Recession, depression, and a graduate job market drought

Summer is fast approaching and job vacancies are being snapped up faster than a fat person snapping up cake in a bakery. Undergraduates like me, but unlike me as you will see, are struggling to make it through the term through the lack of work and employment opportunities on the market.

With the recent collapse and bankruptcy of General Motors, the biggest casualty in this economic storm, smaller firms are holding onto dear life, praying they don't fall foul of the red credit figure or the bank knocking on their doors.

Researchers from my university, the University of Kent, and Lancaster University, say even though UK student figures have almost tripled from 14% in the 1980's to 40% in the mid-2000's, degrees have not been diluted in any way, ensuring a degree is just as worthless as it once was. But with the recession claiming jobs and lives every day, the technology industry sees little change in their every day operations.

To put into proportions, Microsoft and Google, the two main dominators of web and office software and operating systems (the latter) have both suffered job cuts over the last few months. But with the size of the companies, there was less than 1-5% (respectively) of having your job made redundant in these layoffs. Even though the entire world is about to hit a post-recession depression, the technology industry is still doing surprisingly well.

Luisa Baldini, a BBC reporter, spent the day in Earl's Court, London at a recruitment fair discussing with students their futures.

I am only 20 year old student, getting on 21, I have made every effort to go to job interviews, meet people, expand my horizons, consider multiple changes in my career and sought out advice from many different levels of professional.

My advice is simple. Industry connections are the most important tool you can use to your advantage. If you have a skill, there is little point putting it on your CV when everyone else will have that same skill. Meet people, go to events, get your face out there and promote yourself in person.

Chief executives and industry bosses won't forget an interesting person - guaranteed.

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• Category: Workplaces