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Get a job - life outside the graduate training scheme
- Starting your graduate job hunt
- What is the right graduate career for me?
- Get a job - life outside the graduate training scheme
- How to handle online applications
- How to write a great covering letter
- How to write a great CV
- Job interviews - how to shine on the hot seat
- How to impress at a selection centre
- Why work experience adds up to more opportunities
- Work placements and internships - get in before you graduate
Most large companies operate graduate recruitment schemes. They offer training, hands-on experience and usually an attractive starting salary in return for a good degree, high UCAS points and a general history of achievement.
This sounds like a good deal and, in many cases, it is. But only about 10% of graduates are recruited onto such schemes each year. Where do the rest go?
The truth is that the big graduate recruitment schemes are the exception to the rule. There are many other employers who recruit graduates into actual jobs, as opposed to general training programmes.
There are pros and cons of both approaches:
Graduate training schemes
Pros
- Offers all of the support you need to start your career.
- You will receive training, gain in experience and possibly be able to study for a professional qualification.
Cons
- Many graduates find them suffocating and complain of a lack of responsibility until they complete their training
- You are often shuffled around departments to gain experience - this can lead to a lack of focus in your career
Working in a graduate-level job
Pros
- Learning 'on the job' means that you are more likely to gain relevant experience.
- You won't be seen as a trainee so you might be given genuine responsibility quickly.
Cons
- You may have to argue your case for training or study leave and be accountable for your own development
- You won't be 'fast-tracked' and may find the starting salary is below average.
Beating the application trap
Many graduates who have poor UCAS points or a 2.2 or third-class degree find it impossible to be accepted onto larger graduate schemes. And it's common for graduates to feel that they have failed if they miss out on the graduate recruitment cycle. This is not the case.
You may still be able to find a graduate job with a large employer outwith a structured graduate recruitment scheme. Then you can enjoy the benefits of working for a large employer with none of the pressure of applying for an oversubscribed training scheme.
Smaller companies tend to attract fewer applications so they don't ask for such stringent entry requirements. This doesn't mean that the work is any less prestigious. It can be beneficial to your career to enter a smaller organisation and progress faster than you would in a large multinational company.
Benefits of working for an SME
There is often less emphasis on hierarchy in SMEs (small- or medium-sized enterprises), and management are often prepared to muck in with everybody else when necessary. This atmosphere will also inspire your creativity and your attitude to your job; you will want to succeed and impress.
In a larger company, there is increased competition for the more senior places, simply due to the bigger workforce. In an SME, there are fewer employees and the workload is often delegated to those who show an enthusiasm and the appropriate level of maturity and experience.
And training is still given in SMEs, although it may only be provided when needed - this will suit graduates who don't want to sit through irrelevant general training sessions.
Basically, if you are good enough you will still rise to the top. You don't necessarily need a graduate training programme to do it - just a keen eye for opportunities and a drive to succeed.