I graduated in a recession too

It wasn’t easy, but it didn’t defeat me either because…

We’re sure many of you woke up to that dreaded BBC News alert this morning where the UK’s freefall into a recession was made official. But, as the headlines suggest, it’s not the first time we’ve been here, and it probably won’t be the last.

It was only 11 years ago that we found ourselves in a not too dissimilar situation, particularly where employment is concerned. But this news must be particularly daunting for our current students and recent graduates as they embark on their job search. But there are many graduates out there who graduated in the last recession, still out there living and thriving in their tale — so naturally, we caught up with some of them to share their journeys, challenges and top tips for our graduating class of 2020;

Meet Alex….

Full Name: Alex Merry
Degree: BSc Sport & Exercise Science
Graduation Year: 2009
Occupation: Public Speaking Coach
Top Tip: Make your career decisions based on what you can learn rather than what you can earn

How did you feel graduating into the financial crisis/recession?
I honestly hadn't given graduating into a recession a second thought. I appreciate that’s not what you would expect to hear, but it’s true. If I dig a bit deeper into why, I’d simply put it down to naivety (ignorance is bliss), and partly the fact that I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do as a career.

What challenges did you face starting out?
My biggest challenge was overcoming the paradox of choice. Working out what I wanted to do when I left university was the first time in my life where there were no constraints. What really helped me, was not building the decision up to be bigger than it needed to be.

Rather than thinking of my next step as the one that was going to determine my whole career, I asked myself, how could I best make use of the next 12 months.

What was your first role when you graduated?
I was a door-to-door charity fundraiser. Little did I know, it turned out to be the best decision I could have made. I learned more about the ‘real world’ in the first 8 weeks of that job, than I have in my whole life.

I learned how to sell a concept, resilience and tenacity. What’s more, the organisation I was working for was a start-up which meant that I grew with the company. Within 18 months I was COO and responsible for over 250 people. Luck, by the way, played a huge part in this turn of events…I was sunbathing outside the library on a ‘revision break’ when someone came up and told me about this charity fundraising opportunity.

What advice do you have for our current students and recent graduates?
Don’t follow the career path that is expected of you, and make your career decisions based on what you can learn, rather than what you can earn. Class of 2020, congratulations on completing a significant, but not necessarily, defining chapter in your life.

While you might be entering the world at a time of uncertainty, if there is any time in your life when you should be taking big risks, it is straight after you’ve graduated.

Meet Andy…

Full Name: Andy Chan
Degree: BSc Geography
Graduation Year: 2009
Occupation: Portfolio & Programme Manager, Highways England
Top Tip: Try and make an informed decision, but you can always change your mind at any time.

How did you feel when you graduated in a recession?
I remember the great time I had at the University of Birmingham as a student. I enjoyed studying Geography, as it equipped me with the transferrable skills towards academia and employment. I had a great social network around me, and I was active in the Chinese Society during my time there. But I graduated in 2009, and during that summer I had to make some big choices about my future direction — should I continue studying for a Master’s, or do I seek employment and start my career? I spent the summer pondering and applied from some postgraduate courses across the country.

At the time, it felt daunting being in a recession because the employment opportunities were limited. So I called firms to ask for their advice and eventually, I made the decision that I was ready for the world of work.

What actions and steps did you take?
In my third year of undergraduate study in 2009, I had visited Careers Network to seek advice on a career in accountancy or the public sector. They provided me with some great advice and mock interviews, but it was a difficult process because I had just graduated. Luckily, I had some summer work experience I had gained from previous years which helped me to get some interviews.

I saw an advert online from a council that was recruiting graduates and apprentices, and attended their open day and was astounded by the number of departments that were recruiting.

It gave me a sense of which departments I would like to work for, and I applied for both graduate and apprenticeship routes. Whilst I did not get the graduate role, I secured an apprenticeship which I started in 2009. I have been working in the public sector ever since, from Local Authority to Chinese community work for the Census 2011 project, the Environment Agency, and now at Highways England.

What advice do you have for our current students?
Ensure you have all your options laid out and make an informed decision, you can always change your mind at any time. I almost went back to studying after my first year of work, but I am glad I stuck at continuing to find new jobs.

Meet Phill…

Full Name: Phill Williams
Degree: BA Culture, Society & Communication (Europe)
Graduation Year: 2008
Occupation: Careers Consultant, University of Birmingham
Top Tip: You have access to invaluable opportunities, make the most of them!

Phill is one of our very own Careers Consultants here at the University of Birmingham, but he was also a 2008 recession graduate who had no clear career plan. Below he shares his own experiences and also shares three key nuggets of advice — from one ‘UoB’ graduate to another;

What did you do and how did you feel after you graduated?
Honestly, I think I buried my head in the sand. Aside from being in a ‘uni bubble’, I grew up in a sleepy village in rural Shropshire and worked part-time in the local shop during vacation periods. I had no real idea of what was going on in the real-world.

I had a state school education and was the first in my family to go to university, so I didn’t really have any close connections to help guide me.

I didn’t attend any career fairs or employer events, and never got that ‘lightbulb moment’ where I figured out what I wanted to do long term.

Fast forward 12 years, and I’m in a fantastic job which I’m really passionate about, but it took me a bit of time to get there, with a few bumps and hurdles along the way.

What advice would you give to 21-year-old Phill/our recent graduates?

The next step, isn’t necessarily the final step

When I graduated, I managed to get myself on a graduate scheme, and whilst it’s not in a similar field as my current role, I learned a huge amount, which has benefitted me in the long term.

All experience is good experience, both in terms of developing skills and knowledge, but also in helping you work out what you are passionate and interested in.

Even if your dream job isn’t accessible at the moment, there will be other opportunities which you can take advantage of, and still counts towards that long-term goal.

Take advantage of opportunities, even if they are not what you had planned

John Krumboltz, a career theorist, developed the concept of ‘planned happenstance’, where career indecision is positive because it allows you to benefit from unplanned or ‘chance’ events.

Whilst undoubtedly a bit scary, this current climate can also be an opportunity to be curious and take advantage of new and exciting adventures, even those you’ve never considered before.

Despite all the negativity caused by the pandemic, there is already a lot of evidence to suggest that some sectors have substantially grown, and new and creative ways to provide services and products to the public are being developed, all of which can provide exciting new opportunities for you to take advantage of.

Make the most of the support available to you

As graduates, especially at the University of Birmingham, you have a range of fantastic support from your careers service — ranging from online resources, one-to-one career advice, opportunities to hear from/talk to employers, access to LinknedIn Learning, mentoring schemes, and so much more. Don’t do what I did, and ignore these great opportunities, especially as you have access to this support even after you’ve graduated. Make the most of them, because you never know what great opportunities may be presented to you that you hadn’t even considered.

What's more, many of our Alumni, like Alex and Andy, are keen to really help students and graduates where they can, so don’t be afraid to reach out, and ask for support, hints, tips and insight.