Case study: ‘It does seem like everyone has a degree in something nowadays’

Published on 04/07/2012 00:19

DESPITE graduating with an Honours degree from one of Scotland’s leading universities, Sophie Alexander is resigned to the difficulties she will face in an increasingly competitive job market.

The 22-year-old, who graduated with a 2:1 in English literature from Edinburgh University last week, said only one of her friends – a maths graduate – had secured a job.

“One of my friends has a job with a bank, but none of my friends from English or history has a job yet,” she said.

“Because the job market is so hard, I think a lot of people will go off and do some travelling. But equally, a lot of people think now’s the time, before it gets any worse.”

She hopes to find a job in the media, where there has been a 40 per cent fall in the number of graduate jobs since 2007.

“I have been considering doing a Master’s, even though I don’t want to because it’s going to cost £10,000 in fees. It does seem like everyone has a degree in something nowadays and you need something extra to help yourself stand out.

“Firms can just take the top candidates, people with a first who have done all the extra-curricular stuff at university.”

The Graduate Market in 2012 report also shows that the average salary for new graduates at Britain’s top employers in 2012 is set to remain at £29,000.

While some banks are offering new recruits salaries of between £38,000 and £48,000, the lowest-paid graduates are working in retail, where the starting salary is typically £24,000 or less.

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