It’s now official; our graduates are starting their career journey more stressed that earlier anticipated. We have some going for as long as 10 years without a job, only a pile of certificates to show, and what’s even worse is that in the struggle to fight joblessness, many are ending up with countless diplomas and degrees that add nothing else but frustrations.
One major reason for this is that not many companies can afford to hire and train new employees. Having had experience from a recruiting firm, many companies and organizations resort to internal recruitment, short-term work placements, or hiring interns because most of them find these options less costly than hiring inexperienced candidates and then training them for the job.
This leads us to that common question, where then are fresh graduates expected to get the experience required if companies do not offer the chance in the first place?
To make matters worse, graduates, when applying for a job, are competing with more experienced people who have either been laid off during the crisis or would like to switch career paths. Many graduates complain that they might have done really well in the interview, but they didn’t make the cut because the company decided to go in another direction with someone who has more relevant experience.
Due to the lack of opportunities, these more knowledgeable individuals, in the real sense, settle for junior positions.
One of the solutions to this challenge which has become common place is Graduate trainee programs. Go to any recruiting firm or a company that has advertised for a graduate trainee vacancy and you;’’ be surprised just how unprepared the job market is for the numerous number of individuals who graduate yearly. Well, these programs are ideal as they offer someone a chance to start over or to pursue their career; however, graduate programs are exclusive.
You find yourself competing with individuals from around the country. It’s almost like buying a lottery ticket. Obviously only a lucky few are selected to attend the assessment day, a day where companies evaluate the candidates with incessant interviews, reasoning tests and case studies. The candidate either demonstrates their skills and knowledge or doesn’t get the job. Graduate programs are for those that possess patience and can be very resilient.
An easier option is, ironically, internships. However, not so many graduates are willing to work in internships for the belief that they are way past basic training and again .they have had enough of it in the usual industrial attachments, usually in their third year of undergraduate school , and to be honest, internship option to a graduate sounds unreal.
Truth of the matter is, companies and organizations having a small budget, prefer hiring interns. Internships have their advantages all the same, they give the intern a chance to prove and enhance their skills making them stand a better chance when applying for an actual job than a candidate with no experience at all. Secondly, some companies retain interns who prove their skills for the job by offering them a permanent job in the same or even higher field within the company.
Finally, another solution that is more attainable is “settling.” Settling is accepting a job you might not like, a job that is not exactly in your field. One thing you will agree with me when it comes to this option, one is likely to feel wasted, confused and even bitter with the turn of events. This is the time you start questioning your academic qualifications, questioning your self-worth in the job market and even terming your education as a huge waste of time and money…and especially money.
You even start wishing you used the crazily huge amounts of money spent on your education by gambling, maybe that way you might have become an instant millionaire without much struggle.
All this is understandable; in fact almost all of us have gone through this phase of frustration. If you happen to be in this situation, consider taking up that receptionist opportunity you turned down simply because you didn’t pursue a degree in BCOM to sit behind a desk by the door waiting to handle all sorts of enquiries.
It is better to be in that job than none at all, though easier said than done, you will still have to prove yourself. At the same time, settling does not apply where you are not happy with the job at all. This compromise is by no means giving up, it is merely accepting to work in a company all the while searching for something better elsewhere. It is definitely better than having a gap on your CV.
It is also, a great way to make new contacts and learn about something new. So for the disappointed graduate who just read through this, pick at least one option, life is hard I agree, but it becomes harder if no solutions are offered.
