What can female graduates do about underemployment
Things seem to be getting tougher for graduates and with every passing day there is another news story explaining how hard it is for them to get their foot on the career ladder.
The latest piece of bad news has been released by the Association of Account Technicians, which has conducted research showing graduates are among the hardest hit by the current economic downturn.
It found that around 40 per cent of those graduating last year were now "underemployed" meaning they had taken jobs for which a degree was not essential, with even people like engineering graduates feeling the pinch.
So with a seemingly worsening jobs market and huge amounts of people graduating what can female university leavers do to ensure they are able to make the most of their degree? Well, obviously the hard work has to come while they are still studying.
The vast majority of graduate employers will be expecting applicants to have at least a 2:1 and even a first, on its own, may not be enough to land the very top jobs. Clearly then extracurricular activities designed to enhance the CV are the order of the day, but even if someone does end up "underemployed" it doesn't have to spell an end to their dreams of landing a graduate job.
After all, work experience and the desire to put in hard graft are two of the things that employers are looking for and by taking on a position that others might see as being "beneath them" young female graduates might actually be taking their first step in an exciting career.
