The first major flaw in the careers services of the universities I am personally familiar with lies with the careers advice for non-vocational subjects. In the QUB careers service (and quite a few others I have experienced) there was a dedicated careers adviser for each of the relatively vocational subjects such as law, medicine, nursing, engineering, architecture and so on. This is obviously great because, firstly, students on these programmes are studying a degree which leads to a specific career or at least presents them with a relatively small number of choices regarding their career and therefore the careers advisor working in this single area will have specialised knowledge of that particular industry, has built up contacts within the industry, knows of vacancies, opportunities and so on. So as far as I can see the problem doesn't lie quite so much with students who study a more vocational degree-there seems to be a large amount of information, resources and advice available for many of these subjects. The situation for the less vocational degree subjects was and is very different. One careers adviser is responsible for a large number of degree areas ranging from music to theology to history to film to modern languages to anthropology. The issue I have with this is that these are subjects which do not lead to a particular, pre-defined career path and therefore students on degree programmes in areas like these will naturally need much more guidance and advice on possible careers and they need to speak to somebody who is knowledgeable and experienced in the careers which students from their particular discipline may pursue. The fact that a single person is expected to have sufficient knowledge of the myriad of careers that students from such different disciplines could pursue is absurd. Additionally, the idea which is often proliferated about non-vocational degrees, in particular humanities subjects is that “any career path is open to you/ graduates of this degree go on to do lots of different things”. This appears promising and intriguing on the surface but what students who choose these degrees are not really fully aware of is that the diverse careers of graduates of say, Spanish, simply shows that upon graduating with a degree in that area you are not qualified or trained for any particular career. And that can be liberating or it can be disappointing-but either way it is important that students are aware of this and that universities assist them accordingly. So, in summary, there needs to be much more information, advice and resources available for non-vocational subject areas.
Secondly would be that careers advice and awareness of the job market in general needs to start earlier. Not primary school(!) but certainly by GCSE the issue should be addressed. Schools need to do more to encourage their pupils to think of their GCSE and A-Level subject choices as careers choices. Once A-Levels have been chosen, the degrees and therefore the career paths open to students narrow and it's important, I think, for GCSE students to be properly educated about the job market before they make decisions like this. Also it is essential that schools begin to think beyond simply getting their students onto university courses and start to educate their students about the fact that going to university and getting a degree does not guarantee getting a job. I honestly think that this isn't made clear enough. After all, 99% of the year going on to study at university looks good, on paper, for a secondary school/college. But this simply means that in lots of cases thinking about careers is something which is left until, basically, it is too late. My sister, for example, is in her A2 year at school this year and will be applying to UCAS but has no idea what to study. And that is the problem-she (as are the majority of people at her age, in her situation, including me) is thinking in terms of what she wants to study, which obviously plays some part in degree choices, but not at all in terms of what she will do afterwards and how those 3/4 years of her life will have a massive impact on the rest of her life. It seems that career prospects are ignored-what is important is going to university at all. I think we need to correct that mentality. After all, what use is a country of university graduates is half of them are working in jobs they could be doing with GCSE's, trying to pay off enormous debts on little more than minimum wage? That isn't good for the economy nor is it good for graduates in these situations, both financially and emotionally.
The other end of the tunnel, for example is my brother who graduated this year (History/Politics) but has found it very difficult to get a job. He has now decided to open a Taekwondo club (he is a black belt and already teaches part-time). What strikes me as interesting about this is that, although I'm sure he will enjoy teaching and be successful and I'm sure he gained a lot from his years at university, he could have done this job without going to university. However due to the pressure put on teenagers from schools/colleges/parents/society in general I believe that GCSE/A-Level students go to university to study without considering whether or not it is worth the investment both financially and in terms of their time. It has become so normal to go to university in the UK that nobody even questions whether the investment is worth it- and it is just that, an investment. And of course, in many situations it is worth it, but I think it's time to be realistic and for people to choose to pursue further study having a firm grasp of the labour market and of the career opportunities waiting for them(or not) upon graduating. So, number two would be- careers awareness needs to begin earlier and schools need to be actively involved in the process.
I suppose number three would be about post-graduation. Otherwise know as limbo! I did find prospects.ac.uk useful and I did read a lot of information and use a lot of online and offline careers resources myself. There are lots of resources available ("Dude Where's My Career?" being one of the most useful) and I think that many students don't realise until after they finish their degree, how much help and advice is available to them. But it is important that this advice is seen as a starting point and a stepping stone. And it is also important that the resources available be used in conjunction with meeting with a trained careers adviser for your subject area-as I've mentioned above that was absolutely lacking in my degree area. I also believe that the careers service of the university you study at should be more prepared to help people after they graduate. Because it's obviously only at this point that many non-vocational graduates first come up against the many hurdles waiting for them in the "real world" of work. And this is, when the reality of the working world and how difficult and tough it can be really hits home for lots of people. And it can be very emotionally draining. So I think it's imperative that graduates feel supported and valued by their university and by society in general! The preconception of the graduate starting salary being minimum £20,000 per annum and the idea of employers lining up to recruit you once you graduate still exists in the minds of many and the shock of reality can be overwhelming and depressing. So continued support is important.
Increasing awareness of careers before going to university- improved, targeted support during your degree, particularly for students on non-vocational courses-and support and advice after graduation. Those would be my main three improvements! And obviously every university should have a careers service with advisers and resources targeted and tailored to the courses they offer and the current regional, national and international career opportunities available. And this assistance should not be limited or restricted once students graduate.
There you have some of my thoughts :)
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