<< back to previous page

Graduates told experience vital for some employers

Published: Friday, 15 January 2010   Category: Work Experience

Graduate job hunters particularly looking to begin a career in sales have been told by a survey that some experience in the industry would enhance their chances of being hired.

Student Gems conducted a study of 1,561 UK managing directors across a range of industries and concluded that 61 per cent would put experience over qualifications when analysing the applications of candidates.

This fact was particularly true to the sales world, with 72 per cent of the directors preferring applicants to have spent some time in the workplace.

Catering, graphic design and care work were other industries to put a high emphasis on experience.

Sue Harrison, co-founder of Student Gems, said: "With the current economic climate, job vacancies are receiving large amounts of interest and it is becoming more and more competitive - a reason many graduates are struggling to find jobs relevant to their degrees.

"We recommend students spend time on preparing their CVs and put great care into improving their experience in their chosen study field in order to make them as employable as possible."

The Association of Graduate Career Advisory Services warned graduates seeking work experience last year to make sure they fully understood what the position entailed.