What do graduates look for in their first job?
Happiness, career development, challenging work, training and development, and a good relationship with their manager were the most important aspects of a job for graduates.
What do they try to avoid
Poor promotional opportunities, unfriendly colleagues, poor starting salaries, uninteresting work tasks and poor management style were among the reasons graduates gave for leaving their first job.
Source: ‘Graduates in the workplace: Does a degree add value?’ published in December 2006 by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
| Aspects of jobs | % of graduates from 2005 |
|---|---|
| Happiness | 97 |
| Career development | 97 |
| Challenging work | 95 |
| Training and development opportunities | 94 |
| Good relationship with manager | 92 |
| Company culture | 90 |
| Salary and bonus | 86 |
| Work-life balance | 85 |
| Supportive management structures | 85 |
| Job security | 78 |
| Company's overall reputation | 72 |
| Flexible working opportunities | 65 |
| Location of organisation | 63 |
| Company's ethical and environmental stance | 63 |
| Financial support for further study/ qualification | 61 |
| Additional benefits | 59 |
| Coaching or mentoring | 57 |
2007 research by High Fliers, interviewing 17,170 final year students from pre-92 universities, found that finalists looked for the opportunity to develop professional qualifications (32%) and to develop contact with clients and customers (32%), but hoped not to work evenings or weekends (30%)
(Base: 17,170 final year students. Source: High Fliers - The UK Graduate Careers Survey 2007)
Copyright © 2002-2012 HECSU | Content last updated: Spring 2007
