One of the most important considerations that all graduates are always going to have is whether or not they are going to be able to get a good job after graduation. This is something that is of course dependent on a huge number of factors, and in particular has a strong relationship to the nature of the culture and the country at any particular time in a particular place. For Irish graduates, we might say that we are entering a particularly good period for jobs, and that these students are likely to enjoy better prospects than many have been able to enjoy for a long time. Let’s take a look at this in some detail.
The Market As It Stands
The fact of the matter is that graduates are entering the best Irish jobs market for over a decade. In particular, the last three years have been especially bountiful, and it only looks set to improve in the near future too. Compared to the recession of 2008-2012, 2020-2021 is looking very good indeed, and most graduates have very strong prospects to secure jobs in Ireland, no matter which part of the country they might be in.
The Figures
So, how well are graduates actually doing, and it is as good as it sounds? In fact, the statistics seem to support the notion strongly that this is one of the best times of recent years to be a graduate in Ireland. According to recent surveys, 78% of university graduates were about to start work, and around 80% of college graduates were in the same position. This is clearly very strong, and a figure that many other European countries would be delighted to replicate.
Something particularly interesting here is the change in the way that these graduates are looking at the whole prospect of work. In particular, it seems as though these new graduates have a better sense than their predecessors of what constitutes a good work/life balance, and why it is so important to have it, and how to make sure that it is brought about and kept up, too. However, at the same time, they are known to have a strong social conscience, which means that they appreciate the value of hard work, especially if it is for a cause that is seen to be worthy and something that society really needs. Another influencing factor which is growing in consideration for graduates is the environmental policies of employers and the sustainability of their resources. At PRL we have recognised the importance of this in the wider business and are actively improving our practices to be a more environmentally friendly business.
Graduate Needs
We can get to grips with what is going on a lot better if we are certain that we know what it is graduates really want, so that is something that might be worth looking into here as well. In particular, it seems that Irish graduates want to have a clear direction, something which a lot of them might have felt lacking at the start of their degrees. That is something that they are being helped with by an improved range of career services in colleges and universities throughout the country, and that goes hand-in-hand nicely with the improving jobs market too. Clearly, in many respects it is a very good time to be an Irish graduate, and not just because there are so many jobs out there at the moment.
Buoyant Market
There is a lot of talk about the current Irish jobs market being especially buoyant, which is something that you definitely want to hear. But what does this really mean? In simple terms, it indicates that it is rising and likely to continue to rise, which effectively means more jobs for everyone, less unemployment, and a greater level of satisfaction on the whole. Such buoyancy is something that many graduates can embrace, and it is something that can really help to get a whole marketplace operating much more smoothly, and the economy operating in a better way too.
Certain sectors are particularly buoyant at the moment, as it is always the case that some areas will be hiring more than others. In particular, in Ireland at the moment sectors such as tech, IT and finance are hiring a large volume of graduates. But it’s not just those sectors. There are also improvements in recruitment, science, engineering, retail, digital media and marketing, leisure and tourism, law, construction, and property. With this range of skill sets, people of all backgrounds are likely to have a better chance of securing employment post-graduation.
The buoyancy of the market is also a matter of job opportunities and pay increasing alongside each other – something that naturally happens as a result of the improved competitiveness that we always see with this kind of change.
Competition
Competition is an important part of the jobs market, and during periods of improved economy the competition for jobs increase, especially the good ones. That is something that helps the economy on the whole, but it is also the kind of thing that individual job seekers need to think about once they have graduated. In order to get ahead, there are many things that an individual might need to do – from simple things like focusing on having a good CV to ensuring that they are applying to the right kind of job and not adopting a blanket approach and simply applying for everything and anything they see on the jobs board.
But one of the main things that a graduate can do to improve their chances of securing the job they want is to register with a reputable recruitment agency like PRL Recruitment. With that kind of help on their side, these graduates will find it much easier to gain guidance and support and direction when trying to gain new employment in an increasingly competitive market. They will also help graduates to find reputable employers who are likely to offer them good, strong jobs with good pay. Clearly, that is one way to navigate the waters of these buoyant times – but on the whole, things are looking good for graduates who want a job.