[Merged] Graduates Recession Discussion

dbnavan

I finished college in May, IT Degree accomplished, still cant find work, applying everywhere.


[Edit Jesjes]Please keep all discuss on the recession/economy here. Any new threads will be merged/destroyed! Stay positive![/Jesjes]

Darren1o1

dbnavan wrote: »

I finished college in May, IT Degree accomplished, still cant find work, applying everywhere.

Do you have experience? Have you had someone review your CV? There could be a number of reasons not necessarily the job markets... Have you talked to a career guidance cousellor at your college? They can sometimes give pointers.

Phototoxin

Do you have experience?

its the irony


... have you experience ... no I was in uni..

...have you qualifications...no I was working...

dbnavan

Darren1o1 wrote: »

Do you have experience? Have you had someone review your CV? There could be a number of reasons not necessarily the job markets... Have you talked to a career guidance cousellor at your college? They can sometimes give pointers.

Returned to college as a mature student, have worked in support and computer educational roles before returning to college, of all the students on my course I am the only one with 'pending' on my online application with a large IT company in Dublin, everyone else got letters of unsucessful applications.

I am 29 and have been involved in IT since I was 17, 3 or 4 agencies have told me I have a "very impressive" CV for a graduate. Still no job offers.

Ri na hEireann

Welcome to the Recession.

Suaimhneach

Have a look at my sig, grad forum and discussion on "recession" effecting our chances of employment. Also, occasionaly people post about positions opening up!

FlipperThePriest

I feel your pain..I did my degree in IT a few yrs ago and as there was very little work at the time I went on to do my Masters...in Music Technology (which I've always wanted to do). Now that I'm finishing up my masters some of my old IT class buddies are still looking, and I'll be laughing cuz it's dead easy to get a job in the music industry!! :rolleyes: yeah right frickin 10 times harder!!

goodcitizen

dbnavan wrote: »

Returned to college as a mature student, have worked in support and computer educational roles before returning to college, of all the students on my course I am the only one with 'pending' on my online application with a large IT company in Dublin, everyone else got letters of unsucessful applications.

I am 29 and have been involved in IT since I was 17, 3 or 4 agencies have told me I have a "very impressive" CV for a graduate. Still no job offers.

I've been told that by agencies as well but no offers ever, maybe they were humouring me?

Finished a BSC degree in computers and networking myself back in 2005 and couldn't find a job either as well as nearly everybody else on the course.

Oh yeah, I think 2 people found phone answering jobs for 300 euros a week that were just looking for english speakers only.
The only available 'foot in the door' IT jobs after that, that I could find, around Cork anyway, were ones that were looking for 3 or 4 years experience and fluency in foreign languages such as Arabic, Dutch and Mandrin. There was no mention of a degree requirement.

So, in my opinion, experience and languages and not degrees is what they look for in this industry just for a starter position.
If I knew at the time I would have done a language course instead.

Ever since then, I've been confused by listening on the radio, people bemoaning the fact that there is a low take up of IT courses when there are 1000's of IT jobs available for graduates, yet I can't find one and I've been working in an unskilled dead end job ever since.

DJDC

Quick question: where are you guys picking these degrees up from? Im guessing not from the NUI's or TCD

pearlpunjabi

HI all,

I am starting to feel really depressed. Just finished my Masters in Business with a brilliant result. Have also another Diploma. I can speak fluently 3 languages (only European unfortunately). I have 5 years of office work experience. I am 27. Impossible to find any job. Had one interview but was told that my experience was "too specific" for the position (basic admin job, salary "in the region of low 20":eek:). What I am suppose to do????:( I posted already hundreds of copies of my CV. My CV has been checked by many persons. It is perfect. Whats wrong then??????????????There are jobs out there and my qualifications and experience match them (in my opinion). So what is wrong???? Apologies for being so negative but I really do not know what to do next? Started to think about Australia. Knowledge economy !? Where?? What are we talking about???

dbnavan

DJDC wrote: »

Quick question: where are you guys picking these degrees up from? Im guessing not from the NUI's or TCD

That comment just rubbed me up the wrong way, big time.
A Degree is a Degree, I got mine from Blanchardstown IT, which has a The National Qualifications Authority of Ireland grade 8, qualification with it so I dont believe you have an arguement there my friend. And I worked bloody hard for it you make it sound like I picked it up on the back of a cornflakes box.

FACT graduates from an Insititue of Technology also get more hands on expierence then your friends in TCD who can graduate with an IT degree without having seen a router or a switch, never mind using one.

goodcitizen

DJDC wrote: »

Quick question: where are you guys picking these degrees up from? Im guessing not from the NUI's or TCD

The CIT, but what the **** has that got to do with it?

kaimera

As condescending as DJDCs comment may have been, I have been told by a lecturer about companies refusing to take IT grads because their degree wasn't from TCD or UCD.

Go figure. Muppets.

I think it depends on the type of work you want to do db; I remember when I was looking last year I knew what type of work I didnt want to do but then there didnt seem to be that much work available that I was interested in.

sorta a catch22 I guess.

DJDC

Life isnt fair. A lot of multinationals place a high importance on Leaving Cert points which makes life difficult for people who got into certain 3rd level courses.For all your 'hands on skills', the salary levels and unemployment rates of regional IT's speak for themselves.

dbnavan

DJDC wrote: »

Life isnt fair. A lot of multinationals place a high importance on Leaving Cert points which makes life difficult for people who got into certain 3rd level courses.For all your 'hands on skills', the salary levels and unemployment rates of regional IT's speak for themselves.

source? (I would like you to show me this comparision you speak about - Do you work in the recruitment industry)

Never heard of any company ask for leaving points, after a college degree as been achieved. Infact I didnt get a very good leaving and I have been told companies look at your most recent qualifaction rather then something I did 11 years ago!

How does a good grade in English Irish and History(Studied for 2 years, 10 years ago), trump grades in Software Development, Networking, IT Security etc(Studied for 4 years, finishing this year) for an IT Development position?

gradireland

Hi there

If you are graduating you might be interested in the gradireland Graduate Careers Fair.

gradireland Graduate Careers Fair
Tuesday 14 October 2008
Main Hall, RDS, Ballsbridge, Dublin
11.00 am - 5.00 pm
FREE ENTRY

Register at www.thegraduatecareersfair.ie

gradireland Graduate Careers Fair will feature 170+ companies an about 5,000 jobs, including some of the largest graduate recruiters in Ireland and abroad, several postgraduate providers, small to medium size companies and volunteer organisations.
A series of talks and seminars will run throughout the day and careers advisers will be at hand for one-to-one careers advice sessions.

gradireland Graduate Careers Fair starts at 11.00 am . Make sure you are there early so you can make the most of all the services available and get to talk to as many companies as possible.

Kenn sprinter

After 5 years of studying forestry management, diploma (I.T) and degree (2.1) (U.C). The forest industry has gone belly up due to government cutbacks. There is no work available. Think I might go away and do a masters.

sunnyjim

As someone who will be graduating from an IT this year, I'm sad but understanding about the fact that some employers don't give great an IT grad.

If they themselves come from an NUI or even TCD, they will want to employ similar given the chance - and why not? Sure if they give a position to someone from an IT - which to be honest are usually given underdog status - over someone from their own cadre, they are bringing down the percieved value of their own award.

That said, I don't know of the comparisons that can really be made between them. People bandy-about terms like 'real world experience' and 'hands on learning', which is all well and good for basic entry jobs. But going up the ladder (outside R&D) needs visability and clout, which are only gained when people know who you are. And the people to know are obviously in the TCD's UCCs and the NUI chain.

Von Manstein

Hey All,

In a similar boat myself. I graduated back in September with a 1.1 Double honours degree in Economics & German. I have been applying for all of this years graduate programmes but genuinely feel its going to get me no where. I likewise have been applying left, right & centre for jobs online and have got no where in over 40 job applications.

Fact is that my qualifications, CV, Cover Letter and everything else is grand. The problem is that companies have all but frozen recruitment because of all the uncertainty in the economy. Not to mention the rout thats going to happen in the new year when the worst hits!

I almost wish I hadn't studied economics. My reason? Having studied it I understand the forcasts and reports coming out on a daily basis. Things are just going from crisis, to chaos, to downright catastrope. All to the point that its hard to fathom just how bad the world economy is at present. And it has'nt even bottomed out yet

I watched just today as Citigroup - the worlds biggest bank - effectively collapsed only to be rescued by the US Fed. Two years ago it was worth 250 Billion Dollars. Now its only worth 20 billion. That's how bad things are. Ignorance is bliss!

The thing I cant stand is the sense of uselessness. I want to work, but I just cant get a job! How do you all cope with all the free time?

Hellm0

Von Manstein wrote: »

Hey All,

In a similar boat myself. I graduated back in September with a 1.1 Double honours degree in Economics & German. I have been applying for all of this years graduate programmes but genuinely feel its going to get me no where. I likewise have been applying left, right & centre for jobs online and have got no where in over 40 job applications.

Fact is that my qualifications, CV, Cover Letter and everything else is grand. The problem is that companies have all but frozen recruitment because of all the uncertainty in the economy. Not to mention the rout thats going to happen in the new year when the worst hits!

I almost wish I hadn't studied economics. My reason? Having studied it I understand the forcasts and reports coming out on a daily basis. Things are just going from crisis, to chaos, to downright catastrope. All to the point that its hard to fathom just how bad the world economy is at present. And it has'nt even bottomed out yet

I watched just today as Citigroup - the worlds biggest bank - effectively collapsed only to be rescued by the US Fed. Two years ago it was worth 250 Billion Dollars. Now its only worth 20 billion. That's how bad things are. Ignorance is bliss!

The thing I cant stand is the sense of uselessness. I want to work, but I just cant get a job! How do you all cope with all the free time?

Economists these days should be burned at the stake, it's as much a religion as it is a science at this point.

Suaimhneach

Get a job outside your chosen field of study, and when things pick up apply whatever skills you've learned to your career.

Cannibal Ox

Von Manstein wrote:

The thing I cant stand is the sense of uselessness. I want to work, but I just cant get a job! How do you all cope with all the free time?

Badly. I am bored. Very, very, very bored. I'm handing out cvs everywhere I can just to get a job so I have something to do during the day. I won't get a job in the area I want, and I know that, but if I can get a job doing something else then at least I can save up and leave the country.

Oakbark

Hey all,

Basically what's in the title - in 2009, when apparently we'll be in the thick of the recession period, what are your plans when you graduate?

Me, I had high hopes and pursued a Masters, little realising I'd have been better off taking a job. Now there doesn't seem to be any work available.

So what are YOU going to do? Get any kind of job you can? Go abroad?

Oak.

spideog7

Emmigrate, work or masters whichever works after that. Currently eyeing up Scandanavia, UK, Canada and New Zealand. Tough to find work as a wet behind the ears graduate though.

Phototoxin

emigrate & job in my field

Liamario

I don't know what to do to be honest. I can't see what leaving the country is going to do. I too have applied for every job under the sun, even jobs which have no relevance to my degree. It's very frustrating. Only response you ever get is that the job is on hold. Why the fook did you advertise it then. It's really depressing, especially considering how crap my career went over the past 2 years when I left my job. Should have stayed where I was. Merry Christmas

experiMental

Cannibal Ox wrote: »

Badly. I am bored. Very, very, very bored. I'm handing out cvs everywhere I can just to get a job so I have something to do during the day. I won't get a job in the area I want, and I know that, but if I can get a job doing something else then at least I can save up and leave the country.

I draw comics, after rarely working in a job that's barely related to my field... Comic drawing is not related to my field either, though.

fluffysierra

I managed to secure a job for after I graduate before things really hit the fan. Extremely lucky

Suaimhneach

Same as last poster. Dont know how much I am loving the job since we're mid-campaign and crazy busy but... better than no job.

There are other threads on this topic... maybe someday I will merge them all.

Anyone looking at the incentives they're doing in the UK? Offering low wage pay for recent graduates... benefit for companies and graduates. Maybe the Irish Gov will consider similar.

piby

Until recently I was thinking about getting a job for a couple of years and then potentially doing a PhD but considering the economic situation I may look just to go straight into the PhD.

Shiny

I couldn't find a job and went back to do a Masters.
Job still looks unlikely after that so a few of us from
my class are probably going to have a look at starting
our own business.

We will be the new IBM :pac:......

Shiny

Jesjes wrote: »

Anyone looking at the incentives they're doing in the UK? Offering low wage pay for recent graduates... benefit for companies and graduates. Maybe the Irish Gov will consider similar.

I think what they are doing in the UK is an excellent idea. It is the one
thing that all graduates and companies require......EXPERIENCE.;)

andrewsyc

I'll be getting an associates degree soon. I found that it's hard to get parttime work now. I used to always get a reply back from several employers but not anymore.

What's your story?

Scarinae

Honestly, I feel like HIDING until the recession is over, arrghh

banshee_bones

can i hide aswell?! go into hibernation maybe? wake me up when its all over? well i graduated end of 08' applying for an MA at the moment and im looking for work but not much around at all....

The Agogo

I'm graduating in november this year. Thinking about hitching to China, hidind in a rice paddy whilst teaching english for my bread and butter until things blow over.

Seriously, how can we be heading for penury after having a GDP of €80Billion?

****ing greed, that's how.

Money + Greed = Eventual Destitution

rainbow kirby

Applied to the JET program - so if I get accepted to that I'll be heading to Japan. Apart from that - no clue.

*sigh*

banshee_bones

we'll keep the fingers crossed for ya! Japan is lovely my friend is over there and he loves it!

Oakbark

Ya, good luck with that.

As someone who completed a degree, I had figured that I'd do a Masters to be ultra ready for the workforce. Now, it's impossible to find a finance job. It's also frustrating applying to places like Ulster Bank, knowing with the recent job cuts they're not gonna be taking on hardly anybody.

It's hard to know where to begin, I do realise that this is probably a great time to get into finance, what with the shaking out of the riff-raff and the need for decent, head-on-shoulders people to kick the sector back into shape. The problem is, how the hell does an inexperienced student get a foot in the door? They're barely taking on experienced candidates!

Jewelsster

Given that there are still computing graduate jobs out there, the conversion course in IT is a good idea and it's not as pricy as other Masters programmes and is available part-time and full-time.

It's a good fall-back solution at any rate provided you have an interest in IT as there are still jobs created in this country and computing grads are still in demand in many other countries too (including the US and Oz)...

See here: www.computing.dcu.ie/prospects (I think)

Both UCD and DCU have good conversion Grad Dips for graduates.

Jewelsster

It's a good idea, Shiny. What Masters are you doing?

I keep a record of new jobs in computing here: http://www.computing.dcu.ie/prospective/prospects.html so it would appear jobs are still being created but do you have the right skills for them? Perhaps try to apply for some of these new positions and keep an eye on the site and I keep it up-dated regularly.

DCU computer graduates would appear to be very much in demand.

I run the Champagne Breakfast and Final Year Project Display and last year we had 70 graduates but 150 people present from industry from 90 different organisations all looking to recruit so I find it hard to believe jobs aren't out there.

We also have an INTRA programme which incorporates work experience into the degree - students do this in 3rd year (and get paid mostly too) which employers love and some students are offered jobs off the back of these jobs (pending they get their degree).

Also www.computerjobs.ie have 702 IT jobs on their books.

If you want to firm up your chances you could always consider a Masters in a specific area in computing- they're not expensive relative to other Masters degrees (under 2k pa) and bulk up your CV with a Masters in Software Engineering/Bioinformatics/Business Informatics/E-commerce/ Security and Forensic Computing or the new Computational Science and Complex Systems. There's more info here: www.dcu.ie/computing or you can PM me.

maherball

Right I have a degree in Chemistry from NUI Maynooth, got a 2.1 and I just can't find any work in my industry I am applying for everything out there but not hearing much back. It's depressing really.....

tribulus

maherball wrote: »

Right I have a degree in Pharmacology from UCD, got a 2.1 and I just can't find any work in my industry I am applying for everything out there but not hearing much back. It's depressing really.....

Same

teednab-el

ok got a BA Degree in Art History and Geography (2.1) and I thought I mite go teaching but I didnt. Did a MAsters in Environmental Management also got 2.1 and now cant get a job. Lacking work experience i guess but everyone has to get experience from somewhere so what can you do? Now Im thinking should I have done teaching? Anyone doing evening courses by any chance? Are they worth it?

Pangea

I have a 2 1 in business honours degree ,Cant get a job since may.

Sputnik101

I think it's the wrong time to be coming out of college and looking for a job! Also never expect to walk into your dream job straight after college it rarely works that way!

jane86

I havin't been able to get a job in the industry with my Degree. I got a part time job a few months back but they havin't needed me yet.

As I'm extremely bored at this point I applied to do volunteer work within the industry my degree is in but was told I didn't make the final volunteer list. :eek::mad: A bit disheartening when not even accepted for volunteer work!

tribulus

jane86 wrote: »

I havin't been able to get a job in the industry with my Degree. I got a part time job a few months back but they havin't needed me yet.

As I'm extremely bored at this point I applied to do volunteer work within the industry my degree is in but was told I didn't make the final volunteer list. :eek::mad: A bit disheartening when not even accepted for volunteer work!

Yeah I sent off 20+ CV's to relevant companies enquiring about unpaid internships - only 7 rejections so far, here's hoping :rolleyes:

4arc

Hey,

Just wondering how recent graduates who now find themselves unemployed without any real career prospects feel about their current situation, what they studied, do they fell the government are doing enough for them and what they have planned for the foreseeable future.

cheers!

teednab-el

(There is another thread similiar to this.)

I graduated in December and I still have no job. I know im not out long but it is so disheartening and im feeling terrible about the situation at the moment. Its not my fault and I cant do nothing about the whole matter like any other unemployed graduate. The Government are doing nothing to help the situation...Graduates are just in the deep end. Your Degrees or paperwork dont mean nothing at the moment its experience which we dont have. Im not sure about my future... it scares me to death to be honest. I cant get employment anywhere.


I hate people especially locals who keep asking if you have a job or not each time you meet them and then look amazed when you tell them you still havent....(they dont realise that there are almost 330,000 people on the live register)ffs.

I dont know guys if ye have experienced this but some people especially your closest friends can be evil and unhelpful to you when you're unemployed. They just do not understand what it is like...Its only the people who have experienced unemployment before understand the situation.

MrMiyagi

4arc wrote: »

Hey,

Just wondering how recent graduates who now find themselves unemployed without any real career prospects feel about their current situation, what they studied, do they fell the government are doing enough for them and what they have planned for the foreseeable future.

cheers!

Hello,

Dont depend on the goverment. This country is on the periphery of europe, dosent have a large internal economy and has bad infrastrucure (broadband, pub trans etc). It could take 5-10 years for things to get back on track here.

The best option in these times is to immigrate. Being a graduate dosent guarantee you a living especially not in these times. But there are decent options abroad in the middle east, asia and australia etc.

Also, the dole only lasts for 300 days at which point they throw you off.