How to Increase the Value of Your Degree

There is quite a dilemma when it comes to careers these days. There are so many very well-qualified and often knowledgeable people – and not as many jobs to go around. This means that there is a significant impact on the economy, as joblessness creates economic uncertainty – which can then exacerbate the problem further.

This particularly affects young people. Many young students come out of university every year and look to make an immediate impact on their careers; however it’s not that simple with such a flooded job market. Due to this flood, the problem is that many employers only look for young people with certain kinds of degrees, regardless of whether they are particularly talented in another specific area.

Employers look for people with STEM degrees. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. These degrees are considered the hardest to achieve, and therefore they make graduates stand out in the job market. The humanities subjects are very much negatively affected by this, and it’s not exactly fair but the perception is that humanities are subjects in which it is easier to obtain a qualification and also that they don’t have the necessary logic or meticulousness in them.

It’s unfair, but a lot of students will not be able to walk into their dream job right out of university. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but an English student looking to be a book reviewer right off the bat will probably struggle – and therefore, you need to consider other options if you want to make a living.

Okay, so you’re out of university and you’ve had a lot fun. You’ve made some friends, learnt a lot and expanded your mind studying a subject your love. You try and find a job related to that subject, but those jobs are few and far between so it’s an uphill struggle – and most of them don’t get listed because they’re so competitive that they’re filled without even having to advertise.

So, after a while your bank balance doesn’t look good and you’ve still got student debts to start paying off. Maybe you take a job in a bar or restaurant serving customers just to fill the gaps, but it’s unskilled and wages aren’t great – it’s a shame, but it’s only temporary you say. There are many people in this situation.

The trick is to choose a field that is going to pay better, and also one that you love. The reality is, these days, that there is less of a value put on academic degrees and an enhanced value put on skills or experience. Which means that degrees aren’t quite enough – however, there are many different ways you can add to your degrees worth and increase the chances of getting a well-paying job that you love.

You need to make sure that you choose a field that you love, or at least interested in, so there’s going to be a need for quite a significant bit of soul searching. Try listing all the potential areas you find interesting and work from there. It’s quite a simple way of narrowing down the options. You can start from very broad options, for example if you’re interested in the environment then think about a career related to this – something like conservation or even waste management perhaps.

Are you interested in history? Then consider a career in publishing where you will be around books on various topics and can indulge your interests. The best advice is to think relatively short term, and realistically. Rock star, movie star and professional sportsman aren’t very realistic – especially after university. So put those kinds of jobs on the back burner, just consider them more of a hobby for the time being.

So once you’ve chosen a realistic field then you need to consider how best to increase the value of your degree by adding to it. There are a couple of great ways to do this.

The first way to really enhance your value in a particular field is to gain experience. Experience is the number one thing that employers look for. It’s unfortunate, but as a student or a graduate – you don’t have much or even any experience.

If you’re a currently a student, you should consider working over the summers. It’s quite tempting to just sit around and do nothing, after all you’ve been in a stressful situation studying and aren’t ready for the beginning of a career yet – however, it doesn’t stop you laying the foundations and making a move before you leave. It’s a great way to cut down the it time it takes after your degree to build up experience and therefore the amount of time it takes to get a job.

It’s wise to consider internships, especially if you’re still a student, because even though they are usually unpaid you can gain some valuable experience which looks good to potential employers. Of course, you might not be offered a job after an internship, which is another good reason to do them during the summers as a student because you’re not too concerned with getting a job if you’ve got a year of study. Current students should consider internships as opposed to low-paying unskilled jobs, because they will have more value in the longer term.

Internships vary widely depending upon the industry. Some companies offer extensive paid internships that more or less guarantee a job, however these are very hard to get. Media and digital industries have a big internship culture, so if you’re interested in this area that’s a good place to look for internships. Some jobs require a different form of experience before you even begin an internship or apprenticeship – training.

You might roll your eyes at this after 3, or perhaps more, years of studying, but it’s very important. University is fantastic for evolving your mind and expanding the way you think about things – but unless you’ve done a very scientific degree, you’ve probably not developed any truly exceptional skills.

Skills are important because it sets you apart from others – if they don’t have a skill that you have they will not be able to perform those tasks properly. Training for a skill is a fantastic way to get a job, because it gives you a use – anyone can wax lyrical about Shakespeare, only certain people can wire an electrical socket or fix plumbing. So it’s definitely worth considering.

There are many areas of training you could pursue, so it’s worth thinking about quite seriously. The fantastic thing about training, as opposed to studying, is that you can gain a very valuable qualification in less time than a university course (it shouldn’t be more than a few months) and at less of a cost. It’s normally hundreds as opposed to thousands. Plumbing, electrical work, plastering, tiling, bricklaying, carpentry, gas installation, solar PV maintenance, tiling or even general decorating skills are very valuable and will help you get a job.

Of course, you will normally be paying for this kind of training. However, there are often specialised apprenticeship programs that allow you to earn a small amount whilst you train for free – however these are very competitive and usually not given to university graduates. Once trained, you can search for a job and demonstrate that you have something useful to give a new employer.

It’s very easy to get downhearted when your job search is not going very well, but the reality is you need to maintain a positive attitude and be proactive to get a job. Checking job listings daily is excellent, but you need to make sure you apply for them with enthusiasm – and why stop there? If there’s a company you really want to work for, go to their office and see them.

Drop of your C.V. in person and just say hello – it’s much more likely they will bear you in mind for the future if they don’t have any jobs available. All in all, you need to be honest about the assessment of your skills – if you can’t add value to an employer just yet, you need to work on yourself. It’s a shame it’s such a challenge to find work these days, but unfortunately that is the reality. Stay calm, stay humble, be confident in your abilities and always seek to improve yourself and you can’t go wrong.

Thanks for reading, if you’d like to read more about finding a job and careers then why not take a look at my other Instructable – A Few Simple Steps To Start Your Career. I’d love to know what you think, so please feel free to comment below – I write on a wide range of subjects, so why not follow me on Twitter for all the latest news and updates? @JeffNevil.