The Reality about Job Saturation

With the recent graduation ceremonies held across the country, it is exciting to obtain a qualification and a proud moment for families and friends.

It’s more exciting for the graduates themselves as they are “a degree hotter”. For others, what lies ahead of this journey is unknown as there is a hurdle to overcome, that is called unemployment. In an ideal world, every graduate should have a job upon completion of their studies.

Each tertiary institution shared the number of graduates they produced, thousands. The reality is, some of the graduates in similar fields who also experienced the joyful moments in previous years are still waiting patiently for a job interview invitation or, if possible, a job offer. The reality is that there is an oversupply of skills in the market in certain fields of study. Universities continue to offer courses even when they are not viable.

The Disadvantages of Job Saturation

For new graduates, it may mean that the competition is high. The overcrowding in the job market is what leads certain companies to resort to written tests, even for those with experience in order to filter down the number of candidates. This is now happening at certain managerial level positions too, especially in the public sector where almost everyone is likely to meet the job requirement

Everyone with the same qualification is likely to apply for the job and thus reducing the chances of getting shortlisted where certain candidates may have the added advantage. In addition, when a certain field is saturated, the remuneration might be low as companies can easily fill up those vacancies. Employers are likely to opt for those candidates who may prefer a lower salary in comparison to those who may require a relatively higher earning.

Another disadvantage of employment saturation is that it derails your career to a certain extent. The time one stays unemployed is longer due to the oversupply of employees and fewer job opportunities. This can have an adverse effect on your skills as you are likely to lag behind as far as knowledge, experience and skills are concerned. Employment saturation may also contribute to underemployment which places one in a job they are overqualified for and may only accept that role to avoid staying home, thus creating a mismatch between skills, experience and qualifications.

Standing Out in a Saturated Industry

Despite the high competition, there are still opportunities available. It is how you position yourself as a job seeker. If you find yourself in a situation where your current qualifications are not getting you that job, a career change is ideal. With new industries emerging, specialising in those industries may also be advantageous for a job seeker. Those “shooting your shot” techniques you have been hearing about are still very applicable in today’s job market.