Barclays offers free accommodation to recent graduate interviewees

Barclays is to offer free accommodation for one month to graduates that are attending job interviews in London, Manchester, and Birmingham, starting from 30th October.

The move comes after research from the bank found graduates spend £506.55 on average securing their first job after university, with some attending more than three interviews before being offered a job.

Support

Barclays is hoping that the move will help to support graduates who are dealing with the financial pressures of finding their first job. Two nights of free accommodation is being offered, not only to those applying for a job with the bank but also to all graduates.

The apartments will be offered on a first come, first serve basis and will provide graduates with a place to prepare for their interview. With over 55 per cent of graduates choosing to work outside their place of study, the offer of free accommodation provides those who have completed their degree with the opportunity to explore the city where they have chosen to start their career. 

According to research collected by the Financial Times last year, finance is one of the most popular sectors for graduates, with accounting and Big Four firms PwC, Deloitte, EY, and KPMG receiving more than 80,000 job applications between them.

The true cost

Commenting on the financial pressures that graduates face after university, Barclays Managing Director of Personal Banking Sue Hayes said: “It’s shocking to see the true cost of landing that first job out of university. Graduates already face a challenging job market on top of record levels of student debt, so it’s disheartening to see how many of them are struggling to cover the costs of even attending an interview.”

Barclays Graduate Accommodation is being offered to all UK residents who graduated from a university or a higher education institution after 1st September 2016.