Careers

There’s an optimistic outlook for graduate career opportunities in the UK, according to a survey of careers advisers at UK universities.

Despite Brexit-related concerns about the job market, about 70 per cent of the respondents to AGCAS’ Graduate Labour Market and Student Engagement Survey reported an increase in the number of graduate vacancies compared with the previous year, but this was down by more than 10 per cent from both 2014 and 2015.

Switzerland, Germany and Sweden are the best destinations for students looking to have a successful career abroad, according to new research into expatriate employment.

Europe is judged to be the best region overall, even though expat earnings and benefits are below the survey average.

Nonetheless, more than half the expats working in Europe say that the work culture is an improvement compared with their home country.

Choosing to study engineering is a smart choice for long-term earning potential, according to a new ranking of degree majors in the United States.

All but one of the top 10 degrees ranked by mid-career salary are in an engineering discipline, with petroleum engineering coming out on top thanks to a median salary of $172,000 10 years after graduation.

Actuarial science is the only degree outside engineering where at least half of graduates will earn more than $115,000 after 10 years.

As we approach the end of Barack Obama’s presidency, it will be high time for experts to begin evaluating the significance of his legacy. Many will discuss the hallmarks of his administration such as healthcare reform, the elimination of Osama bin Laden, and diplomacy with Cuba, weighing these achievements against the deficits and lost opportunities that critics associate with Obama’s handling of foreign policy and the economy. But I suspect not as much will be said about the gems we’ve gleaned from observing Obama’s character.

First Lady Michelle Obama offered advice to college students during a surprise appearance at a welcome event for freshmen at Howard University in Washington DC on 1 September.

Ms Obama joined late-night television host Seth Myers and actor Nick Cannon, who is enrolled as a freshman at the university.

All three emphasised the importance of working hard at university and stressed the impact college can have on careers.

You’ve earned your bachelor’s degree and are probably at a crossroads wondering whether you should pursue postgraduate studies or enter the workforce.

Getting another qualification may lead to a wage premium, while work experience early on may equip you with skills that cannot be learned at university.

Increasingly, students are looking to earn money while they are completing their studies to alleviate some of their post-graduation student loan debt. There are positions in institutions that have long been student jobs – leaders in students’ unions, for example. But now, careers centres are not waiting until students have become alumni to connect them with employment opportunities. Working while at university is valuable for both the student and the institution.

If you want to know which UK universities give you the best chance of securing a professional job upon graduation, there are two ways to look at it.

In absolute terms, the prestigious Russell Group universities, which include University of Cambridge, are some of the best universities for graduate employment.

Facebook and Google hire more than 80 per cent of their employees from the top 200 schools in the US, according to a new report.

In fact, more than half of Facebook employees graduated from a top 10 college, taken from a sample of public LinkedIn profiles.

In comparison, just under 50 per cent of Amazon employees were hired from colleges outside the top 100 of Forbes’ list of the top schools in the US. Less than 10 per cent of its employees are from a top 10 college.

Graduates on an intensive 18-month training programme in the financial sector have voted for their preferred location to start their career in finance, revealing the five most popular cities around the world.

New York has taken the top spot, with 34 per cent of those on the deVere Group graduate scheme naming it as their first-choice destination.

According to deVere Group chief executive Nigel Green, certain cities appear in the top 10 every year.