While 60% of employers expect to recruit more graduates in 2011, the number of graduates on the market is on the up too - from 2008/09 to 2009/10 the number of all UK postgraduates increased by 10%. Despite this increase in vacancies, these recruiters have confirmed that a third of the vacancies that they are promoting for 2011 are expected to be filled by undergraduates who have had work experience with their organisations, such as internships, industrial placements, vacation schemes or sponsorships.

Graduate unemployment is at a 15 year high with approximately 20% of 2010 graduates still unemployed, which is double the figure of 2008. The desire to find graduate level work is such that 73% would consider moving abroad to find a job.

Almost all of the UK’s leading graduate employers are offering work experience programmes for students and recent graduates during the 2010-2011 academic year.

43% of graduate employers surveyed regard work experience as the most important thing to look at on an application. This is echoed by Ashley Hever at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, where a variety of work experience and placement schemes are in operation. “We see work experience as key. While it’s great if a candidate has been on a formal programme, any customer facing role can be very helpful. We have found that those who have been on placements with us have then acted as fantastic brand ambassadors for us back on campus.” Nearly two-thirds of recruiters warn that graduates who had no previous work experience at all are unlikely to be successful during the selection process and have little or no chance of receiving a job offer for their organisations’ graduate programmes.

Attracting and recruiting graduates is increasingly a year-round ‘business as usual’ activity. Organisations that opened up their applications earlier than usual – in June or July, rather than September or October - said this had contributed to a much higher volume of early applications from students and recent graduates.

Graduate recruiters are increasingly looking for innovative ways to identify high quality talent in an ever more competitive marketplace – this includes sourcing talent earlier. Second year programmes are a way to actively engage with recruitment processes earlier.

Although you may be on target for a first-class honours degree and have a strong commercial awareness, this is not enough when looking to secure a graduate position. Find out what skills prospective employers want you to have, and take the lead in developing them as much as possible.

Work experience can facilitate graduate employment but also build valuable skills that support employability more generally. With nearly two-thirds of recruiters warning that graduates who had no previous work experience at all are unlikely to be successful during the selection process, getting work experience is essential. As noted above by Ashley Hever at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, “any customer-facing work experience is very desirable and shouldn’t be underestimated.”

Graduate recruiters are increasingly looking at social media as a way to source, target and reach the best candidates. Make sure they find you by creating a professional online profile – e.g. on LinkedIn - that is separate to your personal profile.

Ensure career development is high on your agenda – some graduate recruiters receive 250 applications per role. Differentiate yourself, so you are more appealing to recruiters. Ashley Hever also advises candidates to be absolute clear why they want to work for the particular organisation to which they are applying.

With more graduate recruiters looking at objective methods to select candidates for their graduate programmes, prepare yourself and practise the types of assessment they will ask you to take.