Latest news with #GraduateOutlookSurvey2025
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Salary isn't enough: What 2025 graduates really want from employers now
In 2025, salary remains an essential part of the employment equation, but graduates are making it clear that it is no longer sufficient on its own. While salary continues to lead as the most selected attribute, young professionals are increasingly prioritising other dimensions of the workplace experience. According to the data from Graduate Outlook Survey 2025 by the CFA Institute, this year 58% of graduate students identified salary as a top consideration when evaluating potential employers. This figure, however, reflects a four-point decline from 62% in 2024, indicating a gradual but noteworthy shift in how students assess value in employment. Close behind salary are working arrangements (49%), career progression opportunities (48%), and benefits (48%). These emerging priorities suggest that graduates are focused not just on short-term earnings but also on growth, balance, and long-term reward. How graduate preferences in 2025 differ from 2024 A year-on-year comparison offers clear insights into changing expectations. While salary has decreased slightly in importance, career progression and benefits have each seen a six-point increase, rising from 42% in 2024 to 48% in 2025. These are the two most significant gains among all employer attributes. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 WhatsApp tricks Indians secretly use google Learn More Undo Similarly, working location rose from 28% to 33%, and perks climbed from 24% to 31%, reflecting a more holistic view of employment that includes logistical convenience and lifestyle flexibility. Flexible working arrangements, already valued in 2024, inched up modestly from 47% to 49%. Some factors have remained unchanged. The percentage of graduates citing the opportunity to work in or travel to different countries remained constant at 30%, as did preference for a diverse workplace, which held steady at 23%. These stable figures suggest that while global exposure and diversity are appreciated, they are not rising differentiators in the current landscape. Only 2% of graduates reported that there is nothing they actively look for in an employer. This overwhelmingly intentional approach suggests that graduates in 2025 are making employment decisions based on a blend of pragmatic concerns and aspirational goals. What this means for employers in 2025 For employers, the message is clear: graduates still value salary, but they are increasingly evaluating job offers through a broader lens. To attract top early-career talent in 2025, organisations must offer more than financial incentives. Clear growth pathways, flexible work policies and well-structured benefits packages now carry comparable weight. The shift signals that today's graduates are not just accepting offers; they are choosing employers whose values and support structures align with their long-term professional vision. Salary remains central, but it now sits within a more layered matrix of expectations. Employers who can pair competitive compensation with structured growth, flexibility, and meaningful workplace benefits are likely to appeal most to today's well-informed and goal-oriented graduates. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here . Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
India Today
16-07-2025
- Business
- India Today
How are Indian grads beating Americans in job readiness?
Indian graduates are entering the job market with more confidence than many of their global peers, including those in the United States. According to the Graduate Outlook Survey 2025, conducted by the CFA Institute, 87% of Indian students and recent graduates say they feel prepared to begin their careers. In comparison, only 72% in the US say the survey includes responses from more than 10,000 students and early-career professionals across 21 countries. It points to a larger shift: young professionals are placing more value on practical skills and real-world experience over university names or academic of the respondents said relevant skills are the main factor in their job confidence. Another 47% mentioned work experience, while 34% cited internships and professional contrast, only 28% said academic grades mattered, and just 25% said university reputation made a suggests a steady decline in the importance of classroom-based success alone. Students today are more focused on how prepared they feel in real-world GAINING VALUEThe survey also found that 60% of respondents consider industry certifications more valuable than postgraduate like the CFA Charter are now seen as reliable pathways into the job market, especially in fields such as finance, where specialised knowledge is in shift signals that many graduates are rethinking the purpose of a traditional degree. For them, credentials backed by practical training carry more weight than long academic AMONG TOP IN CONFIDENCEIndia's numbers stand out globally. While China topped the list with 92% of graduates reporting job readiness, India closely followed. Brazil and Saudi Arabia also reported high confidence the other hand, graduates in countries like the UK (71%) and Canada (79%) showed lower confidence levels than pattern suggests growing optimism in emerging economies, where graduates believe their education and training are more aligned with job market THIS MEANS FOR EMPLOYERS AND COLLEGESFor colleges, the report indicates a need to integrate more skill-based learning and career exposure into employers, the message is clear: graduates are ready to contribute, but hiring practices need to value diverse forms of preparation, including internships, certifications, and demonstrable full report by CFA Institute serves as a signal for institutions and industries to update their approach, keeping pace with what young professionals now consider job-ready.- Ends
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
More Indian grads feel job-ready than Americans: What's fuelling their confidence?
Indian graduates are stepping into the job market with a level of confidence that clearly eclipses their American peers. A staggering 87% of Indian students and graduates say they feel prepared to launch their careers, compared to just 72% in the United States, according to the Graduate Outlook Survey 2025 by the CFA Institute—the global body known for setting benchmarks in financial education. But this isn't just about optimism. It reflects deeper contrasts in how young professionals across countries are experiencing university life, interpreting employer demands, and defining what it means to be truly job-ready. The trigger behind the confidence The survey—drawing responses from over 10,000 students and early-career professionals across 21 countries—highlights a fundamental shift: Today's graduates care far less about grades and brand-name universities, and far more about real-world experience and marketable skills. Top contributors to job confidence include: • Relevant skills (50%) • Work experience (47%) • Internships and professional networks (34%) Meanwhile, traditional academic credentials are losing ground. Just 28% of respondents cited grades, and 25% pointed to university reputation as key to job readiness. Credentials over degrees? Graduates think so The global job market's appetite for applied skills is leading many students to rethink the value of traditional degrees. In fact, 60% of respondents now believe industry certifications are more valuable than postgraduate degrees. Certifications like the CFA Charter, which offers sector-specific credentials with international recognition, are increasingly seen as pathways to competitive advantage in a skills-first economy. It's a sign of the times: theory alone no longer cuts it. A global snapshot and where India stands India's performance stands out—not just against the U.S., but against much of the developed world. Only China (92%), Brazil (89%), Saudi Arabia (89%), and Singapore (88%) reported higher levels of confidence. Countries such as the UK (71%) and Canada (79%) were notably lower than India. These figures reflect growing career optimism among graduates in emerging economies, many of whom report higher confidence in their readiness to enter the workforce compared to peers in some of the world's most developed higher education systems. The bigger picture The Graduate Outlook Survey 2025 offers timely insight for educators and employers aiming to support the next generation of professionals. As graduates increasingly prioritise practical skills, certifications and hands-on experience, academic institutions may benefit from embedding more career-aligned training into their programs. Strengthening access to industry exposure, professional guidance and skills-based pathways could further reinforce the confidence students report globally. For employers, the findings reflect a talent pool that is increasingly prepared to contribute from day one. Hiring strategies that recognise diverse forms of preparedness, whether through internships, certification programs or demonstrated skill sets, may align better with how graduates today define employability. In a competitive hiring environment, these adjustments could support both recruitment outcomes and long-term workforce development. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
