One of the first things you’re told when you start university is to make the most of being a fresher; because before you know it you’ll be approaching the end of third year, on your fourth coffee of the day and filling out your fifth job application of the week.  Needless to say, you didn’t take this on board – and now you’re in your final year – trawling through graduate scheme listings in search of your perfect job. Me too. Finding the right scheme is incredibly difficult. Not only do you have to find a job in which you could thrive, there are various other factors to consider before applying too, such as where you would like to live.  London is the immediate thought for many university leavers, as it offers the most grad schemes, work placements and comes with the buzz of working in the capital. “I had my heart set on moving to London,” says Elke Stocks, an English literature graduate from the University of Leeds. “It provides the best opportunities for career progression as well as lifestyle benefits. After spending three years in Leeds I knew I wanted to move somewhere larger and London was the obvious choice.”  Related: Student startups: could you be the next Mark Zuckerberg?  London also boasts the top three graduate recruiters this year; Pwc, Deloitte and Teach First all have their head offices located in the capital. Not to mention most leading financial, legal and civil service institutions offer their most competitive roles down south.  But London also offers the greatest level of competition – it’s home to the highest concentration of graduates of any region within the UK. And for those who do manage to find a position, London life might not be all its cracked up to be – the bottom end of a recent Rightmove study of the happiest places to live in the UK was dominated by London boroughs.  Meanwhile the likes of Edinburgh, Manchester and Birmingham, for example, are all working hard to provide appealing alternatives to the capital and vie to become the major recruitment hubs of the UK. While big firms like Pwc, Deloitte and Ernst & Young all have their UK headquarters in London, they all now have firmly established locations in the regional cities as well.  Related: Could a portfolio career be for you?  So for those who want to be involved in corporate industries but are not keen on rush-hour tube journeys and sky-high living costs, heading north could be an attractive alternative.  The northwest and the midlands are leading the fight back against the London hegemony, with High Fliers annual graduate job market study revealing that 50% of recruiters offering employment have locations in Manchester or Birmingham.  “I’ve noticed a growing trend in students staying in their university cities and developing their careers there,” says Steve Carter, careers advisor at the University of Leeds. “This could largely be attributed to the reemergence of the north as a regional powerhouse, with greater opportunities and amenities for prospective graduates.”  While London is undoubtedly still king in terms of graduate employment positions available, there is sufficient evidence to indicate that giving the capital the thumbs down does not equate to drastically lowered employment chances. Roles at leading employers are available all over the UK and often come with improved living standards and cheaper amenities. So while we continue our trawl through available schemes, at least we can take heart in the fact that the UK offers great alternative regions to make our mark on the world of work.
Many consider London to offer the best chance of graduate job success, but shunning the capital and heading north could be a better option