Anxious Lincoln students fear that a dream job is out of reach thanks to the recession.
Carl Jones, 19, is trying to find himself a career. He says: “So many students are getting all the part-time jobs meaning it is hard for me to find a job to survive.”
“I think it might be due to the fact that there are lots of people in a small city. I have been to recruitment agencies in Lincoln and most jobs require me to be able to drive.”
Many students haven’t had the opportunity to learn to drive yet because of the expense and that further limits their opportunities.
Carl says: “As many of the jobs are office-based they require previous experience, and as I don’t personally have the required knowledge of the area of work, recruitment agencies do not even consider putting me forward for the job.”
Young people say that they are never going to get anywhere if never given the opportunity.
“I feel deflated when I get rejected as I really do want a job and I am incredible eager to learn, but nobody seems to want to give me the opportunity,” Carl says.
“I would consider unpaid voluntary work to gain the experience needed if it was guaranteed in me getting a position within a company.
“However, I would find that very hard to undertake as I don’t have the funds to support myself whilst trying to establish the essential level of experience.”
Young people face many problems in the current economic climate. Without readily-available job opportunities young people must raise their game in order to get a foot in the door of a good company.
Navenby and Branston District and the Cliff Villages independent County and District Councillor Marianne Overton says: “As a mentor I aim to open doors for students, by introducing them to relevant people in a range of companies.”
Students as well as young people need to be able to network as they will then have a better chance in finding their ultimate job. Young adults need to make themselves appear to be unique so that they get the job over other applicants.
Overton backs this up by saying: “Simply having a desire to succeed is a great help!
If applicants do not have the required experience, it can be tedious for them as they will almost continually get rejected. This is why it is so important for 18–25 year old to build up their CVs so that they have the upper hand on other potential applicants.
Overton explains what she looks for on CVs which may give them the opportunity: “Qualifications are important, but it is critical to get good people that you can work with into the team.”
Students at the University of Lincoln can visit the careers service, Opportunities@Lincoln, for help and advice. They can also visit the Jobshop to look for job vacancies targeted at Lincoln students.