Only 36% of final-year students expect to find a job this summer, according to a survey by High Flyers Research. What do the other 64% of the surveyed students plan to do post-graduation?
Students and graduates are increasingly considering alternative options in the post-recession jobs market and it is quite easy to understand why. Even talk of the high competition for jobs is enough to discourage some job seekers, but for those who do attempt to find work but repeatedly receive bad news in response to their job applications it can be a difficult struggle.
A popular alternative is going abroad, either to travel, work or teach. According to the managing director of i-to-i, the leading TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course provider, between March and May there was a 22% increase in the number of students looking to work abroad.
Taking time out to do something different can be of huge benefit to a graduate who is in the process of looking for a career and a graduate who has been abroad and experienced another culture can be of value to an employer.
Time away, working abroad or travelling can encourage personal growth and the development of independence, alongside building up important soft skills such as leadership and even survival skills. Horizons can be broadened, perspectives tuned and career ambitions refined, preparing an individual for the start of a career.
Have your say – Will you be considering 2010 graduates for your 2011 intake if they have used their year to travel, work or teach abroad?
Is this a better option than staying on at university to do a postgraduate qualification?