For more career advice, visit the Career Energy homepage

I recently heard the chief executive of a large company speaking about his experiences when recruiting new graduates. He said that the difference between this group and previous cohorts is that these days they all want to know what the company is going to do for their own personal development. They are not so much selling themselves as making sure that they are going somewhere which is good for them. He thought this was good, and so do I. (more…)

In a bid to reduce the demand on public funds the CBI are proposing that students personally contribute much more to the costs of their education. Students are arguing that this would result in far fewer people entering higher education. Both sides have a case. However the real issue is not the cost of higher education, but its purpose. (more…)

BT’s announcement that it is to discontinue its graduate training scheme is the latest blow to what is becoming known as the ‘lost generation’. The number of young people (18-24 year olds) not in work or education is now 835,000, one hundred thousand more than even a year ago.
(more…)

The new government funded gap years for graduates are to be welcomed, even if not for the reasons that are being cited in the publicity material. The ad for candidates asks if they feel that everything is “doom and gloom” and suggests that one way of beating the recession will be to volunteer on an overseas scheme, partially funded by a government bursary. (more…)

Yesterday’s announcement of a thousand job losses at the Daily Mail group, is the latest siren waren in the demise of regional newspapers. The decline has been accelerating for years and the industry is surely past the point of no return. But journalism remains a highly popular career choice, amongst both graduates and older career changers who enjoy and would like to write. And a stint on a regional newspaper was always the way to begin a journalism career. So if they disappear altogether, what will be the routes into the profession? (more…)

It was reported yesterday that some law firms are offering their trainees up to £10,000 to defer their training contracts by a year. The reason no doubt being that the firms have less work and cannot keep the trainees gainfully engaged. But given the problems that many young lawyers face, the decision to defer their training shows an astonishing lack of imagination.

(more…)

Final year students across the country are winding down their courses and preparing for their exams and assessments. Over the next few weeks Career Energy will be getting calls from anxious parents, worried about what careers their sons and daughters will go into; a few months later the graduates themselves will ring. And this year the anxiety will be even greater than usual since the recession has greatly reduced the number of available places on graduate training schemes. (more…)