Each year, the Top 100 Graduate Employers report looks at the state of the workforce in Australia for university graduates. The report is published by the Australian Financial Review in partnership with GradConnection, and lists the industries that are popular with graduates, plus a wealth of insight and analysis into the current job market for those entering.
Despite the challenges of online learning and general disruption caused by COVID-19, we have arrived at a graduate’s market, where employers are being kept on their toes and working hard to attract talent. While previous years painted a bleak picture for graduates and young job seekers on the hunt in a recession, the rebounding job market has led to far brighter prospects.
For many young people, the question they ask themselves is, “Will I get a job?“. This has now shifted to “Where do I want to work?“. The report goes on to say that Gen Z workforce is one of values, purpose and contribution to society – ‘this is not the Wolf of Wall Street generation. Somewhat unsurprisingly, all Big Four accounting firms and three of the Big Four banks placed in the top 10 of the Top 100 list of graduate employers. Here are the Top 10 of the highest-rated graduate employers together with their engagement score.
1. ANZ, 19.79%
2. NSW Government, 17.46%
3. Deloitte, 14.66%
4. Westpac Group,13.22%
5. PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), 11.73%
6. KPMG, 10.3%
7. DXC Technology, 9.45%
8. Ernst Young (EY), 9.19%
9. National Australia Bank, 9.04%
10. Suncorp, 7.12%
This figure represents the percentage of 68,872 unique users of the Grad Connection website who applied for positions at each employer from January to November 2021. (Source: gradconnection.com)
A big reason young people’s employment was able to bounce back is that their skills are in demand. High increases in demand have occurred for Database and Systems Analysts and ICT Security Specialists (up 67.6 %), Legal Professionals (up 15.6 %), Business Analysts (up 11.4%) and HR/Marketing professionals (up 7.3%).
While all this is good news, it doesn’t mean every new graduate in coming years will be able to walk into their dream job. Future graduates may find they face stiff competition looking for work. Being successful in obtaining a graduate job then depends on convincing an employer that you will bring more to the job than other applicants. Whatever job you are looking for, here are a few strategies that can help.
- Present the best possible academic record. If an employer is hiring you for the skills you have acquired through study, they want to know you have a solid grasp of those skills. While not every student can have awesome grades, academic performance can be used as a shortlisting tool.
- Demonstrate your through your work experience (paid and unpaid), internships, university placements or tutoring roles that you can do the job. Take every opportunity you have and use every contact such as university teachers, family and friends to get work experience.
- Show that you will be a good person to work with, that you get along well with others, are optimistic, reliable and can be trusted. This is where extra-curricular activities can be valuable and having written testimonials from previous supervisors.
- Be persistent with your job search. Set up job alerts and seek advice about application processes and what employers are looking for. Practice your interview techniques and refine your application or resumé so it stands out to an interview panel.
Should you require professional assistance for your marketing materials or in job searching, please reach out for coaching support.