There is something every student needs to know. Academic achievement is not the great divider it once was. While leaving university with a good degree is a pre-requisite in today’s graduate employment market, a degree alone may not be enough to secure that dream graduate job
Of the 300,000-plus graduates in the UK every year, 59% achieve a 2.1 or better - that’s 180,000 graduates with top degree classifications, all competing for a small handful of top graduate jobs. Indeed, with widening participation in higher education and increased ‘internationalism’ among graduate applicants this figure is likely to increase heavily year-on-year. As a result, companies are no longer able to screen applicants – and trim numbers down to manageable levels – based on degree classifications alone.
But just how, then, do employers distinguish between applicants with the same degree classification? Expert graduate employment consultant – and Director of student society Bright Futures – Simon Reichwald has some suggestions;
“Increasingly, employers want to see evidence of what candidates have achieved outside of the education system. This means extra-curricular activities such as volunteering, travel and Duke of Edinburgh awards, as well as other achievements such as CRAC Insight to Management courses, winning the Global Management Challenge, or even Grade 5 on the Flute have all assumed increased importance for undergraduates. Employers are focussing less on a degree, and more on what you have done.”
However, while the list of possible ‘differentiators’ may be lengthy, one of the primary ways to elevate yourself above the competition (and grab the attention of employers) remains the completion of a relevant internship or work-experience placement. Work experience can often prove invaluable for students applying for graduate jobs, to the extent that many business and management degree courses require students to complete a compulsory placement prior to graduation.
The advantages of work experience are well documented: it gives students the opportunity to apply theory and demonstrate their skills in a practical context, allowing them to gain first-hand experience of a “real-life” work environment; and providing evidence that candidates are ‘work-ready’. In addition, placements can provide valuable contributions to the final year of study, and may even generate opportunities upon graduation – research by the University of Manchester Careers Service shows that an average of 70% of summer or year-long work experience placements led to a graduate job offer.
However, much like degree programs, some placement opportunities will be more rewarding than the others - the challenge for students is to find a placement that is both appropriate to their chosen profession and that will sufficiently develop their skills. Bright Futures may provide the answer. Formerly known as the Student Industrial Society, Bright Futures is a student society that allows proactive students to engage with the UK’s most dynamic graduate recruiters. Student members can gain first-hand access to some of the most valuable and prestigious internship and year long placement opportunities in the country, within large multinational organisations including Deloitte, Reckitt Benckiser, Tesco, NPower and RBS.
Historically, the best opportunities have only been open to top-tier student talent and may not even be widely available. By becoming a Bright Futures member, students can ensure they stay ahead of the competition and give themselves the best chance of a decent entry point into the highly competitive graduate marketplace. Indeed, becoming a Bright Futures member may also help students differentiate themselves in other ways; society membership is, in itself, an indicator that a student is proactive, and is keen to develop their employability. This, coupled with the opportunity to gain knowledge, develop skills and interact directly with potential employers, prior to leaving university, makes Bright Futures the perfect training ground for ambitious students.
Find out more at www.bright-futures.org.uk
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