Exeter graduates have more opportunities for interaction with leading employers

Exeter students in top 20 “most wanted”

An independent report by student research specialists, High Fliers Research, has identified Exeter as one of 20 universities targeted by the most UK top graduate employers. This is the first time that the University has appeared in this important ranking.

The top 100 graduate employers are drawn from a survey of more than 16,000 final year students from 30 leading universities and together accounted for 15,563 jobs in 2010. They come from a range of sectors including the Armed Forces, banking, accounting, law, media and the public sector. Included amongst them is also a range of household names such as Vodafone, the BBC, Sony, Unilever, the NHS and Marks and Spencer.

The entrance into the Top 20 ranking also follows closely behind the University’s most successful Autumn Careers and Placement Fair yet with record numbers of exhibitors and students attending.

Paul Blackmore, Head of Employability & Graduate Development, commented: “Myself and the rest of the team have been completely focused on improving the employability of our students in preparation for when they leave university. This involves providing them with the skills that employers are looking for, the techniques they need to stand out from the crowd and the confidence to shine in what can be a very rigorous selection process.”

He continues “It also involves the development of close ties with the UK’s top businesses, particularly those responsible for the recruitment of significant numbers of graduates each year. I’m delighted to say we’ve made fantastic progress in both these areas and our appearance in this ranking is a testament to our success so far.”

Date: 15 February 2011