On The Spot - October 2008

Welcome to this month’s edition of “On the Spot”

SPOTlight on: October

The season of mists and mellow fruitfulness is officially here, but just how mellow are you feeling and how fruitful will Autumn be for you?

It’s about now that reality strikes for many graduates who have spent the summer in stopgap jobs. Winter beckons and you’re still plodding away at a gig that was only supposed to last a few months. Recent research showed that some graduates never get out of this particular rut: they get used to the routine, become less likely to apply for professional roles and end up staying.

Nothing wrong with that if it’s what you want. But if you do hope to move on to bigger and better things how can you boost your chances?

We talked last month about making your temp employment work for you in terms of skills used and developed, but let’s take that up a notch or two. Given the competitive state of the graduate job market, you’ll need to be able to have something value added to boost your CV.

Difficult, I hear you cry, because you’re working all week. Point taken, but what’s needed here is a strategic plan, followed by action.

If you want to work in any business discipline, are you reading the financial press, are you keeping an eye on the markets (dispiriting as this might be at the moment), or running a virtual portfolio?

If any branch of social or community work is more your thing, could you volunteer just one evening a week – say helping out at a local youth club?

Should cultural or creative areas be where you are heading, part-time volunteering is, once again, the way forward – with theatres, museums, arts projects. You may also be able to get hands on experience of marketing and related areas this way.

So think hard, think tactically, think laterally. There will be ways in which you can enhance your chances without impinging too much on your free time.

Don’t wait for a chance to present itself, create the opportunity yourself.

Crisis, What Crisis?

With both the PM and the Chancellor promising a rocky road ahead and Lehman Brothers going under, how well is the graduate employment market holding up? At the moment the signs are hopeful. Surprised?

Well, like Count Dracula himself, the biggest graduate schemes are mindful that a regular injection of young blood is very necessary. They may remember that during the last economic wobble, they reined in recruitment and are now suffering a lack of middle managers.

Beyond the big corporate players, SMEs (that’s small to medium size enterprises to you and me) and the public sector so far show little signs of being affected by the alleged recession. So the message is get in now, while the going’s good. Signs are that while the market is still reasonably buoyant, there may yet be cutbacks in the amount of graduates taken on - and in the size of their paypackets.

This Month’s Nugget Of Information

The Bar Council has recommended a new approach to the training of barristers. It seems that over 4 times as many hopefuls enrolled on the vocational training course (the BVC) as there were jobs for them to go to. It noted that some students who took the course were ill suited to the profession and lacked the necessary skills. Apparently even if there were sufficient jobs to go round, they still wouldn’t have been employable.

Why should this interest you if, other than the saloon of the Dog and Duck, you’re not planning on being called to the Bar? The message here is to do your research before spending any of your hard earned cash on any further study. That in itself may not lead to work. Effort and aspiration alone cannot outweigh academic achievement. Make sure that you have the skills and the educational background to make an additional course worthwhile. If not, think about other ways in to your chosen career. Hands on practical experience is often just as valuable as extra qualifications.

Dear Aggie: our agony aunt has the answers.
Zodiac Sign of the month - Virgo

Chaste and pure you doubtless are….. but don’t be an innocent abroad when it comes to pursuing your career choice.

I’ve just got my degree in History but I’m not sure what to do next. I’ve thought about teaching because it seems the only obvious move. How do I go about applying?

Whoa, slow down! Teaching is not something to do because you haven’t come up with anything better. For those who are well matched to it, there are good personal, social and financial rewards, but it’s not a job for the fainthearted or half hearted. The Post Graduate Certificate in Education is tough and intense (quote from one hapless graduate: “it was like being thrown to the wolves on an hourly basis”). History is by no means a “shortage” subject, so recruiters will pick only the brightest and the best.

Dip your toe in the water first of all, by doing some observations at a local school. If all goes well, have a longer paddle in the shallows by spending a week or two in the classroom. Then, if the signs are favourable, think about applying for a PGCE, for which a minimum of a fortnight’s experience is mandatory. Given that the cut off point for most applications is early December, it may be wiser to spend a year getting to grips with the National Curriculum and building up a background working with youngsters - think youth organisations, community events, summer camps- before committing yourself. See www.gttr.ac.uk and www.tda.gov.uk for more information.

Remember: if you decide to stick with teaching and need help with the personal statement part of your application or if you need advice on choosing a career, Domino is on hand to help you by email or phone discussion.