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TODAY SEES THE publication of the latest edition of Ireland’s 100 Leading Graduate Employers – a result of the largest student careers survey Gradireland have conducted.
Central to the survey was asking students and graduates who they want to work for and what their views are on their future careers.
Of the 15,000 students surveyed, 65% responded that they are optimistic about their future career prospects, up from just over 50% last year.
76% say that they believe that their degree prepares them well for a career within their chosen sector. Especially optimistic were students from particularly buoyant sectors of the labour market such as engineering, technology, banking, accountancy and consulting.
Another indicator of an optimistic outlook is that students are no longer thinking they should accept the first job offer made to them. 43% say that they would be prepared to accept offers from multiple employers and then renege on the less attractive offers further down the line.
Should I stay or should I go?
80% of students believe that they have viable career options in Ireland, but 20% intend to seek their first graduate opportunities abroad. In a further example of graduate career mobility, our research reveals that only 57% of students plan to stay in their first job longer than three years.
Entrepreneurial spirit remains strong amongst the student and graduate population, with over a fifth (21%) of students saying that they were considering setting up their own business during or straight after completing their studies.
Recruitment challenges
Gradireland research also revealed that just 51% of employers believe they are well equipped to meet their graduate recruitment requirements this year without significant challenges.
The competitive nature of the graduate recruitment marketplace is a likely factor in a continuing rise in graduate salaries, with the average starting salary now €29,060, marking the fifth consecutive year that the average graduate starting salary has increased.
In good news for both graduates and business, our research also revealed that 78% of employers were recruiting more graduates this year due to an increase in business, up from 48% last year.
Who do graduates want to work for?
In this year’s Ireland’s 100 Leading Graduate Employers list, Google have replaced Deloitte as the employer who most graduates want to work for.
PwC occupies second position and is one of four professional services firms within the top 12.
The public sector remains an attractive destination for graduates, with Teaching in third place and both the Department of Foreign Affairs and the European Commission in the top ten.
The importance of the biopharmaceutical sector is evident with Pfizer, Boston Scientific, Johnson & Johnson and Abbott all within the top 20. Aer Lingus is in 10th position.
Gradireland’s Graduate Careers Fair takes place on Wednesday 3 October at RDS Simmonscourt and is free to attend. For free entry, register here.
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They are dead right to wait and pick a job and career they actually want. Ireland, thankfully, is no longer a place where it is a privilege to be employed. Students are wise enough nowadays to realize that the old mantra of “any old job will do”, doesn’t ring true when you need to earn small fortune to afford any luxuries in life. Luxuries like somewhere to call their own by age 35.
@Nomad: 35 is optimistic for most of us
I can’t afford my rent or morgtage, but I won’t accept my first job offer. It must be great to have the opportunity to pick & choose job offers. We can’t always start at the top & work our way down the ladder.
@bings: no we can’t but there’s nothing wrong with being happy for those who can
While I’m genuinely happy for those who have choices, the everyday realities of life can never be ignored. The bank of Mom & Dad won’t bail out forever
@Pat Butler: if they pick the wrong job they could end up relying on mum and dad ten years after finishing college
I payed my own way through college; I don’t recall saying otherwise. Throughout the college terms I worked seven days a week (some of which was self-sought freelance work in my industry of choice which I was lucky enough to be able to do on a laptop watching TV in the evenings!). I never expected a handout from anybody; my parents were kind enough to offer and I was not so proud to turn it down.
@Ajax Penumbra: apologies; this is a reply to Paul in our conversation.
Ah fair play, must be great to sit back , do nothing and wait till you have s few job offers altogether before deciding. In the meantime how ate they paying for their rent and bills and everyday life?
@Siobhán Ni Mhurchú: mammy and daddy are looking after that.
@Paul: When I was a graduate, my parents bankrolled me for a few months to allow me to get set up and find a suitable job in another city. It was fantastic assistance which has helped discipline me financially and given me an appreciation for what I’m working for. Don’t begrudge those who have received a helping hand.
@Ajax Penumbra: you should have gone out and worked for it and payed your way through collage yourself besides expecting hand outs.
When I read some of the comments on here it’s almost hilarious the bizarre attitude that many people have towards young workers… the prevailing belief seems to be that they are spoiled, pampered and have a sense of entitlement and to that I say the previous generations seem to be the most entitled of all; long gone are the days of job straight out of college, mortgage,marriage, kids, pension comfy retirement and if you think that today’s young people aren’t working just as hard (actually many studies show that they work longer hours for less money than their baby boomer counterparts) it’s just plain insulting it seems to be bizarre psychological reflex of “I worked hard etc etc… and it wasn’t that I was lucky to be born into a time of prosperity or where housing prices were reasonable, the economy wasn’t in the toilet or taxation ensuring that nobody could save and stagnating wages and rising costs ensuring most could not have any sort of decent quality of life…so therefore the problem can’t be with the system as it exists today it must be problem with the people who are struggling in it”. the reason young people aren’t jumping at the first job offer is because they’re getting wise to the misleading tactics many employers use: 0 hour contracts, “being a team player” which usually means not complaining or being unhappy about bad working conditions, unpaid overtime, no prospect of advancement or bonuses or any sort of mobility in your career…and precisely because things like mortgages and marriage and children are so out of reach for young workers due to the economy and Culture we find ourselves in now they can afford to wait because ultimately it’s not like it’s going to make much of a difference… you should look to the society we’ve created that’s caused these conditions to prevail and stop blaming a generation whose problems are so different to your own you couldn’t possibly understand them.
Thankfully there might be a little less slavery on offer by way of dodgy ‘internships’ and ‘Job Bridge’ wheezes for a while anyway.
I am so happy for all those students who worked hard to educate themselves and achieve their degrees, they should be proud and so should their families as without sacrifices from their parents, it is almost impossible for young people to attend college.The icing on the cake is working in an area of interest and personal development, but don’t sit back, keep studying and progress further, well done and best of luck in your future.
The starting salary is average 29,000 euro! Where did that figure come from? Great that some people have choices but jobs are still hard to get after interviews.
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