TARGETjobs news roundup

Hello, good afternoon and welcome to the TARGETjobs weekly news roundup. Whether you’re hip-deep in your summer job, work experience, or Olympics coverage, you should take a few minutes to check up on developments in graduate recruitment.

This week we’ve had something of an engineering special. There have been surveys, government announcements, and business developments. All of this could have an impact on your prospects if you are going into this sector.

• First up, the results are in from the 2012 Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) skills survey. It found a pretty alarming lack of practical experience among job applicants.
• The government is announcing a £100m investment in green technology. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg made the announcement at an energy-focused global business summit at Lancaster House.
• In addition, design engineering and management consultancy WSP Group has announced that it is going to carry on recruiting graduates after its merger with Canadian-based consultancy GENIVAR last week.

However, if you’re not interested in engineering, there have been some significant developments elsewhere. Property in particular has seen some exciting changes, but accountancy and consulting have also had major developments:

• In the first of this week’s property stories, Spicerhaart has acquired Horsham-based estate agent Harper James. Applications for its graduate programme will be open until August 20^th.
• If you’re looking for property work experience, particularly if you’re thinking ahead to next year, you may be happy to hear that Grosvenor has decided to continue its fund management internship. Interns could be based at one of a number of offices around the world.
• Congratulations are due to a University of Exeter team, which won the CIMA global business challenge. ‘The Indivisables’ team of accountants overcame competition from 14,000 other students from around the world to win.
• And in consulting, analyst firm Gartner has named Deloitte as the leader in business consulting services in the world. This is the second year in a row that the company has won the accolade.

Even if you aren’t interested in those sectors, we still have some pertinent advice for you:

• For those who have recently come back from an assessment centre or interview, we’ve got some advice on how to follow up. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to wait for the employer to call you.
• And as usual, we have our roundup of all the graduate vacancies closing soon. If you’re keen to work in the IT sector, this week’s vacancies will be particularly interesting to you. Check out the latest jobs here.

To get graduate careers news as it happens, check out the TARGETjobs news feed. Alternatively, check out the roundup this time next week!

TARGETjobs offers the largest choice of graduate jobs, internships and placements. Independent reviews on top graduate employers and career planning tools and expert guidance. Become a TARGETjobs blogger by getting in touch with jackie.balchin2@targetjobs.co.uk.