Graduates have been told to "research, research, research" if they are to find a job this year.

A report on Times Online tells of how major graduate recruiters such as the Big Four accountancy firms are expecting unprecedented demand for jobs this summer.

Milkround.com recruiter PricewaterhouseCoopers, the biggest private sector graduate recruiter, received an increase in applications of 50 percent last year – some 20,000 applications for 1,000 places. It is expecting even more this year, having received 6,000 applications by November.

Carl Gilleard, chief executive of the Association of Graduate Recruiters, told Times Online: "The challenge for employers, as ever, is going to be finding the right candidates from among these applications. For graduates the challenge will be dealing with much-increased competition, and the key to that is research, research and more research. Know your sector and the employer you are applying to, and make sure you submit only the highest-quality applications."

The report adds this year’s next biggest recruiters will be the Armed Forces and Teach First.

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