Eight of the biggest incentives offered to graduates

To compare job offers, you'll need to weigh up the whole package, not just the starting salary. Sarah Richardson from the Guardian wrote an article about this. See what you think:

1. Pension provision:
As graduates leave university with mounting debts, few will give much thought to contributing to a pension scheme. In fact, the bad press surrounding falling values of pension funds and the ludicrous hikes in the property market may make you feel that a mortgage, rather than a secure old age, is your priority. However, some schemes offered by oil companies for instance offer graduates on permanent contracts access to their non-contributory, final salary pension schemes. And get this - you don't need to pay these pension funds, which will pay you a percentage of your final salary when you leave the company for every year you've worked for the firm. Will final salary pension schemes still exist when you hit 70? Only time will tell. But if they do, it'll be a perk worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.

2. Joining bonuses:
An unsophisticated approach but one that's still wowing cash-strapped students up and down the country. According to a survey published by the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR), 25% of its members now offer a signing-on bonus or 'golden hello'. Payments range from £500 to £11,000 with a median payment of £1,500 and you're most likely to get one from the financial and legal sectors. More than one in four (29%) of those that offered joining payments pledged £1,000. Many recruiters see such a provision as altruistic: a way to help with your deposit on rented accommodation - particularly when you are relocating, to help you buy appropriate work clothes or help you pay off some of your graduate debt. Lareg consultancies and accountancy firms continue to offer the largest joining bonuses - for example £10,000 in two instalments: £6,000 when you sign up and the balance if you stay the course over two years - to all of the 400 graduates taken on this year.

3. Sponsorship for further training:
Some of us leave university with the intention of never taking another examination again. But there are undoubtedly big long-term prizes for those prepared to put in the work and study for further professional qualifications. Your employer is effectively paying for you to become more employable. For those who impress the recruiters, one of the most common perks for wannabe solicitors is sponsorship through law school, which can include the fees for a year's Common Professional Examination (CPE) for non-law graduates, a year's Legal Practice Course (LPC) for all graduates and appropriate living expenses. It's a perk worth up to £30,000 - and that's before you even walk through the door and start earning fees for your firm as a trainee solicitor.

But beware: if you decide later on that law's not for you, you could find you have to have to pay some or all of this sum back to buy your way out of your contract. Similarly, most accountancy firms will pay for their graduate intake to achieve their chartered accountant status. The company will pay for tuition and examination fees and grant you study leave during this three year programme, which you are expected to combine with full-time work. The perk's worth around £20,000, but can be costly to those who fail any of the nine exams.

You could find you're using your holiday for study leave, you're paying for your own resits and revision courses - or you could simply lose your job. Most blue chips employers encourage staff to take qualifications relevant to their role in, say, marketing or human resources. But those who last the distance in a top-flight management consultancy might be eligible for sponsorship through an MBA. Evening classes and one-year programmes are on offer and could be worthwhile courses. But high-flyers might find that within two yeas of joining a management consultancy, for example, their firm is prepared to sponsor them through a stellar MBA programme at say, Harvard, Stanford or Wharton. Cost of this perk - Up to £100,000 over two years.

4. Company car:
One moment you are walking to lectures and coveting a bus pass. The next you are driving an Audi A4 or a Mini Cooper branded in corporate colours. Many blue chip sales and marketing roles entitle you to a company car - and your job would be difficult without one. It's a perk that offers instant one-upmanship, but there's a catch - you may be stung for a truly vast tax bill. In fact, you might be better off opting for a car allowance paid to you monthly like a salary and then buying your own car.

5. Opportunities abroad:
One of the joys of working for an international blue chip is that you could work overseas early in your career as a secondment or as part of your training. Some law firms, for example, say that it's "very likely that you will be able to take up an international seat" - that's one of the four six month placements on its training contract. Oil firms and some consultancies may similarly stick you on a plane to somewhere exotic - but be aware that your hotel room and the airport lounge may be the only sights you take in. An obvious early sweetener from firms who recruit internationally is getting all the global graduate intake together to train them for four weeks in, say, Chicago or New York. Many graduates emphasise their desire to travel during the course of the milk round but you may find that by the time an opportunity presents itself you're settled in a house or in a relationship. Suddenly the prospect of six months in Hong Kong isn't so appealing.

5. Free food:
Sometimes it's just the little things that make a difference. And some employers are so keen to have you work every hour that God sends that they offer free in-house catering (they charge it to clients), free on-site gyms (keeps you fit - less sick leave), free neck massages and free eye tests, for example. With a pretty basic gym membership costing around £50 a month and a pretty modest grocery bill costing, say £20 a week, these perks are worth around £1,500 a year. And this, potentially, on top of private medical insurance: BUPA membership for a healthy no-smoking 23-year-old is around £450 a year. Most retail companies will offer staff discount cards. Some will have clothing allowances.

7. Mentoring:
It's a jungle out there - and sometimes you'll want someone to watch over you. Ask the HR department whether the firm operates a 'buddy' scheme pairing you with, say, someone who joined in the firm year before you. Their role will be to offer you friendly advice on dress codes, placement choices and office etiquette, for example. Mentoring programmes, through which you get to discuss your progress or concerns with some who isn't a direct line manager, are also helpful and can help you to make key decisions at important stages in your early career.

8. Unpaid leave:
By law you're entitled to four weeks' paid holiday a year and some employers will offer you more. However, human resources departments are becoming increasingly open to staff sabbaticals - allowing members of the firm to take unpaid leave to travel or pursue a pet project for a few months. As a recent government survey demonstrated, many of us appreciate the opportunity for flexible working more than a pay rise and offering this opportunity can help companies to retain talent.

Taking control of your job hunting

Cold calling can be one method to contact an employer to pro-act your job search and get instant results. Here's some tips.

Cold calling is the process of approaching organisations and arranging an interview. It can be more successful than other job hunting techniques as it is more targeted, more personal and allows you greater control.

1. Research
Find out fully if the company is hiring. Look at the job description and see if you are qualified. Research the employer fully and have the information to hand before you pick up the phone.

2. Focus
There are thousands of companies who recruit graduates. Try to focus on one sector or one location simply to make the task more manageable and identify around 600 to contact.

3. Speak to the right person
Identify the recruitment manager and ask to be put through. Don't bother leaving a message move onto the next company. Email maybe preferred and if this is the case explain that you will call a designated time in the next couple of days.

4. The call
Remember to make an outline of what you intend to achieve from the call and a list of questions. Have this, your background research on the company, the job, description and your CV to hand. Once you have prepared this only then pick up the phone.

- Introduce yourself
- Always ask the person if it is convenient to call
- Describe the reason for the call
- Ask questions about what they are looking for and make sure your answers meet those requirements
- An employer may wish to see you sooner than you think so be prepared and flexible
- Remain polite throughout and reiterate your interest in the role wherever possible
- Listen carefully and don't interrupt
- Ask if they have any reservations about your application and if so reply with constructive reasons why they needn't be concerned
- Finally thank them for their time and express your interest in seeing them at the interview

5. Your strengths
This is your one opportunity to impress the recruiter so make sure you leave a good impression. Focus on your strengths and why you are different to other graduates. Leave the caller with no option but to arrange an interview. If you had positive feedback from one of their competitors it would do no harm to mention this as it may encourage them to take you more seriously.

6. Timing
Friday afternoons are usually a good time as people tend to be a bit more receptive as the weekend is just starting! Alternatively try before 9am on a weekday before a secretary has arrived who may screen your call.

7. Be persistent
Research has shown that you are more likely to get results if you continue to call people at least 5-8 times! Remember competition is fierce for jobs and you will be up against candidates who have come from various sources such as online advertisements or recruitment agencies.

8. Follow up
Make sure you email a covering letter referring to your telephone conversation with a copy of your CV. Contact the employer the day before to finally confirm the interview and then it's over to you!

Have you got the post-uni blues?

More and more graduates are facing a confusing time when they leave university and have to start searching for a job. Careers advisers are calling it the quarter-life crisis; symptoms include a deep feeling of uncertainty about what to do with your life and slight resentment towards the people who convinced you that university was the only way to guarantee getting a decent job.

These graduates are realising that a degree alone is not a passport to the best jobs and, what's more, they have thousands of pounds of debt to think about. However, graduates do still earn more than employees without a degree (see this news article here), and are more likely to be promoted to higher-paid positions, but the real challenge is in securing the first entry-level graduate role.

If you are feeling like a victim of this condition, then, as we always suggest, your careers advice service should be the first point of call for some face to face advice. Even if you have graduated, most will still see you for a year or so after you've finished. They can help you to assess your skills and weigh up what sort of work you might find enjoyable - this is essential before you even begin your job hunt. If you start applying for the wrong kinds of posts, you are more likely to face rejection.

Does this sound all sound familiar to you? If you are reading this and feeling entirely de-motivated about your career progress, then express it here! You can share your opinion with the other thousands of students and graduates that visit this blog by leaving a comment below. You are not alone - the graduate job market is tough, but with the right advice and some persistence you will soon see the rewards.

Ethical organisations: an interview with Helen Wallis

I interviewed Helen Wallis, the Ethical Careers Service Manager at People & Planet, and I thought you might like to see what we talked about.

DH - What jobs are out there?
HW - The range of opportunities has expanded immensely. Whether you want to be a leader in sustainable business, work in ethical PR, become a solar engineer or campaign for change - whatever your ambitions - there is something out there for you. There are also thousands of other ways in which you can incorporate ethics into your career, whatever direction you choose. These include everything from introducing a recycling scheme in your office, installing a Fair Trade vending machine or undertaking an environmental audit in your organisation. Many of these are simple to achieve and can even save time and money.

DH - What are the salaries like?
HW -Being ethical doesn't mean you have to sacrifice a decent salary and benefits. Whilst some jobs do unfortunately mean accepting less than the average mainstream graduate salary, this isn't true for everything. For example, pay ranges from £18,000-£20,000 for first jobs in local government or national charities and up to £30,000-£100,000 for human rights lawyers and chief executives of green businesses. But equally important is the fact that money isn't everything. Many people working in the sector stress that they are far happier than their higher paid friends working in more mainstream jobs.

DH -What jobs are the most ethical?
HW -The fact is that ethics or values are highly personal and there is no one size fits all solution. We are all individuals and have different principles, beliefs and goals. Whilst an activist job might suit one person, tackling the dilemmas associated with the mainstream appeals to someone else. Choosing a socially and environmentally responsible career is therefore about you, your values, skills and what you want and need.

DH - So why choose an ethical career?
HW - Ethics are a major motivational force behind the decisions young people are making about their careers and futures. According to recent research by Ernst and Young, 89% of recent graduates would not work for a company with a poor ethical record and more than half would choose an ideal job over a higher paying job, despite having large debts to pay off. Employees' concerns are also a strong agent for change, with a recent survey of UK small business owners indicating that two thirds were likely to be influenced by their employees to be more socially active.

Working for an organisation you can believe in will give you a sense of personal fulfilment and a feeling that you are doing something rewarding. Young people are growing increasingly disillusioned with the prospect of working for large corporations and are seeking rewarding careers that offer the satisfaction associated with doing something that makes a positive difference. As something that we dedicate over 70,000 hours of our lives to, careers offer enormous potential for enabling individuals to influence positive change.

DH - Where can I find more information?
HW - Until recently it has been really difficult to find out about all the opportunities open to you. People & Planet have changed all that through providing the only service in the UK dedicated to helping you find a socially and environmentally responsible career.

The service is based around a website with over 1,000 links to essential resources, an ethical job bulletin and magazines packed with information, advice and job profiles. Whether you are just looking to see what's out there or are ready to start applying for jobs, it's the most comprehensive guide to ethical careers, opportunities and lifestyles in the UK.

Finally, don't make a rush decision. This isn't the milk-round where you just apply and your entire career is mapped out. An ethical career doesn't have to be just 9-5 or for your entire life. Being ethical means incorporating your values into your entire lifestyle. That can mean campaigning in your spare time or shopping for organic and fair trade goods, the nature and extent of the commitment is endless.

If you would like to find out more about socially and environmentally responsible careers, lifestyles and opportunities, People & Planet run an Ethical Careers Service visit their website: www.ethicalcareers.org

Unpaid internships - bad practice or useful experience?

Many university leavers find securing a graduate job can depend on a substantial period of work experience. However, finding this experience before graduation can be a tricky task, with many students resorting to unpaid internships to fill their experience gap.

This may all have to come to an end with the introduction of new legislation stating that unless the internship or placement is a specific requirement of a course, the work experience employee must be paid the minimum wage. From Oct 1 2007 this changed to:

£5.52 per hour for workers aged 22 years and older
A development rate of £4.60 per hour for workers aged 18-21 inclusive
£3.40 per hour for all workers under the age of 18, who are no longer of compulsory school age.

*source www.hmrc.gov.uk

This may sound like good news for the undergrads and recent grads, especially those who feel that their job hunting efforts suffer from the fact that all employers want experience alongside a degree. But this could also mean that the offers of placements and work experience dry up - since the benefit for the employer has significantly decreased from having to pay up for the placement worker. It can also be argued that unpaid placements favour those from privileged backgrounds, as they are more likely to be able to work without remuneration.

Furthermore, students are starting to make a stand against the menial tasks and long working hours they can be subjected to when on their placements. Especially in competitive sectors, like PR, advertising and television, students and grads can be open to this kind of abuse. Being stuck photocopying for a week is not productive for the student, or beneficial for the company in the long run, since the work experience candidate could potentially contribute if they are given the chance.

Have you carried out an internship that may have breached this practice? Do you think the legislation is a good idea, or a one that might further compound the issues of gaining experience? Or maybe you are an employer who used to offer unpaid internships but cannot any longer. You can share your thoughts and opinions by leaving your comments below.

Walk the talk

There are a few things that distinguish a student from a graduate job-seeker - here at the GRB we have come up with five changes you can implement if you are about to take the plunge.

There's no need to invent a brand-new you when you graduate, but there are things you can action to reinforce an image of a driven young professional.

What does your voicemail message say about you? If you are a job-hunter, your personalised message should make you sound professional in case a potential employer needs to contact you. Your message should still sound like you, but you should avoid sounding too casual or using any slang. The standard: 'You have reached the voicemail box of X, please leave a message and I will get back to you' is perfectly acceptable.

Recruiters have started searching for candidates' profiles on the internet as part of the selection process, and although it might not be ethical, there are no real restrictions to stop them. If you have a MySpace or Facebook, what do your pages currently say about you? Click here for a checklist of small changes that will make your profile employer-friendly.

Always use a professional email address on your CV. While Arsenalfan@...com may be fine for conversing with friends, it will give employers a negative perception of your level of professionalism and commitment to your job search. Firstname_Surname is a good prefix to an address as it includes your full name.

Avoid casual writing, even in emails. Although email is naturally a more informal means of communication, you should still stick to some guidelines. Conclude emails with 'Kind regards' or 'Best regards' (don't abbreviate to 'rgds'). Think about including a standard signature at the end of your emails citing all your contact details.

Finally, invest in a good suit! With all these other details in place, the interviews will soon start rolling in and now you have to look the part too.

What does that mean?!

The language contained in an average graduate job description is filled with ambiguous terms and strange words. How can you decode what these mean and figure it what they are really looking for? I have studied many job descriptions and picked a few commonly used words and translated them for you so you don't have to. If you have one I have missed let me know.

http://www.grb.uk.com/recruitment_glossary.0.html

Covering Letters

Need help designing a persuasive covering letter? Click here for templates, tips ands advice >
http://www.grb.uk.com/covering_letters.0.html

Five job-hunting myths dispelled

It can be hard to know what advice to take when you leave university and start job-hunting. Most academic courses don't have modules on 'how to get a job', so how are graduates meant to know the dos and don'ts of the application process? Here are five common job-hunting myths dispelled, to help you seperate truth from fiction:

MYTH 1. Finding a job after uni will be easy. Contrary to what some job-sites will have you believe, taking the first step onto the career ladder is not always straightforward. Today's graduate job-seeker must be informed, persistent and focused in order to succeed. It's called job-hunting for a reason - jobs won't necessarily come to you.

MYTH 2. The more applications you make, the more interviews you will get. Resist the temptation to spread the net wider in the hope to snag an interview. Filling up the inboxes of your potential employers with un-polished and irrelevant applications will not help you one bit. Job applications take time and consideration - it will be obvious to a recruiter if you are not really interested in the post. Also be careful not to fall into the cut-and-paste trap; what you write should be specific to the company and the post, demonstrating your enthusiasm.

MYTH 3. If I lower my salary expectations, I'm more likely to get a job-offer. This is a dangerous myth to believe. If you apply for jobs that you are overqualified for, you are very likely to face rejection. You might be able to do the job well, but an employer will recognise your skills and talent and realise that you might not feel challenged in the role. Don't underestimate your own worth - look for graduate positions that will utilise the abilities you developed whilst studying.

MYTH 4. All jobs are advertised in the papers or on the web. There are many ways that job vacancies can be announced, including internal postings and word-of-mouth. It is a good idea to research companies and send out speculative letters to organisations you would want to work for - it is not unheard of for people to get jobs this way.

MYTH 5. It doesn't matter what job you accept, as long as it pays. It's a bad idea to go for a job that you don't really feel 100% about. For one thing, you spend a large proportion of your life at work, so it's important that you like what you do. A lot of the graduates we place say that they had a 'feeling' that their job choice was right - this was probably because it fulfilled most of their prerequisites. Try writing a list of the things that are important to you in a potential career - you will find that it will help you to focus your job-search.

Have you got any job-hunting horror stories? Share them with the graduate community by adding your comment below and let others benefit from your experience.

Are graduate jobs hard to come by?

Nearly a quarter of graduates still work in bars, cafes and other low-level jobs several years after leaving university, according to research by the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

The research found that 23% of workers with first degrees were not in graduate jobs three years after completing their courses. It revealed that graduates with degrees in media or business studies were among the least likely to have found suitable employment.

The report said workers who stayed on in education to gain masters degrees fared better in the jobs market. Nearly a quarter of first-degree graduates were in non-graduate occupations, which includes work in call centres, office administration, waiters and bar staff. But among workers with postgraduate degrees, only 7% were working in non-graduate jobs.The research found that a quarter of the 25,000 graduates who were surveyed said they took their current jobs to pay off debts.

Are you currently in a graduate job, or are you like the quarter of graduates who are working to make ends meet? Leave your comments below...

Making Informed Choices

404, 700 graduates will leave this Summer and many will enter the job market. To avoid being flooded with applications many large graduate recruiters target certain institutions. For some recruiters it may be simply targeting universities within a radius of their office; approaching universities where they have had successful hires from in the past or targeting universities that are strong in certain subjects. To provide guidance on comparing universities many recruiters use the various league tables that exist. The Times is a popular one > http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/stug/universityguide.php.



Equally, graduates like to research employers based on many criteria - salary, training, career progression, location, etc. and this information is easy to access from recruitment brochures, careers talks or company websites. Additionally there are similar league tables I have seen graduates turn to for extra information. Here's a few;



Times Top 100 Graduate Employers > http://www.top100graduateemployers.com/top100.html



The Sunday Times Best 100 Companies to Work For >

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/career_and_jobs/best_100_companies/



Fast Track 100 >

http://www.fasttrack.co.uk/fasttrack2002/migration/dbSearch.asp?siteID=1



I hope this helps you make an informed choice when you are taking such an important step in your career.



Dan

Choosing the company you want to work for

Seeking out the right employer is one of life's big challenges for graduates. You need to be rational, thoughtful and well prepared. Don't accept a job offer on impulse - do some research and ask certain questions before you sign the contract.

So what do you need to analyse?
The organisationIt is difficult, if not impossible, to categorise the various organisations you could potentially work for. The complexity of graduate recruitment means that this particular job market can offer a massively wide range of employment opportunities across a number of public and private sectors.

Many organisations do look pretty similar and seem to offer much the same thing. But some clever investigation will unearth very different cultures and values. Find out what organisation would best suit you.

Ask questions like:

• Would you prefer working for multinational or an SME?
• What's is the salary and benefits package?
• Do you like the part of the country you'll be working in?
• Is it easy to get to work every day?
• How does the company compare to its competitors?
• Is the business performing well and are there opportunities for growth?

The culture
The culture within a particular organisation refers to the pattern of beliefs, attitudes and behaviours which influence how people work together. In many respects then, culture is one of the most important factors you need to consider when choosing an employer.

Culture is a very powerful force at work inside organisations, something deliberately cultivated and passed on to incoming employees. A great deal of the selection process is intended to ensure you will fit in with and maintain the existing culture.

Your task is to cut through the rhetoric and the gloss to find out the true nature of the organisation you are thinking of joining. It is worth finding out as much as you can about culture.

Many graduates end up very disappointed and unhappy in their first jobs. In many cases, there is a clear clash between their personal values and approach to work and those of the company they have joined.

The climate
This does not mean the weather but refers to how existing employees feel about the culture that has been created in their department or team. It has been defined as a relatively persistent set of perceptions held by organisation members concerning the characteristics and quality of an organisational culture. Such perceptions can be measured for example by opinion surveys. The concept of climate invites you to ask questions about the prevailing atmosphere surrounding an organisation, to the level of morale, the strength of feelings, care and goodwill among members.

Training and development
If you have decided to join a profession where you need to gain extra professional qualifications in order to progress, such as engineering or accountancy, then you need to know that an employer will train and support you as well giving you the appropriate experience leading and managing groups of people. Make sure your company gets it right for you.

Ask specific questions like:

1. Is it for you? Are the qualifications and training specific to your job and designed with graduates in mind? You may have lots of academic experience and work experience from your saturday job in Asda, but your new job will require other skills.

2. Does it use the best resources? Training is only as good as the trainers who deliver it. Have they first-hand and up-to-date experience of the subject as well as the training techniques to deliver it?

3. How will you practice and improve? Ask your potential employer how you will learn and how steep the learning will be.

4. Is it ongoing? Any training course should be part of a development programme. If the benefits are to be permanent there must be follow-up courses, practice, coaching and support.

5. A good training programme must be memorable, interactive and enjoyable. It has to create the right climate of trust and the confidence so you get the opportunity to learn new skills.

Work and life balance
Organisations are increasingly aware of the business case for work-life balance. A work-life policy that respects individual, customer and organisational needs can be beneficial to all. After university you'll be spending most of your time at work, so working for a company that has a decent work-life policy is important.

Think about your priorities and ask probing questions concerning:

• The hours of work
• Annual leave entitlement
• Flexible working patterns
• Flexible benefits packages
• Dress codes
• Social life
• Is the work enjoyable as well as challenging?
• Does the organisation value Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?

The people
You should make an effort to meet as many members of staff during the recruitment process as possible. This may start at a careers fair or presentation and end when you are invited for an interview and can visit where they work.

The employees you meet at certain events will be representatives or ambassadors of their companies, so back your instincts. Try and build a rapport with staff at various levels of the organisation and see if you get similar or inconsistent messages from each one. Ask yourself if you can imagine yourself working with them. Your best approach is try and chat to recent graduates at the company, as they will probably give you the best insight into the company.

Pimp your CV

Recruiters may only give your CV 30 seconds attention before deciding whether to interview you or not. Not fair is it? Relevant content and presentation are king but here's a few ways to grab attention and stand out from the crowd.

1. Add Sound. If you have a microphone on your computer you can record a short piece of audio giving the recruiter more information about you. Think of something unique about yourself that will help you stand out. Here's how to do it.

2. Add Logos for the companies you worked at. Showing the company logo is a great way to stand out in a pile.

3. Add quotes/testimonials. Get your previous bosses to send you a short quote about your past work ethic or experience. Why wait for the employer to ask about references when you can be proactive about it?

4. Enable hyperlinks. In MS Word you can enable hyperlinks for any word or phrase, so enable hyper linking for your email address and any other web related items on your CV.

Job seekers behaving badly

Here's a few comments made at interview that I have heard about. You have been warned.

"I can't work with women." (The interviewer was a woman.)
"I've already accepted another position, but I thought I may as well turn up to this interview just in case this was a better paying job."
"Please excuse some of my replies as I am still a little hung-over from the weekend." (It was a Wednesday.)
"I had a dream and a fairy told me I should work for your company."
"I am applying to this job because I am about to be fired."

The insiders guide to getting a first (or avoiding a third)

Getting a first in your degree should be the pinnacle of your educational achievements - but how many students are awarded them? Very few. Sometimes it is predictable from year 1 who is the brightest spark but occasionally some students can really up the ante and achieve a first. Interested to see if you can too?

First of all you have to believe you can do it. It is not impossible, you will have to make sacrifices along the way, but this book may give you the drive to reach your goal. This book was recommended to me (too late for when I was a student) but it might help you.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Getting-First-Insiders-Guide-Black/dp/0954391497/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1202202944&sr=8-1

Another Facebook article

This article was in the Sunday Times. I think people will inevitably move onto the next big thing - just when.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article3277046.ece

Keep up to date with the economy

As you get closer to graduation can I suggest taking advantage of the FTs excellent money off vouchers? Keep up to date on what's going on in the economy and be informed if you go for a job in the City!
https://www.ftlatest.com/bs-education-2007/default.asp?source=9

Are graduate recruiters illegally checking Facebook?

In recent polls, many recruiters have anonymously admitted that they would check a candidate's social networking pages before they came to interview - could this be illegal?
Companies could be infringing privacy if they dig up information about job applicants from social networking websites, internet expert John Carr has told The Guardian.

Carr, chairman of the UK Children's Charities' Coalition on Internet Safety, says that employers and education officials could be crossing the line when they look up information about applicants online. "It could be illegal - when the kids are posting a picture of a party, they are only doing it to let their mates look. They are not doing it for an application form," he said.

However, it remains unclear whether accessing people's private web pages or email accounts would constitute a breach of the law. What's your opinion? Do you expect to have your Facebook or Myspace screened before you go for a graduate job?

Other articles following the survey

Pay drops for City’s graduate entrants
By David Turner, Education Correspondent

Investment banks and fund managers have bucked the national trend by cutting their starting salaries for newly hired graduates – making law a better bet for salary-hungry students.
The average starting salary of City bankers and fund managers slipped £500 to £35,500 ($70,000) last year as the Square Mile struggled with turbulent financial markets.

Salaries for entrants this year will remain static, according to the Association of Graduate Recruiters’ winter survey, while in law they will rise by almost 3 per cent, pushing the average up to about £36,000.

City law firms, which hire a high proportion of Britain’s law graduates, are heavily dependent on the fortunes of Square Mile clients. But their income – and hence their remuneration – tends to be less volatile.

But in spite of the economic gloom, investment banks and fund managers expect a 28 per cent increase in graduate vacancies this year.

Individual banks have made clear in recent weeks that the City is reluctant to slash entry-level hiring even if the future is more uncertain than usual, because it needs to cherry-pick top talent for the long term.

Across the economy, graduates’ starting salaries are expected to increase by only 2.1 per cent in spite of a predicted 16 per cent rise in vacancies.

The combination of high vacancy numbers and low pay increases suggests that although employers still prefer to hire graduates, the graduate earnings premium is beginning to stall. The premium is the extra amount people can expect to earn if they go to university.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008