Recruitment Advice

More than 25% of students are staying at University to study as the recession hits the graduate recruitment market. Graduates are weighing up their options, the market is very competitive with very few job. Graduate recruitment London is at a all time low as finance and banking has suffered this year.

Its comes as good news as PricewaterhouseCoopers, the professional services company have already employed 125 graduates this spring and are planning on another recruitment drive this year to fill another 800 jobs in London. The head of student recruitment at PwC said that graduate recruitment is as usual in terms of the roles they are offering however there has been an 38% increase in full time applications and 30% increase in the internship programme.

Are graduates compromising what they are looking for justto have a steady job? Most graduates look for further learning and development when seeking their first graduate role. Is the current climate forcing graduates to take the first job they are offered?

For those who are lucky enough to be in employment but don’t like their jobs are looking at job opportunties on lower salary banding’s. This is putting a strain on the graduate recruitment market as most employers would prefer someone with a little work experience.

Students that are due to graduate this year are the first year of students to have paid high tuition fees throughout their university career following the fee increases that were introduced in 2006, this is expected to be around £3000.

All students that are due to graduate from this year are expected to have a debt of around £15,700, this is a huge increase on the average debt that was £11,600 in the summer of 2008.

As we know this year is worse than ever with graduate opportunities very low and 2.1 million people unemployed the average starting salary in a graduate role is £22,300 down £400 on last year.

This was the first year that expectations for starting salaries had not increased since the High Fliers survey began in 1995.

New figures show that 25% more students are staying in education than this time last year. The research carried out by High Fliers involved around 16,000 students has found that as the job market slows up more students are enrolling for further education.

The research found that 52% of students thought that the prospects for new graduates a getting a job were very limited and 36% thought that they would not get a graduate job this year.

The survey found that teaching was the most popular career choice this year, up from third last year. the top three career choices were:

• Teaching 13.7%
• Media 13.6 %
• Marketing 12.6%

Its more bad news for students as there is a record number of graduates leaving university this year and a downturn in the amount of available vacancies.

Vacancies for graduates are set to drop for the first time since 2003 and starting salaries are expected to be frozen. The Association of Graduate Recruiters’ (AGR) winter survey found that for the first time in its 22 year history, starting salaries will stay the same. The average salary last year was £25,000.

Overall the amount of vacancies is expected to decrease by 5.4% with employers blaming the recession for the drop and 46% of the 245 organisations surveyed said they were expecting to hire fewer graduates this year. There is a big contrast the the summer surveys that were completed which predicted a growth this year of around 11.7%.

Pontin’s is due to spend £50million refurbishing its six holiday camps in a move upmarket designed to attract more holidaymakers. There will be a major switch this year from overseas holidays to UK holidays, due to the economic crisis and the weakening pound.

Ocean Parks, which owns Pontin’s, says the plans will create more than 2,000 jobs. Initially the existing entertainment, catering and bar facilities will be refurbished. Pontins is promising a ‘re-styled entertainment programme’ and a ’substantially enhanced food and beverage offer aimed at satisfying all tastes and budgets’.

Among the star performers this summer will be the singer Duncan James, previously with the boy band Blue, and entertainer Joe Pasquale.

Butlins has also made a move up-market in recent years. It will be opening the 200 room £20million Ocean spa hotel in Bognor Regis in the summer. The rooms offer flat screen TVs, leather sofas and rainfall showers

Marriott hotels are running their graduate recruitment scheme despite the economic turn down. The global hotel chain is planning the 24 month programme in the UK, Ireland, Middle East and Africa in a bid to attract new talent into its business.

The Marriott ‘Voyage’ graduate management development programme gives opportunities to spend time achieving skills and experience in operations, sales and marketing, finance, revenue management and human resources. From the moment you join the programme you benefit from the supportive culture, extensive training and development, excellent benefits and a huge range of career opportunities.

The Marriott’s commitment came after its rival hotel group Hilton put its fast track development programme on hold.