Was it difficult to find a job after university?

Chloe Carter answered on 19 Jun 2020:

I have stayed in education after my undergrad degree and it is quite easy to go into more education as there are lots of different masters and PhD options. As for getting a job there are millions of graduate schemes that are designed for those that have just graduated. Lots of companies offer them from Aldi to the Police and even the Army! Graduate schemes are not the only option for employment after university and it depends on how competitive the positions you apply for are as to how easy it is to get employed. Hope that answers your question.

Adam Peters answered on 19 Jun 2020:

Yes it seemed very difficult at the time, and I ended up staying at university to do a PhD because I couldn’t find a job that I wanted to do. I still needed to do stuff like working as a barman and shop assistant to pay the bills while I was doing my PhD though. It was easier to find a job after that, but it still took quite a while to find one that I really liked and wanted to stick at, so I changed jobs several times.

Gareth Mason answered on 19 Jun 2020:

For me it wasn’t too hard – I got a 1 year work placement in 3rd year which led on to my current career. Other friends from uni have stayed on to gain both Masters and PhD’s, with a view to stay in academia, others found work within the science sector, and some ended up doing jobs totally unrelated to what their degree was.

I think it depends on a few things such as the degree you study, the sector you want to work in, and how hard you work to get what you want. The people I know who managed to get a job quite soon after graduation were the ones who had an idea of what they wanted to do early on, and did volunteering and part-time work whilst studying which helped them when it came to applying for work. In saying that, there’s nothing wrong with not having a plan as long as you’re happy!

Rachel Meacock answered on 19 Jun 2020:

I found a job really quickly, but I knew what I wanted to do and had worked towards it. Volunteering in labs or with a charity that works in the area of your studies is a great way to get a bit of hands on experience as well as some direction into what you enjoy and don’t like doing. If you decide to continue with education after university e.g. by going on to do a PHD, it’s helpful to get to know professors and researchers that work on things you like. This gives you a chance to network which comes in handy post graduation.

Job searching throughout university to see what’s available with the qualifications and degree you expect to come out with is also a great way to start getting ideas as to what you might want to do once you graduate. This points you towards the skills and experience you need to get in order to land a job that interests you. A lot of technical jobs require a masters degree, and if you know which skills you want to gain, it makes it much easier to find a masters that’s suited to you.

Ultimately, having direction is a key thing. But not everyone knows exactly what they want to do all the time. Getting in voluntary work or hands on experience with research helps you understand what you might find interesting which is really helpful when you come out of university.

Emily Cheek answered on 19 Jun 2020:

Honestly it did take me a while to get to where I wanted to be. When I finished university I went full time in my retail job that was part-time whilst I was studying until December after which I moved to another non-graduate job just to be in a more relevant field. It was not until the following February that I found a graduate level job relevant to my degree. However, persevere and keep looking and try to gain any relevant experience you can along the way that will help you in the long run!

Emma Markham answered on 20 Jun 2020:

Yes and no. I didn’t get my dream job immediately after university, but I focused on just getting any job in science and working my way up, changing companies and roles until I found something which was a good fit for me. They key thing is to just get some experience working in science, and that really helps you get a job you really want, as many roles require several years of experience.

Tetrienne Kerswell-Box answered on 22 Jun 2020:

Yes it felt like it was, I spent a year after my undergrad looking / applying for jobs, not getting far, however after completing my Masters it was easier. Partly due to the contacts I had made during my masters and experience in ‘dealing with conflict’ gained in retail jobs (I was unable to do volunteering as I couldn’t afford to). I think the main reason I managed to find a job after my Masters was due to my perseverance and effort put into righting applications, tailoring them to each individual job role and when I wasn’t successful I asked for feedback and learnt from this, for the next job application.

It is a fully time job, applying for jobs!

Jessica Gomez-Banderas answered on 24 Jun 2020:

I manage to find a job quite quickly but that was only because I moved to Malta to work! When I was looking for jobs in chemistry in the UK I couldn’t find a lot of jobs available, however, there seemed to be quite a lot of PhDs on offer. At the time, I didn’t find a PhD that appealed to me so that’s why I decided to work straight after graduating.

Natasha Scott answered on 24 Jun 2020:

It felt like a very long time after I graduated to when I found a job I wanted to do in my field. I attended a lot of job interviews (+30) in the year after I graduated but didn’t get any of them. At the time this was heart-breaking and I felt like I was bashing my head against a wall.
What I would say is don’t be afraid of getting a job in something not related to your degree but if you do want to get into that field to keep a close eye out for roles. I was checking job sites every 4-5 days. Also attend conferences or lectures if you are able (if your area of science has them). Talk to people there! It is one of the hardest thing I have every done to just go up to someone to just talk but hopefully it will be easier for others. For some it will take time but I’m now in a role I love. So I would say it is important not to give up and also to keep in touch with uni lecturers! They will point you in good directions.

anon answered on 24 Jun 2020:

Yes, I had to send many applications before I got my first job. Keep trying and write the best CV and cover letter that you can, and when you get an interview, do a lot of research about the company, so you can answer their questions.

Question: Was it difficult to find a job after university?

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