Experience and skills needed in current economy

17:17 5th June 2009

Students graduating in the coming months will need a mix of skills and experience to find success in the current jobs market, according to an expert.

Professor Ian Walker of Lancaster University and Yu Zhu of the University of Kent found that degrees still hold a high value in the market, but that additional skills should be sought to ensure that individuals stand out from the crowd.

Computer training could be pursued by graduates as a way of seeking a career in the IT industry or to simply add an additional point to their CV in an increasingly knowledge-based economy.

Chris Morrall, managing director at Talent Transitions, a company that deals with graduate assessments, said: "With more graduates coming out, the graduate market is almost 45 per cent down with the big companies, but then it's the smaller companies that are actually picking up [graduates][...] so spread your net wider."

He added that graduates should check their CVs with two or three people to make sure there are no basic errors such as spelling mistakes.

Recruitment organisations have forecast a drop of over five per cent in the number of graduate jobs available this year, according to the Association of Graduate Recruiters.