Student and graduate studies on the labor market – how are they doing?

There are times when it is easier to find a job after graduating from basic vocational school than after graduation. Nevertheless, on average every second Pole intends to go to university. Today, a university diploma is not a guarantee of either a good job or a job at all.

Almost 430,000 students started studies at Polish universities in the 2017/2018 academic year that ended. IT, management and psychology are still the most popular, followed by economics and law. Humanities – at least at some universities – are also crowded, although they do not always ensure that their graduates will find a job that is compatible with the learned profession. This is the case, for example, in the case of teachers, linguistics or administration specialists.

There used to be no competition

Years ago, even only one in ten full-time students worked (mainly part-time). Only part-time and part-time students took up employment. The reason was simple: the latter were able to reconcile their study schedule with their working hours. For this they were additionally motivated: they had to earn money for their studies, because lectures in part-time and evening studies have to be paid.

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Only those who finished their studies and already held a university diploma in their hands began to look for a job. And, as a rule, he had no major problems getting it. Years ago, so few people chose to study that those who could boast of a diploma immediately gained recognition in the eyes of others. The potential employer appreciated the graduate in the same way and offered him a job. The candidate – master or engineer – did not have much competition and opponents when he was recruiting for the company for a position for a person with higher education.

Fight for a job

There are so many students and university graduates today that the fact that someone graduated from college does not make an impression on anyone. Competition has increased significantly, because today so many people go to college, as many years ago went to high school. As a result, in order to get your dream job in a high position, in a decent enterprise or a reputable organization, sometimes you have to defeat over 100 people.

For this reason, students, even full-time students, are already looking for employment. They are aware that if they do not start gaining professional experience now, when they get their diploma, it will be of little use to them. It is not only education that counts, but also experience, and since a 25-year-old person has not gained any experience, he is usually not well perceived by the potential boss. The sooner a student starts looking for a job, the greater his chances of finding a satisfactory job after graduation.

More than 3 months out of work

The data of the National System of Monitoring the Economic Fate of Graduates (ELA, first-cycle studies ending with obtaining a bachelor’s or engineer’s degree) shows that the average time from graduation to starting the first job is 3.6 months. Four out of ten graduates found a job without any problems, just after graduation. The next two found employment within a maximum of two months. Another two had a job as they searched for it over a period of a minimum of two months to a maximum of seven months. The last two graduates were in the worst situation on the labor market. They had spent over seven months finally getting a permanent job. Interestingly, people from smaller towns, after graduation, find their first job faster than graduates in large cities. In the latter, however, unemployment is lower in the long run.

The most popular employment contract

Regarding a permanent job: not every university graduate finds it. Nearly 62 percent take up a job based on a full-time job (employment contract). 14 percent work, but under contracts other than the employment contract. They can therefore be contracts of mandate or for specific work. On the other hand, almost 5 percent of graduates decide to start their own business and work on their own account. The others join the ranks of the unemployed or take up further studies.

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After graduation, you can’t count on a staggering salary. In the first thesis, a master’s, engineer or a person with a bachelor’s degree receives about PLN 2,500 gross per month. Only every fifth graduate earns over PLN 3,600. Graduates in small towns earn an average of PLN 2,500 in their first job, while their friends from large cities have a monthly salary of less than PLN 3,200.