"I can't get a graduate job but I really deserve one"

If I had a pound for every time I've heard someone say that. Far be it for me to respond to one of my dear acquaintances with the obvious question of "well why do you?", I sit and nod and agree, hiding my confusion that they feel they deserve every job they apply for.

Before I get carried away with a cynical rant, let's explore the notion that as a graduate you deserve a graduate level job.

What are you offering to an employer as a graduate?

Transferable skills of research, presentations, writing detailed reports, an analytic mind and the ability to network with people of all levels as you've lived with people from all different social classes in halls and you've attended some swanky networking events in your time so you've got this one nailed.

"I've got all the skills and I meet all their requirements"

So you've got the degree classification they're looking for, you've got the right kind of A levels and you've definitely got higher than a C in GCSE Maths and English. And of course we know that if you're fully qualified for the job then you must get it and you won't look at applying for anything that pays less than 22k because you've spent three years studying so why should you?

The main problem we have as students today is a misconception drilled into us by the media. This is the misconception that we all, having completed a degree, are qualified to do a well paid job. The follow up from this is that we feel we deserve to leave Uni and start on 25k a year, which let's face it, for the majority of us is not going to happen. Statistics are put to us all the time like.. "average graduate job salary is 25k a year". Yeah and let's not forget how an average is calculated; think of those remarkable graduates that get jobs in the city starting on 45k a year. Surely that will distort this average? Then consider the thousands of students that graduate every year and don't get a graduate job. Their salaries aren't considered as these aren't graduate jobs! Hence we all feel a salary less than this is beneath us, as is the job that comes with a title that doesn't include the word "graduate". 

This is the real point I'm getting to, if you leave Uni and you haven't secured yourself a fantastic graduate role, this is not the end of the world. I recently read a guardian article that said graduates couldn't secure graduate jobs and so were destined to work on shop floors and building sites. Really? Because that is the only other alternative we have? What about the thousands of jobs that exist in administration, or being an assistant, or just the generic roles which could still lead you to the career path you really want. Don't not apply for a job because it doesn't include the word graduate. Getting such a role may even help you in the long run as you gain the experience you need so that you fully understand a more developed role when the time comes for you to go into one. This may help build your confidence so you yourself feel ready and gain some more ambition.  

This is not a post to tell you not to apply for graduate jobs, you might get one and you might love life. This is a post to highlight the value of not getting a graduate job and that it is not game over if you don't secure one straight away. Avoid feeling like the world of work owes you something for your studying and go out there and get stuck in.

For information about the kinds of paths graduates follow to getting their dream job, keep following this blog for future updates.