Graduate careers in the Midlands

In and around the Midlands | Drink at... | Dance at... | Eat at... | Shop at... | The cost of living in the Midlands | Getting work in the Midlands area

The MidlandsThe Midlands corresponds roughly to the medieval Kingdom of Mercia and to put it in the most simply terms possible; on a map of the UK it looks like a belt across the middle. It's made up of the counties of Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Rutland, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire, although this varies depending on who you ask!

There are rural and urban areas and places to suit different tastes. If you want to be in a big city, Birmingham is the obvious choice - it's the largest city in the region. If you like a quiet life, Shropshire is one of the more rural counties with absolutely no cities and the best educational attainment in the West Midlands, as well as a wealth of lavender fields.

The Midlands is a good place to locate as it has an excellent transport infrastructure. Birmingham International airport is one of the UK's fastest growing regional airports and the Midlands are well placed at the centre of England's road and rail networks.

In and around the Midlands

It is impossible to sum up the social scene of an entire region, but there are a few highlights that can be mentioned. Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's birthplace is the definitive destination for theatre lovers in the Midlands. The Peak District is the place for outdoorsy types who fancy a hike in the hills.

If you prefer a less active day out, Hereford provides various cider-related excursions. Shropshire is a great rural retreat with scenic gardens, parks and castles to look at. If you like cars, head to Coventry, which hosts an annual Festival of Motoring and has a transport museum.

Birmingham and Nottingham are where to go if you want excellent shopping and the buzz of city life. Birmingham is also the British home of Balti cuisine, so try the Balti Triangle if you're hungry. Thrill-seekers should head to Staffordshire's Alton Towers where they can enjoy a go on Oblivion or Submission.

Art lovers should head to Northampton, where the Fishmarket art gallery has been praised for its size and location. Alternatively, the Midlands Art Centre in Birmingham, which caters for all kinds of arts, is an excellent hang-out for artistic types. The centre has a theatre, cinema, classes in all sorts of cultural things and hosts a pile of events so there's something for everyone.

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Drink at...

  • The Great Western: A Wolverhampton pub where lots of good beers are available. It's regarded by some patrons as the best pub in Wolverhampton.
  • Brass Monkey: A trendy and popular Nottingham bar with an exciting new roof garden. It's open evenings only so no lunchtime drinks, but good for a relaxing after-work drink or ten.
  • The Barrels: This Hereford pub boasts real ale and cider on tap and an impressive courtyard area. Apparently, the prices are completely out of date (about £2.00 a pint!).

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Dance at...

  • Snobs: An alternative two-room venue in Birmingham with cheap entry and drinks, including 50 pence shots. It has a 'no chav' policy to appeal to the indie crowd.
  • The Market Bar: A venerated basement venue in Nottingham with lavish leather seats and a rather intimate dance floor. It plays mainly funk and house and is rammed at weekends so arrive early.
  • Attik: This venue in Leicester hosts many underground and unsigned bands. Some bands who've played this venue have become quite successful, such as The Subways and Kasabian.

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Eat at...

  • Dawat Balti: Try all 50 restaurants in Birmingham's Balti Triangle - this recently modified example serves authentic, good-value food to an assembly of satisfied customers.
  • 1707 Restaurant: If your idea of a nice meal is one which involves horseracing and/or gambling, then this restaurant at the Warwick Racecourse will suit you. Coffee comes with Turkish delight - interesting.
  • The Fat Cat Café Bar: This Stoke-on-Trent eatery has a relaxing atmosphere, a regularly updated British menu and music such as classical and jazz. Sports are shown on large projection screens and there is free access to wi-fi.

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Shop at...

  • Highcross Leicester: This complex is due to open soon. It promises to be a world-class shopping destination, housing many popular stores such as John Lewis, House of Fraser, Accessorize, Boots and Waterstones.
  • The Bullring: This is the epicentre of Birmingham's shopping experience with over 160 shops, 25 restaurants and, best of all, Selfridges.
  • IKEA: Right bang in the middle of the city centre, this is a new an exciting addition to Coventry's shopping experience. It has everything you need for your new pad.

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The cost of living in the Midlands

Official statistics cite the cost of living in the Midlands as being 80 per cent of that in London. While this is a very general gauge of the region, it is true that living in the Midlands is cheaper than in the big smoke. Rent varies hugely: the price you pay for a one-bedroom flat in Oxford will get you a three-bedroom house in Derby. As a general rule, the bigger cities such as Nottingham and Birmingham are more expensive than the more rural regions of the counties, particularly small towns in Staffordshire.

The first place to look for letting adverts is the local Gumtree website for wherever you want to go to. Beware of scam landlords and never transfer money as 'proof of funds' until you've seen the place and signed a legitimate contract. www.gumtree.com

If you are moving somewhere with a big student community, check out the websites of local universities as there will often by good advice for finding affordable housing on there.

Below are a few useful links for finding letting agents or properties to rent:

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Getting work in the Midlands

With so many large cities playing host to some of the world's biggest companies, and with a lot of companies opting to move outside London to avoid the soaring rent costs, you should have no problem finding the right employer for you in the Midlands region.

Of course, new graduates are more interested in what they are being paid than what their companies are shelling out on rent - in the Midlands, wages are a little below the national average, but with lower living costs too, it should be possible to get a good deal and make your salary stretch quite far in this region.

The Midlands generally enjoy good transport links (apart from a few inaccessible rural areas) and motorways such as the M1 and M6 run through the region. There are several airports, so there is no need to go to London if you need to fly and it's easy for companies based in the Midlands to reach international marketplaces.

The economy in the Midlands is generally strong and diverse. Up and coming sectors of employment include the automotive industry, electronics, food and drink, rubber and plastics, software, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, logistics, financial and business services and e-business, ICT and environmental technology. There is also the possibility of employment in the agricultural sector, with a great deal of land devoted to this in Lincolnshire.

Below are a few examples of companies with a base in the Midlands. (Note: these companies may not be currently recruiting. Their names have been provided as a guideline to the type of work available and areas to look in.)

  • Avon Cosmetics: (graduate and administrative, Northampton) Successful cosmetics company which has its head office in Northampton and is the world's leading direct-selling cosmetics company. 
  • Barclays plc: (finance and sales, Coventry) Barclays is one of the UK's leading banks and a lot of its operations are based in Coventry, including some of its graduate schemes.
  • BBC: (journalism and media, Birmingham) The BBC's base in Birmingham is one of its oldest regional branches. There are also branches in surrounding areas of the West Midlands. The BBC offers regular work experience placements as well as jobs in all aspects of journalism and programme making.
  • Cadbury Limited: (finance, sales technology and engineering, Birmingham) Blue-chip FTSE 100 company, which creates household-name brands and is one of the top graduate employers in the West Midlands. 
  • Capital One: (finance, legal and IT, Nottingham) Company dealing with credit cards, loans, banking and savings employing 27,000 people worldwide. One of the UK's top ten credit card issuers. 
  • Cobbetts: (legal, Birmingham) Full-service law firm which employs graduates as well as experienced lawyers. According to the website, the firm will ensure you have the right level of training and support to achieve the best results for clients. 
  • HM Revenue and Customs: (civil service, Nottingham) Government department whose responsibilities include collecting taxes and National Insurance and paying state support such as Tax Credits. The department offers two graduate training schemes.
  • Land Rover: (engineering, IT and marketing, Solihull) Employs 11,000 people in the UK and further career opportunities are available through its sister company, Jaguar.
  • Siemens: (engineering, sales and IT, Nottingham) Engineering organisation founded in Germany in 1847, the company now employs 430,000 people, over 20,000 of whom are based in the UK. 
  • Speedo International: (various, including sales and legal, Nottingham) Speedo is one of the brands owned by Pentland Brands plc, which offers graduate careers in Nottingham. Speedo is a well known brand of swimwear which is used by both recreational and professional swimmers.
  • Vision Express: (retail and finance, Lenton) High street optician/optometrist which is also a leading retailer in fashion eyewear, selling spectacles, contact lenses and sunglasses.

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