Graduating and finding work

[-Lily-]

I know a lot of the Nomads have been graduates for quiet some time now. How many of you have been successful in finding work in your field of study? Too many graduates work in other fields. Is everyone just concerned with paying the bills? I mean how can you make sure you actually find a job in your field before you are weighted down by responsibility? It's a really frustrating trend.

[Resistance]

Is a trend which you will usually get used after 12 months of Uni .. just make sure u get urself a decent job, not necessearly in your feild ..

but i beleive if u plan well and are advised by those in the know u can make a career in your chosen feild.

networking is far better than a qualification ..so just sort ur connections out.

[Castro]

The greatest risk a new graduate faces is that of falling into desperation and losing hope if they're not to find suitable employment shortly after graduation. If each time I've heard "work in your field of study" I received a dollar, I would be wealthy man now. Unless one is a doctor, a pharmacist, a nurse or in IT, chances are you will not work in your "field" of study. The problem is few people know what this "field" means. They think they do but really few actually do. Further, even fewer (undergrad) degrees nowadays have any specialization to make one an expert in anything. And if you've done little or no internship or co-op work, brace yourself for a bumpy ride and be prepared for a bit of a rude awakening. After all, you've got a "general" degree (even in sciences) and no practical experience. That should be no excuse to give up however.

 

Does an economics graduate work in a bank? A store? A corporation? What would they be doing? Economizing? One must understand that to get any sort of decent paying job requires an undergraduate degree. That this job will be in your field of study is really a myth. Your field of study is likely to be so general no narrowly-defined job anywhere could be your field. To be sure, your liberal arts education has basically specialized you for no specific role but has prepared you for many roles. You learn quick, read complex manuals, understand complex instructions and so on. In other words, training on the job. That's what it's all about. Even with a very technical degree (CS) all that I work with (90%) was learned on the job. A 4 year degree couldn't possibly teach you all that is out there in the working world.

 

Now that you understand the myth of working in one's field, you should still target companies that are involved in what you think your field of study is. If not, target them for what you like about them. Do remember that you may think you're God's gift to humanity but you're also graduating with another couple of million God's gifts to humanity.

 

What will make the difference for you in the first year after graduation is your attitude and keeping your spirits up. Don't let the dissapointments and rejections get you. Remember that you're owed nothing and your degree was for your own benefit and no one else's. Keep your spirits up even if you have to take a "menial" job while you earnestly search for your "dream" job. Ask friends or classmates in the field. Keep in touch with them. Don't feel too proud to contact them just because they got a job in their "field" soon after graduation. Pride pays no bills nor does it advance your goal. Attend career fairs and show that your interest and competences are not narrowed by your "field of study". Enhance your computer skills. Read about trends in employment and where these trends are best exhibited. If things don't look up after a year from graduation, consider moving to another city with better opportunities. Your little town may have been a nice place to study but may not be big enough to spread your wings.

 

Work on your attitude. Show everyone in your circle (family, friends, neighbors, former classmates, etc..) how eager you are. Often what seperates people even when they've all made it to the jobs in their fields are their attitudes and not their aptitudes.

 

Finally, do keep your head up and remember the blessings Allah has given you. The job you get is a combination of effort (never giving up), luck (being at the right place and time), your network (people you know) among many other things. These factors are very dynamic and do change with time. If there's a recession in your city/country, consider going for a graduate degree. No point in going into an economy that cannot absorb you.

 

I hope this helps. This is focused on those who're looking for a job and not planning to open their own business. I can't give any advice on that.

 

A good site for labor and employment trends in the US is here. Make sure to get acquainted with the information in it regardless of where you are in your degree.

[Naden]

WaterLily,

 

Many graduates of what are termed the 'soft' fields: humanities and social sciences, find themselves struggling to find entry-level work in their fields. Unfortunately, no one tells uni students that there are no such things as entry-level for many of these fields.

 

I've seen students in Psychology, English and even Journalism struggle to find first jobs. Here's the catch:

 

1. The most successful students/graduates are the ones who did cooperative/intern terms during their studies and were able to make connections.

 

2. Many fields like the ones I've mentioned above require more schooling (going for an MA or practical master's such as MBA) to secure work.

 

3. There are little guarantees even for people in technical fields like Enginnering unless they are able to secure real work experience BEFORE graduating through work/study or cooperative terms.

 

4. Sending out resumes blindly is often a passive job search (as opposed to cold-calling every person and their aunt Judith) with the person simply sending out a resume and praying someone will call and offer an interview/job. Most employers (and I know lots) simply advertise but will grab the first person Ann from accounting or Adam from acquisitions brings in as it saves precious HR hours in sifting through CVs and cover letters. Make those CALLS, if you know someone who knows someone, call them.

 

It is frustrating and for many Somalis (as visible minorities) almost impossible to find work easily. The key, however, is to be flexible and not shy away from quickly leaving one field and getting practical training in another when the doors remain closed.

 

Best of luck .

[STOIC]

I think Haji Castro laid it out for us all. I personally don’t have much to add on. Over the Last couple of weeks I have attended three career Fairs and one is on the way as an out of state Job fair for the minorities in the sciences. Like many other students in my class I have marked my calendars whenever there is a career fair, being the Lazy dude and a procrastinator that I am, I have tried my best to iron my suit several times during the week(Don’t they say first Impression last?) I have approach all the websites of the companies that I am interested in. I have done an internship with a senior researcher at my school and with grace of Allah he kept me until I graduate or the funds run out (I hate working under grants).

 

 

Of course having a stellar resume, a good GPA and applicable skills is required, but I think you should never be discouraged to apply as many places as you can. From my own experience Uncle Sam is the only person who responded after all those places I have applied to, but to be honest I hate working for the government .God is my witness I pray every day to get a foot in the door because I know my plans is to attend graduate school after a year (IA). For now I am Keeping Hope alive!!!

[Valenteenah.]

Hi Lily,

 

The graduate job market is frustrating, full stop. It took me seven months to find a decent job after I graduated, despite months of voluntary work with Charity and Community organisations. I worked as an interpreter, undertook two 3-month-long, expenses only internships (one in Policy Research and another in Database and Fundraising) in that time, all the while volunteering for two other Somali organisations (Capacity Building/community Development). I swear I have no idea where I got the energy, but I was just focused on getting as much wide-ranging experience as possible.

 

Funny thing is, although I had completed a degree in Economics and Third World Development, I had no interest in utilising the Economics part of my degree. I was solely focused on breaking into the charity/NGO sector. But after a while, it became apparent that sector wasn't ready to be broken, so I settled for a general Finance & Admin role.

 

I wasn't in the job for three months when my role was modified, my pay increased and I received Project Management training. Almost a year down the line and am working in Economic Regeneration and have moved up 3 grades. So, in a roundabout way, I'm working in a field that I didn't even know existed while using the part of my degree that I always felt was useless to me. The irony, eh?

 

To wrap up, its been a hard long slog, but I feel I'm finally at the right stage of my career, Alhamdulilaah. Research shows that graduates hardly ever get the types of jobs they want straight away, but a high percentage find themselves in graduate-level jobs within 3 years of graduating.

 

From my experience, a graduate needs to be:

 

1) Continuously proactive (the job you want is not going to knock on your front door while you sit at home and watch daytime TV)

 

2) Patient (it doesn't matter how long it takes, you will find a good job if you keep at it)

 

3) Persistent (the worst thing you could do is give up hope and slip into a deep depression)

 

4) Open to opportunities (not only do you need to grab every opportunity that presents itself, but you need to seek out those that don't as well)

 

 

Finally, keep in mind that wixii Ilaahay kuu qoray waad heli doontaa. :cool:

 

 

Good news for accounting graduates

[Guhaad]

ah, nice takes on the question. well, 5 posts and nothing have been hijacked. thanks alot, i am an spectator, and someone had to ask the question to what someone will do after graduating. thanks graduates for helping the Xamaali people move on, and to seek the best. if nothing else, Taxi is ready for every Faarax, and Guri for every Xaliimo. Waterily, i guess from these experts, it boils down to two phases;

 

1. Shabaq-tuur; in which you move out in wide areas and fields to look for the best, but also settle for what opportunity bestows onto you

if no luck,

2. sabr; another word for Taxi or Guri

[Ibtisam]

water; i think i'm on the same boat as you. what on GODs earth i'm going to do when i finish in may, for a whole year before i go back to uni for my MA. i can't stay at my retail shop or can i :confused:

[Paragon]

One advice I might add: in some London boroughs councils have 'graduate trainee schemes' usually for social work, directed at graduates from black and ethnic minorities. Two years work placement would see you off to your Masters. You may have your Masters paid for, and an allowance of £12 given to you, with the end of the training guaranteeing a job as a qualified social worker. Protected earnings: £27k - £30k annually. This is the perfect opportunity for wanna-be social workers.

[Ibtisam]

^thats good. not bad. anything in politics or international relations, Third world studies

[Castro]

Originally posted by ibtisam:

^thats good. not bad.

With these skills, you should have no problem finding a job. Knowing that good is not bad is essential.

 

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[Ibtisam]

thankS, how nice of you. not bad,

lool. i know you like to make fun of my engrisi which is fine by me!

 

cheers

[Castro]

^ And it is your attitude that will take you far. Mark this old man's words.

[-Lily-]

Thanks all, Castro & Ahura, very helpful.

 

I know it takes a while to do something you want. I have worked in lots of different places, mainly temping and you see so many bright people doing reception/secretarial work. It’s so depressing. I felt better reading Evening Standard about ppl who have applied for 600 jobs with no response :eek: and Cambridge economic graduates are doing manual work. I did my MA and now I'm beginning to think what use has it got? People tell you to get experience, but if you have noticed now you need proven 'prior interest' to even get voluntary work experience. And how practical is it to be doing that when you have mounting student loans?

 

Ahura, like yourself I was interested in NGO/Charity sector but unfortunately I developed a conscience, another problem. I did a couple of placements and its mind-numbing admin work. I don't really want to get into that. Then there is the problem of NGOs. They are part of the problem. They don't really help Third World countries too many of these African specialists operate in EU countries, and to much of the money allocated for these needy people goes towards overhead costs. It wouldn't be ethical to work in such an org.

 

I keep finding work in fiance, I have nothing to do with field. Maybe God is trying to tell me something. I envy the people who have done technical degrees. It must be easy for them. Being able to get into almost any field is itself a curse. I guess its dive into it.

[Blessed]

^It's a funny thing that you're complaining about Finance. Two nights ago, I was telling a friend that maybe I should've gone into finance. It's not that I like numbers and nor am I about getting rich but everyone over here seems to work in the Financial sector and there are always ads for posts. I’m assuming jobs are abundant.

 

Anyways, if you still want to do ethical NGO work, try Islamic charities like Islamic Relief and those that act as NGO's in the third world– some offer internships. IR was recruiting for a Project coordinator to based in Mogdisho recently - how cool is that?

 

My problem was the scarceness of positions in my field and not competition. The Education sector was evolving into a Minority friendly zone when I’ve entered the job scene and my degree is geared towards Community Education (don’t ask what it is). It’s a different ball game over here, I say Learning Mentor, they respond with a ‘shinoo?’

 

The most important thing is to go out and get experience whilst still at uni. I’ve worked in a school as Learning Assistant in my final year and not only did that experience help me to link course theory to practice, I also got a wonderful Mentor and a great reference out of it.

 

It is also good to register with several specialist agencies for your field and have them alert you when suitable posts arise.

 

Ibtisam May is only around the corner sis, start looking for work now.