It is that time of year again. Final year students have scribbled through their final exams, penultimate year students are thinking about what to do when they finish and employers are teetering on the verge of another recruitment campaign. Top Employers has conducted a survey of Oxford and Cambridge students to get the low-down on career choice trends at the UK’s two leading Universities. Over 1,000 undergraduate students were surveyed with a roughly equal number of respondents in each undergraduate year.

Several surprising results were revealed:

1. The majority of students claimed to know which job sector they would work in by the end of their 1st year, rising to a massive 84% of students by the end of their 2nd year.
2. Undergraduates generally struggle to differentiate between employers.
3. Two-thirds ranked diversity as less than important.
4. Less than a third of Oxbridge students listed brand as an important influencing factor.
5. Work-life balance ranked #1 as the most important factor when considering a career with 74% of students listing it as highly important.
6. Ethical business practices ranked at #2 with 72% of students reporting it as highly important.
7. Entrepreneurial elements like early responsibility, entrepreneurial environment and rapid advancement for high achievers ranked consistently low on the list of Oxbridge priorities.

This report is divided into the following sections:

1. Job Sector Decision Timing
2. Company Differentiation
3. Popular Career Sectors
4. Factors When Choosing an Employer
5. First Impressions
6. Work-Life Balance
7. Vacation Work: Earnings or Job Experience?
8. Expected Stay in First Job
9. Resources for Graduate Job-Seeking
10. Summary: A Broader Perspective

Next Page : Job Sector Decision Timing

More Info on graduate jobs
Download the PDF Version of the Survey Report