The Guardian launches Grad Facts 2002 Survey

Job satisfaction is more important than money to graduates seeking their first job reveals The Guardian''s Grad Facts 2002 Survey, launched today.

The survey of more than 2,000 final year University students, commissioned by the Guardian in partnership with the Association of Graduate Recruiters, shows that students have lost confidence in the job market. Thirty five per cent of respondents believe there are fewer opportunities now than in previous years.

Those expecting a first were more pessimistic than most, with 44 per cent feeling the job market was worse than ever before.

The findings suggest that employers may need to reconsider their recruitment strategies as fewer students are job-hunting while at university. Only 40 per cent had embarked on a job search before graduation.

How companies portray themselves in the media plays an important part in shaping the opinion of graduates.

What do they want from their first job?
When asked to identify the top five characteristics they want from their first job, an overwhelming 70 per cent of graduates cited enjoyment as the most important thing.

Next on the list was liking people I work with, 41 per cent;
enough money to afford the things I like, 38 per cent; being passionate about the industry I work in, 37 per cent; a good work location, 35 per cent and a good social life, 33 per cent.

Lack of confidence in the job market
Thirty five per cent of respondents believe there are fewer opportunities now than in previous years. Even those expecting a first were more pessimistic than most, with 44 per cent feeling the job market was worse than ever before.

Leaving it Later?
The state of the job market, the desire to travel and the emergence of year round recruiting means that fewer students are job-hunting while at university.
Only 40 per cent had embarked on a job search before graduation.

Sixty eight per cent of those planning to travel had not made any job applications. Travelling has universal appeal. 85 per cent agreed it is important to ''travel and see places when you are young''. Of those going
overseas 68 per cent were educated at a state school, 21 per cent at private school and nine per cent at both.

Media Image
Websites, brochures and graduate advertising, combined with press coverage play an important role in shaping graduates'' perceptions of a company.

Where do they look?
Newspapers are still the most popular choice for job-seeking graduates at 64 percent, followed by the internet, 58 per cent, and the university careers office,
56 per cent.

Do they apply themselves?
Complicated application procedures were cited by 25 per cent of graduates as off-putting. Although standard practices like application forms, CV screening
and interviews are acceptable, candidates are wary of firms which require presentations and role-play exercises. Only 13 per cent considered the internet very useful as an application channel.

Job for Life?
Today''s graduates are taking a more mercenary, short-term approach to their first job. Only 15 per cent expected to stay longer than three years. In many cases they are planning to stay for a year or two at most, receive some training and move on. Almost one in four arts students intend to leave their first job in a year.

Cars are a top incentive
Forty per cent of graduates identified a car as the most attractive company benefit, closely followed by 30 days holiday, 39 per cent. Twenty one per cent cited a contributory company pension and 19 per cent agreed that a golden hello is a useful tool to attract debt-laden graduates.

Prepared to do whatever it takes ??
Nearly a third of students said; I would do anything to get into my preferred industry 31 per cent, and a formal graduate scheme, 30 per cent. Female students favoured the former approach, but men tended to prefer formal schemes, as did those expecting first class degrees.

Favourite Careers
Media and broadcasting are the most favoured career choices, 25 per cent, closely followed by Advertising and PR, 22 per cent. The third choice is finance and banking at 20 per cent.

Design and voluntary work is much more popular with female respondents, while computing and engineering scored more highly with men. Perhaps surprisingly 15 per cent suggested an interest in working for dotcoms, which is higher than previous surveys in 2000 and 1998.

Unpopular Choices
Those industries at the bottom of the list include, agriculture, building and construction and engineering. Despite recent high-profile recruitment drives
the police, armed services and prisons and teaching are also unpopular.

Money
Graduates clearly feel that if they do not start in a highly paid job, this is where they would like to end up. For first jobs however, ''having enough money to afford the things I enjoy'' was seen as far more important than salary, 38 per cent compared to 21 per cent, suggesting that money is not a decisive factor for most graduates when it comes to choosing between jobs.

Graduates would work even if they won the lottery
The majority of respondents, 46 per cent, disagreed with the statement ''I would rather not work if I could afford not to,'' suggesting that students are not as idle as they are often made out to be!

London most popular destination
London is far and away the most popular destination for graduates after university. Thirty eight per cent of all finalists want to work in London and a further 13 per cent want to work elsewhere in the south east, meaning over half
the student population want to work in this area.







Sample and Methodology
The Grad Facts survey of 2002 assessed the views, attitudes and career aspirations of more than 2000 graduates from across the country. The sample set was weighted according to HESA statistics to ensure that it was fully
representative of the UK student population by gender, age, ethnicity and subject.

Grad Facts 2002 was carried out by Objective Research for Fresh Minds, who specialise in business intelligence and market research.