Leaving university and taking your first steps towards the rest of your working life is a daunting experience, and itís little wonder that some graduates take the path of least resistance and end up turning what was a part-time job during their studies into a permanent full-time position.
So much has been written about the type of student jobs that become careers - characterised by low salaries and anti-social hours - that they have been demeaned as ëMcJobsí. In response, many of these employers have set about trying to counter these stereotypes and offer a meaningful career instead.
Although impressions of these jobs are changing as a result, they are only changing slowly and by taking this option after university, you could be harming your career prospects in the long-term, says Alan Patterson, Senior Commercial Consultant of Carlton Resource Solutions.
ìUndoubtedly, these types of jobs can form a valuable part of your experience, teaching you key skills such as responsibility, teamwork, cash-handling and customer service.
ìMany people end up in a career which they never imagined themselves in, and often far-removed from what they would like to be doing. It can be quite easy to fall into this trap when you graduate - increasing the hours of your part-time job in order to earn some money and keep your head above water.
ìThis is especially true for degree courses that are non-vocational,î continues Alan. ìFor instance, those who study law, engineering or medicine tend to have a career path mapped out for them, but for somebody who studies a less job-oriented subject, that same structure is missing.î
Graduate training schemes are often trumpeted as the best alternative, but you may well feel ill-prepared for such a role or unsure about exactly what you want to do. It can be all too easy to take on a low-skilled job with the intention of only staying there a few months, and then find that before you know it, you have begun to rely on the regular income. So if you find yourself in this position, what can you do?
Alan recommends that in order to pursue your ideal career, you need to make a clean break.
ìThe most common mistake that people make is sticking it out too long. People think to themselves that if they move up the ladder where they are, that it will make it easier to make the switch to what they really want to do. Thatís not necessarily the case. The problem is, the longer you do the job, the more typecast your CV becomes and makes it harder to break out from that.î
Sometimes you have to move sideways to move forward, so perhaps consider temping instead, suggests Alan. ìIf you know what you want to do, then it can be a great way of building experience, gaining exposure and getting your foot in the door. And if you are unsure about what type of industry you want to move into, itís the perfect way to find something that suits you because you can try many different things.î
By temping, you will be able to get a feel for where your strengths are, and what you really enjoy doing. Alan explains, ìItís also a fantastic way to expand your network of contacts which is particularly useful when it comes to finding a permanent job, and youíll also find that often there are internal opportunities which offer a chance to work your way up the ranks.î
Around this time of year, there are a number of temporary positions which become available as students return to university, so if you are graduating this year there is a huge pool of potential openings for you to pursue.
ìDonít just fall back on something that is comfortable,î warns Alan. ìGet out there and promote yourself. Then when youíre firmly settled in your chosen career in the future, youíll look back and be thankful you took the chance.î
Established in Aberdeen in 1981, Carlton Resource Solutions (Carlton) has grown and developed to cover all geographic regions through its operational hubs in Aberdeen and London. Recruiting for a wide range of technical and non-technical opportunities, Carlton matches candidates to employers across the full spectrum of occupations in the accountancy and finance, commercial, HR and training, industrial, information technology, technical and engineering disciplines, in both public sector and other corporate environments. Carlton recruits for permanent, contract or temporary placements.
Making a fresh start ñ the first step towards your ideal career
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