Graduate jobs
What are the prospects for the graduate job market in 2010?
The jobs outlook remains bleak for students graduating this summer, with graduate vacancies still falling and a record 69 applicants chasing each opening, according to a survey published by the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR). Graduate vacancies are set to be down a further 6.9 per cent this year after last year’s drop of 8.9 per cent, says the Association of Graduate Recruiters.Carl Gilleard, chief executive has commented that the situation was as tough as it has been for two decades. With the looming public sector squeeze making the situation harder to predict. A rare optimistic sign, he said, was that most employers were cutting back on numbers but not stopping graduate recruitment entirely. When they did so in the 1990s, they rapidly ran short of qualified staff in the upturn.
Five sectors expect to increase vacancies this year, according to the AGR survey. Forecast numbers in retail banking and financial services are up by 72 per cent, with significant rises also in insurance, business services, construction and accountancy. But sharp declines were predicted in consumer goods, information technology, retail, engineering, law, the public sector and investment banking.
The outlook for graduate starting salaries
The median graduate starting salary was flat for a second year at £25,000. There are now 69 applicants for each vacancy, compared with 49 last year and 31 in 2008.
The number of job seekers has been swollen by graduates from the past two years still looking for their first graduate job, along with job seekers’ tendency to send more applications to maximise opportunity during the downturn.
The report is based on responses from 199 AGR members across 18 sectors who will provide an estimated 17,900 graduate vacancies this year.
Advice to graduates in difficult times
The survey asked employers to advise graduates on how to tackle the jobs market. 65.3% urged graduates to conduct rigorous research into potential employers and sectors so that there was less of a mismatch between applicant and employer expectations. Half said applying early was particularly important this year and 44.3% suggested applicants should be willing to relocate. One third advised graduates to widen their jobs criteria.
Carl Gilleard, Chief Executive of the Association of Graduate Recruiters, said: “It is really important that graduates coming into the market this year do not despair and assume that there are no jobs whatsoever out there. As today’s snapshot survey shows, though there is certainly nervousness amongst recruiters about the impact of the recession on their business, not all have shut up shop by any means and a very significant number are still looking for bright graduates to take on.”
For those graduates who are not able to secure their ideal job quickly, the advice was very clear; two thirds of employers said that securing temporary paid employment was a desirable alternative and 54.4% recommended gaining graduate-level experience in another sector. Employers had mixed feelings about ‘years out’ – just 39.6% thought this was a sensible move. The least favourable option for employers was further study. Only 30% thought this would give graduates an edge in the job hunt. With applications to postgraduate courses up sharply in recent months, this last statistic may well give this year’s graduates pause for thought.
The process of applying to graduate jobs, 'The Milkround'
The graduate job search begins at university
Often the reason students choose to continue their studies at university is to enhance their job prospects. Graduate job hunting can be a time consuming and frustrating process, it can take up valuable time away from your academic and social responsibilities. However if you follow a number of steps, you can make this daunting process easier.
But which graduate career path is suited to me?
Many students are unsure of what type of job they want to pursue upon graduation. If you find yourself in this position then chatting to friends, relatives and careers advisors may give you some ideas on careers may be suited to you. Work shadowing, although frequently unpaid, is an ideal way of finding out whether a particular role would suit you. For most students, their university careers service should be the first place to visit for help in finding information. There are a wealth of magazine-style publications available at the moment which list the big graduate employers and what each position would involve.
Student summer internships, work experience or volunteering all help...
If possible, organising an internship, some form of work experience, temping or volunteering is a very useful way to enhance your employment potential. Internships are offered by many large graduate recruiters and normally run as 6-12 week summer placements. They are frequently well paid too, however competition for the small number of places available is fierce. Start thinking about applying to these positions in January of your penultimate year. Aside from work experience, graduate employers look for other skills which include examples where you have demonstrated key skills in leadership, teamwork, problem-solving and communication. Ensure you have a pre-prepared example for each of these situations.
Involvement in university societies or sports teams is often a way of developing such skills, however you can also include skills developed whilst at school - such as on the Young Enterprise or Duke of Edinburgh scheme.
What if I want to take a gap year?
You may wish to put off finding a graduate job until after you graduate, perhaps you wish to take a break after uni and chill out by travelling for a year. However, remember that many employers are perfectly happy to accept applications from students who wish to defer their employment start date until 6 months to a year after graduation.
By finding a job before you leave uni you will have the advantage of taking part in the milkround process, as well as having university careers services at your immediate disposal. And of course you can go away with the satisfying feeling that you have a job to come back to. If you don't manage to arrange anything by graduation then don't worry as nearly all graduate recruiters accept applications from graduates - provided they apply within two years of graduation.
By taking part in widespread travelling or voluntary work you may also be able to enhance your CV for when you return to the UK, believe it or not gap year travel can be seen as a strength to potential recruiters as it can demonstrate confidence, the ability to think on your feet and a more rounded rested individual hungry to pay off some debt and get working - particularly if you've been to some more 'challenging' destinations than the standard Thailand to Australia route. I've had this specific feedback from more than one employer. For more advice on gap years visit our Gap Year page.
When to apply to a graduate job?
So what should you do if you want to apply for a graduate job whilst in your final year? Well, it is important to start thinking and planning early. At the start of your final year you should be perfecting your CV, through consultation with a careers advisor, and preparing answers to application forms - whilst many of which ask very similar questions try and tailor answers to the specific organisation you are applying to. Again through consultation with the graduate careers office look out for any graduate recruiters visiting campus to conduct presentations. These can be useful for finding out more about the company, what they're looking for, and to speak to recent graduates who work their to find out of if the roles available are suited to you.
From November many large graduate recruiters will start accepting and reviewing applications, they may even offer initial interviews or tests towards the end of this month. So identify which firms you would like to apply to and get your application form sent off as early as possible. Deadlines
for applications start approaching towards the end of December, but many extend into the Spring months. If your application is successful you will be invited to an initial interview which may involve some tests, if successful at this stage this interview will be followed by an assessment centre - following which offers of employment are made. The following points describe and give advice for each stage of the recruitment process:
The graduate job application form
This is frequently regarded as the toughest stage of the recruitment process, as it is where the majority of applicants are filtered out. If you are invited to interview following your application form then the chances are you meet the requirements which the firm is looking for, that's the biggest hurdle overcome. Ensure you are able to offer plenty of different examples of where you have worked in a team, solved a problem, arranged an event etc. Although you may be able to modify your experiences slightly to match the questions, it is important that you do not lie at this stage.
Initial interviews are frequently based on your application form - and interviewers will see through any gaps in your record. Many application forms are internet based now, this should make things quicker and easier for you as you can copy and paste pre-prepared answers onto the form. These are also an advantage if you have bad handwriting! A large part of the application form is simply filled up with your contact details and academic record. Ensure that you can offer sound and honest answers to questions such as why would you like to work for...?
The company/organisation's website usually provides a wealth of information for this stage. Plus run a search on Google news to see the latest events and issues affecting the company/organisation and its sector.
Don't expect to get many interviews following the completion of just a few application forms. There are a large number of students chasing these jobs so you will need to apply to around 10, 20 or even 30 companies to dramatically improve your chances of employment. Don't be disillushioned if you receive early rejection letters at this stage, different employers look for different attributes, so keep trying!
The inital graduate interview
Congratulations, you've secured your first interview. This may be the first proper interview you've had so two things are crucial at this stage - preparation and practice. Sign-up for practice interviews at your university careers service, or ask a friend or relative to put you on the spot with some questions. It is very important that you research and prepare for an interview. Interviewers are particularly impressed if you ask a question or mention something concerning a recent topical development within the company or industry. Read newspapers and scour the internet and company website to ensure you can do this.
You will find that the first round interview questions are fairly predictable and carry on the theme of the application form asking more tedious give me an example of an occasion when you... type questions. However not all interviews are that predictable - don't be put off by spontanious questions - one interviewer asked me What was the last book you read? which caught me rather off-guard. Another interview just asked me to recall my personal development since secondary school, a nice opportunity to reminisce for half an hour! Spotting that he was captain of his college football team, one of my friends was asked by an interviewer: What are your opinions on the 4-4-2 or wing-back formation?
Ultimately interviewers are just after an insight on your personality, your application form has proved you have the background they are looking for, so to be successful at this stage just be yourself, and try and remain cool, collected and confident.
Graduate testing sessions
Some internet application forms now integrate initial personality or numeracy tests, however often these will be conducted on-campus or at your first interview. The most common test is of a numeracy kind, the main areas they look for are your ability to interpret information regarding percentages and ratios - nothing more complex than that is required. The next popular type of test is Verbal Reasoning. These cannot be prepared for and just require you to interpret a number of short statements, with practice your speed at doing these tests should improve.
Another type of test is a Personality or Psychometric test. These ask you to rate a number of statements on how important you rate each issue. Key things to remember here are: don't try and 'guess' what the employer is looking for and be consistent with your answers - as frequently the statements are re-worded and repeated. As with all types of tests, try and work quickly and skip out any questions you get stuck on. Don't worry if you don't finish the test - frequently they are designed so you won't.
The graduate assessment centre
This is often the final stage of the graduate recruitment process, if you have got this far then you are very close to receiving a job offer. This normally involves a whole day of activities, with breaks between them. It may require an overnight stay at a hotel and an evening meal the night before. When you get down to business the activities are likely to revolve around group problem solving work, individual interviews or presentations. Any group work will be assessed, so your participation in the activities is important - don't drown others out or don't be too quiet. Overall, enjoy the experience, learn from the feedback if you are not successful and remember that you are not being judged alongside the other candidates,
but against a set of criteria the employer is looking for. GOOD LUCK!
CV's and Interview Skills
Top tips on how to land your first graduate job - insights into interview techniques for students.
Are you leaving university soon? Are you worried about how you're going to cope with the gruelling process of filling out job application forms and interviews? If so you're not alone, according to new research a lot of people stumble through the interview phase. A surprising four out of five confess to have cried, fallen over, spilt coffee on themselves or had a coughing fit during an interview - leaving a less than desirable first impression! Nearly two in five people also admit to lying in interviews and 18% have yawned their way through the process. A bold one in twenty have actually walked out mid-interview because they were less than impressed with the experience.
Obviously if you find yourself in the interview seat in the next couple of months then we wouldn't recommend any of the above as a plan of attack.
According to the research by Sainsbury's, who believe that having an affinity with the people you work with means you get more done and have more fun doing it with people who share your attitudes and values; there are some simple ways of engaging with the interviewer. Almost eight out of ten said that they maintained eye contact to create a connection with the interviewer and respondents also sent positive body language messages by smiling (78%) and offering up a firm handshake (58%). You might also want to be careful about what information you put up on social networking sites. Over a quarter of respondents admitted they didn't edit content on their online profile despite the risk that an employer could stumble upon it. Social networking is a great way to enhance relationships with potential co-workers, however it pays to bear in mind what kind of information and pictures you're uploading and who is going to view them. To improve your chances take a look at the following tips:
- Research the company before you get there. They're unlikely to have prepared a pop quiz on their corporate history but exhibiting a bit of background knowledge will show them you're dedicated to getting the job and will help with that much-dreaded "So why would you like to work for us" question.
- Check and double check the time and date of your interview. Turning up an hour (or a day) late does not make the best first impression.
- Pay attention to your interviewer. Asking them to repeat a question because you zoned out or calling them by the wrong name is not likely to result in a call back.
- Check your appearance before entering the interview. Is everything buttoned and zipped?
- Be friendly to everyone as soon as you enter the building. You never know, you might be chatting to the CEO without even realising it.
Stuck on a section of your CV or getting nervous before your first job interview? Let these user friendly guides take care of it:
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Resources to help you look for graduate jobs
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How to Get the Best Graduate Job: Secret Insider Strategies for Success in the Graduate Job Market "You're one of 400,000 students to graduate from university in a year. You want a good graduate job. Yet you know competition is fierce. This is the first book to go behind the scenes and show you exactly how you do it." |
CV.com - search for graduate jobs.
Graduate Coach – career advice for Graduates and Students from Graduate Coach. Advice on internships, CV writing and job interviews.
Graduate Recruitment Bureau - recruitment agency specialising in graduate jobs, internships, student jobs and work experience.
GET - a site from Hobsons, gives you access to graduate jobs, independent career advice and a community of job hunters.
Career Advice: Get the Best Career Advice Here, incl. Videos & Interview Skills from Professionals who have Made It. We’ll Help You to Be SUCCESSFUL!
Ice Recruit - with graduate civil engineering job vacancies, Icerecruit is the official civil engineering jobs site of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
Indeed is a search engine for jobs, allowing job seekers to find jobs posted on thousands of company career sites and job boards.
Inspiring Interns aim to place students and graduates in internships in London and the UK.
IT Jobs For Graduates - is a specialist job board for IT graduates in the UK. With currently more than 1,300 Graduate IT jobs online with some of the top employers being Accenture, Capgemini, Bloomberg, Lloyds TSB, Siemens, Orange and Microsoft.
JobiJoba UK is an search engine for jobs in the UK. It allows you to search a growing selection of jobs listed on recruiting agencies sites as well as job board in one go.
Jobs.ac.uk - search jobs in science, research, academic & related employment in the UK & abroad.
Junction 49 aims to make it as easy as possible for you to turn your ideas to make a difference into reality. If you already have an idea you can submit it or offer to help out on someone else’s. As well as an opportunity to create and deliver their own ideas for social change, volunteering through Junction49 gives graduates invaluable experience and a way to enhance their CV.
Launch Mind connects employers with graduates, allowing them to find and target suitable candidates. Sign up and upload your CV to let employers find you.
Milkround contains job news, employer profiles, online applications and career and application guidance.
Prospects features a load of information for the graduate job hunters.
Reed - last time I looked had 22,000 graduate roles listed online.
Part Time Jobs - the place for Part Time Jobs and Work Placements, as well as graduate positions.
Total Jobs - search jobs online from top companies across the UK on TotalJobs. Search the biggest selection of vacancies, career advice and recruitment options.
Tip Top Job - search jobs online from top companies across the UK on TotalJobs. Search the biggest selection of vacancies, career advice and recruitment options.
University of London Careers Service - if you are looking for a job in the Capital then sign up here to receive frequent emails of vacancies.
