rejected at every job/graduate channel

LegacyUser

I'm writing because I am upset about a few rejection letters I've been receiving from internships I applied for...

I am graduating from a good degree soon. It's a four year honors BA and I'm expecting a 2,1 in it (fingers crossed for exams).

I've been working ahead and trying to arrange internships in companies related to my degree and every place is turning me down without any explanation or reference to any further prerequisites I should consider prior to applying again. I'm becoming so disheartened about what my degree will actually get me.

I don't know what to do. I am beginning to become really unmotivated because of the amount of rejection I've been subjected to. Several of these companies were headhunting people from the course I'm doing and while I am unsure of anyone else's progress from my course, I am losing all motivation...

I don't know who to talk to.

tinkerbell

Don't become de-motivated. It's only March. Presumably you don't finish til May, you won't get any results til July. Give yourself a chance, sometimes you don't get a job until a few months after you finish. Although it's hard to give proper advice unless you tell us what field you're trying to get work in.

Naikon

Just because you will have a 2.1 honours degree, does not entitle you to a job. It increases your chances, granted, but never presume a degree will land you a job. You are looking at this from the wrong angle. Use the degree to boost your image, but try to impress them with side work etc. You need to stand out from the masses. Go into the interview in a suit, impress them, then see what happens.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Naikon

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

Wankery degree subjects don't count. Try getting a first in Maths and Stats without much effort. Not gonna happen. I think you are talking out of your ass, personally. 69% is bull****.

LegacyUser

OP I have a 1.1 degree, a highly respected International Masters, tonnes of work experience and extra curricular activities and I still haven't managed to get a job. Don't think that because you have a 2.1 that you should automatically get a job, plenty of people I know with firsts can't get jobs either.

Expand your CV, do some voluntary work, join societies, try and get some unpaid work experience in the field that you want to go into, and then go looking for a job. But be warned that it's a complete lottery and even with all that you may not get anything, you just have to keep trying.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

wes

I wouldn't worry to much. It took me till September after finishing my degree in May, a few years ago to find a job. These things can take time. So just be patient, and you will eventually find something.

jimmycrackcorm

Op. Why would a company give you an internship without knowing if you are even going to pass your degree?

Shelga

Try not to become disheartened OP. I finished Mech Eng in TCD in May, and only now am I about to begin a job in my field, and even then it's an unpaid internship. I worked full time in a completely unrelated area for 6 months after finishing, and in hindsight I'm not so sure this was such a good idea. I wasn't as motivated to find an engineering position as I could have been, so my advice would be to really focus on your specific area of interest and give it a few months of searching.

People who say you shouldn't have inflated expectations about a 2.1 degree are, unfortunately, correct. Experience is everything in today's job market. It took me a while to get my head around working for free, possibly moving to a rural area etc, but once you start thinking long-term the benefits far outweigh the possible negatives. When you're starting out I think it's really important that you get into a mindset of enthusiasm and willingness to learn, and accept that to an employer, you're pretty much useless for the first few months. I only achieved a 2.2 but I know that in 6 months time I will be more attractive to a company than the unemployed graduate with a 2.1 and no experience.

Anyway didn't mean to get off track there, will just re-iterate that there more options than just the big graduate programmes (not that you don't still have as good a shot at these as anyone else.) If I were you I'd consider the unpaid experience route. After a few months of that, and with your 2.1, you'll be flying! Best of luck.

LegacyUser

Hi thank you to everyone these replies are great help to me.

Just to add more to the situation: I have been working in my field since I was 18 (I started the degree at 19) I had a very big family problem after 2nd year and had to take a year out to sort my head but landed a year-long paid internship in my field for that year off (so it would look good on my CV) , so I went back and did 3rd year and am now in 4th and final year. The field I'm in is relatively small in Ireland and the internships I have been going for are some unpaid and some paid. Some of them are not in Ireland so I would have to relocate abroad to do them. But the applications are largely being rejected and I do not know why.

The most recent was, as one poster said, a regret letter that seemed quite standard, template-like.

I have been in touch about doing Masters programs now, I am looking at another field, so I can couple my skills and be an interdisciplinary graduate maybe.

We were advised to look for internships this early, otherwise I would not have thought of this, but since I began, the rejection is killing me, despite spending a good deal of time on each application (as well as the essays you have to write to win them over).

That's just it. I don't know what to do now other than just keep my head down and hope for the best when I finish..Thanks again everyone

magneticimpulse

All I can say OP is its not easy.

I have 8 years of University , a Degree and PhD in Chemistry. My PhD was an EU collaboration coordinated by Uni of Cambridge. (therefore in theory i have great connections and possibilities of networks)
2 fantastic Internships with big world wide pharma companies in the USA.
4 years industrial experience
Ive attended lots of Conferences over the years and met lots of people in many companies and universities which you think could help

yet

.... i am still on the dole looking for a job this past year... im not even in Ireland...im abroad and very happy and willing to move to another country after France. (im now fluent in French) The opportunities dont seem to be there, despite all this talk about Pharma companies and investment in Research. My field is meant to be one of the more successful ones and im struggling to see any opportunities there...can only imagine how hard it is in other areas. Only 5 people in my class studied Chemistry in the Leaving Cert, only 15 people got their Degrees in Chemistry from my course....god knows about these BA courses which start out with over 1000 in a class.

This was unheard of for me 4 years ago, when I sent my CV out I had 4 job offers. One would have been a well known pharma company, starting at 50k (at the time I didnt have a PhD) within a space of a week of sending them my CV and another 6 interviews lined up. I obviously turned down to attend the other interviews because, I had so many great offers. You might ask why did i not stick with it? Well pharma companies were hit bad back around 2001 and even further in 2006. I could see a huge shift of them moving towards India and China for cheaper labour but the same results as Europe. This meant, I knew I had to go back to University, a Degree meant nothing, it was as good as a Leaving Cert (hate to say it, but alot of people now have Masters and PhD's...even Post Docs).


Now however in my field, the market has been flooded with equally qualified Indian and Chinese students. My boss from my PhD wont even consider Europeans now....he prefers Chinese. Mainly because they are willing to move and go anywhere and they just get on with the job. No late nights partying and are completely focused. I feel the only opportunities now are in India and China, where things seem to be new and fresh...i would even be willing to go there to get a job. These students are getting lots of skills and training in the US and Europe and taking it back with them to Asia. So you have to be on top of your game...

I have also recently applied for "Graduate" jobs and accepted a salary which is less then my dole money in France and still didnt get the job. I know its most likely because now I am over qualified, but it just happens "Graduate" jobs are the only ones on offer at the moment.

You can have a fantastic CV....but I think the current situation is the extreme at the moment!

Would it be of benefit for you to move abroad for a few years to gain experience?

Is there a particular country with good opportunities? I mean whatever about Canada and Australia. Think outside the box!!!

Maybe you might be average to every other Irish person going to Canada...but you might be new and exciting, really stand out to an employer in an Asian country?

Maybe there is an European thing you can get involved in? Like I said, the EU are finding it very difficult to fill positions in "EU Funded" collaborations that they are going to Chinese students who are willing to fill these positions. Also you get to carry over your benefits etc from one EU country to another. So say if you became unemployed/contract ended, in one EU country, you can claim the dole and they also entitle you to move around the EU in search of a new job. In theory for up to 3 months, until you must decide which country to stay in (its long to explain but you can google it)!!! An EU country is also not as far as Canada or Australia and you will of course eventually pick up the language living there. No matter how rubbish you were at languages (i failed French in the Leaving Cert and im now fluent in it after living here). These also add to your CV. You have to realise your not just competing for jobs with people from your class...but also with people who have Post Graduate degrees, extra skills, languages and ability to adapt or drive themselves from previous experience!!! With all the people I have met over the years, the Irish might like to travel the world, but they are not very good at integrating themselves/working/living in other EU countries or going for other opportunities available to them...compared with say the Germans etc.

I stress the EU factor, because Irish people are all too willing to run off to Canada or Oz...when in fact about 10% of Irish GDP is funded towards these collaboration programs in the EU by Ireland each year. Essentially that is money which Irish people are not making the most off for their education and training. The EU (includ. Irish) tax payer is paying the wages for all these "International" people to be trained in which their countries might not have contributed in any way towards the EU. These positions should ideally be filled by the EU citizens but are not (EU people wont apply) and therefore have to be filled by non EU citizens. I think more of you guys should be making the most of these "extended" graduate/post graduate "Erasmus/Leonardo/Marie Curie funding" to enhance your training. If you dont, someone will be more then willing to fill the positions. With Ireland relying more then ever on the EU, its about time Irish people started to make the most of the Union and cream it for what its worth!! Get your money's worth out it...yis are currently paying a high cost to be part of it! So make the most of it.

Check out
Euraxess Website for European Positions in your field