Too many graduates have unrealistic expectations about the world of work, according to the managing director of IT recruiter Lorien.

Andy Church, managing director of Lorien Resourcing, told Recruiter: "Too many of the graduates we see expect to earn six figures without ever having to do anything substantial. A lot of the graduates expect to be able to come in here for six hours a day and earn £1m a year."

Church said he knew of one graduate who had spent the first two weeks at work informing everyone "how boring work was".

Church, a graduate himself, said he attributed this to Britain's 'Big Brother get rich quick something for nothing' culture. However, he said he had never met anyone who had been successful in any business who hadn't worked hard at some stage.

Gordon Bennell, managing director of Graduate Fastrack, a niche graduate sales recruiter, was more supportive of graduates.

Bennell told Recruiter: "The majority of graduates are willing to work hard and to put in the time when they are young."

However, Bennell admitted: "We do get graduates in who have unrealistic views of their abilities and what they are able to earn. There is a band of graduates who think they know everything there is to know."

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