Category: Student Life

Millennials are not as Awful as the Media brands them

~ Rob

They are so many ridiculous misconceptions about us. Millennials, or those born between the 1980s and the year 2000 seem to get lots of criticism from the older generations.

Students seem to get bad press and treated with contempt by parts of society. Which I touched on in a past post stereotyping us students.

There are many misconceptions about the student life. We are branded as lazy, spoilt, ungrateful and have easy lives with no idea of the stress of adulthood.

Don’t tell me that when I find myself under the pressures of juggling assignment deadlines, a stack of reading to do, a part-time job to go to plus the cooking and cleaning, bills to pay, fitting in a social life and blog writing. Trust me there is lots to get stressed about. I wish I could do nothing all day and not have to get into debt for studying and working hard.

People seem to think you need a family to support, a full time job, an illness, poverty or a relationship breakup to feel stressed and burned out. I’ve had both of these and in today’s modern world the youth experience worry and stress.

The young are at the most risk of stress, sleeping disorders and mental distress. We are the generation with plenty to be anxious and panic about. Living standards are declining as we are destine to earn less than the older generations, we are building up crippling debt for our education, the job market is bloodthirsty and we may never get on the housing ladder and buy our own home. On top of this our NHS and public services are in dire straits and the environment and planet we live on is fighting for survival.

Students don’t all live in squalor and their own filth. Yes, we like to party, order takeout food, sleep late to recover from hangovers but the next day we are capable of cleaning up the beer cans and empty pizza boxes.

Most students are hygienic and can clean themselves and the kitchen. If anything it may be your student accommodation that’s crumbling and not up to standard with mould growing in the back bedroom window and the broken boiler that makes the shower run cold. Not all student accommodation you rent is up to the standard of Hilton Hotels. If you are looking for a place to rent then read my student accommodation tips.

Further education and university teach us life skills, how the real world works and how to look after ourselves and others. Being a student and remaining in education many of us are juggling studies and jobs. It’s not an easy life full of first world problems. We are hardworking and trying to plan our futures and opportunities. Whilst studying and meeting assignment deadlines we are earning a living with part time jobs to pay the rent the bills.

Students and our youth are often dismissed, forgotten and their voices unheard. Millennials are marginalised by the system and political views. We want a better future and one of hope. We want a fair society where our nurses, carers, teachers and the vulnerable and homeless are cared for. A society that doesn’t care where you come from, where you were born or the colour of your skin. A society and system based on justice and what you can contribute to your community and the world.

Don’t criticise us for wanting to challenge the system to combat racism, sexism, xenophobia and fighting to preserve nature and the planet. Don’t criticise us for wanting to do things differently and enjoy the freedom and rights that the older generations fought for.

Millennials’ want to be in control of they own lives and understand the impact our actions have on the world. We want to make our own rules and decides, not play by the terms and conditions set by giant corporations and outdated Baby Boomers viewpoints and policies put in place years ago.

The elite and generations before us seem to fear change and are stuck in the past and old ways. They don’t want us to speak out or take over the world that they control. They don’t want to reform laws and the current system because it works for the few and not the many. They want to keep us tied down and treat us like leftovers. They don’t want us to gain knowledge, information and power that could disrupt their agenda and rock their boats.

So many people make sweeping generalises about us. We are not lazy, weak, snowflakes or wasting our lives on a degree. We don’t play the victim, we are the victims of a world and toxic media that seems to want us to fail.

I believe that everyone has a voice, and the digital age can help us reach out and share our opinions and ideas. Thanks to social media and blogging we can speak up and speak out. Millennials are far from perfect, but we are adapting and learning how to manage in an uncertain and cruel world.

We need fresh ideas, new technologies and reform that helps everybody flourish and grow. We want a new normal and get rid of the old and outdated theories and concepts of how society should function in a kinder and more civilised world.

I’m not naive about the challenges or suggesting that all suffering, problems and conflict will end. People will always fight for power, control, money and the TV remote. The message is that mindsets and systems need to change to make improvements to how the global economy benefits everyone, that our physical and mental health are looked after and we address the impact that humans have had on the environment and wildlife.

Despite all the popular misconceptions, Generation Y and Z are the people that are going to change the world. The one’s that are going to have to deal with future issues clean up the mess and deal with the environmental damage of past generations before us. The Millennial future is a better future for society and the planet.

Free Internships for an Expensive Education

~ Rob

How much was the cost for your university education? For many it’s £44,000 plus interest. Was it worth it or can I get my money back? After that you need financial aid in the form of a job. A job is your refundable investment in the higher education game. Thanks for playing now go earn some money.

If I was an Member of Parliament I could put my student debt through my expenses under miscellaneous but I need a form of financial assistance called work. Not a work for free internship. I have a financial inability to eat without money, unless I go shoplifting or begging.

Financing a university education isn’t cheap. I know students may take a zero or next to no pay intern job for experience but come on people you have a degree that cost you a fortune. It’s called a tuition fee not a tuition free.

If a company’s not willing to pay you for your time and knowledge then they surely they don’t value or respect you. You could even argue spending all that time and money on a degree was wasted if you sell yourself short.

Don’t sell yourself short for the sake of slave labour. Surely free internships break some kind of Employment or Equal Opportunity Law. If you are going to work for free and not sell your time then do some volunteer work for Save the Children or Oxfam not some profit making company.

Isn’t the idea to pay some taxes and some of your student debt back? If that’s the case then show me the money. I don’t mind helping others for a living but companies profiting off free internships need to be stopped.

Internships may help you get into your chosen field of work but you want a job and some money to show for it. If you’ve borrowed money from your parents during your student life you’re lucky they don’t send you monthly statements every month but your credit card company will.

Unless you’ve been lucky enough to secure a job in your industry while studying or have some work experience in that area then it’s unlikely you’ll have tried and tested your degree subject matter in the real world. And by real world I may you’ve been getting paid for it.

You may have been shoving fries, working the bars or cleaning for a few quid but now you have your degree the time has come to step on your chosen career ladder and break into the job sector you want.

Interview Tips and Mistakes

~ Rob

Applying for you first job, writing a successful CV, getting shortlisted give you a better of securing that vital interview. If you’re not securing any interviews you may need a CV review or hire a specialist CV writing service. The issue, as you well know as a graduate could be lack of work experience.

As a new graduate with minimal career history and little or no previous work experience your CV needs to shine in order to get shortlisted for interview.

The graduate job market is competitive and recruiters want to win the best young talent. So make your graduate CV count and boost your chances by writing the best graduate CV possible.

After the CV writing, job search and application follows the nervous interview. The interview is a most nervous part of the process because you want to come across well and great a good impression.

Here are some interview tips and common interview mistakes to avoid which can improve your employability communication skills during the interview:

  • Research the company before you attend the interview. You’ll look silly if you don’t find out about the company you want to work for. After university you should be good at going your homework so get some background on the organisation.
  • Read through the job description, how can you apply your skills and experience to the role? You need to sell yourself and play to your strengths.
  • Create the right impression and professional image by dressing smart and wearing shiny polished shoes.
  • Remember your body language – Offer a firm confident handshake, maintain eye contact and sit in a relaxed position.
  • Listen to the questions they ask carefully and provide a detailed answer with an example. Employers will be looking for your ability to communication, solving problems and demonstrate your abilities.
  • Prepare a list of questions about the role to ask the interviewer. Remember you’re interviewing the company too. Write them down so you don’t forget and practice answering the questions. Show your enthusiasm for the role and passion for the industry you are entering. Coming across with a lack of enthusiasm or research about the job will put doubt in recruiters minds.

The below examples should give you an idea of how interview questions are approached and help you think about past experiences. They are designed to help you think about the experience you can draw on in an interview situation and support you in your interview preparation.

The STAR technique is good way to answer competency based questions. Many interviewers will have been trained in using the STAR structure or know of its approach. It will enable you to provide a meaningful and complete answers to questions.

The acronym STAR stands for:

  • Situation
  • Task
  • Action
  • Result

Describe the situation that you were confronted with or the task that needed to be done.

Next explain what action you took and why.

What was the end result?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojMt2ktJEyQ

Try the STAR technique on the following example interview questions:

  1. Describe a time when you delivered excellent service to your customers?
  2. Describe an initiative, goal or project that you have driven. What did you do to make it effective?
  3. When have you identified an opportunity to save time or costs?
  4. Tell me about a time you had to make an on the spot decision.
  5. Tell me about your role in a successful team that you’ve been a part of.
  6. Can you give me an example of when you have turned a difficult relationship around?
  7. Talk me through a change you have initiated previously.
  8. Describe an example of when you had to rely on your own drive to motivate others
  9. Describe a situation when you directed a team of people?
  10. Describe a time when you have made a change and it didn’t work out?

Hope these help you. I find the interview part the most difficult part of the job hunting process.

When at an job interview and the interviewer asks you “Why do you want this job?” don’t reply “because money you idiot”. This and other useful interview tips are below:

Tips for Writing a Top Graduate CV

~ Rob

I’m not sure I’m quite prepared for the job market so this week am writing my graduate CV. As a graduate its difficult writing a CV as you probably won’t have bucket loads of work experience in the industry you want to work in. For this reason writing your first CV can be a daunting task because you think you don’t have a great deal to put in it.

Writing a graduate CV isn’t easy because in reality you probably haven’t done any work in your field. Graduates are usually in this catch 22 situation so it’s important that your Graduate CV catches an employer’s eye.

Creating a Successful Graduate CV

A successful CV must sell yourself by demonstrating your knowledge, skills and personal qualities to employers. A well prepared and structured CV will improve your job prospects and give you the competitive edge in the graduate job market.

The best graduate CVs are the ones that get noticed and get you to the interview stage. The secret to a writing a successful CV to think about your audience – The employer. Supply a cover letter for each role you apply for to help support your CV and highlight your strengths and key assets.

A successful CV will secure you an interview and the only way that will happen is if you put yourself in the employers shoes. In short a CV must persuade recruiters that you are a suitable candidate for the role. The easiest way to grab their attention from the start is to provide them with the information they are looking for.

Your graduate CV  is the first opportunity that employers will see so sell yourself. These CV Tips will get your CV to the top of the pile and not put through the company shredder.

After working hard on your academic qualifications writing a graduate CV seems a little flat because you have nothing to back up your claims and feel you haven’t got enough workplace experience. Don’t worry you’re not alone and I felt that way too.

Although you might not have years of work experience you can improve and create a successful  graduate CV using the advice outlined here and avoiding common graduate CV pitfalls and mistakes. To help you write an impressive and first class CV here are my graduate CV tips so employers take you seriously and you land that job interview.

The Best CV Tips:

  • Employers receive lots of applications so it’s vital your CV looks professional and stands out from other applicants. Think about what employers really want and write your CV for your audience. Always research company and the job role so you have a solid idea of what they are looking for. Above all else tailor your CV to meet the employers requirements.
  • Keep your CV relevant to the role and show off your assets and qualities. Focus on what you can offer and how you fit the role. Including your key achievements and any information that is appropriate will help you secure a job interview. You have space so strip out anything that doesn’t add value. Cut to the chase and leave out anything that’s irrelevant or just fluffy padding.
  • Your employment history maybe a little brief and on the thin since you’re fresh out of university so use your CV as a tool to show your potential and future career direction. What work experience did you do at school? Have you any hobbies or done any voluntary work that improves your graduate CV in some way? If you have had any part time jobs while studying then list them with dates of employment, job title, the company name and a details of your key responsibilities. They may not be in your field of expertise but it shows you have experience of the working world. Make any career history relevant and don’t undersell yourself, point out any responsibilities you’ve had and targets you’re met. Prove you meet employers skill set they need. Backup your case with examples that outline your skills, ambition, talent and potential.
  • If you are fresh out of university then your education and qualifications will probably take precedence over your work experience. List your most recent qualifications first starting with your degree, A levels and GCSEs along with the grades. If you’re taken any other relevant  training course then include them too.
  • Presentation and layout will make your CV look the part so you give off the right impression. A CV needs to be clear, easy to follow and easy to read. Keep it simple and make use of headings and bullet points to highlight important information. A well layout and presented CV containing a relevant content is more likely to be noticed and give more attention by recruiters. Think about the presentation, layout and structure of your CV. CV’s are broken down into sections – Education and Qualifications, Career History, include any projects you have worked on and show the results achieved. Make good use of headings, font sizes, bold and italics, even colours – but don’t overdo it! Put your felt tips and wax crayons away. The last thing an employer will be impressed by is a CV written from top to bottom in fluorescent pink comic sans.
  • Something else to keep in mind whilst designing your graduate CV is its readability. Employers and software will be looking to pull specific information from your application, without a clear structure that allows them to find the relevant sections at a quick glance they may simply give up and move on.
  • Having a good degree but no work experience isn’t as bad as it sounds. Practical experience comes from all areas of life not just formal education so take into account other areas of your life besides your study. Employers want other skills besides your degree knowledge so describe the skills you’re learnt away from the lecture hall. Demonstrate your other abilities like team working, creativity, working under pressure and organisational planning. Even if you have limited hands on work experience or never had a job you can use examples in any part time work you’ve done and mention your involvement and any contribution you’ve made for the university societies and sports team you joined. Include extracurricular activities and anything that will support your graduate CV application. Mention any student societies you have joined and been a part of. Getting involved in extra activates and adding these to your graduate profile can enhance your CV and job application by demonstrating a willingness to participate and be a team player. Employer are looking for practical and soft skills too. Describe what you have achieved outside of your degree course.
  • Keywords that highlight your skills are more likely to be picked up on by recruiters. Place important keywords in your graduate CV so recruiters and automated computer skill search software can find your CV when uploaded to jobsites. Having recruiters come to you and letting technology do the donkey work makes the whole job search easier. As a rule avoid jargon but if it’s a specialist or technical role then a light helping of jargon will help to prove you” know your stuff” but don’t overdo it or pack it full of acronyms which disjoint the reading tone or makes the employer fall asleep.
  • If you have your own blog, Twitter or LinkedIn account add them to your CV. Employers may want to search for you on social media to see how you conduct yourself online. Help them find you so they can review and scan your online presence. Social media has a big influence on employers so include your professional LinkedIn profile. If you run a blog that can also help potential employers get to know you.
  • Employers don’t want your life story. Employers tend to scan-reading CVs due to the sheer volume of applications or time constraints so keywords and phase matter a great deal. Keep your CV concise and short between 2-3 pages long with no obscure or strange fonts and colours . Avoid the usually waffle and boring sentences that other CV contain such as “I’m enthusiastic and focused worker” – That should be obvious because if you’re not keen to do the work then why bother employing you in the first place. If you do add personal statement section make it interesting. Any dull and boring CV will likely be rejected.
  • Avoid the Cheesey Clichés that most CV’s contain. Statements like “I am hardworking, enthusiastic and driven person. I’m very passionate and blah, blah, blah” – FAIL! Employers don’t want or need to read this. If you’re not hardworking, enthusiastic, driven or passionate about the job then why would employers want or need you in the first place.
  • Keep your graduate CV factual and don’t lie, tell fibs or bend the truth too much. Honestly goes along way and so too does a little exaggeration and embellishment but unless you do have a degree in quantum physics or been the mayor of London don’t put it on your CV. It will only come out at interview stage or later on if you can’t remember the made up parts. It will also be very embarrassing and create an awkward situation for yourself.
  • Without stating the obvious check your CV for spelling and grammar errors. Nothing discourages employers more than seeing spelling mistakes and grammatical faults. Errors scream out and show that you have no attention to detail. Misspelt words and poor grammar will reflect on you and suggest you don’t care or haven’t put the effort in so get someone to double check and proof read your CV beforehand.
  • Use CV templates with caution and custom and tailor your graduate CV to different job roles in your sector. A generic CV won’t carry much weight so adjust your CV strategy based on the employers requirements.

Following these graduate CV tips will help you produce a top graduate CV and help get your foot in the door for the interview process. You can also submit a cover letter with your application giving some extra detail and explaining why you want to work at that company.

A planned and well thought-out CV which is presented correctly will increase your chances of the whole thing been read and put on the shortlist pile.

A successful graduate CV needs meaningful content with shape clear presentation and design. The best CV tips will help you fine tune and create a powerful selling tool of your assets which can lead on to the interview stage and a job offer.

There are pages and pages of graduate CV tips and CV advice on the Internet but it’s difficult without any hands on experience so in a competitive market your CV must pack a punch and sell yourself.

Job hunting can be slow after university so it’s important you are also on the lookout for graduate schemes. Start looking in your final year at university for schemes that can give you a foot onto the career ladder and get your applications in early. Doing this will give you time to review and decide which scheme appeal to you most.

It’s also useful to attend any local job fairs and recruitment events in your area and have your graduate CV printed and available just in case you walk into an job opportunity to discuss starting a new role.

Finishing university should open up a brand new journey and open up the world of work to new graduates. It’s important you are prepared and write the best graduate CV you can. Your career ambitions are probably riding high or maybe you still don’t have a clue what to do next.

Don’t panic if you’ve left university and  haven’t found a job yet. Give it time, you need to find a career and an employer that’s right for you. It can take a while to build up some career and employment history and internships can help you launch your working career.

Even if your career has a slow start remain positive and keep applying and asking friends and family to be on the lookout for suitable job roles. Having a solid and well written CV acts as an advertisement for you and your skills will help you find the ideal role.

Here are a few sites to help you with your job search:

https://targetjobs.co.uk

http://www.milkround.com

http://www.graduate-jobs.com

https://www.careers4graduates.com

https://www.jobserve.com

If you know of any more graduate job sites let me know in the comments.

Finding a Career Path and What to Do with your Graduate Life?

~ Rob

My graduation is looming and my degree will soon be over. Like me you’ve worked hard, played hard. What to do next when university life is coming to an end? What to do with your Graduate Life? A job, some world travel, more education? You are at the junction where more decisions need to be made. How are you going to live your life?

Now my university days are soon to be over I need to focus and decide on my new career path. It’s feels like a strange and scary time to be finally ending education. It’s all I’ve done since joining nursery at age 4. Up to this point life seemed certain year in, year out. Yet now I have to enter the world of work, make grow up decisions, pay back a stack of student debt and drug lords.

Struggling is not exactly a career path so it’s time to look to the future. For those out there that have a career plan or a job lined up that’s wonderful. For some of us we are at a crossroads of choice, not sure what we’re supposed to be doing with ourselves after university.

My Plan A is to start my career. I don’t include my bar work summer jobs as career advancement. I had a job interview today. I think it went very well. I communicated confidential however in hindsight do I really want to be trapped in a job just for the money. If I get the job my responsibility will be rewarded with income. But is that success?

I wouldn’t exactly describe myself as a radical thinker or as an academic despite doing my A-Levels and finishing university. To be honest I only went this route because of pressure from my parents and the fact at 18 I wasn’t ready for the world of work. I had no idea what I wanted to do and going to university seemed like a good idea to kill some time and make my parents happy.

Besides they had done it, my older brother and sister had done it so it was kind of expected that I should too. A shy guy pushed and pressured along by parents and peers. Going with the flow with no clear path I signed up to a degree.

University is supposed to prepare you for your future. In the process I’ve racked up student loans, tuition fees and debts just to get an education. So here I am and I’m not sure what to do with the leftovers.

If you’ve not got a plan together the future is uncertain and worry sets in. I realise thousands of graduates are in this situation, in the same boat with no sails.

Meanwhile to rub it in some of your uni friends are out of the blocks and starting a career in their chosen field while you’re still work pulling pints. To add more pressure family members ask you “What are you going to do now?”.

Don’t despair your life isn’t over. I still haven’t got a clue what to do next. I should know the outcome of the interview by tomorrow afternoon. If I don’t land the job than its Plan B which I don’t have a plan for right now but it’s not the end of the world.

Keep calm and slow down we’re still young. Give yourself time to decide and don’t do anything just because other people seem to be going somewhere fast. It’s not a race.

You’ve gone the distance, you have a degree it won’t be wasted. Think of all the experience your student life has given you. It’s a big world out there. Go travelling have some downtime, taste life, go discover yourself you may also have a flash of inspiration on your future career goals.

As for me maybe I can’t face having to grow up and filling the void of education with a 9 to 5 job. Things don’t stay the same? Nothing remains constant, does it?