Low expectations of graduate job market
Most students graduating this summer do not expect to find enough "suitable" jobs for them to apply for, a new survey has found.
High Fliers Research carried out 16,113 interviews at 30 leading universities, forming part of the UK Graduate Careers Survey. Whilst there was a slight increase in those believing they can enter a graduate level occupation, the figure nevertheless remains worryingly low at 36%, a 13% fall from its peak in 1998. The survey also discovered that at least a quarter of students were hoping they could remain in education, going on to undertake postgraduate research.
Of those who had already applied, the most popular occupations appeared to be those within the investment banking sector, with careers such as teaching and those encompassing marketing and media also fairly popular.
The survey was carried out in February and March this year, using face to face interviews to discover students' views on employability and career prospects. 60% believed that there were not enough graduate jobs available for the number of students expected to graduate in the summer.
On wages, 4% more students believed that they could expect a starting salary of around £19,800 compared with last year, with a third preferring the lure of London as their place of employment. On a more positive note, it appears that careers services are performing well, with three quarters of the interviewees rating them as good or excellent.
Send this article to a friend