An increasing wave of optimism towards the graduate jobs market appears to be spreading amongst those leaving university, as a study conducted by recruitment advisers High Fliers this week revealed a 33 per cent rise in applications for graduate jobs compared to the figures from one year ago.
In total 18,000 students were surveyed, from whom it is expected that a huge 343,000 applications will be sent out. On average this is just under 20 applications per student, reflecting awareness amongst applicants of the need for an extensive job search and also a widespread willingness to engage in just that. 40 per cent of those surveyed said they were confident of starting a graduate job this year. This may seem like a low figure upon first glance, but represents a definite upturn in attitudes towards those held by the majority a year ago amidst the economic recession. That even those who were not fully confident in securing a job in the short term are willing to expand their job search suggests an increasing feeling of the eventual achievability of such a goal. The Universities minister David Willets spoke positively of the survey, citing it as evidence of the continued value of a degree-level education.
In addition to representing a significant rise from last year's application figures, the High Fliers study also reveals something about the changing state of the graduate recruitment market in the longer term. The number of applications represents a massive 75 per cent rise since the same study in 2004. This emphasises the rise in the numbers attending university as well as an increasing rate of applications per person as the former factor makes every position more competitive. Any overall increase in the amount of graduate positions available during that time is therefore balanced by this increasing competition. But while this may make landing a first post-university role more difficult, it is not necessarily a bad thing. Instead, it adds to an increasing overall climate of confidence that can only serve to enhance the recruitment market and, in the long-term, benefit the graduate.
Jon, GRB Journalist
