Issue 7 2019

22 CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 7 2019 , British business leaders provide tips on things for first jobbers to master early in their careers. British business leaders have revealed that lack of opportunity is the biggest challenge facing young professionals entering the job market in 2019. As the academic year draws to a close over 14 million1 eager new graduates will be entering the job market, all looking for their first young professional role. However, according to a survey of senior managers, CEOs and entrepreneurs by JOB TODAY, the UK’s number one hiring app, nearly half (40%) believe there aren’t enough jobs for young seekers, with many believing the issue will be amplified when Britain eventually leaves the European Union. Following the result of the British referendum in 2016, the graduate job market saw the UK’s most prestigious graduate employers downgrade their graduate hiring plans, and a 10% decline in private sector organisations recruiting graduates by the end of 20172. This has led to many hiring bosses believing that new graduates may face a similar struggle to the 2008 recession graduates - who on average took eight months to secure their first professional role3 - in securing their first graduate role. As well as a lack of opportunities, a third (33%) of business leaders are concerned that new job seekers don’t have enough experience to land their first job, while more than a quarter (27%) believe that first jobbers will struggle with work-life balance. Despite the findings of the research, Polina Montano, co- founder at JOB TODAY has a different view. “There has been a lot of concern about the job market amongst Brexit negotiations, but with 86,000 fewer EU nationals in jobs in the UK last year, we’re actually seeing that at this crucial time people have an abundance of jobs to apply to and are taking advantage of applying for more jobs than ever.” “Getting a foot in the door at the start of your career can be a challenge; learning vital skills through work experience and training courses can really help your personal development and secure that job you want,” explains Montano. “Last year, JOB TODAY launched Job Academy, an initiative aimed at providing job seekers with new market standards of online and practical training courses to help them gain the knowledge they need, in the industries they want to work in.” As part of the research, Britain’s business leaders also provided their top tips for people looking to secure their first job. Self- confidence came out as the most sought-after trait in a new job seeker with almost a third (29%) of hiring managers saying they looked for this skill in a prospective employee. Problem-solving (23%) and time management (21%) were discovered to be the most sought professional skills in new young professionals – suggesting that new graduates need to be able to show hiring bosses they are organised individuals with initiative in order to impress hiring bosses. Lack of Opportunity Revealed as the Biggest Challenge for Young Professionals