What keeps postgraduates awake at night? Overwhelmingly it’s worrying whether they’ll ever find work, research by JobLab shows. Money angst is close behind, followed by stress over studies and social lives.
Diana, a postgraduate at Queen Mary University of London, admits she worried if she would ever land that ideal job: “I wasn’t in a position where I’d meet potential employers and that stressed me out. I wish I’d got some work experience before starting so I could connect with professional networks and employers.”
JobLab, which offers a platform to match students with prospective employers, interviewed nearly 160 postgraduates about their job-seeking experiences. Many felt under too much pressure with academic work to shout for help, while others didn’t even realise that their university could do anything. Postgraduate study is “more isolating, much lonelier”, says one student, adding that although her tutor was supportive about her money worries, she never felt connected to the university.
And what do postgraduates wish they’d known before embarking upon their degree? “How much work there was,” says one, echoing the thoughts of many. “Choose the subject very carefully,” advises another and research the job market: “Don’t just study anything to achieve a degree.”
Some universities – business schools especially – hold weekend career workshops and networking training events to build confidence among postgraduate students, while some offer mentors who are former students themselves. University career centres strongly advise postgraduates to invest time in exploring their options; those who did say it helped enormously.
“You really, really need to engage with the subject,” says Philippa Bunch, who’s studying a master’s in applied linguistics for language teaching at the University of Southampton. Attend everything on offer, read the right journals and focus early on, she says. Not only does it help with assignments, but “it also carves out a more definite career path as you will have more specialised knowledge”.
Bunch was sceptical about joining an online study group: “But it’s hugely beneficial to have others to chew over lectures with, decipher complex issues and compare thoughts on assignments. If I was younger and childless, we’d probably do this in the pub.”
As an international student, Aafia Sarosh from Pakistan feels a long way from home. She works hard to mix intense periods of study – she’s completing a master’s in renewable energy at the University of Hull – with minor indulgence. “I reward myself by socialising, shopping or going to a movie,” she says. “Keeping physically, emotionally and spiritually happy plays a vital role in maintaining motivation.” Sarosh hangs out at a dedicated graduate school building, where she can study, eat and socialise: “I come here every day.”
International postgraduates struggle with UK culture, orientation, even the food, says Dr Jimmy Huang, assistant dean for specialist master’s at Warwick Business School, which tries to inform international students in advance about the UK’s academic culture. “Postgraduate study is a big jump in workload,” he says.
With a mix of social events and help to get their bearings, the university hopes to dispel homesickness and make connections. “It helps to know what you are getting into,” says one student.
