Another day and another survey on patterns of graduate employment. This time by SHL and a sample of 1000 grads from the last 3 years. No idea how they selected these 1000 or which degrees they undertook but there’s some food for thought.

Firstly a slap on the wrists for originators of this article, Wallet Pop UK, who’ve pinned a misleading title on the article. According to the survey 2/3rds of those surveyed did not fail to get a job. The failed to get a graduate level job. Bit of a difference there. 

In many ways a very important one. Brunel’s unemployment rates for grads 6 months after graduation has fallen for 2010 grads in comparison to 2009 grads. But I’m aware that Continue reading →

As regular readers of this blog will know I am quick to scrutinise grad job related headlines for exaggerations and spin. However this week’s latest announcement of unemployment amongst 18-24 year olds (now running at 20%) is one that cannot be unpicked or down played. It’s there in black and white.

And yet I’m driven to write this post. For one thing I’m aware that not every Brunel graduate falls in to that age bracket. Secondly I can’t help but react to what I see on the ground, here in this careers centre. New employers keep on contacting us asking for graduates. On a daily basis. Okay, we’re only talking one vacancy here and one vacancy there but I alone (and there’s 7 careers advisers at Brunel) am helping one employer Continue reading →

Like the proverbial buses I was greatly encouraged by yet another tv special on grad employment which appeared on Monday the 7th and is still available on BBC i-Player. Entitled “Young jobless and living at home” it followed 5 “young” people of job finding age who start off the programme unemployed. I think what made it work for me was recruiting someone similarly young to do the investigating and following them over months, not weeks. Initial common pre-conceptions (which the media often parrot) made way to more realistic and measured learning points as Greg James learnt over time how Continue reading →

Looks like I’ve got a bit of extra homework tonight. On ITV1 at 7.30pm I’ll be watching a programme called “The Value of a Degree” which amongst other things says it will explore whether a degree helps with getting a better job or a higher salary. You will have you’re own personal and perhaps quite raw opinions about this at the moment but watch out tomorrow for my thoughts not necessarily on what they say but how they present the issue. Just like newspapers write stories to sell copies there can be a similar emotive tendency in tv.

And so to my final point. From the survey 60% of those 100 agreed with either the statement “Not very likely” or “Not at all likely” in response to the statement, “Likelihood that Graduates with no work experience would get a job offer”. That still leaves 40% who said it was “Very likely” or “Quite likely”. Of course it’s the former more pessimistic outcome that’s been highlighted. There’s no news in good news it seems.

That’s not to airbrush the issue of work experience entirely. It is becoming increasingly important as a means for companies to differentiate between candidates. I’d just add one thing. Continue reading →

A couple of quickies before I get stuck in to a final meaty issue. Firstly one of the newspapers out there has relayed that a number of well known companies in the survey have already closed their schemes for this campaign year. This is non news. For years there have been a certain amount of the companies that recruit on to graduate schemes who are done and dusted by Christmas. That’s old news. And remember we’re talking of a handful of the handful of companies who recruit graduates that are out there.

Secondly it is reported that a quarter of those surveyed said they’d Continue reading →

The news wires have been buzzing this morning with newspaper reaction to the latest High Fliers research into the latest graduate recruitment trends. Here are articles from The Telegraph,  The Guardian, and The Independent to name a few. The main themes contain both good and not so good news. The number of grads they’re looking for in 2010/2011 is 10% up on 2009/2010. However a 1/3rd of these recruiters’ vacancies were filled straight away by returning placement students that have now graduated.

So, some swings and roundabouts, but I’d like to take a step back even further on this report. To illustrate that both facts should be taken with a pinch of salt. Why? Well, it’s Continue reading →