Graduating from university always seems like an exciting time in one's life. However, the uncertainty that inevitably follows is often one which is riddled with self-doubt, confusion and unemployment. Whilst university is a time of academia and 'finding yourself', it is also fairly stressful. Finishing university is, of course, an accomplishment, however, it leads to the very big question of what do I do now?
Graduate schemes vs. employment
Graduate schemes are the obvious answer, although they don't always pay so well so they're not the best choice for a lot of people.
Furthermore, the sheer number of candidates that each scheme accumulates is enough to put you off even submitting your CV. This then leads to the stress of finding a job that covers your rent in a matter of days to ensure you're not kicked out of your flatshare for lack of funds and inability to meet your contractual obligations.
Often, it is at this point that some people find themselves in jobs which don't motivate them or are what they want, and this is the most problematic aspect of graduation. All the hype and excitement of leaving higher education soon vanishes when you realise that it isn't all that you thought it would be. The world of employment is tough, selective and striking the perfect balance between experience and education on your curriculum vitae is a stressful ordeal.
Degrees aren't essential
The problem with one of the main narratives that are fed to us is that we are led to believe that a degree is important and will give you an advantage, so once you graduate, you will instantly find a graduate role that you love. Unfortunately, this is not the case, it is oversimplified and statistics released by the office for national statistics suggest that 36% of graduates from 2011 to 2016 are in non-graduate related roles, what's more, the percentage of these graduates increases each year.
This seems to be a taboo subject, however, what if your degree doesn't actually contribute to what you want to do? Most importantly, if you are in a job which has nothing to do with your degree subject then why is your qualification deemed useless and irrelevant? This is a question which is often difficult to answer.
Social attitude needs to change
The most prevalent issue with the conversations surrounding university and employment is that we are often given contradicting advice. We are told that a degree is essential in securing a job above a certain income bracket, but we're also told that degrees aren't important anymore and that experience is what counts. The problem isn't that these narratives exist, the problem is that they both exist in conjunction with each other and complicate life for young people unsure of what to do with their lives. It is no secret that career services/advisors in educational institutes have a very low satisfaction and efficiency rate. Overall, more needs to be done to help young people and school leavers to understand the actual advantages and disadvantages of going to university and not going. Furthermore, the overall social attitude towards university needs to change in order to create a culture of complete employment fulfilment.
