Employers of Bond graduates are the most satisfied in Australia

Employers of Bond University graduates are the most satisfied in Australia, a new Federal Government survey shows.

Bond University ranked No.1 of 42 Australian universities in the government’s 2018 Employer Satisfaction Survey, just released.

Employers of graduates were quizzed on their hires’ technical skills, work readiness and generic skills.

Bond University Deputy Vice Chancellor, Students & Support Services, Alan Finch said the result reflected the emphasis Bond put on the preparation of students for their transition from university to work, and its close links with industry.

“The boutique nature of Bond University means we can provide our students with personalised attention and support,” he said.

“We also have a subject which is taken by all undergraduates, called ‘Beyond Bond’, which requires students to engage in leadership, community service and work related activities like placements and internships and to accumulate a minimum number of such experiences before they can graduate. We believe that this gives our graduating bachelor degree students a genuine edge when they enter a very competitive employment market.

“Our academics know their students by name, their interests and career aspirations, and many of our programs, including our postgraduate coursework degrees, have a strong professional focus, which together with the work of our Career Development Centre ensures that our students are ‘work ready’ when they graduate.”

MinterEllison Brisbane partner Dan Williams said the international law firm had a longstanding relationship with Bond  University.

“My impression of Bond graduates is that they're very focused on career, keen to get through the degree efficiently and get into work,” Mr Williams said.

“We look for excellent legal skills and we certainly find them with the Bond students who we recruit.”

One of those recruits, Blake Thomas, graduated with a Juris Doctor in 2017 after a career in social work in Canada.

“I was helping homeless individuals struggling with addictions, so it was a big switch-up coming into this profession,” Mr Thomas said.

“I was very aware of what the real world is like but I really enjoyed the exposure we got at Bond to actual considerations of legal practice. It prepares you much more from day one.”

Emily MacDonald is another former Bond University student working at MinterEllison after graduating with degrees in Law and Psychological Science.

She was hired by the firm through a clerkship program during her penultimate year of studies.

“Minters have been really good in mentoring in the formal and informal sense and that's made the transition (from university to work) a lot easier,” she said.

“You're surrounded by people who are sometimes a lot more senior than you but are obviously invested in your development.”

The Employer Satisfaction Survey is the largest of its kind and reports the views of more than 5300 employers about the attributes of recent Australian graduates.