As many as half of new grads have said it’s taken more than six months to find work since they left university, whilst just 17% of experienced non-grad workers said their job hunt lasted the same amount of time. This is according to new research published by staffing firm Walters People. In addition, 50% of graduates who were at uni between 2020 and 2023 said they were unable to secure relevant work experience whilst studying, whilst 27% said they only found short-term employment between one and six months.

Graduate status

The findings also revealed that individuals who graduated over the past year don’t believe their graduate status has given them a considerable advantage within the jobs market. Indeed, 72% believe they don’t have “much of an edge” on rival candidates who didn’t attend university. Furthermore, 45% of recent grads said their degree hasn’t given them the required skills to be successful in the current jobs market, with 20% saying work experience would have been of better use.

So-called ‘rip-off’ degrees

The UK government unveiled plans earlier in the year to clamp down on what they referred to as ‘rip-off’ degrees. So what are they? These are degrees with a particularly high drop-out rate or a low number of students who land a professional job following graduation. That said, the Walters People research said that the struggle to find work was extensive amongst grads, not just those from a small number of courses. Therefore, is it the ‘rip-off’ degrees or the complex jobs market to blame for over half of grads finding it a struggle to land a job? According to Janine Blacksley, Director of Walters People: “New graduates are entering the most challenging jobs market seen in close to a decade – a mixture of less vacancies, salaries that don’t match the cost-of-living, and high competition bought about by access to remote & global talent – is certainly playing a part in the time it takes new graduates to find a suitable job role.” She went on to say: “Added to that, we have seen a trend emerge amongst Gen Z’s who – potentially having witnessed their parents or older siblings work in a pre-pandemic corporate world – now place much more emphasis on the enjoyment of their job, the values and purpose of the company, as well as well-being and work-life balance – which is all leading to a longer time being spent on the job hunt.”

What grads want

Although many graduates may complete their degrees with a clear idea of the career path they want to take, other significant factors are also in play. When questioned as to the most important factor when seeking a professional role post-graduation, progression was prioritised by 38% of those polled, followed by 35% saying salary, whilst 15% said the job would need to be related to their degree, and 13% cited job stability as an important factor. “Recent graduates have their eyes set firmly on progression, as many will start in a company at an entry-level position. They want to feel secure in the knowledge that there is a clear path for upwards and a salary scale to match,” the Walters People director added.