UK graduates: is experience worth more than a degree?

In a labour market as tough as this one, graduates are looking to internships as away of enhancing their employability. 

Tom Richmond, policy adviser on skills for the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), told the Independent that work experience will make a big difference when applying for graduate jobs this year.   

"There may be long waiting lists and rejections, but you've got to keep plugging away, because experience is often the decisive factor that gets you the job."

A recent CIPD survey found that 61% of employers saw a lack of skills as the biggest obstacle to recruitment.

"The skills you can get in an internship – things like teamwork and communication – you can't always get through a degree,” Richmond explained.

“Time in the workforce shows employers you can do it whereas, to put it crudely, a bit of paper doesn't.” 

It seems as if work experience is becoming as important as a degree; and internships are an ideal way for graduates to learn sought-after on-the-job skills.

However, recruitment experts advise degree holders to avoid placements that only involve making the tea. They should rather find a position that gives them an opportunity to gain transferable skills that are somehow related to their chosen career path.