57% of graduates in their first job aspire to leave the position within two years, says a report released by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) and the Ashridge Business School on Thursday. 40% hope to leave within the year, and 16% - almost a fifth - hope to leave their first position as soon as possible. It suggests that graduates have a peripatetic attitude towards their first years in employment, despite bleak and convincing statistics about the availability of employment for this particular demographic. The survey also suggests an optimism - or, less kindly, youthful naivety - of graduates in regard to their own CV and skill set.
The optimism is encouraging. The survey states that the graduates polled revealed their top three priorities to be challenging/interesting work (33%), a high salary (32%) and advancing their career (24%) and the hierarchy of these three priorities implies that 'youthful naivete' is indeed an unfair assessment; although challenging/interesting work was prioritised highest, it was followed swiftly by the realpolitik diktats of salary and career progression. It implies that graduates remain positive about where they hope to go, and understand that where they start does not, necessarily map where they will end up. This is a crucial philosophy to cherish as you sit in an office performing a mindless, unpaid job. The strongest position from which to find work is from a job and the bright young things of the class of 2011 mind this.
The managers polled state that the greatest challenge of employing graduates is 'managing their expectations'; perhaps the 16% who hope to move on within a year will, ultimately, be disappointed. But it is their attitude that is important, and it is their attitude that is likely to facilitate the career progression. Looking at their career progression as one of brief, excitable bursts of activity is, arguably, a more realistic standpoint from which to view the first few years after university and it will also be hardwired: most will have completed three or four year courses, shunting their lives from different halls and flats every year, and completed modules by term or by semester. It is no surprise that graduates in their first position display some symptoms of ADHD.
What they must do is harness their energy and deposit it into proactivity. They must continue to think about their life in the short term, but ensure that each brief period is handled efficiently so as to progress to the next step. Ambition mobilises and can do so even for this downtrodden group.
Phoebe, GRB Journalist
