Thu, 26 Jun 2014The majority of students are still overestimating graduate job opportunities, research by the National Centre for Universities and Business has found.

Seventy-nine per cent expect to be in graduate-level employment within six months of leaving university, NCUB says. But the nearest comparable government statistics reveal that just 53% are working at such a level within five years.

There were large disparities between the jobs students said they were thinking of working in after graduation and the numbers of students who were eventually working those occupations.

For example, 44% of business studies students surveyed said that they were interested in working in marketing/market research, advertising and public relations. But according to Higher Education Careers Service Unit figures, only 18.2% of business and management graduates who are working six months after graduation are described as marketing, PR and sales professionals.