People seeking graduate jobs may wish to consider applying to small and medium-sized companies to find work, it has been suggested.

Vacancies for larger firms may already have been filled for September, but smaller organisations could be looking to take on university leavers, according to Chris Morrall, managing director at graduate assessment organisation Talent Transitions.

Graduate jobseekers should "spread their net wider" and look beyond big companies, he recommended.

And he advised that activities outside of university can look good on a job application, as some people achieve top degrees but lack interpersonal skills.

Mr Morall remarked: "You need work experience," going on to recommend that jobseekers ask two or three people to read their CVs before submitting them to an employer.

There are around 2.5 million people studying in Britain at all levels, recent data from Universities UK showed.

It added that the number of part-time students has risen 108 per cent over the past ten years.