Focus group

During the project we will be running a series of three focus groups to discuss the results of the questionnaire and alumni interviews.

Two focus groups were convened during May.  The aim of the focus groups was to discuss the results of the activities undertaken so far; in this case the alumni panels and talks and the results of the survey.

Membership of the focus groups was not restricted and participants were drawn from undergradute and postgraduate-taught cohorts on a self-selecting basis.

In the first part of the session, each group was given some background information on the project and asked what they thought of our activities to date (addressing the first research question - what is the impact of our current employability activities where alumni have an input?)  They were then asked a general question (about their concerns about finding a job) to get them talking to each other and thinking about their employability.

In the second part of the session, Group A was asked to consider the second research question:

• Are there any ways in which our alumni can help to raise the aspirations and enhance the employability of our students that we are failing to exploit effectively?

And Group B was asked to consider the third research question:

• Where within the student life-cycle can we make best use of alumni?

Group A (Wednesday 9 March 2012)

"In the future, you will need to go out and get a job".  Thinking about the process of applying for jobs, what are you most concerned about?

• The competitive nature of the industries I want to go to.
• the current economic climate.  It is so much harder to get a job during an economical crisis.
• The fact that there are a lot of people in the same situation as me: its is hard to market yourself as 'special' when everyone has the same qualification as you: or worse, they have better or higher qualifications.
• Whether I should carry on and get a Masters, or another more vocational qualification such as doing an IT course, improving my computer-based skills and knowledge.  What other qualifications will make me stand out from other potential candidates?
• Going for the wrong job - something I am unsuitable for, or dont know enough about.
• Do employers think some degrees are softer than others i.e. is a degree in English or Film perceived by employers to be less valuable than Maths or some kind of science?
• My degree.  I think there is a lack of confidence in students who do BA's or MA's; I would feel more confident 'selling' a BSc or an MSc to an employer.
• Overall, there is a lack of good advice about the job market: what kind of work can I do?

Are there any ways in which our alumni can help to raise the aspirations and enhance the employability of our students that we are failing to exploit effectively?

• The current offering - alumni panels, talks, web profiles - is good; the career panels are especially helpful.
• There is a lot to take in at this stage (I am finishing my degree at the moment) and I don't really have time to think about alumni - access to informaiton after my degree would be useful.
• Being able to talk to alumni, one-on-one would be useful to me, so I could ask specific questions.
• I like the idea of 'shadowing' an alumni, although I worry that it might be a bit weird for the alumni.
• A 'working lunch' could be good - a chance to talk to alumni about their jobs one-to-one, but to talk to several at the same event.
• I would like to see an alumni network.  Facebook group, Linked-in group, something similar where I could get in touch with alumni who have done the same degree as me.
• A database of alumni to see if a career path is relevant and to ask non-mainstream questions would be great.

• Mentoring is something I am interested in, but I would need to know more about how it would work.

Group B (Friday 11 May 2012)

"In the future, you will need to go out and get a job".  Thinking about the process of applying for jobs, what are you most concerned about?

• Just the unavailability of jobs - I keep looking and there just doesn't seem to be that much out there.
• I am struggling to find vacancies in my specific field.  I want to write for TV or Film and getting experience is really hard because I cannot find the opportunities.
• Lack of relevant experience - I have tried to get myself some experience, I do volunteering, I've been into schools, I did a placement over the summer, but I don't think much of what I have done is useful for the job I want to go into.
• Feeling that I need an extra string to my bow ie an MA rather than BA, to make me stand out from the crowd.
• I worry about not having a network.  You always hear about the importance of networking; you need connections to get on in the current job market and I don't have them.
• I think that my time management may let me down.  I am working part-time to get me through my degree; there is a difference between 'work' and 'career' and to achieve the life/work balance I need to do my degree, the career has had to take second place.
• The time it takes to fill out applications.  I have decided to take a year out and do a further qualification; that way I can give myself more time to go through the application process and the assessment centres and prepare for the interviews.
• I am an international student.  I am concerned that in the UK job market I won't get anywhere because my communication skills are not good enough.  It is hard for me to get my point across.
• I am not sure what field I want to go into, I think that I need to try a few jobs out first; get some work experience.

Where within the student life-cycle can we make best use of alumni?

• I think that it is never too early to talk to alumni - get them in to talk to the first years!
• As the recruitment cycle gets earlier every year (it was November/December, but now it is sometimes as early as August) I think that second years have got to be the ones who can get the most out of alumni events.
• You should start with general events in Year One, like 'meet the alumni' or the panels and then more specialised stuff, like the specific career talks, in Year Two.  I don't think events are that valuable for final year students.
• If students have started early, hearing from or talking with alumni, then the final year students will have had time to work out what it is that they want to do, then they can be paired up with alumni, or get interview practice with them, to find out about their chosen career and gain some experience.
• Events are best scheduled early in the year, that way you can meet more alumni during a year and the events are more motivating because you have time to act on the advice that you are given.
• How about making use of our free time in the summer?  Could we get alumni to do things with us then?
• Continued access to alumni after you have finished your degree might be good.

The comments made by the first two focus groups will be summarised and fed into a third focus group which will be scheduled for later in the summer.  This group will consist of postgraduate research students.