Career Plans after Graduation - Case Study Example

?Introduction The current job market is quite dynamic and it has resulted into people changing their career paths and increased importance in the concept of employability. The job market requires a graduate or a prospective employee to have adequate transferable skills which will render them employable. Employability is therefore a key issue whose importance cannot be overemphasized since it now acts as a scale in determining career success. Statistics state that in UK more than 40 percent of school leavers are joining Higher Institutions of Learning which sets forth the pace for these institutions to take their rightful role in ensuring that graduates’ skills are relevant. The recent world economic downturn and the pace countries will adopt towards recovery will translate to changes in statistics regarding employment and related practices e.g. selection and recruitment. This paper will discuss employability in light of my career direction and how this is in alignment with the current labour market. Career plans after graduation Employability is a huge concern to me but the course that I am pursuing i.e. Information Technology and Business Management has a good inclination in the job market. However, it is important to note that the type of organisation, professional level and type of job are important in determining short term success. Higher Education Institutions are meant to offer students better employment prospects (Yorke and Knight 2004). The plans that I have set aside after my graduation relate to becoming an Information Technology Project Manager. This is a position whose role is being redefined the world over due to the volatility of the IT field as well as that of managing related projects. Technology is quite dynamic with many changes happening all over the world that aim at enhancing ways of doing business. Managing IT-related projects will therefore require someone who is highly dynamic in regards to their general outlook of things as well as be able to timely capture emerging trends. Furthermore, project management in the IT sector is requiring managers to embrace the globalisation aspect of doing business and current marketing strategies of customers in the highly competitive global arena. Failure to adopt these in IT project management renders a manager irrelevant. It is therefore important to look deeper into my education landscape so far as well as in the near future and assess whether I am employable as an IT project manager. Employability in relation to the Article As the article by Brown et al. suggests, employability is relative depending on whom and where it is being analysed (Brown, Hesketh and Williams 2002). IT industry in the current working environment requires personnel who have adequate knowledge in business management. The reason for this is that IT connects all departments and personnel within an organisational setup whether small or large. Those people working in the IT department therefore need to have adequate knowledge of all business operations. Having studied business management, I stand to understand how projects need to run till completion and when numerous departments are involved in ensuring success. The labour market especially in the UK has balanced all sectors relatively well and the fortunate occurrence is that all these sectors depend on IT to function internally and to interrelate (Meister 1998). The preference of taking IT project management as a career is based on the labour market limitations towards the range of jobs one can render application. Studying Business Management coupled with Information Management makes me think that project management in IT is an appropriate choice and that I have a chance of acquiring a job as a project manager. This goes ahead to prove the social construction of employability. On the other hand I would rather not take a receptionist job based on the social connotation that such is not appropriate for a person bearing my credentials. Considering the above relationship between labour market, employability and education in my field of study and career choice, it is clear that consensus theory fits my scenario. According to this theory technology has taken an increasingly important role in defining social change (Brown, Hesketh and Williams 2002). As a field, IT has also faced numerous changes to be where it is today and more is on the way. Technological advancement has become a benchmark of a company’s wellbeing and stability. The same applies to a country as a whole where IT advancement is tantamount to development. Project management has changed from the traditional approach of managers taking on tasks, delegating authority, coinciding with the set schedules and constant evaluation to assess progress (Garavan 1999). In this global market arena where change is the only language of trade with increased competition, organisations have become more cautions while employing staff. Organisations are concentrating more on how they can keep up with the quick pace of change in technology and general business operations (Herbert and Rothwell 2004). The general view is that employees need to be more productive and innovative in order for the organisation to gain competitive advantage and retain relevance of its products and services. The increased demand for technical and professional employees who are able and willing to engage in lifelong learning has made many graduates to lose job opportunities. This trend has brought forth the knowledge-driven economy as a near-mandatory concept for job markets to embrace the world over (Brown, Hesketh and Williams 2002). Capitalism on the other hand has not made things easier for graduates. There is high individuality not only among individuals but among organisations and nations at large (Brown and Lauder 2001). Under this consideration it has become a personalised fight for each student to try and conquer the labour market with every arsenal available. Universities and other education institutions have responded to this by launching programs that meet the changing demands of the labour market. My course is one such product whose relevance is increasing with time as business management skills and knowledge coupled with information technology make a suitable candidate for jobs requiring one with ability and willingness to commit to lifelong learning. Strategies of improvement and positioning Looking deeply into the course I am pursuing, a great deal needs to be done so as to attain the required knowledge and skills. Employers are complaining all over that graduates are not competent enough to handle the current job market. In light of this, my strategy for improvement and positioning in the labour market majorly lies in further learning and familiarisation with the job environment. Being a 2nd year student, I will take the next two years trying to expand my knowledge to higher levels through research and thorough involvement in lectures and other learning activities. In respect to skills’ acquisition, I will look for attachments in reputable companies which will expose me to projects in IT and real-life business management approaches for longest periods possible. These two approaches if well adhered to will breed the type of dynamic and skilled graduate that organisations are looking for. Conclusion Employability is a concept that has received many interpretations by scholars and ordinary people. However, general understanding of this paper is that it amounts to the ease in which a person can become absorbed into a certain job. Today’s labour market has increasingly embraced the concept of technological and scientific advancements as benchmarks for development. Organisations therefore require employees who have high knowledge and excellent skills in technology, science and management. Consequently, students need to do courses that are at par with the changing market needs by increasingly being creative and innovative. References Brown, P, Hesketh, A and Williams, S 2002, Employability in a knowledge-driven economy. Brown, P and Lauder, H 2001, Capitalism and social progress: The future of society in a global economy, Palgrave, Basingstoke. Garavan, T 1999, Employability, the emerging new deal, Journal of European Industrial Training, vol 23, no. 1. Herbert, I and Rothwell, A 2004, Managing your placement: Skills based approach, Palvage, London. Meister, JC 1998, The quest for lifetime employability, Journal of Business Strategy, pp. 25-28. Yorke, M and Knight, PT 2004, ‘Embedding employability into the curriculum’, Leaning employability series. Read More