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The respondent to this survey is Abi who is from a White British background.
| What qualifications did you hold prior to starting university? | A Levels |
| What was the name of your course? | Business Studies (inc. HR Mngmnt, Marketing or Operations Mngmnt) BA (Honours) |
| While at university have you worked part-time? | Yes |
| While at university have you performed any voluntary work? | Yes |
| While at university have you undertake any work experience? | Yes |
| Please give details of your experience? | Two Summer Internships = arranged outside of the University, worked part time in Sheffield and also volunteered with Uncaged an anti vivisection charity. |
| How useful did you find this work experience when it came to find a job after graduating? | I found that employers were most interested in my work experience and hardly interested in my degree content. |
| What is your status? | In full or part time employment |
| What is the name of the organisation you are currently working for? | Thornton Precision Components Ltd |
| What is your job title? | PA to Engineering Director (I have now left this job) |
| What responsibilities do you hold? | diary management, minutes of meetings, general office admin. |
| What do you enjoy the most about this job? | nice people there. |
| What do you enjoy the least? | not being given anything challenging or anything to get my teeth into.
The managing director was also very angry with everybody. |
| What was involved in the recruitment process for this job? | Sue Ross recruitment |
| Do you feel you have a career plan? | Yes |
| If so, how does your current situation fit into this plan? | I have left TPCL. I wanted to study for my company secretary exams so I am moving to a company that gives full study support. |
| When did you start thinking about what you wanted to do after graduation? Thinking back did you leave enough time for this? | I knew I wanted to go travelling so I planned that before I planned any interim career plans but I did research a variety of careers, narrow it down and researched them then made speculative and formal applications to companies in that area. I attended careers fairs, the approach to management, the careers services improve your skills sessions (4 of them) and had a careers interview or two. I used the service a lot. |
| Did you experience any difficulties when it came to finding work after graduation? If yes, please describe some of the problems you faced? | It was impossible to find a job in Sheffield that offered me any challenge, let alone using my actual degree - which was fairly vocational. |
| What do you wish you had known before you started applying for jobs? | Work experience is all that matters, everyone and their dog has a degree nowadays. You will get such a huge number of rejections and only a few chances at an interview. |
| What advice would you give to someone applying for jobs now? | Get someone qualified to look over your CV.
Prepare to spend hours on application forms and then not even get a reply either way from the organisation.
Get work experience in what you want to do first or no one will even look at you. |
| Would you have done anything differently while at university to prepare for your career? Please give details. | Well, I organised myself two summer internships. and made full use of the careers services events which were excellent. I would have tried to take more unpaid work experience in different areas. |
| How do you feel your degree has prepared you for today's labour market? | It opens several doors. For example, I did a paid internship with the liberal democrats during the general election and I was competing with people with politics degrees too.
It is mainly work experience that employees look for. |
| What impact did your course have on your career aspirations? | Directed into career path |
| Did you make use of the careers service at university? | Yes |
| If yes, please describe how you used the careers service. | Approach to Management
Develop your Skills Certificate
Interviews
Heaps of Literature which I have organised into a folder
Borrowing Books
Careers Fairs
Company Presentations |
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