It is a well known fact that in the current economic climate, recent university graduates are struggling to find and maintain regular employment in a variety of sectors. These lack of employment opportunities have not been restricted to prospective employees seeking a graduate vacancy but extends to jobs which traditionally did not attract graduates. It is widely believed that around 40% of recent university graduates are currently 'underemployed', such high levels of unemployment have not been evident since the mid 1990's and is causing major concern.

It is evident that graduates really should be making considerations for when they graduate from university and plan to enter the workplace. Employers are increasingly seeking graduates who possess experience in a specific sector and it is now considered to be the norm to undertake unpaid work placements and intern-ships whilst studying at university. Despite the current economic climate, a graduate seeking a market research job has strong and real employment opportunities available to them. It can be overwhelming and confusing when there is so much information available to job seekers, it can leave you wondering where you should begin. Therefore the graduate really should consider seeking advice from a specialised market research recruitment partner to assist them in their quest for a market research job and to get to the front of the queue of graduate job seekers. The recruitment partner will offer advice on gaining employment, as well as actively searching for suitable job roles. Despite the high numbers of graduates currently unemployed, this does not mean that graduates who are offered graduate roles should accept offers which they do not believe value them or develop their skill range.

It is important to manage expectations for the role carefully and consider as to whether or not the vacancy is suitable. The type of company you are joining should match your expectations and be able to offer you steady career progression throughout your employment. These factors are much more important than the starting salary and whether or not a friend works at the current market research company. The size of the organisation is something which also needs to be considered, is the company offering a market research graduate scheme? If so, you are likely to be exposed to many different areas of the business and able to choose which area of market research is more suitable for you. If it is a company of a more modest size, then you are likely to be thrown in at the deep end and be expected to learn a lot in a shorter space of time, leading you to become very well informed in a specific area of market research.

Once you have been offered a market research role, then it is of the highest importance that you maintain your future employability as a graduate by continuing your develop and your skills range. Ideally you should wish to remain highly marketable in a very competitive industry. It is important to try and get involved in research focused, such as R- Net and AQR, also registering as a member of MRS, which will prove to be highly valuable. This will allow you to remain in the know with regards to the industry and how it is changing, effectively making you part of the industry and not just a bewildered bystander. Reading industry blogs and press will go a long way in helping you keep up to date with market research work. Identifying a member of staff who you believe to have the potential and who is willing to be a mentor to you really is invaluable and will go a long way in helping you succeed in a market research job.