Trends in Graduate Employment Opportunities

Trends in Graduate Employment OpportunitiesINTRODUCTIONTo be employed is to be at risk, to be employ commensurate is to be bear (Hawkins 1999).Today profession is no longer a form of security system because of the ever changing nature of the thrift, the progress toplace and the changing needs of employers. If graduates atomic number 18 to attain physical exertion, retain their positions in the work place and move up the c atomic number 18er ladder, they need to continuously cave in themselves professionally and build on their employability skills they need to have a plan.This report interrogationes graduate opportunities in the strain administration/Management sector. Business administration is utilize as a synonym for focusing. Administration is frequently seen as paperwork and form-filing, but it reaches much than astray than that to encompass the coordination of all procedures that en adequate to(p) a product or swear out(p) to be delivered, to aimher with keepi ng of records that asshole be checked to expose errors or opportunities for improvement. (Business Administration 2009).This sector was chosen because the looker is pursuing a Bachelor of arts degree in Business Administration and aspires to chi open firee exactly what is required to become employable.The inquiryer plans to fulfill this aspiration by first identifying key put downing regarding this sector in terms of ecumenic employment trends and graduate opportunities, the employability skills establishments expect from graduates and the enlisting and selection orders utilise by organisations. The query methods used to accomplish the former is explained in detail in the methodology variance of this report.Second, the findings of the question in terms of the employability skills atomic number 18 thence matched a murderst a personal epitome of the researcher and a gap analysis and cargoner challenge plan formulated.Finally the report concludes with the researcher r eflecting on what was learnt from the research get laid and the usefulness of the go action plan for the future day.occupational RESEARCHThis areaitioning of the report come throughs a factual reflection of the findings from the research conducted on graduate opportunities in the Business administration/ steering sector. scathe of ReferenceThis report researches graduate opportunities in the Business administration/management sector. Through a process of factual and personal reflection it provides information on how can graduates in this field of operations can increase their employability and tradeability done personal and professional development. The report is required to show severalise of the research used for reflection.MethodologyThis report is based on secondary research carried out among February and March 2011. The researcher aims to gather factual with-it information on graduate opportunities in the Business administration/management sector in the following ar gonasGeneral employment trends.Opportunities for modern graduates.The skills cognition and dumbfound required from graduates by employers.How graduates argon recruited and selected.The researcher knack out to use the case study method for research as this method allows the researcher to investigate a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident, and in which multiple sources of evidence are used (Yin, 1989). However due to difficulties faced in finish interviews with companies chosen for the case studies and the coarse number of incomplete questionnaires returned, the researcher had no choice but to complete the report with the use of secondary research only. Using the limited information attained would have compromised the accuracy, reliability and lustiness of the report. Time constraints pr stock-stillted the researcher from setting up interviews with other companies and it would have been un ethical for the researcher to force respondents to complete the questionnaire or to fabricate information.Thus a wide range of secondary research from academic sources were used much(prenominal) as journal articles, books, craft databases, parvenuespapers, ready iticrafts and vocation websites and general job and specialist websites.For general employment trends in this sector not only articles were used but up to date statistics as well from reliable sources (The fall in States Depart of crunch, Bureau of Statistics) to maintain accuracy. tuition for employment opportunities were found in general in job and career websites.The summary provided on the skills, retireledge and experience required from graduates and the recruitment and selection methods was based on online research from sestet organisations in several(predicate) sectors ranging from large enterprises to not for profit organisations. Although connection websites provided the mass of information for this section they were not the only source used.The researcher is alive(predicate) of the limitations of secondary research such(prenominal)(prenominal) as inaccuracy and out of date information, but the researcher attempted to counteract this by using reliable sources such as journals and databases and sites that provided up to date information and national statistics.Main FindingsThis section of the report provides key information regarding the Business administration/management sector. Whether the diligence is expanding or contracting is vital information for graduates as this directly affects the involve for jobs in fields within the sector. With this be intimateledge graduates will be able to tally informed decisions, for example, to choose a career in a field that is maturation and not declining. In addition, graduates will be able to reflect on their knowledge, skills and experience after gaining information on the employability skills employers are under submiting, there by providing them the probability for professional development in areas needed. Furthermore, being true of the recruitment and selection intrusts employed by organisations allows graduates to prepare themselves to get the job they desire.General employment trends in this sectorAdministration and Management are extremely broad areas and graduates seeking employment in this sector can get jobs in the untroubleds-producing industries such as manufacturing and construction or the service-providing industries such as health care, education and administrative and support run. let out section 2.2.2 page 9, figure 3 for a list of graduate jobs in this sector. harmonise to the United States subdivision of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in goods-producing industries has decompositiond since the 1990s. Although oerall employment is expected to change little, projected growth among goods-producing industries varies considerably. See Figure 1.This is in contrast to servi ce producing industries the shift in the U.S. economy away from goods-producing in favor of service-providing is expected to continue. Service-providing industries are anticipated to amaze approximately 14.5 million new wage and salary jobs. (United States Department of Labor 2010). See Figure 2. consort to these industry trends, graduates who choose jobs in the maturation service industry are expected to have a long-run career as opposed to those in goods- producing industry.Industry growth or decline will affect the demand for occupations. Thus if an industry is growing for example the health and services industry then graduates who gain employment in this industry will be able to move up the career ladder from perhaps a junior health executive director to a senior health administrator. However if the manufacturing sector is on the decline then entering this industry as a junior performance manager may not be wise as the placement may be short lived through retrenchment or l ayoffs.Statistics make kn fuck off in that employment in management occupations project to grow slowly over the projection period 2008-18, increasing by 5 percent, an addition of 454,300 new jobs and office and administrative support occupations expect to grow by 8 percent, adding 1.8 million new jobs by 2018. (United states Department of Labor 2010).Another recent trend is the demand for graduates from Small and spiritualist Sized Enterprises (SMEs). There are an estimated 4.8 million SMEs in the United Kingdom (UK) employing 23.1 million mass with a combined annual turnover of 3000 billion. (Kewin et al 2010). Thus, graduates who do not deal to work in large unified have an option and opportunity to work in a different atmosphere as compared to the past. alike in recent socio-economic classs, there has been an increased interest in employability skills by employers. A degree alone is not enough. Employers are looking for more than scantily technical skills and knowledge of a degree discipline. They particularly lever skills such as communication, aggroup working and problem-solving.(Jones, D 2005).In addition, the methods used to advertise jobs are overly changing. In the past, it was common for advertisements to be in newspapers, career magazines, career services under universities and spread by watchword of mouth. However, due to increased engine room organisations are putting advertisements on employment websites and using online recruitment agencies. By the click of a button, graduates can approach shot and explore a range on different job opportunities and career information locally and globally as well as sacrifice online for jobs instead of the handed-down way by post or hand delivery.Furthermore, there are changes in the methods used for graduate recruitment and selection. Socio economical and political changes as well as developments in information applied science have all led to the introduction of new and more modern methods of r ecruitment and selection. (Sackett Lievens 2008 cited in Brianne, M 2008).The roles employers expect graduates to perform are also changing. For example, earlier, the role of the secretary was limited to taking notes from their heads, typing and storing information. However, with the advent of technology in companies and offices, the secretary duties have extended to things that are for the professional and managerial staff. (Kartha, D 2010).Additionally, because the world is now becoming a global market place some occupations require graduates to have a second speech as they will be communicating with clients worldwide, for example a gross sales manager or executive administrative assistants and secretaries.Graduates may have certain skills, interests and objectives, however, they need to take into consideration these industries and employment trends so they can make informed decisions regarding their career choice. The following section will now debunk the range of opportuniti es getable to graduates.2.3.2 Opportunities for recent graduatesAll organisations, large or slight and across all sectors need administrators, managers and administrative support staff. Thus, graduates can get jobs in the public, private and not for profit sectors, in large corporate and in SMEs. In fact, if graduates do not want to choose the traditional graduate management route self-employment, franchising or branch management could be what they are looking for. Fig 3 shows a list of careers available in this sector.Figure 3. SourceUniversity travel Center. KUCareerHawk.comThe role graduates perform would calculate on the organization they are working for in terms of the sector, the organization structure and culture and the attractership styles within the organization. For example in large organisations graduates may perform routine structured roles in a special(prenominal) area of the job example finance as compared to Small and Medium sized Enterprise (SMEs) who duties m ay be unstructured and graduates will be involved in all aspects of the organisations work.Employers advertise graduate employment opportunities in newspapers, career magazines and through university career services. However, the most popular form of announce today is on company and university websites, online recruitment agencies and graduate jobs and career services websites such as targetjobs.com.The next section provides information active the employability skills employers seek from graduates.2.3.3 The skills, knowledge and experience requiredLeaving university with a Bachelor Arts degree in Business administration is important in attaining a job in the graduate employment market, however it is not enough. According to Carl Gilleard Chief Executive, Association of Graduate Recruiters twenty-first century graduates need to attest to employers that they can hit the ground running. In addition to working effortful to gain a good degree, students should engage in extracurricula r activities and obtain work experience in order to develop skills that will make them better prepared for the world of work. It is also important for students to become self- cognisant and develop the confidence to market themselves effectively when the time comes to apply for jobs. (target jobs.com) away from the formal qualifications of a degree which was strongly desired by five-spot of the six organisations researched employers required graduates to have at least one category experience in the field. In terms of skills, commercial knowingness skills, battalion skills, enthusiasm and motivation and communication skills were deemed to be the most important.The section that follows provide information on recruitment and selection processes used by organisations.2.3.4 How graduates are selectedGraduate recruitment and selection is a process of searching for and obtaining emf job applicants from graduates in sufficient quantity and quality so that employers can select the most suitable candidates to fill in their job vacancies .(Beardwell et al., 2004). In practice there is no one best way or commonly agreed procedure on how to recruit and select graduates because different employers have different recruitment and selection methods depending on their operations, size and needs. (Sackett and Lievens, 2008).According to the employers in the organisations researched they preferred to recruit graduates through online methods, example via milkround. Other methods sometimes used are recruitment brochures, recruitment fairs this method was very popular, recruitment agencies, and to a lesser extent newspapers and magazines.The selection process has changed as organisations are not only using interviews as a means of selecting individuals. In order for individuals to display their knowledge, skills and abilities the use of assessment centers was most popular in large organisations. The smaller organisations that do not have assessment centers set up used aptitude and psychometric tests.PERSONAL REFLECTIONThis section of the report is based on a personal analysis which is matched against the findings of the research. A career action plan is then developed to for future use. individualised AnalysisDrew and Bingham (2001) define reflection as looking support on experience and making gumption of it to identify what to do in the future. The following skills were indentified after I did a personal reflection.Communication skillsI enjoy working with people of all ages and backgrounds. At work I have experience in training On the Job Trainees( OJTs) via workshops and in my second year at the University of the West Indies I coached students on a weekly basis for two modules for a period of six months. I communicate with the public on a daily basis and this has enabled me to modify my skill in this area.Presentation SkillsI have experience in giving presentations to small groups in the first two years at university as some of the modules were partly presentation based. Assignment based presentations has allowed me to develop the use of clear and concise language, good planning and organisation and good interaction with the audience.Other SkillsMy work experience throughout the years enabled me to gain extensive experience in the area of customer service. My first part time job in a fast food eating house as a customer service worker has developed my team building skills. I was promoted to team leader in one year time and I was awarded for having outstanding enthusiausm and motivation skills. As a writing table I was involved in the preparation of correspondence, reports, plans and budgets. Multitasking was a skill I learnt as a telephone operator whereby I handled six next lines with 40 extensions transferring calls to department heads. The position I currently hold requires me to work in a fast paced, hectic environment so I am capable of handling multiple tasks at once. I know how to prioritize job assignments, work indepe ndently and interdependently and resolve problems on my own as well as part of a team. I am very organized and detailed oriented. I am the project leader for all incoming projects because I possess good motivation skills and organisational skillsCV Covering LetterAppendix is a cover letter and CV prepared in response to a job nullity recently advertised in the Public service sector as a Business Operations Assistant.Gap AnalysisAfter conducting research and conducting a personal analysis I have matched all the skills needed excepting commercial certified(p)ness skills. I have plenty experience in the Administration field and I am in the process of obtaining my degree. unconnected from theses knowledge skills and experience, I have hands on experience in typing but lack a formal authentication, which are oftentimes requested by organisations.Lack of education in terms of possessing a foreign language has continuously restricted me from taking advantage of opportunities I woul d like to apply for. Many times I see a job advertised and I have all the qualification and experience except the ability to speak a foreign languageCareer Action PlanThe definition most often used for technical Awareness is by Christopher Stoakes in his excellent book All You claim to Know about Commercial Awareness. He statesAt heart, commercial awareness is about being able to talk to clients, finding out what they want, wherefore they want it, what they will do with it and what they are prepared to pay, and then delivering it in the way they want. To do that you need to understand how organisations work, the issues they face and the role of people within them.To increase my commercial awareness skills I qualify to read not only the newspaper articles but also published business magazines as well. When applying for jobs I also intend to research the company and even prepare a SWOT analysis of the company for two reasons. maiden to let the interviewer know that I have extensi ve knowledge of the company enabling me a better chance of getting the job and second, to know if the company is one I would really like to work for. Furthermore, I intend to buy the book All You Need to Know about Commercial Awareness by Christopher Stoakes it is selling on Amazon for just $24.27.I have located a business school that offers a short var. on typing. The duration is 3 months part time. I intend to take this course as a next measuring stick to developing my skills. Having achieved this will better position me to apply for those jobs that require the certificate in typing.Spanish and French are two popular foreign languages, however because I live in the Caribbean Spanish is more often requested by employers. A local university offers introductory intermediate and advance(a) levels in Spanish courses. The total duration for all three separate is one year part time. As a part of the course the university in the final stage takes a trip to a Spanish speaking country t o give students practical experience in the field in real live settings. I also intend to take this course. Appendix 3 is a summary of a career action plan I developed.CONCLUSIONHaving completed this exercise has made me aware of available opportunities I never knew existed in this sector. Having knowledge of the recent trends and developments and future trends in this sector will now enable me to make more informed decisions when applying for positions in the job market.Also I was not aware of commercial awareness skills until I did this report, I never even knew that a skill like this existed. Furthermore identifying my strong and weak areas gave me a sense of self fulfillment and now I know exactly what travel I had to take to develop them.Drawing up a career action plan allows me to see exactly how long it will take me to achieve my career goals and I am enthusiastic to start. I intend to continuously keep up to date with trends in the sector and always keep updating my career action plan. I am extremely happy that I did this module. It really helped me personally and professionally.REFERENCESBeardwell, I., Holden, L. and Claydon, T. (2004), Human Resource Management, quaternate ed., Prentice Hall, Harlow.Business Administration (2009). 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