STUDENTS 1 - 0 UNIVERSITIES

Have you noticed how university prospectuses have changed in recent years? These glossy tomes have always tended to show the best side of university life but as competition in the market for students hots up under the new funding regime, there's a growing emphasis on explaining what you can expect for your money stretching from the social scene, quality of teaching, student support services and skills development right through to job prospects.

All of which is certain to raise student expectations. Woe betides the institution that fails to deliver on the promise. A glance at the latest GRB poll of students should serve as a timely reminder to universities that failing to deliver on the promise is all too easy. Asked if they thought their university was overrated or underrated.

A significant 46% of those who voted felt their university was overrated compared to 27% who felt their university was actually underrated. What is particularly interesting is that when the same question was asked a year ago, only 40% claimed their university was overrated. The trend, worryingly, would appear to be going in the wrong direction.

Accepting that opinions might be jaundiced at this time of the year when graduate job prospects, or the lack of them, are uppermost in most students and graduates minds, the level of dissatisfaction should be a cause for concern. One can only wonder how parents would have voted. In a recent OnePoll, 60% of parents said that the prime value of encouraging their offspring to go to university was in helping to improve job prospects.

In the same week, the Office for National Statistics published a report which showed that one in three recent graduates was employed in low skilled jobs. And they are the lucky ones it seems, as one in five was unemployed. Universities cannot be blamed for the depressed state of the jobs market but these depressing figures go some way to explaining why more and more institutions are taking their students' employability more seriously than ever before and need to level the score.

Moving towards a more flexible future

Here's another excellent article by our guest blogger, Arnab Datta. Flexibility is one of the key attributes that companies look for in prospective employees and so learning to adapt to new situations quickly is crucial in your new graduate job. This is especially important in the current climate, but does this signal a temporary cultural shift or will there be a more permanent trend in the future?

Recently, a research agency has discovered that over 50% of companies will desire more flexibility from employees during the next two years. Also, some international companies are focusing particularly towards hiring more flexible workers such as freelancers and remote staff. Therefore, this is something at the forefront of companies’ agendas, since they want to reduce costs and respond to changes in the economic environment. Still, this is bound to have implications on employees and especially graduates who want to make a favourable impression in their new jobs.

So, what exactly does flexibility mean in a practical sense? This essentially implies that employees have more choice over the amount of hours worked, the location and which areas to particularly focus on. This type of discretion from companies may give employees a broader experience of work. For example, travelling overseas to work on projects will introduce you to new cultural experiences and perhaps even create a greater global mindset. Also, being flexible may result in you accepting a more senior role that will improve your project management abilities. This could help develop skills like mentoring team members, which no doubt will help you to rise up the career ladder.

You may think that having more freedom to make decisions in shaping your career has many benefits, but there will also be more responsibility. If you decide to work flexible hours, then you will effectively be ‘on-call’ to answer any queries from senior staff and give advice to junior team members. Although it is rewarding to help others, the demanding nature of such an arrangement will inevitably create more pressure. Also, flexible workers need to carefully manage their own workload in addition to attending the necessary meetings, so the importance of time management and responsibility go hand in hand. In a way the unpredictably of greater flexibility is exactly what introduces further risk into the career path.

Overall, it is important to have some flexibility during your career, but you need to find a balance between managing your own workload and following a structured development programme. Flexible working means you can work the hours that suit you, but remember that you are still part of a team, so you need to participate in the main meetings with others. In the end it comes down to your personality. If you want to gain some new experiences and challenge yourself, then try to be more flexible, and after some time you can see if it is a sustainable way of working in the future.



Taking a softer approach

Our guest blogger, Arnab, has composed another excellent article for all your students and grads out there! Please read on...

In a world where competition for graduate jobs is fierce, you may concentrate completely on your academic qualifications and work experience to secure your ideal career. Still, the importance of soft skills has increased, so you need to develop these skills to be a well rounded individual.

Research by Ethical Skills & Training has discovered that many employers are reluctant to hire new graduates, since they think that graduates lack soft skills. Indeed, these are exactly the core competencies that are tested during interviews and so maybe one of the reasons that candidates miss out on positions. However, at first glance, it is difficult to see how to improve these skills.

So, what exactly are soft skills and is it easy to define them in a particular way? Basically, soft skills encompass the way in which people interact with one another and effectively make up a package deal. The important skills are communication, language, etiquette, enthusiasm and friendliness. These will all help you to make a favourable first impression on employers, thus increasing your chance of success. Utilising soft skills effectively and showing positive body language definitely bodes well with any company. 

During your interview, it is vital to do a few things. When you first meet the interviewer, smile and act in a friendly manner. You will probably be nervous but try to make eye contact and give a firm handshake to give the impression that you are confident. Once the interview has started, speak clearly and not too fast, giving succinct responses to the questions. Also, listen carefully to the questions you are being asked and demonstrate enthusiasm when delivering your answers. Giving the perception of being attentive and genuinely interested will inspire confidence in your ability.

Soft skills are also important when you start a graduate job, since a large proportion of time will be spent interacting with people. This could happen during meetings and while working in teams on certain projects. Also, as you gain more experience, it is likely that you will have to deliver presentations to other parts of your firm or potential clients. Having good communication skills could mean the difference between a sale of a service or not making the deal. Producing a vibrant presentation will have much more of an impact with the target audience, although you need to ensure that the content is of a high quality as well.

Overall, remember that your university study and extra-curricular activities are only part of the total package, so to get your desired job offer, you need to make an impression during the interview. Developing good soft skills will have a major impact on your success. Indeed, in some cases the quality of these skills will be the differentiating factor between yourself and others, both during an interview and also once you have started your graduate job.

Arnab Datta