It is no secret that the graduate job market is not exactly, shall we say flourishing, at the moment. Tough economic times have made this the toughest graduate job market for decades. But it’s not all doom and gloom; here at Leaving School we decided to put together some helpful (we hope!) information to reveal the secrets of graduate schemes. Those dreams you held as a fresh faced Fresher that with your degree from a decent university tucked under your arm you would waltz into a healthily paid graduate scheme and from here would skip happily through the world of work may still be achievable (well, it might not go exactly like that but close enough!).
Who is eligible?
Most graduate schemes are not particular about what degree you have actually studied, which is some consolation for those of you who feel you made a bit of a mistake all those years ago when choosing your degree course! Of course, there are certain schemes for which this is not the case: for example, most Finance schemes would require a degree with an element of mathematics or economics. What is important is that you achieve a 2:1 or above, otherwise the odds really are stacked against you – so get your head down and get cracking on those essays! Generally, graduate schemes are intended for recently graduated or soon to be graduating students (the clue is in the name we suppose).
When is the best time to apply?
The earlier you start thinking about and researching the schemes and companies offering them, the better. Speaking from experience (yes, I too have experienced the perils of applying to graduate schemes), researching even before you reach your final year will save you time and stress during your deadline-packed final year. It will also help you address another point we are yet to cover – what you can do during your university years to stand out from the graduate scheme applicant crowd! Generally speaking, you want to be applying to schemes as early as November or December in your final year if you’re thinking of going straight into one from university. Don’t be fooled though, the process will not be over by Christmas but only just beginning!
How to choose between graduate schemes?
There are hundreds of graduate schemes available out there so deciding between them can sometimes seem a daunting task. However, this problem may become slightly easier when you remember how many most graduates apply to before they get a job offer! The more applications you send off, the better (disclaimer: this does not bear true if you write a hundred applications after a night out on the town because you ran out of time, instead of one quality application when you’re feeling slightly fresher!). Great places to research companies are in newspapers’ guides like The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers and The Guardian. Your own university’s careers service may have some useful information for you too and companies might even advertise directly to your university for graduates for their schemes – see how sought after you really are!
That’s all for now, but check back here soon for our next instalment where we’ll reveal a few more secrets of graduate schemes and help you prepare for the application process as well as run through a few things you can do during your time at uni to set yourself up to be accepted on a high flying graduate scheme!
