Psychometric tests are nonsense. I once went for an interview as an Administrator with a company in Kings Cross. Great interview, lovely people, nice offices. Really wanted to work there. They gave me some sort of test which was supposed to reveal what I am like.. afterwards they gave me the results and asked me which parts I agreed with etc.. the results were NOTHING like me and cost me the job. I told them that they were nothing like me and did not at all reflect any positive or negative aspects of my character and personality but they insisted the tests were 100 per cent accurate..I'm 54 and have worked in enough jobs different roles in many different working environments and sectors - i know myself and I know my working style by now
OMG SAME, Oxford French lit grad here, I had no idea what a graduate scheme was, I kept a spreadsheet, I didn't really know what I wanted to do, I sent in panic applications, and in July 2021 I was rejected by every single one I applied to as well, 90 rejections at that point. I started reapplying for the next cycle and it took me 154 applications to finally land one. It's so not your fault for not landing one, it's such a weird process, and a massive numbers game. Honestly it's like I hear myself talking watching your video, I'm really surprised that I did not find you video sooner, it just randomly got recommended to me now.
So relatable!! Congratualtions on securing an offer🎊🎉 Yeah, it's such a strange process, especially all of the games and prerecorded interviews when you have no experience or training or even someone to guide you. But failure is definitely more common than most people think. No one ever secures the first job (or even one of the first 50!) that they apply for
Such a genuine and important video, thank you so much for this :) I'm really struggling with applying for jobs at the moment and the rejection is tough, especially when everybody seems to think you *should* qualify for a job simply because you work hard or care. Sometimes that is not enough in a competitive market unfortunately. I'll get there eventually!
Yesss! That was so hard for me to deal with at first. I've always worked really hard and had hoped it would be enough. But it's really difficult when that hard work doesn't pay off straight away🙁 but definitely keep persisting!! It'll all come together in the end
Welcome to the rejection club. I applied for almost 150 jobs(unfortunately pretty common number in software engineering) even though I knew what I wanted to do and got reply from 3 of them. Of course I bombed the interviews with first two companies but finally after 7 interviews with the last company i got the job. I'm actually glad i bombed the interviews for those companies because the pay and career opportunities are way better at the company where i got the job.
The interviews and assesements are all good experience in my eyes! I was still grateful for those opportunites to practise and build my confidence. I'm glad you found something right for you in the end too😃
From my experience having parents that went to uni did nothing for my knowledge about grad schemes haha. Times were way different back then, my dad graduated with 5 job offers. Unis just aren't great at telling us about this, you sort of have to seek it out for yourself.
Yeah no for sure! I think I meant more in terms of general advice and reassurance. It's easy to feel like an imposter or to lack confidence when you're the first person in your family to go to uni. I didn't have someone to look up to, for example, in terms of career progression because I was following a very different path to my parents. Most people in my family left school early, without higher qualifications, and pursued apprenticeships and got into work that way so I often felt completely out of my depth with the whole uni experience and grad stuff generally😅
Maybe less people doing Micky mouse degrees and more people doing practical degrees that benefit society is a starting point. If an Oxford history of art grad expect to walk into the Business world without a fuss then gets rejected and complains about it…well, doesn’t make you want to study history of art
The jobs market is wildly competitive at the moment, and those grad schemes are so saturated :( one thing that I do think, that is by no means a criticism of YOU (because you are so hardworking and lovely), is that Cambridge maybe needs to think more about balancing academia and employability. I do find it disadvantageous for students that they aren’t allowed a part time job during term and that placement years basically don’t exist. I go to a top 30 non Russell Group uni and everyone takes a placement year, even those who do subjects like English and History, and despite not being a RG uni, grads get into all the big companies. I just think the a downside of Oxbridge is that their curriculum doesn’t address more contemporary themes which help students learn about today’s world and learn about employability. Like I say, not criticising you at all but this is just my observation;)
I 100% agree about Cambridge needing to balance things out more! It's not enough just have a degree these days; you've got to be a well-rounded person with lots of experience (whether that's an internship or even a society role at uni!) and the drive and passion for what you want to go into. I really wish I'd applied for internships, for example, but I never even considered it because I had so much uni work to do over the summer (like reading, planning and writing for two dissertations and reading all of my set texts for my first term of final year). If Cambridge lightened up on the workload here and there or built in time for work experience during/outside of term time, it would help so much more with getting into the working world
@@EmmaLouiseVlogs yes I think it’s a real shame for the students, because you’re all so bright you would get some amazing internships! Oxbridge seems too set in it’s ways to change unfortunately, but well done you for still getting a good job 😙
So appreciate your courage in sharing your experience, especially when you still have not "succeeded" and still going through the process. For sure you will find the right opportunity for you when the right time comes :-) Keep pushing!!
Aww thank you!! I did consider teaching but decided that I wanted to try something I was less familiar with first, instead of going for something I think I'd be quite comfortable with
Great video. Useful, relatable and applicable info. Good on you for dealing with the experience constructively, the unusual job market last year on top of it and coming out the better for it!
Wow, that was obviously a difficult experience for you to go through but well done for sharing it and I’m sure it will help others. I think you can add a graduation in perseverance to your cv! I sometimes wonder if people are being harsh on themselves if they use the terms ‘failure’ and ‘rejection’ in the context of unsuccessful job applications,. Unlike say most exams there is no objective, transparent criteria or syllabus which you know about in advance and on which you know you will be judged , the employment process is pretty much down to the preferences and judgement of the employer concerned, which is not transparent, so I just wonder can you fail that in quite the same way? On rejection, I think if say you get to the last three in a short list you can rightly feel rejected if you don’t get the job, I know it happened to me and it hurts, but if you’re one of many, even hundreds, of applicants who knows what arbitrary filters are applied by the employer to compile a more manageable list of applicants so if you are unsuccessful in that process maybe that isn’t a personal rejection in quite the same way? Sorry, that’s all a bit philosophical I know, good luck to everyone in getting the job they want.
I agree! Sometimes it definitely feels down to the luck of the day or how strong the other candidates are this year or who actually interviewed you at the company. And you're right! I shouldnt count every single application as a rejection because a lot of the time I had no response at all so they might not have even looked at my application😅
just a little tip for anyone getting frustrated with not getting any luck with applications. after applying for something make a note of it to keep track of whats been applied for ( to avoid accidently applying for the same thing again) then just forget about it. dont keep checking and waiting for a response just apply and forget about it. if they get back to you with a test or assessment then great you have something to do, if you get a no just delete it, & if you never hear back you wont even notice.
Your video just stumbled into my feed suggestion so took the time to listen despite having experience rejection several times in my own early career. It doesn’t matter what university you attended. Oxford, Cambridge, nobody really cares now. It’s how you apply yourself and how you go about applying your learning through your undergrad. The workplace is becoming more and more competitive therefore you needed to have gained relevant work experience before applying for your official grad job to expect success. That person suggesting a phd; diverting to a phd because you’ve not found immediate success in the job hunt is a bad idea. It makes you over qualified for the job hunt which you weren’t achieving success in the first place - especially if you have not applied what you’ve learned in your undergrad. Stay positive, critique and be honest with yourself. Start creating self development toolsets such as a requirements matrix with associated strategies and plans how to achieve those gaps in knowledge and experience. Next set of interviews demonstrate to your prospectus employer “these are things I’ve been working on, I’ve identified the gaps, I’ve created a set of tools for example to help me achieve x, y, z etc). Apply yourself in the purest sense. Employers want graduates who can demonstrate an unrivalled sense of self awareness. It demonstrates you’re proactive approach to your own self development. Everyone’s got 1st class degrees these days (sorry folks). It’s how you apply it and apply it early on. Lastly, it’s part of growing up. These are good experiences despite them not feeling great at the time.
I went through exactly the same after graduation and I got the same conclusion that hard work not always pays off. Later I discovered that, in my case, the problem was 1-companies don't value the degree I got 2-I didn't know all the possibilities I had 3-I was not mature enough.
A lot of graduates get jobs via their parents' connections. Even if they don't get a job sometimes if your father is a partner in a law or accountancy firm he will have friends who can put in a word for you to get onto an unpaid internship and usually has financial resources to help you with accommodation expenses while you work unpaid. It isn't fair but having moderately well off parents does make a difference to graduates getting those graduate entry jobs. For folk without the connections it is a much tougher job market. Life just isn't fair.
I really appreciate that you was honest and telling the real truth which many people not want to talk about, this is a real content and is very important for people to know exactly, thank you
Meanwhile I'm here, graduated with a first class in Computer Science, I know what I wanted to do, I had a portfolio of projects, I have technical blogs, experience and yet nobody hires me.
Summer internship in penultimate year is useful.. even if it's only about 4 wks duration. Forward planning.. need to think about this at end of Freshers yr.
YES! I wish I'd done this but it's not something I'd ever considered- I think because I did an hunanities subject and I had no family members who had gone to uni to advise me to do that. But I definitely wish I'd applied for summer internships and can't recommend them enough
If I were in your position, most probably I would have opted for PhD in Education and a career in teaching. Because I like teaching and it is very respected and well paid job in UK..especially in private schools..Also you will have a long summer vacation to enjoy your time with your family...
@@AysenurToptas teaching can be very fulfilling and to me, it is an amazing achievement. My point being that it’s a shame the salaries don’t reflect this. Teachers deserve better pay!
Diverting to a phd out of failure to achieve immediate success in the grad job hunt is a definite no go. Only choose a phd if it adds real tangible value to society and if it was someone already on your agenda - not as a default alternative. Keep persevering and understand your strengths and weaknesses. Maybe stop making videos too. This is a personal process which is supposed to test what you’re made of.
Jacobs Krönung Kaffee ,schmeckt sowieso nicht gut... (Jakobs-Krönung Coffee is not the best type of coffee) Tschibo Fine Mild coffee HQ-Hamburg Germ. pwc -who cares? Better Loyds-Register , Siemens WindTurbine Offshore or Jump over to Netherland the Ferrys need not so much hours till they are at UK/GB
You parents having gone to university 20-30 years ago would have given you precisely zero perks in regards to your grad job applications (so much has changed since then) :D
I do agree a lot has changed! But I think it definitely helps if a family member has been to university and can offer general advice or reassurance on jobs, grad schemes, uni etc. I think it's more of a confidence thing than anything or having someone to go to who can relate. Nonetheless, my parents were very supportive and tried their best to make me into the person I am today and I'll be forever grateful for that❤
@@EmmaLouiseVlogs this is true. My parents never went to uni but my dad works in a corporate job which nowadays would require a degree and he also works with a lot of grads so he gets at least a small insight into what goes on. Also with little things such as setting up a LinkedIn, my dad was my first connection! Also with the uni application process and choosing a uni, my parents had NO IDEA what to look for in helping me choose a uni, we really relied on my school’s help for this as they did a session for parents too!
With making TH-cam videos you are developing a skill that will certainly increase your future chances applying for a graduate scheme. Basic knowledge of mathematics (AS / A level) will help you both in the workplace and in everyday life. Have you had any traumatic experience with maths?
I have never been mathematically minded unfortunately... not terrible at it but I have very little confidence in my ability! But I can assure you it'll be a skill I'll be developing over these coming years without a doubt... some very exicting things in the pipeline👀😅
Psychometric tests are nonsense. I once went for an interview as an Administrator with a company in Kings Cross. Great interview, lovely people, nice offices. Really wanted to work there. They gave me some sort of test which was supposed to reveal what I am like.. afterwards they gave me the results and asked me which parts I agreed with etc.. the results were NOTHING like me and cost me the job. I told them that they were nothing like me and did not at all reflect any positive or negative aspects of my character and personality but they insisted the tests were 100 per cent accurate..I'm 54 and have worked in enough jobs different roles in many different working environments and sectors - i know myself and I know my working style by now
OMG SAME, Oxford French lit grad here, I had no idea what a graduate scheme was, I kept a spreadsheet, I didn't really know what I wanted to do, I sent in panic applications, and in July 2021 I was rejected by every single one I applied to as well, 90 rejections at that point. I started reapplying for the next cycle and it took me 154 applications to finally land one. It's so not your fault for not landing one, it's such a weird process, and a massive numbers game. Honestly it's like I hear myself talking watching your video, I'm really surprised that I did not find you video sooner, it just randomly got recommended to me now.
So relatable!! Congratualtions on securing an offer🎊🎉 Yeah, it's such a strange process, especially all of the games and prerecorded interviews when you have no experience or training or even someone to guide you. But failure is definitely more common than most people think. No one ever secures the first job (or even one of the first 50!) that they apply for
I’m sorry, you’re an Oxford grad and didnt know what a grad scheme was…sounds like too many days spent in the union bar.
Such a genuine and important video, thank you so much for this :) I'm really struggling with applying for jobs at the moment and the rejection is tough, especially when everybody seems to think you *should* qualify for a job simply because you work hard or care. Sometimes that is not enough in a competitive market unfortunately. I'll get there eventually!
Yesss! That was so hard for me to deal with at first. I've always worked really hard and had hoped it would be enough. But it's really difficult when that hard work doesn't pay off straight away🙁 but definitely keep persisting!! It'll all come together in the end
Welcome to the rejection club. I applied for almost 150 jobs(unfortunately pretty common number in software engineering) even though I knew what I wanted to do and got reply from 3 of them. Of course I bombed the interviews with first two companies but finally after 7 interviews with the last company i got the job. I'm actually glad i bombed the interviews for those companies because the pay and career opportunities are way better at the company where i got the job.
The interviews and assesements are all good experience in my eyes! I was still grateful for those opportunites to practise and build my confidence. I'm glad you found something right for you in the end too😃
From my experience having parents that went to uni did nothing for my knowledge about grad schemes haha. Times were way different back then, my dad graduated with 5 job offers.
Unis just aren't great at telling us about this, you sort of have to seek it out for yourself.
Yeah no for sure! I think I meant more in terms of general advice and reassurance. It's easy to feel like an imposter or to lack confidence when you're the first person in your family to go to uni. I didn't have someone to look up to, for example, in terms of career progression because I was following a very different path to my parents. Most people in my family left school early, without higher qualifications, and pursued apprenticeships and got into work that way so I often felt completely out of my depth with the whole uni experience and grad stuff generally😅
Maybe less people doing Micky mouse degrees and more people doing practical degrees that benefit society is a starting point. If an Oxford history of art grad expect to walk into the Business world without a fuss then gets rejected and complains about it…well, doesn’t make you want to study history of art
Thank you so much for this! As an international student, I’ve got much more questions but this video helped me to know about grad schemes
The jobs market is wildly competitive at the moment, and those grad schemes are so saturated :( one thing that I do think, that is by no means a criticism of YOU (because you are so hardworking and lovely), is that Cambridge maybe needs to think more about balancing academia and employability. I do find it disadvantageous for students that they aren’t allowed a part time job during term and that placement years basically don’t exist. I go to a top 30 non Russell Group uni and everyone takes a placement year, even those who do subjects like English and History, and despite not being a RG uni, grads get into all the big companies. I just think the a downside of Oxbridge is that their curriculum doesn’t address more contemporary themes which help students learn about today’s world and learn about employability. Like I say, not criticising you at all but this is just my observation;)
I 100% agree about Cambridge needing to balance things out more! It's not enough just have a degree these days; you've got to be a well-rounded person with lots of experience (whether that's an internship or even a society role at uni!) and the drive and passion for what you want to go into. I really wish I'd applied for internships, for example, but I never even considered it because I had so much uni work to do over the summer (like reading, planning and writing for two dissertations and reading all of my set texts for my first term of final year). If Cambridge lightened up on the workload here and there or built in time for work experience during/outside of term time, it would help so much more with getting into the working world
@@EmmaLouiseVlogs yes I think it’s a real shame for the students, because you’re all so bright you would get some amazing internships! Oxbridge seems too set in it’s ways to change unfortunately, but well done you for still getting a good job 😙
So appreciate your courage in sharing your experience, especially when you still have not "succeeded" and still going through the process. For sure you will find the right opportunity for you when the right time comes :-) Keep pushing!!
Thank you so much! What I've come to find is that the right opportunity is sometimes just around the corner...🤭😊 stay tuned!!
Ahhh congrats on 1k again! Sorry for being late 😆I’m glad you didn’t take the rejection too hard!
Thank you so much!!😊😊
You’d make a great teacher, from this video alone I’ve learned a lot 😄
Aww thank you!! I did consider teaching but decided that I wanted to try something I was less familiar with first, instead of going for something I think I'd be quite comfortable with
@@EmmaLouiseVlogs you should be our teacher
Great video. Useful, relatable and applicable info. Good on you for dealing with the experience constructively, the unusual job market last year on top of it and coming out the better for it!
Yes, it was all pretty strange but I do really believe everything happens for a reason😊
Wow, that was obviously a difficult experience for you to go through but well done for sharing it and I’m sure it will help others. I think you can add a graduation in perseverance to your cv!
I sometimes wonder if people are being harsh on themselves if they use the terms ‘failure’ and ‘rejection’ in the context of unsuccessful job applications,. Unlike say most exams there is no objective, transparent criteria or syllabus which you know about in advance and on which you know you will be judged , the employment process is pretty much down to the preferences and judgement of the employer concerned, which is not transparent, so I just wonder can you fail that in quite the same way?
On rejection, I think if say you get to the last three in a short list you can rightly feel rejected if you don’t get the job, I know it happened to me and it hurts, but if you’re one of many, even hundreds, of applicants who knows what arbitrary filters are applied by the employer to compile a more manageable list of applicants so if you are unsuccessful in that process maybe that isn’t a personal rejection in quite the same way? Sorry, that’s all a bit philosophical I know, good luck to everyone in getting the job they want.
I agree! Sometimes it definitely feels down to the luck of the day or how strong the other candidates are this year or who actually interviewed you at the company. And you're right! I shouldnt count every single application as a rejection because a lot of the time I had no response at all so they might not have even looked at my application😅
Thank you for your video. I am currently applying for jobs as a new graduate and this has been really useful. !
just a little tip for anyone getting frustrated with not getting any luck with applications.
after applying for something make a note of it to keep track of whats been applied for ( to avoid accidently applying for the same thing again) then just forget about it.
dont keep checking and waiting for a response just apply and forget about it.
if they get back to you with a test or assessment then great you have something to do, if you get a no just delete it, & if you never hear back you wont even notice.
Your video just stumbled into my feed suggestion so took the time to listen despite having experience rejection several times in my own early career.
It doesn’t matter what university you attended. Oxford, Cambridge, nobody really cares now. It’s how you apply yourself and how you go about applying your learning through your undergrad. The workplace is becoming more and more competitive therefore you needed to have gained relevant work experience before applying for your official grad job to expect success. That person suggesting a phd; diverting to a phd because you’ve not found immediate success in the job hunt is a bad idea. It makes you over qualified for the job hunt which you weren’t achieving success in the first place - especially if you have not applied what you’ve learned in your undergrad. Stay positive, critique and be honest with yourself. Start creating self development toolsets such as a requirements matrix with associated strategies and plans how to achieve those gaps in knowledge and experience. Next set of interviews demonstrate to your prospectus employer “these are things I’ve been working on, I’ve identified the gaps, I’ve created a set of tools for example to help me achieve x, y, z etc). Apply yourself in the purest sense. Employers want graduates who can demonstrate an unrivalled sense of self awareness. It demonstrates you’re proactive approach to your own self development. Everyone’s got 1st class degrees these days (sorry folks). It’s how you apply it and apply it early on.
Lastly, it’s part of growing up. These are good experiences despite them not feeling great at the time.
your story sounds so much like mine... Bless you for your beautiful future ahead :)
I went through exactly the same after graduation and I got the same conclusion that hard work not always pays off. Later I discovered that, in my case, the problem was 1-companies don't value the degree I got 2-I didn't know all the possibilities I had 3-I was not mature enough.
Hey, did you find a job though?
Have you found one? I been rejected from interview stage but i’m not finished with uni yet I was in my last year and last month
I’m not graduated yet
A lot of graduates get jobs via their parents' connections. Even if they don't get a job sometimes if your father is a partner in a law or accountancy firm he will have friends who can put in a word for you to get onto an unpaid internship and usually has financial resources to help you with accommodation expenses while you work unpaid. It isn't fair but having moderately well off parents does make a difference to graduates getting those graduate entry jobs. For folk without the connections it is a much tougher job market. Life just isn't fair.
It's true happened with my ex gf brother ... Big boy minting now
I really appreciate that you was honest and telling the real truth which many people not want to talk about, this is a real content and is very important for people to know exactly, thank you
Meanwhile I'm here, graduated with a first class in Computer Science, I know what I wanted to do, I had a portfolio of projects, I have technical blogs, experience and yet nobody hires me.
Summer internship in penultimate year is useful.. even if it's only about 4 wks duration. Forward planning.. need to think about this at end of Freshers yr.
YES! I wish I'd done this but it's not something I'd ever considered- I think because I did an hunanities subject and I had no family members who had gone to uni to advise me to do that. But I definitely wish I'd applied for summer internships and can't recommend them enough
If I were in your position, most probably I would have opted for PhD in Education and a career in teaching. Because I like teaching and it is very respected and well paid job in UK..especially in private schools..Also you will have a long summer vacation to enjoy your time with your family...
Sorry, did you just say teaching is well paid in the UK? Can’t agree with you there. Teachers are so underpaid unfortunately.
@@samueljames2154I didn't know that but still teaching is a fulfillig career in my personal opinion.
@@AysenurToptas teaching can be very fulfilling and to me, it is an amazing achievement. My point being that it’s a shame the salaries don’t reflect this. Teachers deserve better pay!
@@samueljames2154 I completely agree with you..
Diverting to a phd out of failure to achieve immediate success in the grad job hunt is a definite no go. Only choose a phd if it adds real tangible value to society and if it was someone already on your agenda - not as a default alternative. Keep persevering and understand your strengths and weaknesses. Maybe stop making videos too. This is a personal process which is supposed to test what you’re made of.
same it sucks
Oxford and Univeristy of London student here. I have suffered the same gauntlet, still unemployed. Looking to study a another masters. 🙄🙄
I'm sick of this I'm just gonna get a normal job
Good talk. Thanks. toronto canada.
I am going through the same. I feel the aptitude test are unfair.😣😪
Jacobs Krönung Kaffee ,schmeckt sowieso nicht gut...
(Jakobs-Krönung Coffee is not the best type of coffee)
Tschibo Fine Mild coffee HQ-Hamburg Germ.
pwc -who cares?
Better Loyds-Register , Siemens WindTurbine Offshore or Jump over to Netherland the Ferrys need not so much hours till they are at UK/GB
You parents having gone to university 20-30 years ago would have given you precisely zero perks in regards to your grad job applications (so much has changed since then) :D
I do agree a lot has changed! But I think it definitely helps if a family member has been to university and can offer general advice or reassurance on jobs, grad schemes, uni etc. I think it's more of a confidence thing than anything or having someone to go to who can relate. Nonetheless, my parents were very supportive and tried their best to make me into the person I am today and I'll be forever grateful for that❤
@@EmmaLouiseVlogs this is true. My parents never went to uni but my dad works in a corporate job which nowadays would require a degree and he also works with a lot of grads so he gets at least a small insight into what goes on. Also with little things such as setting up a LinkedIn, my dad was my first connection! Also with the uni application process and choosing a uni, my parents had NO IDEA what to look for in helping me choose a uni, we really relied on my school’s help for this as they did a session for parents too!
Oxbridge graduates with humanities degrees wrecked British industry back in the 1970s playing captains of industry.
With making TH-cam videos you are developing a skill that will certainly increase your future chances applying for a graduate scheme. Basic knowledge of mathematics (AS / A level) will help you both in the workplace and in everyday life.
Have you had any traumatic experience with maths?
I have never been mathematically minded unfortunately... not terrible at it but I have very little confidence in my ability! But I can assure you it'll be a skill I'll be developing over these coming years without a doubt... some very exicting things in the pipeline👀😅
whats the degree in?
English literature is such a waste of time.
You a baddy though dam