Last week’s graduation ceremony at the University of Wolverhampton officially marks the end of the undergraduate student life and the leap towards employment writes job-seeking blogger Ioana Lazarov.

This event has led me to wonder how the 2010 Psychology graduates are faring in this tough economic climate and through the uncertain future of this field as a scientific and academic topic.

For graduates seeking their first stints in employment, placements or volunteering positions, prospects appear bleak – many employers now require at least one year of experience in a similar paid position, whilst others are point-blank refusing to consider 2010 graduates.

As you need a degree classification of 2:2 to join the British Psychological Society and be able to work within the field, this makes it extremely difficult for recent graduates to gain the experience that employers require..

And without the paid work experience employers require, there does not seem to be much hope for thousands of 2010 graduates.

As a result, many students are opting to invest in postgraduate education instead.

Personally, I have found the transition from university to finding employment within mental health to be a challenging path.

Although I have over 11 years of employment experience, in addition to volunteering and charity work, it is difficult to even make the shortlists for the very limited number of positions available.

In my opinion, the current high rates of unemployment amongst university graduates may be a result of not only the competition of graduates from more prestigious universities and post-doctorate students, but also the lack of funding for research and psychology related positions which hasn’t been helped by the recession.

It means that there are fewer jobs being advertised, which makes for much stronger competition.

So for those determined to win a job in the sector, it is essential to make each application as strong as possible – fortunately there are plenty of resources online to help.

For example, the Express and Star’s recent Live Q+A: CV Clinic included professional advice and coaching on CV’s and covering letters, career path and job application – all useful information for a job-seeker.

The tips offered by the panel of experts helped me to understand what employers really pay attention to and how to secure that all important interview.

These days, being able to use these services effectively could make the difference between employment and unemployment.

Months can easily pass without much luck on the career front, so it’s important to be able to identify the shortcomings that employers notice and may cause them to reject your application.

As a job-seeker, I am always willing to try out a different approach, seek guidance and advice on how to progress towards obtaining my dream job – I hope that soon all of these career efforts will be rewarded.

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