Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) represent a hidden market for graduate opportunities, according to one expert.
The Graduate Recruitment Bureau (GRB) says smaller companies can offer very good opportunities to university leavers but a lack of resources can reduce their exposure.
Dan Hawes, co-founder of GRB, suggested SMEs need to increase their advertising if they want to attract graduates and that online could be the most cost-effective way of doing this.
"A lot of companies do hire graduates but they're not so well publicised, and they're not technically graduate training schemes.
He added online advertising can provide an immediate increase in exposure in a very cost-effective way.
"Obviously, the job has to be good to get the right response and subsequently hire people."
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's 2007 recruitment survey found that 73 per cent of businesses chose to advertise permanent vacancies through recruitment agencies.
