These are the five industries where employers are desperate to hire new graduates
As the end of the semester approaches, a new crop of graduates are about to be unleashed, wide-eyed, on one of the most competitive jobs markets in years.
How can they get the edge over their peers? New research has suggested the industries where companies are desperate to hire graduates include IT, where 39 per cent of companies want new graduates; business development, where 36 per cent want grads – and, alas, customer service, where 32 per cent of employers are most likely to hire former students.
| Ranking | Industry | Percentage of companies looking for graduates |
| 1. | Information technology | 39% |
| 2. | Business development | 36% |
| 3. | Customer service | 32% |
| 4. | Finance and accounting | 29% |
| 5. | Health | 23% |
But according to the research, by career site CareerBuilder, although 95 per cent of businesses are planning to hire new graduates, only one in three reckon universities are preparing them adequately to enter the jobs market, while just over half suggest they're only preparing them for "some roles, not all".
It suggested 40 per cent of employers believe students lack problem solving skills, while 39 per cent lack creative thinking and 37 per cent aren't good enough at oral communication.
Meanwhile, 34 per cent said they need to build teamwork skills, 33 per cent said they need to work on their written communication, while 32 per cent suggested they need to develop leadership skills.
The good news for students, though, is that 42 per cent of employers are planning on offering higher wages than ever before, while 41 per cent say they'll offer flexible hours, just over a quarter will offer bonuses and 26 per cent will reimburse new hires for extra training. Not bad if you can get it…