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Contrasting evidence is being produced about what graduates and other employees really want.

A recent poll for accountants Ernst and Young found that graduates rated training opportunities more highly than salary and benefits when choosing their first employer.

However, a new study by Reed employment seems to paint quite a different picture.

In a poll of over 2,000 jobseekers, it was revealed that rather than being trained by others, employees wanted to be their own bosses.

Entrepreneur came out top of the list of career aspirations, followed by the exciting childhood dream of becoming a pilot or astronaut.

The study also seemed to indicate that salaries are important after all.

For 68 per cent of respondents, money was the most important factor when it came to choosing a career.

Career progression, on the other hand, was selected as top priority by less than 40 per cent of those questioned.

Janine Parry, head of marketing at Reed Employment, said: "These results paint an accurate picture of the current economic climate and job market.

"With house prices at an all-time high, mounting student debt, rising living costs and a very competitive job market, job hunters are under more pressure than ever before to earn a decent wage.

"These pressures are being reflected in career choices, with more young people shunning more creative jobs, which are traditionally less well paid or professionals such as medicine which involve long training periods, in favour of well-paid jobs in the financial services industry."

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