Graduates who finished university this summer are finding it increasingly difficult to get a foot on the career ladder, according to findings from Broadbean Technology.
As the number of job vacancies declines, graduates are facing stiffer competition when they apply for graduate programmes and traineeships. Findings collected from Broadbean's candidate response tracking solution, AdCourier, revealed that some entry-level jobs receive 42 applications - double the 2007 figure.
Speaking to recruitment website onrec.com, Dan McGuire, managing director of Broadbean Technology, said: "Graduate applications are particularly high having more than doubled year on year.
"This implies that the class of 2008 are finding it particularly difficult to obtain the type of role that they went to university to get."
The findings revealed that media and marketing were among the most competitive industries, while nursing and engineering remain in danger of suffering a graduate-level skills shortage.
The news will come as no surprise to many graduates struggling to find a job because of the economic downturn. University leavers are being encouraged by some experts to join recruitment agencies, because they act as a useful tool in finding alternative employment avenues.
