Graduates have been urged not be put off entering a tough jobs market this summer by Sonja Stockton, head of recruitment, PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Commenting on the Association of Graduate Recruiters’ Winter Survey, which showed graduate vacancies have plummeted by 24.9%, Stockton spoke of the need to ensure we’re not putting graduates off applying altogether by only talking about reduced opportunities.

The survey also shows that there are now48 applications for every job, while the quality of job applications has increased. The average graduate salary remains frozen at £25,000 and recruiters see no change into 2010.

Stockton says: “There are still opportunities available because employers like PwC are maintaining graduate programmes to invest in the long-term business prospects.

“Graduates need to be open minded and flexible about the options available to them. If they want an opportunity to kick start their career, they need to be rigorous in their applications - dedicate time to research the organisation, and accurately reflect their academic achievement and skills.”