Employers calling for more experience

BBC camerawoman courtesy of Flickr.com and JMU's Laura Day gets some work experience at Anfield

Going to university and getting a good degree will set you up for life, right? Wrong!

More and more employers are looking for graduates with a good level of education, but also a good knowledge of the world of work.

Skills such as time-management, team working and coping with pressure can all be learnt whilst doing your degree, but employers also want to see that you can get to work on time, hold down a job and work with a diverse range of people.

Doing a degree shows an employer that you are at a certain level in your education ability, but what if you can’t put what you’ve learnt into practice?

Susan Heaton has worked for the Jobcentre for nearly 30 years and says work experience is invaluable for graduates looking for jobs: “I have seen plenty of graduates over the years that have never had a job, and have no experience of what it is like in a real working environment.

“They are obviously intelligent people, but have no life skills or experience when it comes to employment, and that will put most employers off immediately,” added Susan.

Clodagh Palmer, Branch Manager at Brook Street, an employment agency in Liverpool, agrees that work experience is vital in today’s competitive employment market: “Due to the nature of the clients that we work on behalf of and the types of jobs that we recruit for, they more often than not require a certain level of work experience,” she said.

Although Clodagh says she can appreciate the experience studying
gives you, she also believes that experience in the world of work is
as important. “Practical work experience develops you and gives
you realistic expectations of working environments and salaries,”
she added.

Fortunately for students at LJMU, help is at hand in the shape of
the University's WoW team.

WoW stands for the World of Work and is an initiative which aims
to give graduates the skills most valued by employers.

As well as incorporating these important skills into degree
programmes the WoW team is available to give advice on writing
CVs, job interviews and getting onto work placements.

Charlotte Corke from the Graduate Development Centre said:
“Employers today are looking for graduates who can start to
contribute to their organisation from the day they join. They want
'work-ready' employees who can take responsibility and use their
existing skills to make a difference to their businesses.

"Students can learn from their experiences in the world of paid
or voluntary work to develop essential work place skills and
enhance their employability."

For help on getting work experience, improving your
CV or general employment advice, contact the GDC on
0151 231 8099 or email them at gdc@ljmu.ac.uk