Now’s the time of year when, if you’re a graduate, the chances are you’re now beginning to plan your first career move. Whether you’re still undecided, or if you have an inkling of which area you might want to work in, you’re also having to deal with the uncertainty fuelled by the economic volatility over the past few years.

Economic shake-up

We’re also seeing a slowing down of a previously booming labour market, thanks to a cost of living crisis and rising technological advancements such as AI. These are all factors which have also changed our priorities, not least for those of you who are kickstarting your career.

General economic challenges have resulted in layoffs from several major firms which boomed during COVID, as well as a newly adopted cautious approach by employers. This is reflected in the overall UK LinkedIn hiring rate (LHR), which shows that since June 2022, there has been a consistent year-on-year decline in LHR, down -22.7% for new bachelor’s graduates in January 2023.

Generation Z driving trends

Yet this isn’t as gloomy as it may seem – it seems that Gen Z is in fact influencing the job market, particularly when it comes to career paths growing their share of entry-level hiring, with work-life balance or a commitment to the environment being key drivers for taking a job. It is a gear change that is said to be contributing to the evolving concept of how we work in the UK.

Culture and values set precedence

According to another key piece of LinkedIn data, flexibility is another major factor for graduates in choosing a career path, with entry-level job ads referencing culture and values reportedly increasing by 154% over the past two years, highlighting their growing importance for younger generations. Job ads endorsing work-life balance have increased the most, while applications for job postings promoting values such as culture, flexibility and wellbeing have almost doubled over the past two years. There is also a consensus that after university, people feel a move to London or another large city is the only way to access a certain level of employment, whereas in reality, flexibility has negated the need for graduates to make this step and think of the Big Ol’ Smoke as the only option.

The rising appeal of recruitment

After consulting and legal, the third fastest growing field for graduate hires in 2022 was in HR, with one of the most popular occupations in it being recruitment consultant. This, it is claimed, is not just down to flexibility but also accessibility, which seems to be another defining characteristic of the 2023 labour market. As part of a wider diversity drive among UK companies at all levels, what this does is also remove barriers for first timers. It appears that in the recruitment industry at least, the sky really is the limit for university leavers and offers a door to a fruitful, rewarding career. Here are three specific reasons why:

1. Uncapped earning potential

At a time when stability is taking precedence and the cost of living is influencing job decisions, there is little wonder why recruitment was one area to grow its hiring share most last year. Recruitment offers lucrative potential with uncapped commission and bonus incentives, with the opportunity to reap the rewards of your own success.

2. A vibrant, sociable culture

Recruitment is also considered to be a social career as it is people-focused and invests in a team ethos, so appeals to younger generations who are primed to soak up a wealth of experience and knowledge from having real relationships with real people, who seek opportunities to grow, are ambitious and dedicated to learning.

3. A golden opportunity for progression

Recruitment provides the opportunity to develop your skills over time, enabling you to achieve more for yourself, the candidate, your company and the client. Within recruitment, career advancement is rapid. After gaining experience, you can move from job sourcing to recruiting for senior-level positions. Besides this, recruitment can lead to several career paths, such as executive recruitment and human resources.

Want to find out more about a successful career in recruitment with a company underpinned by culture, values, career development and wellbeing? Get in touch with us directly to discuss our current opportunities and this fits with our mission to achieve ‘Better Workday’s’ at www.fordandstanley.com.