January 28, 2014, by Beth Dawson

We’re Number One!

By Sharon Bell, Associate Director, Careers and Employability Service 

In recent weeks you will have seen lots of coverage about The University of Nottingham moving from 2nd to 1st place in this year’s High Fliers Survey. The survey, ‘The Graduate Market in 2014‘, is a report which has been compiled following research with The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers, including companies such as Boots, Santander, Google, Rolls Royce and Teach First. It’s produced every year and we’re delighted to have moved into the top position, which means that we’re the most targeted university in the UK  by The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers!

What does it mean to be the ‘most targeted’?

Many big graduate recruiters have a list of universities they most want to work with and it will usually feature between five and ten institutions. Our 1st place ranking means that we are the university which features on the greatest number of these lists – fantastic news for you!

Obviously, these companies will accept applications from anyone. However, by targeting Nottingham, it means that there will be many chances for you to meet with them and learn about the opportunities available, as these organisations will be very active in attending recruitment events on campus.

Another advantage of such employers targeting the University is that they work closely with our team. Your Careers teams meet regularly with these employers, and as a result we get to learn about their recruitment methods and where applicants are excelling or struggling. This relationship helps us to provide you with tailored advice if you choose to apply to one of these companies.

Why Nottingham students?

Why wouldn’t they want to meet you? The University has a very strong academic reputation and this is very important to employers. However, the appeal of Nottingham students is about more than academic standards – recruiters see you as students who make the most of opportunities outside your studies to prepare yourselves for the workplace. Here at Nottingham, you can gain many of the skills employers value by taking part in our Nottingham Advantage Award, being involved in a club or society, volunteering or gaining work experience through our on-campus recruitment agency, Unitemps.

Often Nottingham alumni who have gone to work for one of The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers make a strong impression and stand out from the crowd. They are a fantastic advert for the talent that exists in our University.

Many of these organisations operate on an international scale and know that they can access some of the top graduates from across the globe by building a relationship with Nottingham. We build relationships with the recruiting managers of these organisations to open up a vast array of global opportunities to you.

What can I do? 

There are lots of events taking place in the spring term which will allow you to meet a whole range of employers – check out our upcoming events, and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.   If you want to discuss your career in a more relaxed setting, why don’t you visit our offices on Level D in the Portland Building, and have a chat with a member of our team? Or come along to one of the drop-in sessions held by your faculty team?

Posted in Applying For Jobs