Summative 3 - Professional Practice 2: Communications and Research PDF

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Professional Practice 2: Communications and Research...

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Summative Task 3 – Essay on current graduate job market (30%) – Word length 900 words Issues and trends in the graduate job market Internship/placement Nowadays, there has been as increase in students applying for placements/internships means an increase in competition for jobs in the job market. This is because there’s a shortage of technical and soft skills, this will influence graduates’ likelihood of being successful in job searching, making it very difficult and competitive. within the consulting firms and the public sector, employers had the lowest ratio of placements to graduate jobs, this meant that for student interested in this field it was very difficult and competitive to find applicable experience. “High Fliers (2014) highlighted that more than half of the top graduate recruiters state that due to the very obvious benefits of work experience to an individual's skillset, graduates with work experience are prioritised in their selection processes”. Understanding of these issues and trends (Internship/placement) With the awareness of these current issues and trends, I understand that to increase my opportunities of being effective in job hunting after university and getting the right graduate-level job. Due to the shortage of technical and soft skills in graduates, I understand that to improve my chances of getting a decent graduate-level job I must be proactive and be able to convert my academic knowledge into industry skills (Helyer, 2014). This means I should consider completing a placement or an internship so that I am able to gain an insight in a realistic workplace and develop my employability skills. (High Fliers, 2014, p. 35) Workforce trends

Understanding of these issues and trends (Workforce trends) From the graph, it indicates that there has been an increase in work placement offers from companies (Highfliers, 2019). Companies prefer to hire students who have completed or undergo any workrelated experience because employers feel that graduates with experience have better work habits and technical skills. As a student, I will need to seek formal job training and professional guidance so that I have a better insight of the work environment and develop/broaden my skill set which I can then apply it to my job role/responsibilities. If I was to leave university no previous work experiences, it’s unlikely for me to be successful in the selection process because in the eyes of potential employers, they will feel that I lack employability skills and is inexperience (Archer & Davison, 2008). Therefore, it’s vital to me to take advantage of the support/opportunities provided. High Fliers (2014) highlighted that more than half of the top graduate recruiters state that due to the very obvious benefits of work experience to an individual's skillset, graduates with work experience are prioritized

in their selection processes. Work placements will allow a student like myself to effectively demonstrate the skills I have developed over time through the placement and apply them to my graduate job (Mahmood, 2014).

Possible advantages/disadvantages of working for companies Working for the 100 top companies after finishing university can be an advantage because as an employee you can learn and understand different aspects of the business. It is also a chance to enhance your career path and opportunities because to others it indicates that you can survive/adapt in a fast-competitive environment. However, a large company might not be the best option regarding your progression in your career development. There is competition which means limited opportunities for promotion because of the power of large numbers so it will be difficult for you to stand out. Instead, a graduate should consider working for a small company because their accomplishment is visible and valued by employers. A small company is a great way for a graduate to establish their abilities and increase their network; there is more hands-on work and opportunity to take on new challenges, this means broadening their skill set. Conclusion Understanding of these issues and trends With the understanding of these current issues and trends, graduate like me can use this knowledge to increase my opportunities of being effective in job hunting after university and getting the right graduate-level job. Due to the shortage of technical and soft skills in graduates, I need to be proactive and be able to convert my academic knowledge into industry skills this will help me increase my chances of getting a good graduate-level job. This means I should consider completing a placement or an internship/work experience, this will be beneficial to me because it is a great opportunity and the experience will not only help me develop my skills needed to work in my chosen industry but it will also give me the transferable skills required to work effectively with others and professionals. Companies prefer to hire students who have completed or undergo any work-related experience because employers feel that graduates with experience have better work habits and technical skills because they were received formal job training and professional guidance. I applied for a mentoring scheme and I was matched with a mentor in “Delphi Technologies”. This scheme is for 5 months which will allow me to build a professional relationship with my mentor. My mentor offers me advice and knowledge on prospects of my career options whilst supporting me with any challenges or concerns. In this process, I can draw on their professional experience of the employment world which will broaden my views on the opportunities available to me, I am able to gain a realistic insight into my chosen profession and be exposed to possible networking opportunities. Even though my mentoring scheme is within the technology sector, it is also a great way for me to gain experience in a new field and gain new skills and knowledge/understanding. In addition, I can also improve my confidence in my CV applicant and interview skills to help me stand out to potential employers.

References

Archer, W. and Davison, J., 2008. Graduate employability. The council for industry and Higher Education. Brinkmann, S. and Kvale, S., 2015. Interviews: Learning the craft of qualitative research

interviewing (Vol. 3). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Gibbs, G (1988) Learning by doing: a guide to teaching and learning methods. Oxford: Further Education Unit, Oxford Polytechnic. Helyer, R. and Lee, D., 2014. The role of work experience in the future employability of higher education graduates. Higher Education Quarterly, 68(3), pp.348-372. Highfliers.co.uk. (2019). job graduate market. [online] Available at: https://www.highfliers.co.uk/download/2019/graduate_market/GMReport19.pdf [Accessed 9 Nov. 2019]. Mahmood, L., Slabu, L., de Moura, G.R. and Hopthrow, T., 2014. Employability in the First Degree: The Role of Work Placements on Students' Perceptions of Graduate Employability. Psychology Teaching Review, 20(2), pp.126-136. Tomlinson, M., 2007. Graduate employability and student attitudes and orientations to the labour market. Journal of Education and Work, 20(4), pp.285-304....