Graduate job applications up 140% at E&Y

ERNST & YOUNG has seen applications to its graduate and undergraduate placements rocket in the last year.

Graduate job applications have increased 140% in a year, while undergraduate trainee schemes, which offer work experience at the firm, has also seen a frenzy of activity as submissions grew 215% compared to last year.

The firm received 3,200 graduate applications for just 800 placements and 1,700 submissions for 750 undergraduate positions.

Stephen Isherwood, head of graduate recruitment at Ernst & Young, said: "Having already received four applications for every place on our graduate trainee scheme, students need to get organised if they want to secure their dream job after finishing university and start applying for vacancies. We opened our applications three months earlier than we did two years ago and our places are already starting to fill up."

Concluding, he added: "There's no need for students to despair, but they do need to be pro-active and flexible, whether it's obtaining work experience or looking for opportunities beyond London. Those that rest on their laurels will simply miss out."