Their video “The Real Truth on Jobs for Grads” says Covid-19 affects on the graduate job market are misleading.
Glasgow University’s Career Service has launched a new campaign to reassure students who are set to graduate into a job market that has been turbulent since the beginning of the pandemic.
With the furlough scheme being repeatedly extended and many still working from home, students are currently facing high levels of uncertainty surrounding the labour market they will graduate into. The Careers Service seeks to dispel these fears in their recently released video published across their social media: “The Real Truth of Jobs for Grads”.
In the video, careers manager Ann Duff shares some of the data gathered about the current graduate job market. She states that, although recent overall unemployment rates for ages 16-24 are concerningly around 14%, the figure for graduates is “likely to be much lower” due to their valuable skills, qualifications and experience.
One tip they suggest is to look out for expanding sectors, such as e-commerce, finance, and AI, and for students to “think about pivoting their job intentions to these areas”. Duff also advises to take advantage of the current flexible working situation and look for jobs slightly further away as these roles may offer the opportunity to work from home.
Positively, the video features two stories from current students who have had success in finding internship opportunities during the pandemic. The Careers Service itself has a database of job opportunities and their own data suggests the number of roles for graduates is steadily increasing.
The careers adviser ends the video by providing resources for students to use in their job search and inviting them to engage with the university’s team of advisers who offer appointments via Zoom as well as frequent events and masterclasses to help students and graduates plan their next steps. Duff closes by acknowledging the difficulties of the current job market but advises students to persevere, be flexible, and recognise the transferable skills they have gained throughout their time at university.
The video can be viewed across their social media accounts and on their YouTube channel here.
You can access the Careers Service page here.
