a student I was not in the financial position to be able to turn down over three months of full-time paid summer vacation work to go travelling abroad or volunteer on a project in the developing world like so many of my peers. Unfortunately for me this appears to be almost mandatory to gain a place on one of the many graduate schemes.

CV must-have?

I do not blame employers for placing such an emphasis on ‘life experience’ such as the above. It is simply a side-effect of the drive by the government to continually increase numbers entering higher education with apparently little thought given as to what jobs these graduates might fill when they complete their course. Because of this, the number of applicants for each graduate role increases, making it harder to distinguish between candidates.

I do, however, remain unconvinced that having been in the financial position to lay on a beach in Thailand or even volunteering to build schools in Africa is necessarily an accurate barometer of your suitability to become a graduate trainee accountant for PriceWaterhouseCoopers, for example.

Depths of debt

Therefore I find myself in the malaise that is 'graduate limbo'. Most of the roles I am interested in are impenetrable without work experience that several months of unpaid internship would offer me. Unfortunately I cannot afford to commit to several months of working purely for the experience - I am in enough debt as it is and going further into the hole is not really an option, especially without guaranteed employment down the line.

Following a round of interviews recently, I feel I am not seriously considered for more 'junior' positions as I am over-qualified, or perhaps will not be stimulated enough - this is even despite the fact that I am more than capable of performing the duties of the job, as my employment history clearly shows! Upon applying for a more senior position, I am lacking the couple of years’ experience or knowledge required.

Despite all of this, I do not regret going to university - even though now I have graduated the level of debt I have accumulated does worry me. Certainly though, were I to be starting a degree within the next year or two and facing tuition fees of £3,000 a year - I would definitely reconsider my choice of course and also whether to go at all.

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