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Purpose: The aim of this paper is to reach a conclusion about the aspects that enable graduates to achieve success in the labour market. The analysis focuses on the factors that accelerate graduates' entry into the labour market as well as those that foster their success 2 years after graduation, when it is considered that their career is in the first phase of consolidation. Design/methodology: Our analysis was conducted among graduates in Economics and Business in Catalonia. The data were collected from the Agència Catalana per a la Qualitat Universitària (AQU) survey that was carried out in 2014; the results were published in 2017. ANOVA analysis was performed. Findings: Our results show that university grades and the influence that studying in a specific university are not important in relation to the length of time needed to enter the labour market. Nevertheless, socio-economic variables and previous experience in the labour market play important roles. Our analysis focuses on professional success 2 years after graduation, concluding that the factors related graduates academic (university grades and type of university) and socio-economic backgrounds play a decisive role. The academic background and the labour situation are very important to guarantee professional success. Precarious job conditions pose an obstacle to professional advancement. The relationship with work experience during the undergraduate period is not clear. Originality/value: The study sheds some light on the variables affecting the success of professional life both when graduates access the labour market and 2 years later. Until now, the studies analysing the Spanish situation have focused on isolated factors, but no studies have analysed employability and professional success as a whole. We obtain a complete picture of the variables that increase employability, providing a reference for universities and politicians when defining their strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]