Three quarters of graduates rely on internships as a source of careers advice, according to research carried out by graduate recruitment experts Milkround in collaboration with global digital recruiting technology company TMP Worldwide.

On Tuesday (1st November), Milkround and TMP Worldwide invited clients to an event unveiling the results of research into the graduate assessment process. The report delves into four main topics; volumes and the speculative applicant, diversity and inclusion, assessing for potential vs. for capability, and technology to drive efficiencies, candidate experience, and brand differentiation. Key findings and recommendations were:

  • 81% of females and 73% of males claim that feedback from carried-out internships is their most trusted source of careers advice
  • Women are more likely than men to apply to roles matching their academic background
  • Employers should make the most of their candidate pool by recruiting for both potential and capability
  • Only 27% of the 1,500 respondents had completed an internship.
  • Over half of the respondents who had been rejected during the recruitment process were not given feedback on how to develop
  • 60% of respondents thought that good communication during the recruitment process lead to a positive view of the employer
  • Resilience and understanding ambiguity were the least understood of all workplace skills

Employers including Sainsbury's, PwC, EY, the Civil Service, and Grant Thornton had the opportunity to ask questions to a panel of three recent graduates who were present to give a first-hand insight into the graduate recruitment experience.

The student panel tackled subjects such as what happens when your future career plans no longer match your degree subject, the ways they search for jobs, the importance of having one constant contact person during the recruitment process. Furthermore, the panel all agreed that they would prefer a graduate job at an SME rather than a start-up or large company.

Jayne Cullen, Business Director - Entry Level Talent at TMP Worldwide, said: "The stark nature of the volume of speculative applications in our market and more employers removing academic barriers really shines a bright light on our assessment processes. The TMP research shows how much support candidates need in their understanding of their own skills, what employers are looking for and the makeup of the process. Giving females confidence to consider careers outside of their academic subjects continues to be a challenge for our market. All of this suggests a greater focus on the number and quality of internships."

Alexandra Sydney, General Manager at Milkround, said: "With graduate recruitment becoming increasingly inclusive, we at Milkround continue our work to raise the level of awareness and confidence in candidates. The research and graduate panel both indicate that we need to educate students and graduates, in particular females, on what their career options are both inside and outside of their academic background, as well as the growing importance of a developed skill-set over qualifications. This way we can be certain that employers are receiving applications from a comprehensive range of skilled and suitable candidates with plenty of potential."

For more information on this event and how to get involved in future events, please contact info@milkround.com.

For more information on the research, please contact Jayne Cullen at Jayne.cullen@tmpw.co.uk.