Almost a third (29%) of graduates want to work in public relations (PR), according to a survey designed to measure graduates’ perceptions of industry.
The poll, carried out by specialist graduate recruiter, Give A Grad A Go, measured graduates’ perceptions of 11 industries on a rating scale, with PR coming eighth on career progression, job security and pay, ninth for ease of finding work and difficulty of work, and sixth for status.
Sectors included in the research: Advertising, Banking and finance, Design, Health, IT, Law, Marketing, PR, Property and architecture, Public service, Recruitment, Sales
When asked to rate the sectors on creativity, graduates put PR fifth, after marketing, advertising, design and architecture.
Cary Curtis, founder and managing director of GAGAGO comments: “We were surprised that PR did not do better in the survey, considering that it is currently the most popular discipline among grads looking for work in London. Many are even willing to work for free in the hope that this will lead to paid work. However, we caution employers against unpaid internships as they lead to demotivated, and often disgruntled employees.”
The survey comes hot on the heels of research released by the Association of Graduate Recruiters, which reported that graduate job opportunities are set to rise this by 2.6% this year, as the number of applicants per vacancy surges to 83.
Curtis concludes: “While the average graduate salary has risen to £25,500, this is not the case in PR, where remuneration for entry-level roles sits at around £18,000.”
www.giveagradago.com
