‘Even though it isn’t related to my degree, I have never felt like it was a waste of time’

Approximately 73,500 students graduate from higher education institutions across Ireland each year and, based on the most recent Graduate Outcomes Survey (covering the class of 2024), 80 per cent are in employment nine months after graduation. However, a small minority – up to 6 per cent – opt for activities such as volunteering or unpaid internships once they leave third-level education. For many of these graduates, taking time out before beginning their career is a chance to take stock of their situation, to pause before making plans or to simply to dip their toes into the world of work without committing to anything. For some newly qualified graduates this can be an enriching experience, but others may feel they are not getting as much out of the arrangement as they would like. We spoke to a number of young people to find out what unpaid work they did after leaving college or university and what they felt about the experience. I would be asked to do menial jobs that no one else wanted to do and found that I wasn’t progressing my career opportunities at all. Not long afterwards, she embarked on a second voluntary position, which also didn’t work out, and is currently looking for a salaried job. ‘I just couldn’t find work without experience and couldn’t get experience without work,’ says one graduate “After the first voluntary experience, I was a bit disheartened, and was reluctant to take on another role, but I was advised to give it another go. I got a position in a marketing company and enjoyed it initially as there was a nice buzz in the office. But, although I was learning quite a bit as I was shadowing a senior member of staff, it didn’t feel fair that I was doing 16 hours a week for free. They said there was the possibility of a paid position later down the line, but also stated that there was no guarantee of it. So I felt that it would most likely lead to nothing, which would once again mean that I had wasted my time. “So I gave it up and I’m now in the process of looking for a paid position, because even though I’m still living at home, I don’t think anyone wants to work for nothing.” Eoin O’Brien has a degree in psychology and hoped to start a career in the profession.