Norwich and Norfolk have traditionally been perceived as not having many 'graduate-level' jobs, but this has not stopped increasing numbers of UEA graduates living and working here in a variety of roles.
It's not hard to find work amongst the many 'non-graduate' activities in the region, however 'graduate-level' jobs can be found in key areas such as finance, IT, teaching, healthcare, scientific research, and the media and creative industries. Though graduates may complain of local employment conditions, in fact the area currently has a plentiful supply of job vacancies, whilst some employers complain of the difficulty of finding suitable 'graduate-level' recruits.
This apparent discontinuity is perplexing, and hard to back with credible data, with some common theories simply not standing up to the test of evidence. There could be many causes. One explanation might be a discontinuity of aspiration: are the locally-available 'graduate-level' jobs the sort of employment which local graduates want or are trained for? Are local employers sufficiently aware of what graduates can bring to their business, or are local graduates merely avoiding the real world, and if so why shouldn't they? The reasons are probably quite complex.
Making a Career Locally
Ultimately, both graduates and employers are entitled to do what they choose. Nevertheless, we do know that the vast majority of undergraduates choose to study at university level with their employment prospects being at, or very near, the top of their list of motivations. The new financial imperatives of student loans are only likely to exacerbate this sense. The issue, locally, is therefore to ensure that graduates are equipped with the means and attributes to identify and gain employment, as quickly as possible, in suitable 'graduate-level' work.
An increasing number of students need to work during their study, and the EmployAbility Job Shop and other sources of 'non-graduate' jobs will prove useful, not forgetting that work experience at any level can be used in CVs and applications for 'graduate-level' positions. We also advertise many local opportunities at 'graduate-level'.
As quality opportunities in the region are perceived as being restricted, you may need to be more flexible and skilful in your approach to job hunting. Almost certainly you will need to develop good creative job hunting techniques if you are to make successful speculative applications to employers. You may also wish to follow some of our tips and advice on working in Norwich and Norfolk.
Restricting your mobility can make finding the right position more difficult so, unless your ties to the area are of the highest priority, it's always going to be a good idea to also look further afield at some stage during your job search. Having said that, knowing how local employers struggle to recruit quality graduates may motivate you to conduct the additional research to get the right job in this attractive region.
