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

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.