Milkround News, 27 November 2008
Undergraduates looking for jobs next year are applying sooner to increase their chances of landing a top position.

Onrec reports a survey has found three quarters of students are less optimistic about finding a graduate job this year and an extra third are more likely to defer their job hunting and take a year off.

As a result, two in five finalists are applying for jobs earlier than normal so they have the best chance to get the role they want and the same number are looking at a broad range of industries to find their graduate job.

The research by Bright Futures, a national student organisation which prepares students to succeed in the world of work, also found some 65 percent of students expect to take a lower salary than they might have hoped when they started their course, and 85 percent do not expect the economy to start growing again until 2010 and beyond.

Concerns also remain about the global economic slowdown and when assigning responsibility for it only a quarter blame the government, whereas half believe it is was caused by 'greed'.

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