AFTER giving careers and higher education advice for more than 20 years, specifically to students, I read with interest Dan Kendrick's article (Evening News, Wednesday, July 9) on graduates finding work hard to find.

Obviously, with so many more graduates, competition for jobs which, 40 years ago, were deemed 'graduate vacancies' and picked up on employers' milk-round visits to universities, is tough.

It's therefore unreasonable for graduates today to expect to find suitable employment just because they are graduates.

Messrs. Phillips and Meadows seemed not to realise the need to expend a lot of time and energy searching for a career which is of interest to them, and for an employer who'll provide paid work.

Career guidance is standard in all secondary schools. It is, however, the independent schools which provide the additional opportunity for students to avail themselves of specialist career guidance.

It's especially helpful to students who, as Mr Meadows claims, "don't have one specific goal".

The individual report produced generates career suggestions which the student must explore, through work experience, careers experience courses, part time employment and so on.

The argument over Vocational vs. Academic degree is not as crucial as some make out. Just over half of graduate vacancies are available to graduates of any discipline, and most of the other half are in the medical, engineering and law fields.

The message for students is that one has to work at career choice. The sooner this begins after the age of 16 the better.

Don't wait until university, and then until graduation, and then until after a year off, otherwise you'll find yourself at the back of a very long queue.

N R HUMPHRIES,

Beech Avenue,

Worcester.