When searching for a graduate job, it is likely that you will have some expectations regarding salary, working hours and the type of work involved. Still, how realistic are graduates' expectations of companies compared to the reality of working life in this difficult economic climate?
Recently, research by one of the leading accountancy firms has revealed that the expectation gap is quite large indeed. More than 50% of the graduates surveyed had to adapt their desired requirements to find a job in finance. Also, some graduates thought their job was only short-term and would like to move onto something better, since the actual job had not lived up to its description. This shows that one of the motivating factors for today's graduates is job satisfaction and if they lose interest in the job over time, they are more likely to look for opportunities elsewhere.
It seems that this expectation gap has compounded a problem that employers have been facing recently, which is staff retention. Companies realise that they need to incentivise employees and provide a clearly defined training programme to help young graduates develop into managers one day. This is something that senior staff in companies are focusing attention on, since they realise that when the jobs market improves, there will be greater scope for graduates to move to other employers. Hopefully, by being more transparent about the reality of work in the industry, this will help graduates understand more about whether they will be suited to the company's working culture.
So, how can you address this expectation gap? Well, one of the key things is research. It may seem obvious, but before you apply for a graduate job, read the job description in considerable detail. If only a vague one has been provided, then ask for further information. Remember that the interview is also your opportunity to ask questions to the company, which will help you to discover how flexible the role is in terms of variety of projects or rotations within different departments, for example. If you think it would be better to wait until you have received an offer, then you could also negotiate the terms of your contract then. This will make sure that the job helps to shape your general development.
Overall, you need to do considerable research about graduate jobs to see not only what the entry requirements are, but also the key skills that you need to succeed in that industry in the long-term. A job description on paper is a starting point, but it is also worthwhile discussing the role with people who currently do a similar job, since there is probably nobody better to reveal what the job is really like on a daily basis!
Arnab Datta
Since 1997, GRB have heard of examples of this reality gap between what's advertised and what the job actually involves. It's called marketing and the best way to cut through this is speaking to a graduate who has been through the process. Try speaking to one of your alumni for advice?
