{"id":1238,"date":"2019-01-14T11:31:00","date_gmt":"2019-01-14T11:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hrgrapevine.com\/content\/article\/2019-01-14-students-starting-degrees-in-january-to-give-them-competitive-edge-in-stagnant-jobs-market"},"modified":"2019-01-14T11:31:00","modified_gmt":"2019-01-14T11:31:00","slug":"students-starting-degrees-in-january-to-give-them-competitive-edge-in-stagnant-jobs-market","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/squarehr.com\/index.php\/2019\/01\/14\/students-starting-degrees-in-january-to-give-them-competitive-edge-in-stagnant-jobs-market\/","title":{"rendered":"Students starting degrees in January to give them ‘competitive edge’ in stagnant jobs market"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Students starting degrees in January to give them ‘competitive edge’ in stagnant jobs market<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some university students are opting for January starts so that they can finish their degree courses at a different time to the rest of university leavers – the Independent reports.<\/strong><\/p>\n

By starting and finishing their degrees at a different time in the year, they have a huge vantage point over their peers as they are able to apply for jobs when there is less competition around.<\/p>\n

And, in a competitive jobs market, the fight for work between university graduates particularly heightens in the summer when the majority of universities finish. And, some establishments have noticed an increase in the number of applications for January-starting degrees.<\/p>\n

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According to the University of Buckingham, there has been a 14% rise in the number of applications for its postgraduate January courses.<\/p>\n

This peaked interest can be attributed to the fact that students are aware of the harsh reality of the jobs market that will hinder them when it comes to securing work, so they are looking for ways to fight off the competition.<\/p>\n

James Seymour, Director of Admissions at the University of Buckingham told the Independent that many of the students opting to start at the university in January are well aware of the competitive jobs market that they are faced with.<\/p>\n

He said: “Our students are competing against a much smaller competitor set because they are coming out of their degree in January, while everyone else is coming out in June or July.<\/p>\n

“Students tell us that graduate employers engage during the winter period ready to recruit.”<\/i><\/p>\n

But, it seems that the University of Buckingham are not the only educative establishment to have noticed a rise in the number of January applications.<\/p>\n

London Metropolitan University saw a 20.8% increase in undergraduate applications for courses beginning in January 2019, as well as a 16.3% rise in the overall number of applications for the year ahead.<\/p>\n

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Phil Blakeman, Deputy Head of Academic Services at London Metropolitan University, told the Independent that a January start has become more attractive to mature students wanting to consider their employment options with fewer time pressures.<\/p>\n

He said: “Those that start in January normally have smaller class sizes and more lecturer contact time so they definitely benefit from that.”<\/p>\n