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The United Kingdom’s largest paid-for subscription television company, British Sky Broadcasting Group Plc, has said that competition was high for the 100 graduate jobs it recently had on offer. The number of hopeful applicants was up 17 per cent on last year with 25 people applying for each available place.
The satellite broadcasting firm put their popularity down to other stumbling sectors - such as finance and retail - reducing or at least putting a freeze on their intake, and say that students looking for graduate jobs want to be with solid companies who have a strong outlook.
Speaking to The Scotsman newspaper, BSkyB’s deputy managing director of operations, Chris Stylianou said: “The graduate scheme kicked off three years ago. We're now getting a phenomenal number of applications. I think it's because we're synonymous with success, you just have to look at our results.”
Last week the company said that it was expecting to create 1,000 new jobs as it ramped up its High-Definition side of the business. They announced a first-half increase of 26 per cent in earnings before interest, taxes and exceptional items.
Subscriber numbers have increased rapidly – rising over 170 thousand in the last 3 months of 2008. With BSkyB showing live English Premiership football, perhaps more families are staying home instead of spending extra money at the match. They lowered the price for their HD product last year and also offer broadband internet access.
Sky had nine and a quarter million customers at the end of 2008 – a number they hope to increase to their target of 10 million by 2010.
Sky, which employs 15,000 people in the UK and Ireland, is a firm believer in the importance of developing its people. Last year, they held over 78 thousand training days and their staff completed 24 thousand e-learning courses.
So, if you want to be top of the pile for next year’s intake of graduate jobs, then start now by researching the information on BskyB’s corporate website.
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