A new survey has highlighted the difficulties that graduates are having getting on the career ladder years after leaving university. The Higher Education Statistics Agency recently published data on the graduates which showed that over a quarter were still not in full time paid employment. Just under 9% were in part time work leaving 63% out of the workplace entirely. In a time when university fees are at their highest this is worrying news for students and new graduates.
Graduate are having a tough time out there as the market place is so crowded. Many expect university to prepare them for their job search and totally underestimate the pressure at interviews. “Graduates apply straight from university and are caught out by the difference in culture. As time goes on they have get used to this difference but by then are demotivated at the numerous rejections.” says Joe McDermott of Anson Reed, the job interview coaching specialists.According to the HESA survey, a fifth of all graduates said that they did not think university had prepared them well enough for their careers and universities and science minister David Willetts said of this skills training gap “In the future, we want universities to become even more responsive to their students.”
InterviewGold.com has been working with universities to bridge this gap and career centres now offer their tailored job interview preparation tool.
McDermott says of the programme, “InterviewGold’s success lies in the fact that it’s tailored to match the job you are applying to.”
It gives you everything you need for a successful interview and combines video practice interviews, interactive mock interviews, interview questions with expert sample answers and all in an easy to use online system.
“I am sure it was one of the reasons why I got hired so fast.” says Chris Pilkington, a recent graduate.
It is important to grab each opportunity with both hands and ensure you make the most of each job interview. Treat each job interview with the respect it deserves and act like a professional. Do thorough research for each interview even if you have been to more than a handful.
Check out the InterviewGold website for industry and career focused interview advice to give you a helping hand, or ask your university for more details.
On a positive end note, 85% of graduates still thought that their time at university had been worth it and are positive about the future.
