So I got my results for my dissertation earlier in the month and I have to admit, I was more than a little disappointed when I first read them. I got a Merit, which although I know is a great grade and something I should be proud of, I had hoped for a Distinction and was disappointed I hadn’t achieved this. I had averaged comfortably over 70% for the rest of the course, but knew that anything less than that in my dissertation would bring my overall mark down. Frustrating to get so close, but not quite there. Continue Reading…
Tag Archives: MSc Human Resource Management and Development
Life after Study!
My dissertation was finally submitted a week ago now. I can’t quite believe it is all over. Seems like yesterday since I started this degree and now I’ve finished. It’s a great feeling though and I’m looking forward to the next chapter in my career.
Before I move on – a big thanks to everyone who helped with my research. The project was a lot more challenging than I had first anticipated and finding participants was difficult, but I think my findings were interesting and I hope it will prove useful for those trying to understand why many computer science graduates end up unemployed. I now have a couple of months to wait for the results before I can share my report with those who are interested in reading it and then a few more months to wait before I get to finally graduate (assuming I’ve passed of course!). Continue Reading…
The missing unemployed computer science graduates?
Sadly a lack of participants is continuing to prove a challenge for my master’s research into Computer Science graduate employability.
I’ve decided to cancel the planned focus group event as I’ve not had enough people sign up to take part. This is a shame as I had hoped it would generate some interesting debate and data, but unfortunately it seems I may be the only person interested in this issue!
Instead, I am focussing my efforts on increasing the number of survey participants and conducting interviews with CS graduates. I have my first interview this evening and am looking forward to it.
So far my survey data is proving interesting, but the sample is somewhat unrepresentative. I have had lots of responses from highly employable graduates with first or upper second class degrees and relevant work experience. I do not have enough “other STEM” graduates for my comparison group and in particular, I’m really struggling to find the unemployed computer science graduates this research is all about. I know they are out there somewhere, but so far they seem elusive.
If you have studied a Computer Science or related degree anywhere in the UK and were unemployed for 6 months or longer after graduating – I really want to hear from you!!
If anyone has any suggestions of how to reach more computer science graduates, particularly those who studied in Manchester, I would really appreciate your suggestions.
For more information about my dissertation project, visit My Research – Computer Science Graduate Unemployment.
Finding a Focus
Ever since I started my master’s back in November, I’ve been thinking about the impending dissertation and the topics I might like to research. Whereas I dreaded my undergrad dissertation, this time around I have been looking forward to the research element most of all. There is so much about the world of work and talent that I want to understand better and the opportunity to spend three months looking at some of these issues in depth is exciting. I have worked on research projects over the past few years, but rarely have I had time to really dive deep into an issue and try to truly understand it. The ‘real world’ moves quicker than academia and often demands answers and insight in a few days, rather than a few months.
Now the taught part of my course is behind me, it is time to make a decision on my research focus. The only problem is I can’t decide. Continue Reading…