Graduates face first job hurdles
November 20, 2009 by admin
Filed under Career News and Advice
Graduate unemployment is at its highest for 12 years and undergraduates have
their work cut out competing for roles in their chosen sector, experts say
By Richard Tyler
Published: 6:02PM GMT 19 Nov 2009
Architecture and construction graduates have been affected particularly badly,
with the percentage of last summer’s graduates out of work at the start of
this year nearly tripling from 2.9pc to 8.5pc, according to recent research
from the Higher Education careers services unit.
Some employers like BT have pulled their graduate recruitment plans entirely
for their 2010 intake, but other employers are still seeking graduates, with
internet security company Symantec among those recently revealing their
hiring plans. Symantec has places for 39 graduates and 13 interns this year.
Other companies are further down the recruitment track, with graduates who
applied to the likes of TUI Travel already invited to assessment days taking
place in Luton over the next two weeks.
James Bywater, head psychologist, at SHL, the talent assessment company, said
that job seekers are having to be flexible about the types of work they are
seeking.
“Many companies have cut back on graduate recruitment, or even postponed their
schemes altogether and this has led many students to widen their search and
apply for roles they hadn’t originally considered because they can no longer
afford to put all their eggs in one basket,” he said.
Telegraph Jobs is following the job hunting efforts of a panel of students who
are studying at universities across the country. This week two explain just
how tough they are finding it.
David Harna
Studying: BSc Business Studies at City University, Cass Business School
Dream job: Strategy consulting or investment banking in the short-term
and then an entrepreneur in the long-term.
I’ve had a few telephone and face-to-face interviews and have been impressed
and surprised because they have asked questions …
Read the original article at Telegraph
