For most students it is time to replenish their depleted bank accounts through summer jobs, catch up with their tan and enjoy their three months break from studying.
Every year, an increasing number of students look forward to summer for different reason – they would have reached the end of their course. After sitting for their finals and end-of-credit tests, and handing in their thesis, students finally put away their notes and books to gather dust in boxes that will not see daylight for an unknown period of time, they prepare to sit back and enjoy their new-found freedom.
Or maybe not. Most students need to find a job with their hypothetical certificate in hand. In fact many final year students start looking for a job while studying. Others decide to take a break during the summer and start job hunting in September or October. However, these soon give up their lazy intentions and seriously consider what their options are. While some students already work and study simultaneously and are spared the hassle of looking for a job, most students have to start scrutinising the newspapers and keep their eyes open for any job openings that might come up.
It is not a question of finding a job, but of finding the job you want or studied for. Certain courses, like the sciences do not have such a problem as graduates are immediately snapped up as soon as the course is completed. Pharmaceutical companies, for example are continually on the look out for graduates in the science courses. Two giant pharmaceutical companies are coming to Malta next year, opening up a large number of job opportunities for Maltese science graduates.
Other courses are not that lucky. People who graduate with a BA degree often end up in jobs that have nothing to do with the actual course. Then again, it is difficult to define what can be done with BA degree. In fact most students go on to take a masters degree immediately Others take the P.G.C.E. course, to eventually teach in primary or secondary schools, much to the wrath and frustration of B.Ed students.
There is fierce competition in many courses such as engineering, communications and information technology to mention a few. Many people immediately apply for the relatively few job applications issued throughout the year, which are easily filled due to the large number of applicants. Potential candidates are tight-lipped about any job opportunities in an effort to cut down on the competition. Some are lucky to find their dream job, while others take up a secondary job while waiting for the right job application to come up.
On the other hand, work opportunities do crop up throughout the year. Some students take them up juggling between a full time job and getting good grades at university. Others attend university simply to get a diploma certificate showing they obtained a degree in one course or the other, or to help them out in their present job. Certain students are known to have stopped during their last year because they were offered a substantial contract with a company. However one has to question whether it is worth throwing all those years of study out of the window at a moment’s notice: one student thought he was grabbing a once in-a-life-time opportunity when he was offered a contract, and dropped out of his course in his final year. Six months later while all his colleagues were unemployed, but with a degree in their hands, the company went bankrupt and he was left empty-handed.