Job seeking graduates go back to the classroom

Are postgraduate qualifications putting leavers ahead in the job market? Karen Miller talks to the alumni of University College Falmouthís Professional Writing course to find out.

Figures released today detailing the destinations of last yearís Higher Education leavers suggest that postgraduate study could give job seekers the edge. The Higher Education Statistics Agency found that six months after graduation, 77% of postgraduates were in employment compared with just 63% of leavers with first degrees.

According to the Association of Graduate Recruiters, graduates may fail to find employment because they lack ëthe right skillsí. The AGR said employers are looking for ësofter skills such as team-working, cultural awareness, leadership and communication skills as well as academic achievementí. New vocational diplomas for 14-19 year olds have been designed to meet these needs, but some of todayís graduates are returning to the classroom to acquire the skills they need for the workplace.

Vocational courses like the masters in Professional Writing at University College Falmouth provide industry knowledge and practical experience that enables students to develop softer skills. Leavers who failed to find employment on completion of their first degrees have succeeded with the knowledge they acquired through postgraduate study.

Josie Hickin completed the Professional Writing course in 2004 and after failing to find employment as a graduate in English Literature and Language; she is now Dorset County Councilís Literature Development Officer. Referring to the benefits of the course she says, ëI got everything I needed in one year. Work experience on the Wonderful Words literature festival meant I could evidence all the requirements of my new job.í Josie says the course helped her turn a vague idea of working as a writer into a definite desire to work in the arts.

Nathan Mideleyís first degree was in English and German. Rowan Clarke studied Art History. Both wanted careers in writing but found little success after graduation so they enrolled on the professional writing course. Nathan impressed journalist and author Richard Benson whilst on the course and now works regularly with Bensonís international communications agency, The Fish Can Sing. Nathan also works with Reed Business Information editing their Travel Weekly website. Rowan found work editing the Itchy guides to Bristol and Cornwall and then became a staff writer for the Environment Agency. She worked on internal and customer magazines and interviewed top environmentalists including Anita Roddick. As a new mum she now works as a freelance writer and editor.

For Nathan and Rowan their postgraduate course enabled them to discover where and how they could find work in the writing industry. Working as part of a large editorial team to produce the course website, www.bloc-online.com, gave them the ëreal worldí skills they needed to develop their writing careers.

For graduates with academic degrees who know what they want to do but lack the skills to do it, vocational postgraduate qualifications are invaluable and could be the reason why more postgraduates are finding work than first-degree graduates. Indeed, Josie Hickin says she wrote the best job application of my life as a postgraduate ñ using the training in persuasive writing she acquired on her course!