New research by Lancaster University shines a light on how students find out about jobs, providing useful insight for employer attraction campaigns.
Research, funded by the Jisc Careers Research Grant and carried out by Lancaster University’s Careers and Employability Service, explores how students find graduate opportunities, engage with employer activities on campus, and decide where to apply.
Lancaster University undertook a mixed method approach, combining surveys, focus groups with 42 students, and nine in-depth one-to-one interviews, to gain a more detailed understanding of student behaviours, preferences, and needs.
1. Employer engagement events
Careers fairs, pop-up stands, presentations, and panels have been seen as key ways students engage with employers, but the research suggested that not all formats are equally effective.
- Most valued: While careers fairs were effective for brand awareness, students most valued employer panels, presentations with Q&A sessions, and networking events that allow them to ask detailed questions and gain an authentic insight. Alumni involvement is particularly impactful, giving students a real insight to the job role and employer culture.
- Less effective: Careers fairs and pop-up stands staffed by student ambassadors or representatives sticking rigidly to corporate scripts. Students described these as superficial and less useful in decision-making.
Authenticity in employer messaging was critical. Presentations that were overly scripted or perceived as excessively positive were considered unhelpful.
Employers who engage openly, showcase career development, and allow for personal conversations have the greatest impact. Transparency appears to be key to successful engagement with this generation of students.
2. Career decision making
We found that four key factors were consistently influencing students’ decisions to apply for a graduate role:
- Location: Many want to stay close to family or in regions with lower living costs, often the North West. Approximately 45% of our graduates remain in the region and this figure appears to be increasing year on year. London is seen as aspirational but unaffordable for many. Misconceptions about the concentration of graduate roles in London persist, despite the growing number of regional opportunities.
- Salary: Students are keen to ensure their starting salary will provide financial security to cover increasing living costs.
- Career progression: The students who participated in the research viewed their first graduate role as a stepping stone, looking for training, skill development, and structured career paths, to offer an increase in salary.
- Work-life balance: Focus groups highlighted a preference for avoiding long working hours. Students wanted enough leisure time to maintain good mental health.
Other considerations include organisational culture and the prestige of large employers. Some students preferred larger, well-known organisations due to perceived job security, career progression and CV impact.
3. Job searching information gaps
The students who participated in the research took an ad hoc, reactive approach to job searching. Many were relying on Google searches or LinkedIn, with little use of sector-specific platforms such as Prospects or TargetJobs.
Automated vacancy alerts are often ignored because they feel irrelevant. Awareness of Lancaster’s own graduate jobs board remains low, suggesting a missed opportunity for students to access more local, tailored opportunities.
Encouraging regular profile updates and promoting local opportunities could help make searches more relevant for students.
4. Relevant communication channels
Students identified their preferred communication channels for employers and vacancies. These findings underline the importance of targeted, trusted, and varied communications rather than relying on a single channel:
- Email remains an effective channel but can be overlooked if messages feel generic or irrelevant.
- Social media, especially Instagram, is influential for some students, though others see careers content as intrusive on leisure platforms.
- Departmental and society-led communications are consistently viewed as more credible and trusted.
- On-campus promotion through posters and digital screens remains effective in capturing attention in busy student areas.
Lancaster University students benefit from employer engagement activities, but improvements in communication, promotion, and support would make a significant difference.
Research participants were pragmatic, focusing on location, financial security, and career progression in their decision-making. They value authentic, honest engagement from employers and practical guidance to navigate the job market effectively.
By refining how opportunities are promoted, strengthening peer and departmental networks, and encouraging employers to engage in an authentic way, Lancaster is enhancing the visibility and impact of its employability offer.