"Bridge Jobs"

See the link to the video clip of Stanford University post graduate Jullien Gordon talking about Bridge Jobs. http://bit.ly/g20kl2

Graduates nationally are finding it difficult to find opportunities for direct graduate level employment. I think it is incumbent upon the HE sector to ensure that graduates leave with insights into a range of routes into the graduate employment they are looking for, which may be less direct, but will help them to hang on to their goal and achieve it.

There are different approaches to career management. (See blog - http://pdpsupport.blogspot.com/ - “Alternative approaches to Graduate employment.” 4th January 2011)

A bridge job:

- helps you to get you from point a-b , from where you are now to where you want to be.
- is 18 months or shorter / six months of savings - covering your cost of living for your first six months as an entrepreneur or portfolio worker.
- only works you 40 hours a week. You have the other 40-60 hours to invest good energy into what you ultimately want to do.
- has a set a time period of when you are going to leave, which means you actually start maximising that opportunity and not just fill time (Parkinson’s Law)*
- can help you increase your personal, intellectual, financial and social capital, including building relationships with future customers.

* Parkinson's Law “Work will expand to fill space” http://www.heretical.com/miscella/parkinsl.html
** Shift Happens (You Tube) mentioned in above video clip http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=shift+happens&aq=f