The quality of a young person's first job could have a lasting impact on their career, confidence and earning potential, new research suggests.

Getting young people into work is often seen as the first step towards building a successful career. But new research suggests that what happens once they get through the door could be just as important.

A study of 3,000 UK adults by the Social Market Foundation (SMF), supported by PwC, has found that the quality of someone's first job can be linked to their earnings more than a decade later.

The research identified significant differences between young people who started their careers in roles offering strong support, development and progression opportunities, and those whose first jobs provided little opportunity to learn or move forwards.

By the age of 35, the difference in average salary between the strongest and weakest types of first job was around £27,000.

The research also found that first jobs which helped young people build confidence and feel ready to take on greater responsibility were associated with 24% higher salaries by their mid-30s. Formal mentoring was associated with an 8% increase.

The importance of a good first manager

The findings highlight the importance of the everyday workplace experience for people at the beginning of their careers.

According to the research, four in five respondents had never had personal development goals set for them in their first job, while 85% had not had access to formal mentoring and 76% had never received an appraisal.

Only 13% of young people began their careers in what the SMF describes as an "accelerator" job, combining strong support, development and opportunities to progress.

For employers, the message is that a first job needs to offer more than a salary and a list of responsibilities.

Good managers can help early-career employees understand what they are capable of, provide opportunities to take on responsibility and create an environment where making mistakes becomes part of learning rather than something to fear.

The research suggests that this can have consequences well beyond someone's first few years at work.

Getting people into work is only the beginning

The findings come at a time when youth employment remains a significant concern in the UK. Nearly one million young people are currently not in education, employment or training.

However, the research argues that simply getting young people into employment does not necessarily mean they are on a positive career trajectory.

Some young people may enter jobs where they are underused, receive little training or have no obvious route to progression. Others may gain experience, confidence and skills that help them move into increasingly responsible roles.

The distinction could prove significant.

Graduates were more likely than other groups to enter the research's "accelerator" jobs, although they were also more likely to experience underemployment, where they were overqualified or underutilised in their role.

What can employers do?

The research suggests that supporting people at the start of their careers does not necessarily require expensive or complicated programmes.

Clear development goals, regular feedback, access to experienced colleagues and meaningful opportunities to take on responsibility can all help young employees build confidence.

Mentoring can also play a role. But perhaps the biggest lesson for employers is that development starts with the quality of the day-to-day relationship between an early-career employee and their manager.

A first job does not have to become a career for life. But it can provide the skills, confidence and experience that determine what comes next.

For employers, therefore, the question may no longer simply be "How do we get young people into work?"

It could be "What kind of workplace are we giving them when they arrive?"

The research suggests that the answer could have implications for both the employee and their earning potential for many years to come.