Students graduating from university this year might find it harder to get jobs according to Deloitte, one of the UK’s largest private sector graduate employers. Deloitte has seen a 22% increase in the number of students applying for graduate positions starting this year. This data is indicative that there are more students competing for available graduate jobs than ever before. 

Deloitte recruits over 1,400 graduates and undergraduates each year to its UK offices and receives around 10 applications for every vacancy. This year they opened applications three months early to enable students to start applying during their summer holidays and by October, when applications would normally open, almost 2,400 students had already applied.

Commenting on the change, Sarah Shillingford, graduate recruitment partner said: “This year we have seen a marked increase in applications for our graduate positions, which maybe a reflection of a tightening job market. Whilst Deloitte is offering a similar number of graduate roles to last year, economic uncertainty has led some graduate recruiters to reduce the number of jobs they have available. This leads to greater demand for the roles on offer.”

Areas of particularly high demand include positions in Deloitte’s actuarial team and in consulting and corporate finance. Deloitte’s autumn 2008 intake for these areas is almost full.

Sarah said: “Students graduating in 2008 face a tougher job market than those who graduated last year. Applications to have been increasing for the past few years as we have built our on-campus presence, but concern about the availability of graduate positions has led many to apply early for graduate jobs, rather than wait for the traditional Milk Round in the Autumn. I’ve found that some graduates who might ordinarily take a post-university gap year have been applying to Deloitte during their final year rather than wait until they return.

“Whilst many of our roles have been filled, we do still have positions available. Given the high demand for jobs from students this year and the reduction in recruiting by some organisations, anyone who hasn’t yet applied, should move quickly.”

For students graduating in 2009, Sarah has the following advice: “The traditional autumn recruiting season has moved forward, with a large number of students applying for, and securing, their graduate job in the summer before their final year. Our advice to students graduating in 2009 is to think ahead about their career choices and to start applying for roles from July this year.”

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About Deloitte
In this press release references to Deloitte are references to Deloitte & Touche LLP, which is among the country's leading professional services firms.  Deloitte & Touche LLP is the United Kingdom member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu ("DTT"), a Swiss Verein whose member firms are separate and independent legal entities.  Neither DTT nor any of its member firms has any liability for each other's acts or omissions.  Services are provided by member firms or their subsidiaries and not by DTT.  Deloitte & Touche LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.