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I’ve Graduated…What Next?

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I’ve Graduated – What do I do now? 6 reasons why you don’t need to panic!

It’s that time of year again! You have done all the hard work; you have received that really expensive piece of A4 paper that states you have officially entered into the adult world. Employment is looming and inspiration has yet to strike about your future plans, it’s easy to get stuck in a cycle of despair. All of your friends are starting fancy grad schemes or tracking off around Europe, while the only thing you’ve got lined up is a Game of Throne’s Marathon and scheduled panic attacks about the graduate job market, while mum and dad breath down your neck about getting a job!

Your student discount card is about to expire, and if another family member asks you about your career plans then you might just have a breakdown. Sound familiar? These six points might help to reassure you.

1. You’re still young

Those who started a three-year course straight from school will have only just turned 21, so there’s no rush to accept the first 9-5 job that you’re offered. Becky Williams, a recent graduate from Cardiff University, turned down several graduate jobs in favour of continuing with bar work.

She says: “I don’t see the point in accepting a poorly-paid graduate job that I’m not even sure I want to do, just because I’m expected to. I’d rather save up until I’ve had time to decide what I really want to pursue.”

2. Comparing yourself to other people is a waste of time

Just because your housemate has secured their ideal job doesn’t mean that you’re a failure by contrast.

3. You can’t discover who you want to be until you find out who you are

Personalities often change at university, which can be daunting beyond the bubble of campus life. Challenge yourself by experiencing something new, while you still have the chance. Chris Jenkins of Southampton University has just returned from Southeast Asia, in time for his graduation:

“I had wanted to travel and experience different cultures for a while, and the summer before starting work provided that opportunity. It was the best experience of my life. I thoroughly recommend going out into the world and seeing it for yourself, regardless of whether you have a job lined up for your return”, he said.

4. Many successful career-people have ‘fallen into’ their line of work

Recent statistics from the New College of the Humanities found that 19 out of 20 graduates had switched jobs within three years. Be confident enough to accept that your dream career might not be as you had hoped, and devise a new plan according to the aspects that you enjoyed.

5. Your degree won’t go to waste

Deciding that you don’t want to be a psychologist doesn’t necessarily mean that the three years and thousands of pounds spent on a psychology degree was all for nothing – any university education teaches a desirable skill set. According to Prospects, many graduate employers seek degree-level candidates rather than those disciplined in a specific subject.

6. You’re not alone

Marcus Zientek, a careers adviser at Sheffield University, says that many students are unsure of their plans after graduation:

“How uncertain they are does vary, from those who have an interest in a general area of work but have not yet decided about it, to those who describe themselves as not having any ideas at all.

“Panicking doesn’t help and is unnecessary anyway. Don’t let things drift – keep calm and make a plan. Realise that you’re not deciding what to do with the rest of your life, but choosing a good next step for you.”

What to do next – Keep you options open, and get yourself out there!

Graduate careers fairs are an important resource for graduate appointments – even if you don’t get a graduate placement as a direct result of the fair, you’re still taking steps towards your chosen career and moving closer to recruitment in your perfect job.

A suitable graduate placement can be difficult to find, and with the amount of competition vying for graduate appointments you have to use every avenue you can to maximise your chances of finding the right graduate placement for you.

Careers fairs are one of the best ways to find graduate appointments in your area of interest. A careers fair is an excellent opportunity to meet potential employers face to face and market yourself to your chosen industry. Even if you haven’t finished your course and are still in further study, careers fairs are still worthwhile as a source of information, contacts and interview experience.

If you are interested in attending a graduate recruitment careers fair, the upcoming ‘National Graduate Recruitment Exhibition’ may be the ideal opportunity for you. It will be taking place on the 4th and 5th of November and will be held inside the NEC in Birmingham. Check it out by clicking here.

 Job recruitment at careers fairs

Job recruitment careers fairs offer a multitude of benefits to graduates. If you’re ambitious and organised you can get a lot out of a career fair, including;

Honing your interview skills – Even if you aren’t offered a job, talking to prospective employers about graduate appointments gives you valuable confidence and experience of interviews.

Expanding your network – Meeting job recruiters and even fellow graduates helps you build useful contacts for future reference.

Learning industry information – Speaking to job recruitment professionals in your chosen sector is a great way to learn about the industry.

Gathering information about companies – Investigating the kind of graduate placements offered by a company tells you a lot about that organisation as a whole.

Job Hunting

It’s rare to fall straight into a job after you’ve graduated. Job hunting can take several months so it’s important to stay motivated in your job search and make the most of the opportunities and support out there. These jobseeking tips and tricks will help you choose your ideal career, search for job vacancies and stay focused on your career goals.

  • Research industries and companies that interest you
  • Get out there and speak to companies proactively at exhibitions etc..
  • Sign up to recruitment consultancies. Let them help and identify your next career move
  • Stay motivated. It can take a while to find that right job role. It will be worth it!
  • Graffiti Recruitment can give sound industry advice hints and tips on your next move.

If you are interest in IT Technology roles then be sure to check out some of our latest jobs by clicking here!

Need advice on employability? Look no further.
www.graffitirecruitment.co.uk

Search for Business Executive of the Year 2016

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The search is under way to find the Business Executive of the Year for 2016.

The Business Executive of the Year will be chosen from the winners of three other categories – Small, Medium and Large Business Executives of the Year.

The awards, held by the Leicester Mercury in association with the University of Leicester, aim to celebrate the business people who have seen great success with their firms throughout the year.

Other categories include Non-Executive of the Year, Young Business Executive of the Year and the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Last year, Priyesh Patel, of Leicester-based Cofresh, won the Medium Business Executive award and was named the overall Business Executive of the Year.

Mr Patel, managing director of the UK’s top Asian snack company, was crowed the winner after a successful year.

This included milestones such as increasing turnover by nearly £3 million in the 12 months to December 2014 compared to the previous year, moving into new premises in Menzies Road, Leicester, and announcing plans to crack the Indian market.
At the time, Priyesh – known as Pete – said: “Accepting both awards, one has to appreciate that these awards are only achievable with the right people around you.

“That includes support from my wife and uncles and key management and everybody on the packing lines.

“Everybody puts in 100 per cent and the passion they have for the business is reflected in everything we do.

“The true inspirations are my father Dinesh who started the business and my mother Savita.

“The business has picked up many awards and my father has also picked up awards, but this is the first time I have picked up an executive award.”

The winners for this year’s event will be announced at a glamorous black tie event on Thursday, November 3 at the King Power Stadium in Leicester.

The other winners at last year’s event included Bob Woods, chairman of Enderby-based wealth management company Mattioli Woods (Lifetime Achievement), Andy Cliffe, of East Midlands Airport (Large Business Executive), Geoff Rowe, of Big Difference Company (Small Business Executive) and Will Prentice, of Elite Scooters (Young Business Executive).

The nominees for the Business Executive of the Year Awards are compiled by the Leicester Mercury business team and the judges.

The judging panel consists of Stephen Gould, from Everards Brewery, Eileen Richards, who runs Eileen Richards Recruitment, Alastair Cunningham, East Midlands agent for the Bank of England, Chris Darlington, partner at Mazars, Chris Shaw and Anjuu Trevedi, of the University of Leicester, KPMG East Midlands senior partner Ian Borley, Mike Kapur of Signum Corporate Communications, Mike Waterfield, director of Torr Waterfield, Dr Nik Kotecha, chief executive of Morningside Pharmaceuticals, Tim Horrocks, head of the Quilter Cheviot Leicester office, Tim Maxted, chairman and chief executive of Berkeley Insurance, Emma Knight, of East Midlands Trains, Mercury publisher David Simms and business editor Tom Pegden.

The judges will also be joined by representatives from the following sponsors to help them in making their decisions: AON and Handlesbanken.

The University of Leicester is the headline sponsor for the awards.

A University of Leicester spokeswoman said: “This is the university’s fifth year of sponsoring the awards, which we choose to do primarily because we want to support businesses and the local area by recognising, applauding and celebrating the excellent work undertaken by leading business executives.

“It is important that we recognise and celebrate the dedication, passion and innovation that local business leaders bring to their roles, as these are essential ingredients to the success and growth of their own businesses, the Leicestershire economy and the many people they employ.

“Secondly, the university wishes to engage and build mutually beneficial long-term working relationships with innovative executives and their businesses from Leicester and Leicestershire.

“By sponsoring the Business Executive of the Year Awards, the university is able to identify successful executives and their great businesses.

“We have established a number of industry facing initiatives to enable us to work with local businesses such as the ASDEC

(Advanced Structural Dynamics Evaluation Centre), the UK’s first commercial 3D (non-contact) measurement and modal analysis centre offering specialist structural dynamics expertise based at HORIBA MIRA near Hinckley, and the Leicester Innovation Hub, a dedicated space where companies can meet and work with our research scientists.”

– IFrodsham

Could you see yourself with the ‘Business Executive of the Year’ title? If the answer is yes then check out our latest Business Development Executive role!

IT Infrastructure Worldwide Growth

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Spending on IT Infrastructure by Cloud Environments in 2016 Will Be Strong Despite First Quarter Slowdown, According to IDC

According to the latest forecast from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Cloud IT Infrastructure Tracker, total spending on IT infrastructure products (server, enterprise storage, and Ethernet switches) for deployment in cloud environments will increase by 15.5% in 2016 to reach $37.1 billion. This amount excludes double counting between storage and servers. In comparison, spending on enterprise IT infrastructure deployed in traditional, non-cloud, environments will decline by 4.4% in 2016, but will still account for the largest share, 63.4%, of end user spending. Spending on private cloud IT infrastructure will grow by 10.3% year over year to $13.8 billion with more than 60% of this amount contributed by on-premises private cloud environments. Spending on public cloud IT infrastructure will increase by 18.8% in 2016 to $23.3 billion.

All regions are expected to increase spending on cloud IT infrastructure in 2016 with investments in public cloud growing at a faster rate than investments in private cloud IT infrastructure. For cloud environments combined, spending on Ethernet switches will be growing at the highest rate, 39.5%, while spending on server and storage will grow at 11.4% and 14.2%, respectively.

For the long-term forecast, IDC expects that spending on IT infrastructure for cloud environments will grow at a 13.1% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to $59.5 billion in 2020. This will represent 48.7% of the total spending on enterprise IT infrastructure. Spending on non-cloud IT infrastructure will decline at 1.4% CAGR during the same period. Within the cloud segment, spending on public and private will grow at 18.8% and 10.3% CAGR respectively. In 2020, IDC expects public cloud service providers (CSPs) will spend $38.4 billion for delivering services, while spending on private cloud will reach $21.1 billion.

“Despite weakness in hyperscale CSP demand for IT infrastructure products in the first quarter, we expect spending on public cloud to increase in the second half of the year,” said Natalya Yezhkova, research director, Storage Systems. “Overall, we will continue to see steady growth in demand for public cloud services and, as a result, underlying spending on IT infrastructure by CSPs. The economic and financial volatility we see in some regions will push demand further as increasing sophistication of public cloud offerings allows organizations to fulfill their needs across a growing variety of IT domains while OPEX-oriented pricing models provide some relief to tightening IT budgets.”

– Business Wire

If you are interested in careers involving IT Infrastructure and Business Development, be sure to check out our most recent job role here!

AI Fighter Pilot wins in Combat Simulation

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An artificially intelligent fighter pilot system has defeated two attacking jets in a combat simulation.

The AI, known as Alpha, used four virtual jets to successfully defend a coastline against two attacking aircraft – and did not suffer any losses.

Alpha, which was developed by a US team, also triumphed in simulation against a retired human fighter pilot.

One military aviation expert said the results were promising.

In the simulation, both attacking jets – the blue team – had more capable weapons systems.

But Alpha’s red team was able to dispatch the enemy planes after performing evasive manoeuvres.

‘Deadly opponent’

In their paper, researchers from the University of Cincinnati and defence company Psibernetix describe Alpha as “a deadly opponent”.

Reporting on simulated assaults against retired US Air Force colonel Gene Lee, the researchers wrote: “Not only could he not score a kill against it, he was shot out of the air by the reds every time after protracted engagements.”

Alpha uses a form of artificial intelligence based on the concept of “fuzzy logic” – in which a computer considers a wide range of options before making a decision.

Because a simulated fighter jet produces so much data for interpretation, it is not always obvious which manoeuvre is most advantageous or, indeed, at what point a weapon should be fired.

Fuzzy logic systems can weigh up the significance of these individual pieces of data before making a broader decision.

The researchers’ key achievement here was to do this in real-time with computational efficiency.

“Here, you’ve got an AI system that seems to be able to deal with the air-to-air environment, which is extraordinarily dynamic, has an extraordinary number of parameters and, in the paper, more than holds its own against a skilled and capable, experienced combat pilot,” said Doug Barrie, a military aerospace analyst at think tank IISS.

“It’s like a chess master losing out to a computer.”

Ethical questions

But Mr Barrie also stated it might not be easy or appropriate to translate the system to real-world combat environments.

If such a system were ever used in a live setting and decided to attack a non-military target, the results could be dire, he said.

“The public furore about that would be immense,” he said.

However, at the very least, Mr Barrie said, Alpha had potential as a simulation tool or as a device to help develop better systems for assisting human pilots in the air.

– Chris Baraniuk

Could a House Cleaning Robot be Developed?

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Elon Musk’s openAI project says it is working on a robot to clean people’s Houses

Building a robot that can help people in their homes will be a good way of testing the future of AI, Musk’s research group says – and so to ensure that they don’t take over the world and kill us

Elon Musk’s $1 billion artificial intelligence group wants to build a robot to clean people’s houses.

OpenAI – which is funded by the billionaire maker of reusable rockets and electric cars – hopes to build a domestic robot as a test of its research into how to build artificial intelligence that won’t kill us.

Building such a robot isn’t just a way of getting rid of household chores. It would also be a neat way of testing whether or not its work in artificial intelligence is progressing in the right way.

There are already ways of creating a robot that can carry out specific tasks, the researchers note. The difference is that Musk’s team hopes to create “learning algorithms” that would allow the creation to serve as a “general purpose” robot – meaning that it can be left around the home and be clever enough to work out what it needs to do to clean.

Creating such a robot is a “good testbed for many challenges in AI”, the team note. The robot won’t be built by OpenAI, but instead use components from elsewhere that are programmed by the group.

Creating a household robot is the second goal of the OpenAI group. It has already detailed its work in meeting goal one – “Measure our progress” – when it laid out plans for a special gym that can help train artificial intelligence programs.

The goals that follow are building an agent that can understand natural language and creating one that could solve a “wide variety of games”. OpenAI hopes that the different goals capture different kinds of problem-solving and together can progress towards its goal of building smart AI systems that don’t also wipe out life on Earth.

– Andrew Griffin

Brexit’s Potential Impact on UK Gaming Industry

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The gaming industry holds concerns that leaving the European Union will affect access to games development talent

The gaming development industry has expressed concerns that leaving the European Union (EU) will affect its talent pipeline.

Games developer network Tiga has claimed an exit from the EU may lead to harsher immigration rules, preventing European developers from contributing to games development in the UK.

Richard Wilson, Tiga CEO, said: “The UK video games industry is a technology sector that provides high-skilled employment for more than 30,000 people, including approximately 11,000 development staff, and which contributes £1.1bn to UK GDP.

“It is also export-oriented, with at least 95% of studios exporting. Following the referendum in favour of ‘Brexit’, it will be more vital than ever to strengthen – and avoid harming – those sectors where the UK has a comparative competitive advantage.”

Research by Tiga has found 15% of UK games development staff are from the EU, and the network claimed the government should take responsibility to ensure the games industry still has access to talent and funding.

Tiga highlighted access to finance, tax relief and intellectual property are among other areas of threat caused by jumping the EU ship.

The UK games industry was cited to grow significantly in 2016, with 70% of employers in the sector planning new hires throughout the year.

As it stands, the industry has access to funding through schemes such as Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) backed UK Games Fund, designed to promote growth in UK creative industries.

But Tiga expressed concerns that European programmes, such as Creative Europe and Horizon 2020, which support creative industries in the EU may no longer be open to UK applications post-Brexit.

The network called on the government to invest further in schemes such as the Video Games Prototype Fund to avoid growing industries being negatively affected by a potentially uncertain economic environment.

Wilson said: “For the video games industry, it is particularly important that policy makers ensure games companies have access to sufficient finance, benefit from video games tax relief and research and development tax relief, have clear and stable IP rights and can access highly skilled people from outside of the UK.

“Any new points-based migration system must not be onerous or complicated, otherwise the industry’s growth could be held back.”

The UK is currently part of the Registered Community Design regime, the EU Trade Mark regime and acts under the Unregistered EU Design Right, all of which are designed to protect the rights of those creating intellectual properly, such as video games, as part of the European Union. This means an exit from the EU could significantly affect rules around intellectual property for games developers.

– Clare McDonald

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