Choosing the right university course and A-levels is undoubtedly critical when it comes to boosting your employability in later life.

But every year we hear the same complaints of how exams are getting easier, with some arguing that annual increases in the number of people passing them with top grades prove they are not as challenging as they were in the past.

Of course, some will respond by saying the standard of teaching and education as a whole has gone up, hence the fact more youngsters are coming away with high marks. And there will be plenty who believe that claiming exams are easier today than they used to be is simply an insult to those students who worked extremely hard to secure those grades.

The debate will rage on and various people will always think the worst of the exam system. But unfortunately, some of these will be employers, who say it is hard to distinguish between different candidates when they've all got A grades on their CVs.

So while students may have bust a gut to get their marks, they need to do even more to grab the attention of recruiters.

Volunteering is one good option, as it can tell an employer a great deal about someone who is seeking a job.

Indeed, David McCullough of volunteers group WRVS has said: "The ability to demonstrate that you can do other things and you have got additional skills, plus the fact that you have got the get-up-and-go to do some volunteering, as well as contribute to your community, is very important when employers are looking for the right person to do those very rare jobs."

Ongoing difficulties in the labour market have been extremely well-documented and much has been made of the issue of youth unemployment in particular.

While many young people are now very highly qualified, with an impressive array of GCSEs, A-levels and university degrees, actual jobs are scarce. As a result, competition for each position is very strong, so jobseekers must do as much as they can to distinguish themselves from their rivals.