Graduates prefer responsibility rather than a big pay cheque

AUSSIE GRADUATES LOOK TO THE FUTURE - WITH GOOGLE

Survey reveals graduates prefer responsibility rather than a big pay cheque

Reputable company and training plan also sought after

When looking for their first full-time job, Australian tertiary students would prefer roles with responsibility over positions that offer a good starting salary, according to a survey from CareerOne.com.au.

A reputable company and a training and progression plan were also highly sought after and rated above a good starting salary as chosen by the 525 graduates surveyed.

Google Inc. was found to be a graduate's employer of choice in a separate poll of 3303 graduates. Macquarie Bank and Microsoft were second and third respectively.

Conducted by online employment site, CareerOne.com.au, in partnership with CoreData, the survey conducted in February 2008 also found:

· There was a large knowledge gap among graduates when it came to salary with 84 per cent of respondents stating they had little or no knowledge relating to how to negotiate a salary.· Most graduates (56 per cent) earn less than $40,000 as a starting salary.

· After starting work, graduates were surprised to learn that they had to start from the bottom up.

· More than 40 per cent of graduates are not working in the field related to the discipline they studied. The majority of these had their degree in Sciences or the Arts fields.

· Vocationally directed fields such as Pharmacy and Health, Creative Services, Media/Advertising/Marketing, Education and IT were most likely to offer graduates positions in their studied field.

· According to 40 per cent of those surveyed, work experience in the chosen field of work was the most important qualification to have when trying to secure a graduate job.

"It is interesting that graduates were not prepared for the workforce by their parents, educators or anyone else. This is seen by the fact that they didn't know that when they start a job they had to start from the bottom and work their way up," Kate Southam, editor, CareerOne.com.au said.

"The survey also demonstrated a disconnect between graduates and employers. It appears that graduates felt capable of starting a job a couple of rungs higher than they were given, especially those who had already gained what they viewed as relevant work experience."

"This reinforces the importance of employers managing graduate expectations from the recruiting stage and definitely on their first day of work. Employers need to be honest and up-front about role and responsibilities."

The poll and survey were part of CareerOne.com.au's graduate campaign which is running until 31 March. The dedicated micro-site for graduates, which is linked through from the CareerOne.com.au homepage, features advice on resume writing, interview tips as well as graduate specific vacancies.

CareerOne.com.au: