Today I attended an hour long presentation given as part of a one day careers event at the University of Leeds under the slightly cheesy title of 'EXPO11'. I generally find these events fairly depressing experiences and I'm glad to say that today was no exception. Most of the advice given at these events is either couched in so much management/HR speak as to be virtually indecipherable into common English, or is simply so generic as to be merely common sense.
For example, one of the 'expert' point put across by a speaker was that when completing a job application form it is advisable to write a complete answer. Well thanks for that! I was planning on just mashing the keyboard with my fist until I hit the word limit, guess I'll now have to revise my strategy.
Although there were a variety of talks and events available today I could only bare to subject myself to one of them so I elected to attend a 3pm talk being given on applying for careers in the public sector. There where 4 people invited in to speak on this topic, most of them from the local council. What surprised me the most was the lack of any emphasis placed on the key differences on working in a public service career and the for-profit private sector. Indeed, they seemed keen overall to stress the similarities in their style of work! Not once were the virtues public service mentioned, indeed the recent applicants who talked seemed to have simply stumbled into the job as if by accident. There seemed to be a complete obliviousness to the profoundly political nature of their jobs, one lady trumpeted the management of almost total cuts for severely disabled citizens of Leeds as another 'skill' to put on her bloated CV, a mere exercise in technocratic efficiency. Although I am still keen to pursue some sort of public service career, this talk did not instill me with confidence as to the caliber of people I may end up working alongside!
When asked a question about job security in the public sector, something I thought would be a clear benefit to working there, the consensus seemed to be that 2 year contracts were now the norm and this was a good thing as after 2 year any normal person would have mastered their previous role and be looking to move on anyway! I found it truly extraordinary that such limited tenure and security of position could be treated in such a manner. What is in effect a major defeat for public workers and all those interested in working in the profession is now being presented as a victory of dynamism and efficiency, able to maximise the life experiences for all employees involved! Fun times ahead for all concerned no doubt.
As a final point I would just like to mention the giant fucking elephant in the room that seems to rarely crop up at careers events. This is the issue of there being ALMOST NO GRADUATE JOBS OUT THERE WHATSOEVER. One of the pundits today cheerily yelped something today about a 'steadily improving situation' and expressed confidence in all of us finding work. Yeah, well maybe. But it sure doesn't look that way to me! The shitty economic situation really doesn't seem to impact the glossy rhetoric of all these career events, its just as 'blue sky' as it was before, with perhaps an even greater emphasis on cut-throat competition.
Although all undergraduates and postgraduates are endlessly bombarded with mails and flyers to attended these cursed events I honestly don't recommend them. Spend the time doing something worthwhile, like smashing your face into a pebble-dashed wall or actually getting on and doing some reading!
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