recent graduate with degree and masters but no work experience

coleen

Hi I am a recent graduate of commerce and a masters in hr, I am now job hunting. I have done the rounds of the recruit agencies and the most they want to put my cv forward for is reception jobs or junior admin positions. The pay at best in these seems to be 21k which I feel is very small. I have a student loan to pay off and rent to cover so I feel I could barely survive on this. Is this the best I can hope for or should I hold out for better? I know I have no work experience and will have to start at the bottom but I had hoped for at least 25k and a better position than a reception job. all advice welcome.

dame

Maybe take whichever is the best you've been offered so far and keep looking?

imalegend

Enjoying the college summers is going to come back and bite you in the ass now.I have just finished a degree and starting a masters in HR in 2 weeks.I am currently working in a HR dept and did so also last summer. So i will have a years experience plus a masters this time next year but i will still struggle to get more then 28-30k.

If i were you i wouldnt even consider a job for 21k as it shows how much the company value you and your job.You defo will get a position in HR and i suggest getting in touch with where ever you did your primary degree's career office as im sure they have alot of jobs.

Also a word of advice i don't think recruitment agencies are the way forward at all for you. Direct application is what you want to do. I deal with recruitment in the company i work for at the moment and we only deal with 4/5 recruitment agencies which is similar with most MNC's so you may not even be getting a look into some jobs because the recruitment agnecies that have your CV's are not on "preferred service lists" and when they send your CV in it doesn't get put forward for a position because the company doesn't deal with the agency.

Your best bet in my opinion is use irishjobs.ie and also go onto big firms websites like ryanair and tesco and see if they have any HR Positions because they are normally crying out for eager graduates.As i said direct application is the way to finding a decent job with a decent starting wage.DO NOT WORK FOR 21K!

John Kimble

A degree and a masters is no guarantee of a good job these days. I have both, and am currently working in an awful call center for only 22K. I'm here because , like the OP, I have a loan to pay off. My advice..take the job even if the salary is only 21K. That loan isn't going to pay itself off, and you can still look for better employment in the meantime. Seeing as you have no prior work experience, you're not really in a position to be picky. It's also far easier to "get a job from a job".

digitally-yours

John Kimble wrote:

"get a job from a job".

You have said it all ! excellent advise.

coleen

thanks for the replies. I did work each summer just not in an office position. I was a waitress for 2 summers and also did the cash desk in a busy hotel. I also did work with a summer camp for one summer running sports and art and crafts for 24 kids up to 12 years old. I think I will hold out another while an try to apply to companies direct

imalegend

Loans can wait,and they dont cost too much a month so you can do nixers to earn cash to pay the short term bits and wait for a decent job.

And easier to get from a job to a job i think is only true when your actually going from a job in a certain area to another job in a certain area...Not a call centre to a job in fianance!!

calsatron

If you have commitments to meet then you have little option but to take the jobs on offer.

Employers generally pay larger salaries to qualified and experienced members of staff. Put yourself in an employers position are you going to give a 40k job to someone who has a masters in X or someone who has ten years experience and a proven track record in doing X.

It's a bit of a bummer to spend all that time in college and then find out that the money isn't quite what you'd like. I had the same problem, back in the day I spent 4yrs at Uni and then ending up making tea for the office at £500 a month as a trainee CA.

The benefit is though that the money does take off once you have the combination of a bit of experience and the qualifications.

Try to find something relevant to what you want to do, even its admin in their office it gives you "relevant exposure to the working environment" and other such nonsense. Turn the situation into a positive, even working behind the counter in a shop proves you have the ability to get into work, do the job and carry yourself in a proffessional manner.

The longer your out of work the harder it'll be to get something as employers will start to question why you can't find something, especially in the current environment where theres plenty out there. And don't be afraid of going into interviews for jobs you do want and when they ask you why you've been stacking shelves at Dunnes for the last 6mnths tell them the truth, you've got bills to pay. Most employers will value that kind of atttitude as it shows a willingness to accept responsibility and a can do attitude.