I saw an article which made me smile on Accountancy Age site today. Finally a company opening the doors to more graduate jobs!

KPMG are going to up their graduate intake in September from 600 to 760. Its good to see things heading in the right direction for them enough for them to be able to do this – I mean that’s a 25% increase so its not just a few more is it?

Do you think other companies will follow their example?

That is good news. I do hope other companies follow suit, although KMPG has always been the leading graduate recruiter in the accountancy industry.

I bet there’s going to be a mad scramble for those posts though. And even though it’s 25% up on last year - 750 positions is not much considering the thousands of young people out there looking for a foot in the door. 2010 grads now have to compete against grads from the past two years because jobs have been so thin on the ground!!!

I do see what your saying there! It could be quite a difficult situation to sift through all the applicants they may get don’t you think?

But at least there will be a few more opportunities out there for them to get their teeth into and hopefully the numbers will go up each year thereafter as well???

It is quite a daunting prospect thinking of the numbers of graduates building up who have been unable to get jobs applying again this year with all the new graduates for this year!  It will be a big rush in all areas!

I know, I remember reading recently that even though the number of graduate vacancies have increased for this year, most of them have already been taken by graduates from 2008 and 2009 - who have now had a chance to gain a little bit of work experience through internships and odd-jobs. It seems as if a university degree just isn’t enough to get you a job these days!!!

Tell me about it! There are so many other people out there with experience looking for work that every job you apply for has a lot of tough competition! So unless you are exceptional in some way you have to fight it out to get a job - any job!

Even retail jobs are hard to come by these days and they used to be a dime a dozen a few years back!

It’s tough out there, a friend of mine recently went to an interview where she had to take part in a role playing exercise that lasted 30 minutes, on top of a panel interview that lasted an hour. She was exhausted when she came home! Employers really make candidates jump through hoops these days!

I think its simply because there are so many people applying for each job that they know they can literally take their pick! So in light of this they seem to make you jump through hoops before they decide who to employ! It is awful that there is so much competition out there, and usually you are so exhausted and feel you have put in so much effort that how could you not get the job etc you know?

Unfortunately if you don’t jump through the hoops as requested you are less likely to get a job! Its horrible to have to be in that position don’t you agree?

We don’t have much choice, do we? I count myself lucky that I’ve never been put through an interview process like that. But I have heard that many companies are recruiting a wider pool of candidates - not just those who graduate with top marks - and asking them to prove their worth via aptitude tests and the like. So in some ways, the “new interview process” gives more candidates a chance to show what they’re made of and get jobs they otherwise wouldn’t even be able to get interviews for.

I suppose there are pros and cons in light of what your saying! To be honest i never thought about it like that but you are absolutely right. Still would not want to have to go through all that though - My sister applied for a job a few years ago and they all had to attend an assessment center! It was from 9-4pm with people leaving at every round! Imagine that!

I wonder if one day I will have to go through the same process!!! EEEEEEEEEK!

Man, I do not envy your sister! How did she do in the end? It takes nerves of steel to get through the interview process these days, but at least people are still getting interviews I wonder when all of this will die down?

The funny thing is that she had three interviews over a two week period and they all came back to her about 3 weeks later with offers within a matter of days of each other! Needless to say that was not the job she went for! After all she had a choice and thought that company as a whole was very rigid - not her thing at all!

So not only do you have the harrowing interview process these days, but getting a job in general from the time of application to the time of offers being made just seems to be a whole lot longer really don’t you think?

I mean with her it ook 3 months from the date of application to the day she accepted her job! That is so long!

I remember the days where you would apply and get the job all within a week! But how the tables have turned now hey?

Wow, she clearly aced the interview she definitely made the right decision not to join the company that made her jump through hoops. Imagine what her job would have been like?!

As you say, the job application process takes so much longer these days. I have recently moved roles and it took me four months to get my new job from the date I first applied to the day I started! I know I’m lucky just to be employed, but I found that four month limbo period really stressful.

Yeah definately it can be awful all the waiting around and not knowing or not hearing anything! You would start to think there is no hope - this is what she started to feel like - as she has loads of intervews for jobs, made even more applications and heard nothing and then she heard about 3 all at once! Its crazy isn’t it?

Oi, there is nothing more stressful than waiting for months and months to hear if you have a job. Even though you’ve got all this free time on your hands, you don’t feel like you can go out and have fun, because you have to save money! Eugh.

I guess at times like this you could always volunteer, couldn’t you? If you have some money saved up, that is, or someone to help you out for a bit.

Yeah it would be the ideal opportunity to get into some sort of volunteering job somewhere and help a charity or the local community!

Unfortunately I just don’t see it happening do you? Most people would not think to use thier time like that at all! Im sure the world would be a better place if we all did…. But unfortunately, we don’t!

I mean even while you are looking - doing a couple of hours here and there must be good for you!

I reckon I would definitely volunteer if I were struggling to find a job now, it just gives you something to get up for in the morning and hopefully also something really good to put on your CV.

Although I wonder whether volunteer positions are difficult to come by?