4. First job

4.1 Arranging first job

As of July, 76% of 2009 graduates who responded to the survey had arranged their first job. The two main reasons why some respondents did not have jobs arranged were that they were restricted to a specific geographical area or had been so far unsuccessful at interview.

86% of 2008 graduates who responded to the survey started their first job within 2 months of graduating, confirming that the job market for recent graduates continues to be strong. (The figures for 2007 graduates from a similar survey last year are shown in the graph below for comparison.)

Click graph to enlarge.

4.2 Starting first job

The vast majority of recent graduates started their first job in the NHS at Band 5 earning just over £20,000. 8% of respondents started on temporary contracts, all of whom indicated they would actually prefer to be on permanent contracts. 31% of respondents said their first post was not in the same geographical area as their degree, mostly because they had chosen to relocate.

91% of graduates in 2008 said they felt their course had prepared them sufficiently for their first job. Around half of the respondents who added a free text comment on preparedness talked about the importance of clinical placements in their training: some were pleased that they’d had so much time in clinical placements; others wished they could have had more. The next most common comment was that although the respondent felt sufficiently prepared they were still nervous or not fully confident about starting their first job.

“Elective placements and placements in general were the most valuable component to my education.”

“I feel prepared - the knowledge and skills are there, I just need the confidence to apply them.”

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