I love big companies… [nicola]

… because they have nice food at their information sessions. Which is free and one can probably get away with eating dinner’s worth in sushi and party pies.

The past couple of weeks have been full of information, my general day starting at 9am and finishing at 7:30pm (due to company’s info sessions being at 5:30-7:30pm).  Which does mean lots of free time to fill out vacation work applications. There was also the grad careers fair at the Royal Exhibition Centre yesterday which was an interesting experience, of cluster after cluster of grad recruiters and young grads hanging around their booth holding information brochures, chupa chups etc. willing to jump on you if you so much walked passed and looked up. In fact, I was a little sorry for IBM because they didn’t have anyone ask them questions for a good 10mins so I went and talked to … all of them at once (that’s how bored they looked).

Something inside died a little, unfortunately grad recruiters may not have picked up on the fact that from next year they won’t be receiving applications from commerce/law, arts/science, etc.. nope, no double degrees at Melb Uni. Which apparently is your only saving grace if you’re doing a degree that is not commerce. However, that piece of me came alive again, because the Melb model is so new to the grad recruiters in this place – it is almost possible to make your own definition as to how/why your degree is better than double degrees. Note following conversation (with several professional services firms):

Me: “Hi, I was interested in asking you about your advisory division. What degree disciplines were you after?”

Them: “Oh, as you see from our (shiny new) brochure here, we accept people from all disciplines. What degree do you do?”

Me: “Science”

Them: “I see. (pregnant pause). Are you doing a double degree? Because if you’re also doing commerce then it will be rather beneficial” (Thinking in their head – ‘why is she talking to me with only a single science degree? Cannot be possible’)

Me: “No, they don’t do double degrees at Melbourne Uni any more. But I’m doing my breadth in Business Management, which is kind of like a minor.” (what else should I say?!)

Them: “That’s perfect then!” (same smile I would have gotten if I said I was doing a double degree)

Next year, the careers fair will be a bit weird with grad recruiters explaining their program and students explaining their degrees. Espescially the engineering students who will basically have to say “I don’t know much about something, but I know much about everything – if you want highly specific skills, go to Monash.”