EDUCATION SPOTLIGHT
Planning ahead How can school leavers and graduates stand out from the crowd in today’s job market? Bishop’s Stortford College’s deputy head (Sixth Form) Alex Swart-Wilson shares his thoughts
T
owards the end of last year, I asked a colleague how her son was faring now that he had left university and was heading
into the world of work. He had got a 2:1 honours degree from a Russell Group university and I was expecting him to find the job market receptive to his skills and dedication, which I had personally come to know during his school years. The truth was he was struggling to find employment in his chosen career. It doesn’t take long to research the bottleneck in graduate recruitment. Statistics vary on the subject, but the latest set of figures say that 98.5% of all graduate job applications are rejected. So, what can schools do to help students prepare for this challenge? One that is, for many of them, just three to four years away from the end of their school days. Long gone is the time when three A-levels would be enough; students need more to stand out from their peers. Taking initiative Employers talk about the need for school leavers and graduates to demonstrate what they have done for themselves, rather than what others have done for them. Gaining paid work at a young age, volunteering and work experience can all demonstrate this in some form. It gives students valuable insight into the workplace, a wider range of suitable skills and demonstrates a commitment to personal growth. If a student has been doing this since they were 16, or even earlier, then the benefit it will bring them by the time they leave university will be significant.
FIVE MOVES AHEAD Bishop’s Stortford College encourages students to consider what they want next
Choosing wisely Next, it’s imperative that students choose the right next step when they leave school. The most obvious example in this regard is their choice of degree, for those going to university. More than 25% of students that go to university say they picked the wrong subject. This has a significant, detrimental impact on their post-university outcomes – assuming they haven’t dropped out that is. Personalised, one-to-one advice from a qualified careers professional can be transformational, empowering students with the confidence and skills to identify their own strengths, interests and priorities
in life – all of which are the primary focus for the Futures team at Bishop’s Stortford. With unlimited access to careers guidance, students at the college are supported to take ownership of the process of exploring the options that suit them, to help enable informed decision-making not just for this one important choice but for every step of their future career. However, what is equally important is that students broaden their horizons beyond going to university. Employers are increasingly reducing their graduate intake and recruiting straight from school, and students need to be aware of the opportunities this opens up for them. Making an impression Lastly, while AI screening has a new role in selecting job candidates – and getting through this process is a challenge – do not neglect the value of the face-to-face interview. This is still the most important part of any recruitment process for top graduate employers. From the first handshake to the final question that the candidate asks, tailored interview preparation from specialists, and up-to- date advice from real-world professionals on what it takes to impress, will make a profound difference in the long run.
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CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK JANUARY 2026 73
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