Posts Tagged ‘university’

University Leavers - Did you know…

Although you may think that all you have to do to get a job now-a-days is to simply go to uni for three years, get pretty drunk and then pick your degree up at the end of your time there.  I’m afraid that just isn’t the case.

Despite what you might think the path after university is just as tough as any other and you need to be aware of what steps you should take to make sure you make the most of your time after university.

You should know that;

Being First Isn’t Necessary

When you see a job advertised on a website you should necessarily act quickly and fill out an online application to make sure you are one of the first to be considered.

There isn’t a little man at the other end waiting for applications to come flooding in like a radio competition waiting to pick a winner.  It is key to take your time and mull over your answer to make sure your application is as good as it should be.

There Is A Hidden Job Market

That’s right, there is a hidden job market.  It’s not a number of stalls in a dodgy back alley that you need a secret password to get in to.  The hidden job market refers to all the jobs that you won’t find on a career site but instead jobs that manage to advertise themselves through friends, family, newspapers or university for example.

One of the best ways to get a job is to simply get your plans out there and hope for someone to bite - if you tell someone you want to work at a hospital, they might know someone that works at the hospital for example.

You Should Know What To Look For

You should spend some time researching your intended field and place of work to see whether you would feel comfortable working there.  If you just go after the almighty pound without looking at the actual work then you will probably spend the rest of your working life unhappy and that isn’t what anyone wants.

Does you employer care about their employees?  Are there any team-building activities?  Is there any sort of emphasis on team building?  Is there any medical insurance provided?  You should be aware of all of this if possible…

You Shouldn’t Start In A Fury

You shouldn’t get straight to work straight from university working all out, every minute of the day, as hard as you can never letting yourself stop for a breathe.  By doing this you’ll just knacker yourself out and after a short time you won’t be good for anyone or anything.

Instead, don’t be scared to pace yourself - don’t go to slow as you might get fired for under working but don’t work to hard that you drive yourself into a stupor.  Find a healthy balance.

Class of ’09?

Have you just finished university this summer and about to step out into the wide world to look for a job?  Are you nervous about starting your career?  Let us know…

You don’t always need a degree, you know…

From an early age, all we are told is that we need to get through school and find our way to university so we can get a degree and get a good job - don’t worry, you don’t always need a degree to get ahead in life.

Millions of people around the globe climb there way up from school to earn tons of money in prestigious positions.  But which way should you turn after school or college to make sure you land a good job…read on to find out;

Automotive Service Technician

We know them as mechanics, but automotive service technician is such a nicer term - an automotive service technician checks out vehicles and fixes them if necessary.

Today mechanics use anything from spanners to computers to fix vehicles and if you have a car you know they can charge the Earth.

Carpenter

You might associate carpenters with kitchen cupboards and tables but carpenters are also responsible for larger jobs like highways and bridges.

A carpenter creates, installs and repairs structures of all sizes out of a number of different materials such as wood.

Dental Assistant

If teeth are your thing then this is the job for you - you won’t find yourself drilling teeth any time soon but you will be working in the vicinity of the person who does do the drilling so you won’t be short of a bit of action.

Dental assistants do a number of jobs, from sterilising equipment to organising records and preparing the patients, particularly when they are sweating before the dreaded visit.

Fitness Trainer

If you are fit and you love sports then this is the position for you - you spend your days instructing people and leading them in exercise activities and you could find yourself in a number of different settings ranging from hospitals to universities, gyms or even client’s homes.

Manicurist and Pedicurist

Some people can’t live without a creative flare in their life - if you are one of these people then perhaps you should become a nail technician.

You can spend your time grooming and polishing nails on client’s fingers and toes bringing a splash of beauty to everyone that comes to visit…

Restaurant Cook

You won’t be able to slide in to your local Michelin starred restaurant, pop on a chefs hat and call yourself Gordon Ramsay - however, what you will be able to do is start out measuring and cooking ingredients by following recipes.

This is a great position if you find that you like cooking at home and you want to get paid for it - after no time and a lot of hard work you could one day find yourself opening your own restaurant in Paris…

Saying “No” to a degree?

Are you planning on leaving school or college without taking the step to university?  Do you think you could do just as well, if not better, without a degree?  Let us know your thoughts…

Are you crazy?

A Stockholm student took her degree course a little bit too far as she convinced the authorities that she was crazy just to get into a psychiatric hospital for her university degree show.

The student, Anna Odell, created an elaborate fake attempted suicide scenario which saw her being eventually taken to a psychiatric ward.  According to the St Goran’s hospital, Odell put up a fair old struggle as it took 8 hospital staff to restrain her.

Odell found her way up bridge and started screaming out that she was going to take her life by jumping off it.  Witnesses around scrambled to contact the authorities who apparently could barely control the supposedly frantic woman.

However, it didn’t take long to get the truth out of the student, who apparently gave up on the morning after the stunt and was happily kicked out onto the streets.

Wouldn’t we all say that?

According to Odell, the whole scenario was fake and is meant to be part of a larger university project that will be ready in May.

Mind you, the sceptic in me starts to wonder that if I was in a position where I was needing 8 hospital staff to reign me in and was looking at a long old sentence in a psychiatric hospital, I might come up with the same story.

“Disgraceful” says the hospital.

However, the hospital don’t share my views on the matter and are absolutely furious that the whole stunt was carried out.

“It’s not only disgraceful that she used our resources, but what she also did to other patients, the staff - to everyone - is shameless,” commented David Eberhard, the chief physician at the hospital.

“She and the head of her college ought to cut their hair and get real jobs.”  Perhaps their hair isn’t their biggest worry, but thanks go out to the physician for apparently acting on behalf of the fashion police.

A serious waste of resources!

According to the student, however, who is astonishingly 35 years old, is adamant that the world knows that she took the stunt seriously.

“It was well thought through and no joke,” said Odell.

However, some criticism could be thrown at Odell for perhaps taking the stunt a little too far.  Odell was said to have spit at hospital staff who were trying to calm her down and she was eventually given drugs to relax her.

“Shameless” act of indecency.

It’s extremely easy to share Eberhard’s point of view, as the stunt could have taken the emergency services away from serious and legitimate incidents and even in the  hospital it has been reported that a number of other seriously ill patients had to wait as staff tended to Odell.

“Her project is in the same league as paintings of crying children or white horses in the surf.  It’s not only cheeky that she used society’s resources, what she also did to other patients, the staff – to everyone – is shameless,” continued Eberhard.