Letter: Letters : Driven by debt

From Frank Harburn

Peterborough

As an unemployed geology graduate I too must voice my surprise at Neil
Harris’s article on recruitment
(Appointments, 24 January, p 52). James Thorne’s
comments in Letters
(21 February, p 53) hit the nail on the head.

I, and I imagine many others, seem to be caught in a vicious circle.
Employers ask for an unrealistic level of experience, which itself is
unattainable without employment. The only option is further study. However, when
you’re in my position (two years after graduation, and with a £3000 debt),
paying for further study is out of the question, unless I want to be in debt for
the rest of my life.

Despite numerous applications for low-paid science jobs, all I am left with
is the bank breathing down my neck, and the prospect of menial jobs for the
foreseeable future.

What chance do we have of gaining all this experience, and what are potential
employers doing to help us and ultimately themselves?