Thirty university students will gather at a secret location next month for a three-day boot camp on how to deal with the tricky questions that get asked at job interviews.

The event is being organised by Accenture, the consultancy, as part of its graduate recruitment effort. Those picked to attend are not only youngsters hoping to join the firm’s graduate programme — any student is welcome to apply.

Accenture’s motive for running the residential course is not entirely altruistic. “What we are trying to do is attract those people who might not have thought of consulting as a career option,” said Julia Harvie-Liddel at the firm.

With so many graduates flooding the job market, it is getting ever tougher for employers to find the best. Accenture’s boot camp is one way for the firm to spot the most promising graduates.

Microsoft, too, is trying to cast its net wider to help manage the sharp increase in applications. It is offering 70 paid jobs to university students, to “increase their chances of employment when they graduate”.

Harvie-Liddel said more younger students than ever are turning up to careers fairs, anxious to start thinking earlier about their job prospects. That, she said, is a step change.

Accenture has lifted the quality threshold of applicants it will consider hiring. As well as a decent degree (2:1 or better), graduates must have at least two As and a B at A-level. Previously, one A and two Bs would have been sufficient.

KPMG, the accountant, has also tightened up on the A-levels graduates must have achieved, while J Sainsbury, the supermarket, has recently changed its policy on degrees. Previously, some of its training schemes would accept those with a 2:2 — now only those with a 2:1 will be considered.

A proposal being tested at 18 universities may make it easier for employers to interpret academic results. The new system gives a more detailed breakdown of degree scores than the traditional ranking of firsts and upper and lower seconds.

Ruth Elwood, head of recruitment at KPMG, said that the firm had seen a “twofold” increase in applications. “We raised the academic level for our 2010 intake. That helps us sift through them and reach the top talent,” she said.

Others report similar jumps. Lorna Bryson, head of UK resourcing at Tesco, said applications for the retailer’s 2009-10 graduate intake had leapt 41%. “We fully expect numbers for our 2010-11 entry to exceed this,” she added.

At J Sainsbury, the rise has been more dramatic — the company reports a 90% increase in applications for its graduate schemes.

Another trend spotted by employers is a rise in applications from students with postgraduate qualifications. Diageo, the drinks company, is one business that has noticed this.

Others do not believe that the surge in application numbers calls for changes in their recruitment policies. Rather, they argue that the rise leads to a bigger pool of talent from which to choose.

Procter & Gamble said that it had seen a record 38,000 applications for its graduate programme. This “allows us to raise standards even further and choose the very best graduates from a great pool of talented candidates”, it said.

The same effect can manifest itself in other ways. Compass, the catering company, last year launched an academy programme primarily aimed at those leaving education after their A-levels. This year, about eight out of ten applications for the scheme came from graduates.

“They are applying for a programme for which they are overqualified,” said Vicky Williams, human-resources director at Compass’s UK and Ireland division. If the current trend continues, that may become more widespread.

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