Graduate prospects improve but competition still tough

Job prospects for graduates have improved since last year, but competition remains stiff with an average of 46 applications for each graduate vacancy, according to research by High Fliers Research.
Mon, 1 Jul 2013Job prospects for graduates have improved since last year, but competition remains stiff with an average of 46 applications for each graduate vacancy, according to research by High Fliers Research.

This compares with 51 applications per graduate opening in 2012.

Martin Birchall, managing director of High Fliers Research, says: “It’s great news for the ‘Class of 2013’ leaving university that graduate recruitment at Britain’s top employers is now at its highest level for five years, and that many are expected to expand their graduate vacancies even further in 2104, but our research shows that competition for individual graduate jobs remains fierce.”

According to the company’s findings, competition is most intense at consumer goods companies, with 160 applications for each job, followed by media, at 110. Other tough-to-enter sectors are banking & finance and oil & energy with 84 and 74 applications for each opening respectively.

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