Higher degree ensures immediate job

EIGHT out of 10 higher degree graduates immediately land jobs, a new survey reveals.

Higher qualifications also ensure a superior starting salary with over 50% of graduates with Masters or PhDs starting at over 24,000.

In contrast, just over half of graduates with primary degrees are commanding 21,500 as a starting salary.

Overall, six in 10 primary degree graduates are in the workforce while between 30%-40% of those with national certificates or diplomas gained employment.

The figures are based on the class of 2000 in Irish third-level institutions.

According to careers advisor Seamus McEvoy, almost three-quarters entered the services’ sector, with 25% working specifically in commercial computer services.

About 23% of all graduates sought jobs in the public sector.

The six most popular occupations for graduates were teaching-lecturing (14%), financial services (12.3%), scientific-professional (9.4%), social, personal, medical and religious (9.4%), management services (9.2%) and administrative, executive and general management (7.7%).

Mr McEvoy said graduate trends had not changed significantly over the previous 10 years to 1990 with over 32% of primary graduates still opting for further education.

“There are interesting comparisons to be made between starting salaries of higher degree and primary degree recipients,” said Mr McEvoy, Head of the Careers Services in University College Cork.

“The higher qualification can add to the graduate’s employability both in terms of starting salary and long term career progression.

“There are exceptions, of course. Some primary degree graduates chose to enter employment before doing a higher degree, particularly in the business and financial fields, where a combination of experience and qualifications are valued by employers.”

The number of higher degree graduates over the 10-year period to 2000 more than doubled from 1,611 in 1990 to 3,476.

The survey figures are revealed in the 2002 Edition of Mr McEvoy’s guide, ‘What Do Irish Graduates Do?’

“It’s a practical guide for students, parents and career guidance professionals. It’s a must read for anyone thinking of completing a third level course in Ireland, providing factual, concise and an easy-to-follow insight into what the graduates of 2000 did.”