Recently I have come to the conclusion that having a degree is more of a hindrance than a help when it comes to finding work. I know, I know it sounds odd. There are a lot of jobs out in the world that require a degree before you can even be considered. I am aware that they exist.
But ...
(and it's a big but)
... these tend to require you having some extra razzle-dazzle that none of the other graduates you're competing with have. Which generally means work experience and a crazy skill set that puts you a class above all the other graduate job seekers. I've also discovered that most (around 90%) of graduate jobs are in businesses and companies, which means you need to have had at least a little bit of experience in the running or mechanics of businesses.
It is hard not to get intimidated by these advertisements. You spend three years of your life at university hoping to improve your future prospects, yet this is not good enough for these employers. So, you evaluate your Actual Workplace Work Experience, become nervous and aim lower on the employment ladder in the hopes of gaining some "valid" experience and a "transferable" skill set (plus, a butt load of confidence).
It seems sensible, the "get-some-recent-work-experience-to-learn-the-ropes" route, so it is the one I decided to follow upon wrapping up my degree. But, no-one will hire me.
And why won't they hire me ...
(here comes the kicker)
... because I'm over-qualified.
Which is a joke and a half. How can I be over-qualified at a role that I have no experience in? I might have a degree but that doesn't grant me magical powers that allow me to instantly be brilliant at anything I put my mind to. It just means I spent three years completing exams and coursework before finally earning the right to hold a piece of paper that says "YOU DID IT!"
(This is how I imagine a degree certificate looks like since I haven't received mine yet).
When it comes to a role (any role whether it be an apprenticeship, temp sales assistant role or graduate scheme) I should be judged on me, aka what I have to offer as a human who, generally, has the same capacity to work as the next human. They should ask about my work ethic, time-keeping, what I can and can't do, not look at my degree and assume that I'm high and mighty and above tedious work such as post sorting*.
(*an actual interviewer's words, not mine).
I'm also struggling with finding work experience. In my field of psychology, there are ethics galore to manoeuvre around and sometimes that's more effort than the volunteer is worth, so door is slammed. A few days ago I was told to contact Prince's Trust as they have programmes for people between the ages of 16-30, so I did.
Things went smoothly and yesterday I attended a interview with the Prince's Trust guys ...
(yeah, you get interviewed for work experience too)
... and he promptly told me that they only help people without a degree. People who are, as he put it, disadvantaged. This meant I would probably not be eligible for the work experience programme, leaving me firmly on square one.
It also made me furious. By selecting people based on whether they have a degree or not in order to help the disadvantaged they are, in effect, creating a disadvantaged population. The irony makes for hypocrisy and a lot of annoyance. They have made those with a degree (but no viable or little work experience) disadvantaged by ensuring they cannot gain work experience through their programme**.
Meaning we graduates will continue to struggle to find work.
For the past few months, my having a degree has been nothing but a huge hindrance in finding work.
It's back to the drawing board for me.
**(EDIT: I did later land a place on a different Prince's Trust programme, with different people who were lovely and super supportive, so the lesson here is keep trying, regardless of negativity and rejections).
