GRADUATE job season kicks off this week as employers open applications for their programmes.
The annual window sees tens of thousands of top jobs on offer, but competition is at record highs as 2022 grads battle against the Covid classes of 2020 and 2021, who failed to land roles in the pandemic.
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Figures from the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) show there are an average of 91 applications per graduate vacancy, 17 per cent higher than last year.
The most popular roles are in retail, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and tourism. The charity and public sectors are the least competitive.
Stephen Isherwood, CEO of ISE, said: “Students shouldn’t spray and pray. They are not the people who get the jobs.
“It’s better to target and tailor, and make the right application to the right employer.”
Here is Sunemployment’s guide to the best grad schemes open now or in the next few weeks . . .
Defence giant BAE SYSTEMS is one of the nation’s biggest graduate employers. This year it has 750 jobs, on schemes from cyber engineering to project management.
Matt Gretton, head of early careers, said: “We’re consistently rated among the UK’s top graduate employers, reflected in the feedback and number of graduates who go on to have long, diverse and successful careers with us.”
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Take off with BRITISH AIRWAYS. The airline has 70 roles, covering data science, future leaders, finance, engineering and commercial analytics.
Chief people officer Michelle Lydon said: “We’re looking for candidates who are enthusiastic, courageous and curious to learn.”
Apply at careers.ba.com/graduates.
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Checkout TESCO, which has 100 roles, from retail to tech.
Go to tesco-programmes.com.
Aerospace expert THALES is hiring 58 grads across engineering and business in October.
See thalesgroup.com/en/career.
Waste and water management giant VEOLIA has 37 roles, including engineering, finance and environmental and sustainability.
Annika Asaman studied chemical engineering at university before joining Veolia’s grad scheme.
She is now a contract compliance and performance lead. Annika, 25, from Reading, said: “The scheme gave me many opportunities to try new things and work for a company with a clear, environ-mental purpose.”
Apply at veolia.co.uk/careers.
Take a look at the 40 places available with SPECSAVERS.
Go to join.specsavers.com/uk/new-talent.
Drive your career forward with a logistics role. GXO LOGISTICS needs 30 grads. Apply for the technology scheme by October 15.
See gxo.com/careers.
AMAZON has 91 logistics roles at amazon.jobs/en/teams/jobs-for-grads.
Build your future with housebuilder BELLWAY, who needs 22 grads for land, planning, construction, technical and commercial schemes.
Applications open from October 1.
See bellwaycareers.co.uk.
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Meanwhile, BARRATT HOMES has approximately 15 roles on its Aspire management programme. Apply from November 8.
See bit.ly/3SlI5lV.
AI expert FACULTY needs 20 grads as data scientists and machine learning engineers.
Apply by October 21 at faculty.ai/fellowship-fellows.
The graduate area-manager programme at ALDI offers a £44,000 starting salary if you have a 2:1 degree or higher.
Apply at aldigraduates.aldirecruitment.co.uk.
Pest controller RENTOKIL has 40 places to train as sales surveyors, field biologists and accounts managers. www.rentokil-initial.com.
Fintech firm ZUTO is searching for 20 new grads for analytical, HR, finance and sales positions.
See careers.zuto.com.
There are 16 tasty vacancies at the COMPLEAT FOOD GROUP. Roles cover engineering, HR, operations, marketing, finance, category/commercial, supply chain and technical.
See compleatfood.com/career-category/graduates.
Jobspot
CUSTOMER experience expert Content Guru is hiring 30 ambitious and passionate university graduates in software, engineering and marketing.
See tinyurl.com/4hjpk3p5.
Take on a taxing opening
COUNT on a bright future, with more than 3,000 graduate placements at tax and accountancy specialists.
DELOITTE has 2,000 positions open now with a huge range of careers, from cloud engineering, robotics and software development to accounting, tax and legal.
Simon Hallett, resourcing director at Deloitte, said: “Our world-renowned graduate programmes offer a market-leading salary, benefits and endless opportunities.”
Apply now at deloitte.co.uk/students.
BDO LLP has 625 places, from tax and forensic services to audit and finance.
See careers.bdo.co.uk/early-careers.
ACCENTURE is offering hundreds of roles from October at accenture.com/UKgrads.
Struggling for a foot in the door?
THREE in five students who take internships get hired into graduate roles. But what if you don’t have the right network to land work experience?
New firm Virtual Internships has already helped 7,000 students take work experience online, boosting their job prospects and social mobility.
Student Chloe Holmes is the first in her family to go to university. She took a virtual internship with financial services firm Cintron Group.
Chloe, from Essex, who is studying linguistics and Chinese , said: “This internship has given me the chance to gain the work experience I lacked, as well as improve on my skills. I now feel much more confident in my abilities.”
