The ‘work experienced’ securing graduate jobs

New research published by High Fliers Research, which specialises in graduate recruitment research, reveals that 2012 will see the UK’s top employers employ more graduates than ever before, but those who will secure the most sought-after roles will have had prior work experience.

Warwick was one of the thirty leading universities included in the study, which revealed that whilst employers are expected to hire 6.4 percent more graduates in 2012 than in 2011, students from the ‘Class of 2012’ without previous work experience will stand “little or no chance of getting a job”.

Employers ranged from Oxfam to Apple, Google to Goldman Sachs, Penguin to the Police and the BBC to Bloomberg.

The report highlights Manchester, London’s triumvirate (Imperial, UCL and LSE), Cambridge, Nottingham and Oxford as the top five universities most targeted by Britain’s top graduate employers in 2011-2012.

Managing Director of High Fliers, Martin Birchall, said “in a highly competitive graduate job market, new graduates who’ve not had any work experience… have little hope of landing a well-paid job… irrespective of the academic results they achieve or the university they’ve attended.”

Thirty six per cent of vacancies are expected to be filled by applicants who have had previous experience with the employer during their studies.

Almost 75 per cent of graduate vacancies at investment banks and fifty per cent of training contracts offered by leading law firms are likely to be filled by graduates with work experience.

Whilst the report fails to specify exactly what qualifies as sufficient ‘work experience’, what is clear is that if prior experience is becoming increasingly more sought after, strategies must be implemented to assist graduates in obtaining vital employment experience.

Sean Ruston, Warwick Students’ Union Education Officer said “students need to start thinking about career paths and employability from year one. They can no longer get away with making their decisions in year three.”

He praised the good work of Warwick Student Careers & Skills (based in University House), who hold careers fairs and offer bursaries and assistance with CVs and cover-letters.

Warwick have links with employers, big and small, added Marketing Manager Jackie Smyth. “Students need to make use of the opportunities on offer before it’s too late,” she concluded.