High paying graduate jobs: Where have they gone? What options do graduates have?

High paying graduate jobs: Where have they gone? What options do graduates have?

 At recent festival event I attended last week I was asked by a few graduates and final year students as to how they could get their dream jobs? The parents also participated passively in the discussion worried a little bit. Suddenly the students have stepped out of campus life and thinking more in terms of graduation life and careers. The world of jobs & careers had just dawned on them and they were stressed (already).Thing is they are seeing signs that all their hard work and effort of the dream degree qualification they pursued for last 4 years is actually not getting them any concrete results.

Since the economy is down they are not getting the graduate job offers of previous generations. Some even mentioned to me lack of internship or summer training options.  They feel sad and a bit disillusioned.

 They feel they don’t have many options, but in reality they do.

 I just have to say to them times change they need to hang in there.

 Think of these options and not necessarily in the following order.

• Try something different, with so many graduates in the job market and limited number of jobs, think outside the square, approach a career coach and make your candidature stand out from the crowd.
• Participate in local community events, chambers of commerce and attend industry events and exhibitions in the area you are graduating. There are more options than you know about out there. Network. Old fashioned network is key.
• Get work experience part time with small business, while everyone applies for roles with top end of town companies, small and medium business do need graduate as well and offer sometimes more exposure and learning opportunities. I am proud to say I have a student of eve colleges and worked full time to study part time.
• Maybe pursue a specialised Masters Degree or course if possible if they are interested? For example there a lot of civil engineers but not many structural or traffic and transport engineers. Become a specialist.
• Try and get work experience or internship/graduate roles in inter-state or overseas based roles in international companies? Economy is down here but is booming in Asia. Experience, contacts and network in China is a valuable tool to have today.
• Take a gap year if you can afford it and travel round your home country or the world. Life experience and exposure to different cultures and environment is useful in the long term. I envy people who did this as I never got to do it.
• Volunteer in not for profit organisations /charity organisations that assist’s people and participate in their activities when they need a hand.
• If you have come up through a hands-on trade background, for example an electrician who is about to complete a Electrical Engineering degree, then try to get an assignment/role or project internally within your company which would give you exposure for future roles.
• Tutor other kids, and I don’t mean just studies but also sports, be busy make sure you keep earning while looking and networking. This removes the empty time on hand frustration and also helps you pay for day to day expenses.

Other ideas to add to mine anyone? What has worked for you? I will be interested to know.