Confidence among New Zealand tertiary students about finding work after graduation has slumped to a record low, pushing many to apply for jobs outside their field and to look overseas for opportunities.
Just 14% of students said they felt very confident about securing a job after study, the lowest result in the 11-year history of Talent Solutions' Student Pulse survey, which drew responses from 1338 tertiary students nationwide.
Talent Solutions director Seren Wilson told BNZ Business Breakfast the findings were concerning and mirrored wider unease about the state of the economy.
Just 14% of graduate students said they felt very confident about securing a job after study. (Source: Breakfast)
"Student sentiment really reflects the broader perception in our economy and of our job market," Wilson said.
She said students who felt there were fewer opportunities tended to respond by casting the net wider.
"When there's a sense of increased competition, fewer job opportunities, then students start to respond by applying to more jobs. We can see that they're applying to jobs outside of their field of study and to a broader range of employers," Wilson said.
Turning to AI
That has flow-on effects for employers, who are fielding growing volumes of applications, many now polished with AI. Wilson said businesses were leaning more on psychometric testing, video interviewing and assessment centres to work out who could actually do the job.
"It's about getting clarity on what good actually looks like. What are the skills, the experience, the capabilities that you need?" she said.
Students themselves are using AI to write CVs and prepare for interviews, but the survey found they still wanted people, rather than automated systems, making the final hiring call.
Internships are key
Wilson said internships offered a way through for both sides, with students desperate for real-world experience and employers able to assess capability on the job.
"There's a really strong case for employers to think about whether they're investing enough in early talent programmes like internships," she said.
The bigger worry, Wilson said, was holding on to graduates at all.
"A number of students increasingly are looking overseas at opportunities because of the state of the job market here, and that's not good news for us," she said.
Turning the trend around depended partly on the economy improving, she said, alongside universities and employers building better study-to-work pathways.
"When students are feeling that there's better job prospects, we'll keep them on shore," Wilson said.
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