A recent study reveals that three-quarters of university students value job security to be more important than pay and benefits, when choosing an employer. Conducted by global professional services firm KPMG, the survey polled university students at a Berlin meeting of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), a global non-profit group active on college campuses.
Given the current economic environment, this shift away from career thinking is not surprising. In addition, more than 50 percent of respondents would be interested in working internationally immediately after graduation; they obviously recognize that overseas opportunities are valuable for success in today’s global marketplace.
Another effect of the global slowdown is their consideration of post-graduate education immediately after graduation. Sixty-nine percent indicated they are now more likely to study for a post-graduate degree than look to get a job. Moreover, the KPMG survey revealed that due to the downturn most (67 percent) said, they were more likely to work for a public or non-profit organization than a corporate business.
According to the survey, other factors important to students when choosing future employers included "real opportunities to learn new skills and develop themselves personally and professionally," "challenging and exciting work" and "opportunities to work with and learn from talented colleagues."
Students still believe "personal development and enrichment" are top priorities when selecting an employer. They also want to use their business skills to help their communities. Organizations like SIFE develop students’ drive for community involvement, leadership, and career initiatives.
The majority of the respondents (55 percent) said they "might stay" with their first employer for two to four years — probably another example of the effects of economic concerns. Respondents also said the social media platform Facebook is the one they use most regularly and most often tap into when researching information about a future employer.
The eclipsing of training and development by job security as a primary need among young job seekers is temporary to the economic downturn. When the economies of the world recover — as many are starting to do already — we expect a return to career pathing and training being of primary importance — results found in our research for the book "How to Become an Employer of Choice."
