Bursting the Bubble: Life after York

Graduation is fast approaching and we've all heard the doom and gloom stories relating to job markets, but what options are out there for those of us all set to enter the world of work and council tax? Miranda Hungerford a recent History and Politics graduate passes on her advice for graduating in a recession.

Looking back, my decision to dive straight into the ‘real world’ at a time of economic recession was at best fool-hardy, at worst arrogant. Somewhere between handing in my dissertation and the excitement of wearing a funny hat, I entered a state of untouchable complacency. Despite being fully aware that the graduate job market was the toughest for a generation, I challenged myself: ‘I have a good degree from a good university ... how hard can it be?’ I was about to find out.

Immediately after graduating I took the summer off to go on holiday and consider my options. While most of my friends chose the safety of further education or post-university gap years, I took the strange decision to face the graduate job market head on. After analysing my skills set and exploring my motivations I finally resolved that a job in human resources would be right for me, demanding both an analytical mind and the ability to work with people. Once that decision was made I applied for dozens of jobs and graduate schemes but almost never heard back.

The difficulty was that, contrary to my expectations, a good degree from a good university counted for very little in the harsh, post recession world. I had also made a huge mistake in my failure to get work experience while at university. Being a typical arts student, I had had no idea what I wanted to do after graduating and now found myself in a vicious circle of no work experience resulting in no work experience.

When no jobs seemed to be on the horizon and I had watched everything worth watching on BBC iPlayer, I knew it was time to get serious. I took the risky decision to enrol at a business school to study for professional qualifications, relevant to HR. I also used contacts to find myself some unpaid work experience with NHS management, to further boost my CV. Neither course of action was particularly appetising and my day-to-day work was very dull. This piece-meal attitude to life as a graduate was a long way away from the HR career I had lately set my heart on.

Throughout this difficult time I was very fortunate that I was able to rely on the emotional and financial support of my parents. Since leaving York I have been living at home, rent-free. They often drive me crazy, and to begin with the lack of independence was stifling, but I have learnt to compromise. In retrospect they have also been very tolerant of me and my post university blues.

After months of uncertainty it seems that my boredom and hard work has now paid off. I have just heard that I have survived the rigorous application process and won a place on the Civil Service HR Graduate Fast Stream, pending final checks. Having first applied back in October it has been a long haul of exams, assessment centres and final interviews. Nevertheless, I would highly recommend it to those with limited work experience but with a great deal of determination and patience. The great advantage of the application process is that it is completely objective. Once you reach the interview stage the assessors don’t consider your CV but assess you on your own merits and performance at interview. With around 18,000 applicants for 50 jobs I am keenly aware of how lucky I am to have been offered a place. In fact, I am still in shock.

So as it turns out my strange decision was the right one for me. Facing the challenges of ‘real world’ post recession has taught me a lot. At times it has been depressing but surviving the frustration has ultimately proved very rewarding.

Having learnt the hard way here a few tips for avoiding the post-uni blues:

1) Take control

• Attributing the challenges you face to the economic climate may make you feel better for a while but it will not help you in the long run. Instead it helps to see things from the other side’s point of view: across the country and in all sectors employers’ businesses are struggling and as a result they will only take on the very best candidates. This means it’s up to you to prove your employability by actively seeking out ways to boost your CV.

2) Make plans

• As life slows down after leaving university it is very easy to lose momentum. The job market, however, is always on the move with new jobs appearing in the papers and online every day. Try to designate a certain amount of time each day to make sure you don’t miss anything.

3) Keep busy

• Ensuring your mind stays active will help you stay sane. Employers also hate gaps in CVs so it is always better to be doing something, be it voluntary work or a bar job, to avoid appearing lazy.

4) Have no shame

• Explore all avenues. Many of the people who get jobs owe them in some part to contacts. Sometimes you just have to swallow your pride and ask every one you can think of for ideas - or even better, work experience.

5) Stay positive

• Having got a degree at a top university chances are you have worked very hard. Maintain that level of effort and you can go far.

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