Just finished Uni, What next?

[Scottio200]

Hi

After 4 years of hard work, i have finally finished my degree and i am now in a right pickle over what to do next.

My degree was a Ba in Digital Music Creation with Multimedia, which consisted of creating music digitally, setting up music software and hardware, music theory, music composition, MIDI and Binary, flash and director animations and applications, image manipulation in photoshop and freehand.

Aswell as this i have a BTEC National Diploma in Computers with Networking where i gaind a Distinction/Merit for my final grade (equivalent to 3 A Levels at A Grade). This course taught me how to use many office applicaitons, HTML coding, Networking, Project Management, Computer construction, WAN and LAN construction, Binary and computer mathematics. I also have 8 GCSE's

Now i have finished my degree i really dont know what step to take next, i am currently lookin at going into a graduate role but there is nothing for the music industry and all IT development/web development posts require PHP, MySQL, C/++/#, and many other programming and database skills , of which i have no idea where to start to learn.

I spoke to my Uni's careers service and they said that for a job in music i can basically exspect to work for free for the next 2 years to gain experience and such, which i cannot do as i need to start earning ASAP! My other options are to go for sales or recruitment consultant grapduate programs, however i really dont know what to exspect if i where to successfully apply for a job in this sector, i have 2 years retail and 2 months call centre ecperence but i dont know if that is enough for these rolls.

Does anybody have any advice on what i can do next, none of my family have been to uni and iv nobody to seek advice from.

Cheers
Scottio

[BBK]

Strikes me you have two directions. First, into the games industy doing in-game music. Second, look at web design agencies as a flash developer. Both are simply as "ins" into a company where you can expand into the area you would like.

Of course, there's always the corporate route, where a degree and aptitude is more important than the specific degree components. But honestly, its not half as much fun!

[Unconected]

I don't think that the specifics of your degree will hold you back in the recruitment consultant sector - however - do you want to go down that route? You obviously chose your degree because you enjoyed it - try to further that. Do not run in a different direction because a careers adviser says that you won't be able to get paid for 2 years in the sector. One thing I would advise is to apply to shit loads of jobs though. Just to get your interview technique up.

I've had to use my degree about twice in my job - i think the main thing a degree shows is that you have the ability to learn and undertake new tasks. As long as you did well in your degree, you should be fine.

[Scottio200]

Well 2 weeks on and im no further forward. Applied for a lot of jobs and only had 1 interview which was in London for a Recruitment Consultancy position. Still havent heard anything from them yet.

Im getting called a lot from different recruitment consultant agencys asking me where i want to go next carreer wise. Iv been applying for web design roles and other junior/graduate it roles but im getting nowhere.

1 place wants me to go down to london on thursday for an interview to see if i can be put on their database to find a job! Cant afford anymore travelling down south and my dole application is still being processed

Getting really sick of not working now, and the parents are not likeing it either!! Im even applying for jobs in retail and in call centers now, just to start earning some money, but im getting nowhere with them either!

Scottio

[joey]

you uploaded your CV to monster? as soon as i did i got loads of phone calls everyday from recruitment agencies and got a job within a week. worth a try as you got nothing to lose really. then again im a 1st compSci grad from a redbrick uni living in london so was quite easy to get a job. i asked my other mates to do the same and they got a few job interviews lined up in the north.

worth a shot anyway

[Scottio200]

had my CV on monster and reed for a long time, keep it updated but still have had nothing from them

Scottio

[flumperino]

Pretty lame advice mate, but something that possibly might help you is if you try and ensure applying for permanent jobs.

Only say that as July, unfortunately, is a really bad time for job hunting, as every 16-21 year old in the country at college or uni is currently looking for a summer job. I'm sure you've already stipulated it to potential employers, but if you just ensre that they know you're looking for long term work it might help a little.

All I got, sorry.

[procode]

Only one person in fifty gets a job directly connected to their degree my friend ..

Just as leaving school, any certificates you have, are treated as evidence of your ability to learn - absolutely NOTHING MORE ..

But surely, after going through a final year at Uni, you must know that now .. ??

Some of the subjects taught are very 'thin', but allow you another item on your CV ..

A good degree can only guarantee you the interview, and soon, you'll need a Masters (BA), to guarantee that .. !!

Could you go back to Uni for two more years .. ??
As has been mentioned already here, thousands of leavers are looking for jobs, and shortlists will only contain the better qualified applicants, such as the BAs ..

Either way, I'd be getting in touch with one of the Independant TV companies, all of which will have strong connections to bands, or even the BBC, if you don't mind traveling ..

If you were fortunate enough to get on with one of those companies, you'd also stand a good chance of getting a wage, and the chance of furthering your education ..
Better than a job selling (with the greatest of respect to those able enough to make headway in sales), I would have thought my friend ..

IDEALLY:
A little late to inform you of this I know, but your 'Careers Official' should have sorted this out with you in the formative years at Uni (1st or 2nd Yr) ..
Where, and doing what, did you spend your placement .. ??
That's 'Year Out' (away from University, supposed to be working hard), to those reading this, but have forgotten, or sadly, never got the opportunity ..

From the way you speak, I can understand that you may have tried to complete your course more quickly, by missing out your 'Year Out', which you should have been advised AGAINST..

The 'placement' year, gives you an opportunity to show an employer what you can do ..
Ideally, after your year out, you 'should' return to Uni with a firm job offer, and/or a sponsor ..

In some cases, which I would certainly NOT advise, students are pursuaded, by the placement company, to comence working for them immediately - without completing their education ..

Whatever you decide to do my friend, I'm sure that, everyone here, wishes you well ..

Procode ..

[Fusen]

here is an idea, call Dr Emmett, go back in time and don't choose to do such a shitty degree

, lol only joking

[blacksheep]

you'll need a Masters (BA)

I may be wrong here but I was under the impression that a BA was a Bachelor of Arts, which isn't a masters.

[DJAd]

Does anybody have any advice on what i can do next,

Give yourself a pat on the back then have a fucking nice holiday my boy

[QfanatiQ]

When i was beig contaced by agancies i was doing more telep[hone talk.

Two paid for me to travel to london to see them. They were the serious ones and they in fact came accross with good jobs that i lieked the soudn of (clearly spelling was not an issue!!)

I think the first post regarding computer game music and the like may suit you well. Look in the back of Edge, Game and of those mags.

Get some soudn adviuce on your CV and tailor is PER application (if you are applying direct)

I woudl go onto a the website of the company i was interested in and tailor my CV to suit. If i could not then i would tailor my coverign letter to say i want to move toweards this sector and get experieince here (here being thier expertise)

Do not be put of by how many CV's you send and replies you get.

I sent out 90 and had 3 interviews when i started looking. I was told this was good and i was lucky....

Also (perhaps) when the agencies ask you what you want, reverse the question and see what they think is available to you with your credentials and see if there is anythign there that suits.

Good luck

Q

[/dev/null]

I may be wrong here but I was under the impression that a BA was a Bachelor of Arts, which isn't a masters.

Correct - MA is master of arts, MSc master of science etc.

[Andy Poobar]

Just been through this for the last 4 months, although I got my degree 12 years ago so have the experience bit behind me now.

But anyway, the only 2 pieces of advice I can really give are

1. Get your CV looked at, if it is even slightly bad in grammer, spelling or looks you ain't got a hope.
2. If you live a long way from London and are applying for jobs there you need to put something on the cover letter to say that you are moving down there etc. I live about an hour outside of Toronto and was getting nowhere because people thought I wasn't serious about the job so just binned me.

And to re-itterate the first point a bit more. The average recruitment consultant will look at a resume for the first time for 15 seconds. If they don;t like it in that time your bined.

It's a long heard slog but will be worth it in the end.

Last thought though, if you go into sales, or something you don't want to be in, then when it comes to moving on. You STILL have no experience in the field you want but are now out of practice.

All the best and I hope you come up trumps soon.

[Scottio200]

Well got my results today and got a Third

Hoping to resit a module i failed to make it a 2:2 but still not as good as i hoped

Things are getting worse and worse

Scottio

[/dev/null]

Don't want to put you down or anything but I'm sure once a university has awarded a degree class then that's it - you can't resit etc in the final exams?

[Matas]

Well got my results today and got a Third

Hoping to resit a module i failed to make it a 2:2 but still not as good as i hoped

Things are getting worse and worse

Scottio

The way to take it is on the chin mate, its not worth getting all wound up over what has been. I didnt even finish my degree, and had been fecking about for about 5-6 years doing any shitty jobs I could find, till in the end I was making good money as a salesman for the last couple of years. Now I am doing something I like, the sales paid well, but was a bit of a brainf**ck. Last thing you want to do is let your head down, worst case scenario all this is for you is a setback. Happened to a mate of mine, she expected better grades, ended up working a couple of years whilst applying for postgrad positions and is now back in the saddle.
Good luck.

[Andy Poobar]

Just out of curiosity and to possibly make it worse (Sorry!)

But when I did my degree, if you failed a module on an Honours degree then you instanty lost the Honors status.
The only bit of good news is that you can retake an ENTIRE YEAR. Not just a module.
But it will solve your what to do next for the next 12 months!!

[Midnight_Toker]

Well I got a 3rd mate in Multimedia Systems (with Honours, thanks to the 'year out') and I managed to grab a shitty job within a month working in a lab... One day, the database system we were using fell over, I took a look, fixed the thing and within a month I was working in the IS dept (also had a job interview with Autotrader as a web designer in the same week as I started there).. Within a year I got a transfer to head office in Amsterdam working on an IS project (which is quite possibly the most stressful job I have ever done) and earning a fair few Euros doing something I'm trained to do... Now not saying that will work in all sectors, but it's important to not get bogged down and lose sight of what you have.

Did you do a placement year mate?? I managed to swing a job in IBM for a year, and this is what gets me into interviews......

[Scottio200]

Just out of curiosity and to possibly make it worse (Sorry!)

But when I did my degree, if you failed a module on an Honours degree then you instanty lost the Honors status.
The only bit of good news is that you can retake an ENTIRE YEAR. Not just a module.
But it will solve your what to do next for the next 12 months!!

Because the module was an option i (was forced to take) took, it didnt matter as long as i got 340 credits and a average of over 40% (i had 49.55%, .45% off a 2:2)

But been talking to a few mates from course, 1 had a wrong degree (2:2 but should be a 2:1), one failed but cant see how when he has the right amount of marks to pass the module and others have been complaining about dodgy results/feedback.

Im going to send an e-mail to my course leader as the 2 i failed (got 1 compensated) had the same mark, but i know i passed the first parts of each really well (both where worth well over passing entire module) Something is wrong i think.

Did you do a placement year mate?? I managed to swing a job in IBM for a year, and this is what gets me into interviews......

Didnt do a placement, as the placement officers couldnt find me a suitable place to go and it was too late to do anything once they got intouch. I know i should have been looking myself, but we where assured that the placement office has stuff for the music students and we would all get at least an interview for em (did we bollocks)

Scottio