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What next after university? The ‘What do Graduates do?’ survey of 2004 shows that 66.9% of university graduates entered employment in 2002; 19.7% went on to further study and 6.9% were unemployed after six months (slightly up on the previous year, due to reduced employment in engineering, accountancy, banking, IT, marketing and investment banking). Of those completing HND courses: 28.0% went into employment, 60.5% were converting to a degree and 4.1% were in other further study or training. 3.9% were unemployed. More and more employers are looking to employ graduates. Blue chip companies take around 20% of each year’s leavers, with many of the rest being taken on by small and medium sized employers. However, at a time when more graduates are leaving universities each year, there is intense competition for some opportunities. Although some employers want graduates with specific degree subjects these only account for about 40% of graduate opportunities. The majority of recruiters are looking for graduates in any subject, who can show they have the skills and qualities which will help them to succeed in their organisation. What skills are most valued by employers? Research carried out by the Association of Graduate Recruiters (2002) identified the following as the skills valued by most employers:
They highlighted the following as being important skills in short supply:
It is certainly worth looking at this list and considering how you could develop your skills. Making the effort to plan for your future early on at university can be of enormous value when you come to make applications for graduate jobs. Whilst at university, you will develop skills through your studies, but you should also look beyond your course for other opportunities. These could include courses run by the university careers service, extra curricular activities which involve taking on new responsibilities in addition to your studies, work experiences and voluntary work. Remember, your degree may be only a starting point in terms of learning. Most graduates will do further non-leisure study after graduating. The government’s Labour Force Survey shows that although many graduates start their careers in non graduate occupations, by the time they are between 25 and 34, over 85% are either in professional occupations, associate professional and technical occupations or working as managers and senior officials. The world of work is constantly changing and you need to manage your own career development and learning throughout life. More graduates are now delaying applying for graduate jobs until after they have completed their courses, preferring to devote their energies to achieving the best results they can before investigating their job options. In 2001 8.8% of graduates chose to remain in full-time study and move on to higher degrees which were either taught or research based. 3.2% went on to study for a diploma, certificate or professional qualification in teaching. Some employers who have been finding it hard to attract applicants, have been offering financial incentives – eg for those planning to teach science, maths and modern languages who are eligible to apply for training bursaries, and ‘golden hellos’.
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