Sam Owen speaks to graduates for the University of Nottingham’s Impact and finds out what life’s like after finals:

With over 7000 students due to graduate from Nottingham this summer, the reality of leaving university behind and embarking on a new adventure is one that excites, daunts and will ultimately consume the soon-to-be alumni of Nottingham University. According to the University’s employability statement, “Nottingham students are amongst the most sought after not only in the UK but in the world” which instils a certain level of optimism in those about to take on the arduous task of seeking out that first step on the ever-elusive career ladder. Some fortunate enough to secure graduate jobs will start over the summer, whilst others continue to spam potential employers with CVs and cover letters. For some, travelling may await; new sights, sounds and situations lie in whatever tropical climes graduands decide to inhabit. Either way, the future may be scary. And it’s difficult to decipher the unemployment figures and numerous travel restrictions to know just what the future may hold. Impact spoke to four people from the Class of 2011 to see where they are one year on…

Life after the Dole Queue: Phil Bowyer
Having been out of university now for 9 months, I can confidently say that real life isn’t as scary as it appeared to be when I was at Nottingham and enjoying university life. I studied the 4-year undergraduate masters in Maths and came out with a 2.1 and, thanks to Impact, MathSoc and my Kilimanjaro climb for ChildReach, my CV looked good as well. Originally from Essex, I always envisioned that my professional career would be in London, so it surprises me to write that I am currently residing in Birmingham.

After graduating, I contributed to the graduate unemployment statistic and every two weeks picked up my dole payment. This lasted about 3 months before I was offered a role for the firm I currently work for (after many failed interviews for other firms, I may add). It was trainee actuary position, which was exactly what I wanted, so I happily accepted even though it wasn’t in London ? it didn’t make sense to turn down an almost perfect opportunity.

Full story here.