Employer Power

by Helen Williamson

After visiting the university for a few days recently, I was asked if students' inquiries had centred on any particular theme. They had. Almost without exception the students I saw expressed fears of not being able to obtain jobs after Finals. Some were even looking ahead as far as 1974. Many had not made a decision whether they would continue their studies to Honours or Master's level and were seeking advice as to whether it would help them get a job if they were to do so.

Well - what are the answers? So far as the public sector is concerned, I believe that the normally high intake of graduates will be maintained but probably not increased. But with more students completing each year, the implications for future graduates are obvious and unwelcome. Even students completing in the next year or two cannot afford to be complacent. They are already in a competitive market in which their ability to choose from a wide range of jobs is diminishing. The employer, on the other hand, is in a better position now than ever before and can be selective to the extent of looking closely at the composition of, and grades achieved in, the degrees available to him.

The question of whether to continue study beyond Bachelor's level is one on which I always hesitate to advise individual students If you simply want to gain more knowledge for its own sake, there can be no disputing its value to you. However, if you ask me the question "Will further study guarantee me a job?", I can give you only this simple advice:

First, establish fairly firmly in your own mind the type of career you would like to embark on.

Second, find out by telephone or letter whether such jobs are available.

Third, seek the advice of prospective employers as to the advantages or otherwise of another year or two at university. In some careers it will help; in others it will not.

Most of you, however, are probably concerned with the careers available to you with a Bachelor's degree. I cannot emphasise too strongly that you should make your inquiries early. It costs you nothing to ask an employer what his needs are, and it could save you a lot of pain.