Competition for graduate roles is set to be tougher than ever in 2010 as more than half of graduates from 2009 join the hunt for jobs alongside the class of 2010, according to research from Alexander Mann Solutions (AMS).

Increased competition seems to have hit 2009 and 2010 graduates’ confidence, leading to less targeted applications and a willingness to apply for positions outside of their preferred field.

The study found that of the students who graduated from university in 2009, just 24% were working in a role that requires a degree since leaving university. 

More than half (53%) of the 2009 graduates surveyed were planning on applying for graduate positions this year. Some 63% of those set to graduate in 2010 were also applying for graduate roles (compared to 50% of recent graduates in 2009), leading to far greater competition for positions than in previous years.

This increase in applicants seems to have dented graduate job hunters’ confidence with only 26% of those surveyed confident of finding a graduate position this year.

Perhaps because of their experiences last year, 2009’s graduates are the least confident; just 22% are confident of finding a position this year. These low confidence levels appear to be reflected in graduates’ approach to job hunting with one in five (18%) of 2009 graduates applying "for any job". In fact, the majority of graduates were found to be broadening their approach: with 59% of 2009 graduates applying for roles across a number of sectors and just 37% of all respondents limiting their applications to positions which tie-in with their long-term career goals.

Clodagh Bannigan, Head of Client Services at Alexander Mann Solutions, said: "University leavers are adopting a 'hit and hope' approach: applying for as many positions as possible rather than carefully targeting the roles that are right for them. This type of approach can cause problems for employers. Businesses looking to hire graduates need to ensure that they have the processes and scalability in place to deal with the high volume of applications, without compromising on the human touch that is essential when looking to attract the best young talent. This is by no means an easy feat."