TARGETjobs news roundup

Hello, good afternoon and IT’S SNOWING! Look! Look it’s doing that thing where it starts to look like the top of a loaf! I love snow, it’s awesome! Ahem. Let’s try and keep our composure here. We are, after all, professionals. So, yes; graduate recruitment news.

While we normally kick things off with news from the sectors, that’s taking a back seat this week. That’s because we’ve got a pack of stories about making the transition from student to employee. It isn’t always plain sailing, but with a couple of changes, you could be reaping the rewards.

• Consider this, a third of students have not yet made time to visit their careers service. If you expect your uni to help you to get a job, this is the way to make that happen. More than half of first years (who are only one term in) have already done it. Have you?
• If you’re not having success with your graduate job hunt it could be a problem of confidence. You need to be realistic about things, it is a balancing act. It will be a lot harder if you shoot yourself in the foot.
• But if you do get it right, it’s worth it. That’s because graduates can expect to earn £115,000 extra over their lifetime. There’s also an additional £59,000 for those who go on to do a Master’s degree. All things considered, that’s not too shabby.
• More of you than ever are getting 2.1s, and not everyone is happy about it. The grade is frequently used as a filter by big graduate recruiters, but when universities respond by giving more of their students the mark, the end result is grade creep.

However, that doesn’t mean we haven’t got any sector news:

• First up there’s some advice for would-be solicitors. Our recent ‘five minutes with…’ series turned up some real gems. In particular there was some solid advice about how to make your vacation scheme application stand out. We’ve collected it for your viewing pleasure.
• If you’re interested in careers in management consulting, look out! There’s a new kid on the block. Monitor Deloitte was created when Deloitte acquired strategy consulting firm Monitor. Expect big things.

And finally, we’ve got the usual roundup of graduate job deadlines:

• The big headline in this week’s deadlines is Kerry Group, which is closing its graduate schemes. If you fancy a job in consumer goods, this could be your week. Engineering is also another sector with jobs on the line, and there are a handful of vacancies in other sectors as well. Check out our latest deadlines here.

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

TARGETjobs offers the largest choice of graduate jobs, placements and internships. 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.

Right, that’s the business taken care of. Let’s go build snowmen!