Graduate celebrates lucrative job success

A Glyndŵr University student is proving there is still life in the recession-hit graduate jobs market after landing a lucrative role with one of the world’s largest accountancy firms.

Stephanie Emery, from Wrexham, will start working as a trainee corporate tax adviser for KPMG in September after beating off competition from thousands of UK graduates.

Stephanie landed the position despite the dramatic fall in graduate level jobs on offer in the UK and the increased competition for employment, with more than 48 graduates currently chasing each graduate level job.

The Business Accounting graduate puts her success down to building up crucial work experience and maximising the benefits of a university careers service.

 “I was sat in a finance lesson when I got the email offering me the job,” said Stephanie. “I was absolutely ecstatic. I’ve been doing all sorts of different work over the last few years - answering telephones, copying documents, working on VAT and tax returns and eventually shadowing qualified accountants – and I’m so pleased it’s all paid off.

“The work wasn’t the most taxing or demanding but it was extremely valuable. It meant that when I went for the KPMG interviews I could show a commitment and dedication to my career.”

Stephanie’s success comes as new figures reveal Glyndŵr University graduates continue to perform well in the jobs market. The latest Higher Education Statistics Agency Destination of Higher Education Leavers survey revealed the employability rate for Glyndŵr University graduates to be 94.1% - up from 93.5% in 2006/07.

Neil Pritchard, careers adviser at Glyndŵr University, said: “There’s no doubt there’s a tough jobs market out there for graduates at the moment but Glyndŵr University students are continuing to perform well when it comes to finding employment.

“Stephanie started thinking about her career early and it really paid off. Her achievement is hugely impressive as competition for places on the KPMG graduate scheme is fierce – the company is ranked third in a list of the UK’s top 100 graduate employers.
“Stephanie’s success is down to hard work, a positive attitude and the fact that she got some relevant work experience to develop her skills, something which employers really value.”

Stephanie battled through a rigorous selection process which included an application form, psychometric tests, group assessments and one-to-one interviews.

“My advice to any student about career planning is to do it early – and don’t fall into the mindset of ‘I can start looking for a job when I finish uni.’ You’ll make it much harder for yourself when you’re looking for your first job after graduation.”

Glyndŵr University careers centre can help graduates of all universities in the local area. Services offered include careers advice, interview preparation and access to work experience opportunities. For more information visit www.glyndwr.ac.uk or call 01978 293240.