And for some good news … new online page for graduate job advice

The last few weeks have seen the introduction of a new online source for graduates curious about what direction to head in after their degree. This latest resource will come as useful and reassuring for graduates worried about the narrowing of choices when they leave university in a volatile climate with regards to employment and the economy.

Directgov, the ‘official government website for citizens,’ has added a new links page to its education and university section entitled ‘choices after you graduate,’ warning that “…if you want to prepare for life after graduation while keeping up with your studies, it pays to get organised – and to get the right advice.” This new source adds to an increasing production of information on the Internet, advising anxious students about their options post-Sussex.

‘If you want to prepare for life after graduation while keeping up with your studies it pays to get organised and to get the right advice.’

Evidence suggests that today’s students are becoming increasingly worried about what they are going to do after they finish university and how they are going to cope in a unpredictable employment sector. This concern has increased intensively as the economic troubles around the world worsen, and national governments are unable to ease the financial repercussions of the crisis. The media has also played a large part in increasing anxiety with daily reports claiming that the class of 2009 graduates will be hit the hardest by the recession.

Students have also been provided with various potential solutions to the problem. Carl Gilleard, from the Association of Graduate Recruiters, urges students to take up low-skilled jobs and voluntary work until the job market becomes buoyant once more. The Directgov website joins more optimistic sources of information for students who would like to think their degree qualifies them for a wider range of job opportunities regardless of the economic situation. The Directgov page has an extensive pool of information claiming to alleviate student concerns about the options for graduates, from Internet sources such as the Guardian online graduate education section, the more comprehensive Monster.co.uk, and not forgetting the advice individual universities can give, such as CDEC in Falmer House at Sussex.

The strength of this new online source is that it deals with many different paths out of university, from graduate job options to gap year ideas, and to further postgraduate education advice. It also covers information about TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and advice about starting your own business. Minister for the State for Higher Education, David Lammy said: “Going to university is still and always will be a good investment in your future career, this website will help by providing information on some of the options available to students after they graduate…We’re working with a range of organisations to make sure the information for graduates remains up-to-date and relevant, so students should log on for advice on what to do next.”

This new addition to the increasing amount of advice on offer for near-graduates will come as reassurance for students who have little idea of what to do when they leave university. It is also reassuring to know that in times of economic crisis, the government is aware of the need for comprehensive information for those who are heading off into an unpredictable job market for the first time. These sources remind students that there are still jobs available, especially in the public sector, and that there are still many options for graduates, even in difficult economic times. As always, the best approach is to use these resources to gather as much information as possible to be fully prepared for life after university.