Oxford students cautious about job prospects

At Oxford, both banks and students took part a little more cautiously than normal in this year's 'milk rounds', according to Tony Butler, president of the university's careers service.

"I think students recognise there are fewer jobs this year, and that

the finance world has become tougher to get into and more uncertain,' he said.

'I sense that the numbers of undergraduates looking for banking careers may be

down, and there have been lower attendances at banking events. There were also

slightly fewer presentations this term than in previous years."

Many of the students who attended presentations in Oxford this term were well

aware that their future was far less secure than their predecessors'.

"Although some of the banks said recruitment numbers were similar to the

year

before, others admitted that there had been a massive reduction in

recruitment from

the previous year," said Anatole Pang, in his third year reading modern

history at

Wadham College.

Despite this, the mood among many students was one of optimism and

self-belief. Some thought they could work the dismal climate to their advantage.

"As long as you have a good CV, I think you stand a good chance and it is

worth applying, especially since applicant numbers will be right down," said Alex

Barksby, a geography student at Keble College.

"Although fewer students were attending the presentations, those that did were

noticeably more serious about a career with that specific company or

industry, and sceptical about recruitment numbers that the companies were giving out."

Even optimistic undergraduates had back-up plans in case their first choices

fell through.

"I am also applying to US universities, and may put in a couple of speculative

applications for consultancy or the law, or even governmental organisations

such as the World Bank," said Pang.

"I think one has to have confidence in oneself, otherwise there is no point

applying at all. The fact is that there are opportunities out there, and if you are good

enough and committed, the chances are that you will probably get an offer from somewhere.

He said it was clear that no sub-standard students were being offered good

jobs, in contrast to 1999-2000 when they were being handed out too freely.

In these unsettled times, job security was very much on the students' minds

even if they did find a good position.

"Although I think there are still opportunities for good people to get jobs,

job security may be a problem in the future," said Peter Ralph, doing an M. Phil in

economics at St. Edmund Hall.

"I won't be taking out a mortgage if I get a job at one of the banks."