The Student Room Group

Graduate job prospects at '10 year high'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-30745839

Did you graduate last year? :cookie: Does your experience reflect this? :h:

Would be interesting to hear. :smile:

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:woo:
Reply 2
Original post by Puddles the Monkey
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-30745839

Did you graduate last year? :cookie: Does your experience reflect this? :h:

Would be interesting to hear. :smile:



Don't believe this at all, graduating this year at top 20 university and getting rejections all over the place. Having said that I did apply late into a very competitive industry with no relevant work experience, but I have real work experience.

Also I only two people on my course who have secured graduate jobs, but they did have prior internships at the company.
Original post by Tbx
Don't believe this at all, graduating this year at top 20 university and getting rejections all over the place. Having said that I did apply late into a very competitive industry with no relevant work experience, but I have real work experience.

Also I only two people on my course who have secured graduate jobs, but they did have prior internships at the company.


This is why I was wondering, I wonder if the increase is enough yet for graduates to actually feel it. :dontknow:

Best of luck in your job hunt :h: Keep positive, something will come along. :smile:
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by Tbx
Don't believe this at all, graduating this year at top 20 university and getting rejections all over the place. Having said that I did apply late into a very competitive industry with no relevant work experience, but I have real work experience.

Also I only two people on my course who have secured graduate jobs, but they did have prior internships at the company.


Which industry did you apply into?


Posted from TSR Mobile
I'm graduating after a four year course this summer coming. I've got two offers, one from where I completed a placement another from a big company down south. I've got invites to final interviews at another big company and a start-up firm both in London still to complete. I'm at a non top 20 university and I've had final interviews at investment banks and another large company too. All software engineering related.

It can't be that hard at the minute?
Original post by J-SP
The difference between now and 2004 is that there are far more many graduates. That's why many graduates will continue to struggle to find graduate roles.

Although the restrictions on work permits now mean that there are less international students who can compete with these jobs versus 2006/7 when they could go on grad programmes with post study visas for 2 years.

The other things about these stats are that they are only looking at the top 100 graduate employers that students choose (High Fliers). It isn't really reflective of the graduate market considering there are many more graduate programmes outside of the most "popular" ones.

But graduate recruitment is picking up. There are plenty of jobs going in that area and definitely a shortage of supply (although most of it is at an experienced level).


Thanks, these are some great points.

This article from the BBC shows that graduate unemployment fell last year (although not by a great amount it seems....).

Re: Visa changes - have they come into effect yet? (Or were there previous changes I wasn't aware of? :s-smilie:)
Original post by J-SP
They came into effect some time ago (2009/10 I think, maybe earlier). Students used to be able to apply for a 2 year post study visa and work. The visa was scrapped and now any international students wanting employment have to be sponsored by their employer. It's made it more difficult for international students to get a visa after studying unless they are working in a role with a high skills shortage or unless it's paying a high salary.


Posted from TSR Mobile


Ah, I was confused because Teresa May has plans to make it even harder for International Students, saying they need go home and apply again for a work visa from abroad.
Reply 8
Original post by Puddles the Monkey
This is why I waswondering, I wonder if the increase is enough yet for graduates to actuallyfeel it. :dontknow:

Best of luck in your job hunt


I can't say whether its better or worse than last year, but it is certainly harder than I would have imagined. Perhaps I was naïve thinking that going to an average university like UEA and getting a 2.1 would get me onto a graduate scheme.


Although for one graduate scheme I saw, it stated applicants must have graduated within the last 2 years so perhaps this would help graduates by reducing competition!

Thank you, hopefully something does J.

Original post by wikiellie
Which industry did you apply into?



Accounting with (hopefully) an accounting degree.

Edit: I don't think TSR likes internet explorer.
Reply 9
Original post by Puddles the Monkey
This is why I was wondering, I wonder if the increase is enough yet for graduates to actually feel it. :dontknow:

Best of luck in your job hunt :h: Keep positive, something will come along. :smile:


Its not just that. A graduate of 2013 is unlikely to know how hard it was to try and get a graduate job in 2004-2012 in order to compare.

2009-2011 seemed really tough, given posts on this forum, people seem to be in much better positions now. Probably comparable to 2004-2007
Reply 10
Original post by Quady
Its not just that. A graduate of 2013 is unlikely to know how hard it was to try and get a graduate job in 2004-2012 in order to compare.


Exactly this. I graduated in 2008 and believe me; It was absolout carnage out there. I know of only 1 out of about 50 friends who graduated back then that managed to get into any sort of graduate scheme.

I ended up taking a 2 year 'gap-year' to ride out the worst of the storm. When I came back in late 2009 things had improved very slightly. Now things have certainly improved alot, I've seen it from my own company recruiting graduates and friends who previously struggled now managing to get onto schemes.
Original post by Quady
Its not just that. A graduate of 2013 is unlikely to know how hard it was to try and get a graduate job in 2004-2012 in order to compare.

2009-2011 seemed really tough, given posts on this forum, people seem to be in much better positions now. Probably comparable to 2004-2007


Original post by Reue
Exactly this. I graduated in 2008 and believe me; It was absolout carnage out there. I know of only 1 out of about 50 friends who graduated back then that managed to get into any sort of graduate scheme.

I ended up taking a 2 year 'gap-year' to ride out the worst of the storm. When I came back in late 2009 things had improved very slightly. Now things have certainly improved alot, I've seen it from my own company recruiting graduates and friends who previously struggled now managing to get onto schemes.


This is a good point.

I graduated in 2011 and couldn't get *any* job, despite having work experience, an internship, good degree etc. I was getting interviews, but when I asked for feedback after rejection there was always someone with more experience. Although maybe I just don't interview too well either. :s-smilie: :dontknow:

I did what Reue did and left the country for a couple of years, which seemed to work out well for me.

I've got a friend at the moment who's just finished his PhD and is currently working in a bar. :s-smilie: :s-smilie: :s-smilie:

Job hunting can be really, really demoralising though - so if you're finding it tough just keep on going and don't give up. :dumbells: Something will come along eventually.
Reply 12
Original post by Reue
Exactly this. I graduated in 2008 and believe me; It was absolout carnage out there. I know of only 1 out of about 50 friends who graduated back then that managed to get into any sort of graduate scheme.

I ended up taking a 2 year 'gap-year' to ride out the worst of the storm. When I came back in late 2009 things had improved very slightly. Now things have certainly improved alot, I've seen it from my own company recruiting graduates and friends who previously struggled now managing to get onto schemes.


hmmmmmmm interesting....

Did you just start applying after graduation? I graduated in 2008, so started applying for jobs from Sept 2007.

I found things were off the boil as Northern Rock has just gone bust and things weren't quite right witht he banking worth, but it only really seemed to turn to carnage in the sumemr of 2008 - by which time I had a job lined up.

When I said those who graduated in 2009-2011 I was thinking from the perceptive of someone who was applying during the final year which was a bit narrow thinking on my part.
Reply 13
Original post by Quady
hmmmmmmm interesting....

Did you just start applying after graduation? I graduated in 2008, so started applying for jobs from Sept 2007.


No, I applied and attended quite a few interviews during my final year.
Reply 14
Original post by Reue
No, I applied and attended quite a few interviews during my final year.


Interesting.

Well thanks for the compliment :P

I thought grad recruitment leveled off/dipped slightly between 2007 and 2008, then went through the floor in 2009. Only my perspective though.
My brother graduated in 2009. He got onto one of the Times top grad schemes. They actually increased numbers they were hiring where he went because the banks and other top companies had slashed grad recruitment, so they took on more. He said it was phenomenal how high callibre some people were, many over 25-30.
Reply 16
Original post by Tinsley
My brother graduated in 2009. He got onto one of the Times top grad schemes. They actually increased numbers they were hiring where he went because the banks and other top companies had slashed grad recruitment, so they took on more. He said it was phenomenal how high callibre some people were, many over 25-30.


And does he find graduate job prospects compare now?
Reply 17
I feel that there's more demand for graduates now, but also a skills miss-match. For ex. there are several, large graduate employers having difficulty trying to find strong candidates with a background/interest in technology.
Original post by Puddles the Monkey
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-30745839

Did you graduate last year? :cookie: Does your experience reflect this? :h:

Would be interesting to hear. :smile:


This is actually not overly surprising. Because of the fees hike in 2012 a lot of people who were doing gap years and the like made sure they went in 2011 which in combination with the fees jump meant a 9% fall in university numbers. Couple this with the 8% rise in job vacancies and your 17% better off this year than last against your classmates. 2013 saw a 2% drop so it could be a tad better next year too but after that it's down to how quickly the number of job vacancies is rising.

That being said the most important thing to me is that it's still miles better than 2010 which had i done the usual school-sixthform-university is when i'd have graduated.
I call bs

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