Training tops ‘wanted’ list for job-seekers

GRADUATES rank training and development above a large salary when selecting a future employer, according to a survey by Ernst & Young.

The online poll showed that 41 per cent of graduates view training and development as the most important consideration when weighing up a potential employer, down from 44 per cent in 2007.

Salary and benefits are the second most popular factor, increasing slightly from 18 per cent in 2007 to 21 per cent in 2011.

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Stephen Isherwood, head of graduate recruitment at Ernst & Young, said: “The poll raises interesting questions around the expectations of the post-recession class of 2011 versus those of 2007, who were graduating into an uncertain future.

“Despite the burden of university debts, today’s graduates still see their first job as a prime opportunity to gain qualifications and skills which can benefit them long into the future.”

The biggest change in students’ views was around work-life balance, which fell from the third most important factor in 2007 to the fifth in 2011.

Business reputation was rated highest by 13 per cent, people and culture by 12 per cent, work/life balance by 11 per cent, and ethical and environmental reputation by two per cent.