Last week Oliver and myself attended the AGR (Association of Graduate Recruiters) conference in Newport for the first time. The AGR conference was a great way for us to learn more about the graduate and undergraduate recruitment industry, as well as of course, network… There were a number of interesting seminars and discussions, some of which relevant to placements and internships. We thought we would share with you some interesting facts we found, these are taken from the AGR Graduate Recruitment Survey 2008 – Summer Edition.

• There are a lot of work experience opportunities 

92.6% of AGR companies offer some form of work experience, 76.8% of which are paid. 79% of AGR companies offer work experience during a holiday, whereas 58% provide them for 12 months.

• Secure yourself a graduate job before your final year

10.7% of AGR members said they take on 80% – 100% of interns as graduates.

• You can earn some real money

The Median wage for work experience students is £302 per week, this works out at £15,704 per year. 12.5% of AGR members paid more than £400 per week, over £20,000 per year. Search our reviews by salary to see the highest paid placements.

• Learn the key work place skills during uni

55.1% of Graduate Recruiters think the key soft-skill graduates lack will be communication, so why not learn how to handle yourself in the work place before you graduate.

• If the experts think it will be useful, why not do it

80.5% of AGR members think the most effective way of improving soft skills is to complete an internship or industrial placement.

For more information on the benefits of placements and internships, see our students pages or to see what students have written about their experiences click on our best quotes page.