Graduating in the UK today

Tuesday March 2011, 00:00:00

In a time of global recession, it could feel like the worst time to be graduating from university, but graduate recruitment has not been massively adversely affected by the recession. Despite job cuts, most employers have learnt that cutting graduate recruitment now will mean creating a skills shortage in the future.
Graduate schemes are more likely to provide graduates with highly-paid jobs than direct entry applications or enquiries. Graduates who are successfully accepted onto such a scheme can expect advanced training packages, flexibility to move across departments within a company or organisation and build a large knowledge and skills base as a result.
Most schemes last for around one year, and many will include the opportunity to study towards a professional qualification funded by the organisation, as well as to learn from a variety of mentors. Most graduate schemes combine key skills training with on-the-job experience. Some people have unfavourable experiences on graduate recruitment schemes, with many disliking adopting the 'trainee' title for the first year of employment. Sometimes rotational placements are mandatory, whether it is beneficial to your chosen career or not. The main thing people dislike about graduate recruitment schemes is that it means abandoning any hopes of getting a job in the current year, and committing to being trained for a career in a particular organisation for a year. Despite this, they continue to be more likely to lead to highly paid jobs than other types of job applications. While all graduate recruitment schemes are different depending on the industry and job, there are some common work skills which tend to be included in most, including project management, people management, negotiating skills and communication. Most companies encourage those on training schemes to pursue professional qualifications, providing support and advice to help candidates do so.
Graduate recruitment schemes tend to be offered by the financial services sector. In 2009 46% of the biggest graduate recruiters were companies relating to finance. Graduate recruitment schemes are also the best way into a career in the public sector and accountancy.
Trainees are usually assigned a mentor, who is usually a senior manager or director. They can provide help and advice about how best to advance your career development, and achieve your goals. As with many new employees at a company, you could also be assigned a 'work buddy' to help you settle in a social sense. They will usually have completed a graduate training scheme themselves. On the whole, companies tend to treat graduate trainees quite well, providing them with the information and support about their career options to allow them to make informed decisions about how best to progress.
When the training scheme is completed candidates will usually end up with a junior management job role, although consultation tends to take place between the company and the candidate to ensure that the role is best suited to them. The Graduate Recruitment Bureau is a niche recruitment agency specialising in placing graduates into graduate jobs. We provide a free career matchmaking service for students and graduates. GRB has a team of consultants who will inform you about relevant graduate vacancies, offer industry advice and guide you through your applications to get the graduate career you deserve.