Home» Services» Placement and Careers» Students and graduates» What do Brunel graduates do?» Brunel Business School» Business and Management

Business and Management

In 2010/11, six months after graduating:

61.4% of graduates with a first degree were in employment

9.6% were in full-time further study

6.0% were combining work and study

Graduates from this pathway are interested in a wide variety of business careers which is reflected in the outcomes of the leaver cohort. General management is a popular career choice in particular the graduate management schemes offered by many of the blue-chip recruiters. The financial sector, particularly banking, also continues in its popularity, with some students securing positions in major investment banks, as well as HR and marketing.

In 2010/11 Business and Management graduates were employed in the following positions:

• Events Manager
• Business Developer
• Operations Assistant
• Assistant Marketing Manager
• Supply Chain Executive
• Marketing Executive
• HR Coordinator
• Graduate Management Trainee
• Merchandise Controller
• Market Research Analyst
• Merchandiser
• Personal Banking Advisor
• Business Support Officer

In 2010/11 Business and Management graduates entered further study courses such as:

• MA Environmental Science
• MSc Business & Logistics
• MSc Investment & Risk Finance
• MSc Management & Marketing

The positive impact of a sandwich placement on graduate employment outcomes across Brunel is considerable. Those who have done placements are also much more likely to be in employment for which their degree was a formal requirement or where they believe their degree gave them a competitive advantage in recruitment.

Placement leavers from Business and Management experienced the following outcomes:

• 75.1% progressed into employment or further study
• 75.0% were engaged in a graduate-level activity (employment or further study)
• 72.7% of employed leavers were working in the top three categories of graduate level employment
• The average starting salary was £22,000. 

The graduate labour market remains competitive and relevant experience is increasingly required for graduate level jobs. For those without related experience job search strategy is often about getting a ‘foot in the door’ in order to compete for graduate positions later. As a result some Business graduates were working in entry level occupations such as Finance, Marketing or Administrative Assistant in order to gaining the required experience.  

A growing national trend is for many students to delay their job applications until completing their studies, preferring to focus on achieving the highest grade possible. This can result in some graduates initially continuing with their part-time job while they explore their options after graduating. As a result some graduates were working in non-graduate level positions including sales and customer service occupations.

It is important to note that the DLHE survey provides a snapshot of a very short amount of time (six months) after graduating and while many have progressed into relevant graduate jobs others are taking time out, travelling, waiting to start a course or continuing with their part-time job while they explore their options after graduating. Many graduates have moved on in their careers since completing the questionnaire.