The 16 best gifts for business school grads

In university, drinking usually meant guzzling as much alcohol in as short amount of time as possible. But times change.

Instead of letting of your grad drink cheap vodka all the time, take them upmarket with this microbrewed City of London gin, made right in the shadow of Goldman Sachs' London office. They might even start to like the taste.

Price: £35 ($53)

Giving a potential employer or future contact a scrappy bit of paper with their phone number on it is never going to go down well, so nice business cards are a must.

These ones from Ultimate Business Cards are fully customisable so they can be printed in pretty much any colour and style.

Price: £29 for 250 cards

Juggling a new career and working out can be difficult to manage. But it's still important to exercise.

Give them a reason to go for a run with these awesome Nike Freeruns. They include Nike's Lunarlon cushioning, which is supposed to provide increased comfort over long distances. They also come in great styles for both genders.

Price: £95

Having a pen to hand is not always that easy when we do so much work on computers these days, but it is always pretty useful to have one.

Owning a beautiful pen like this Meisterstuck from Switzerland's Mont Blanc will discourage your beloved business grad from losing it, and will let them impress whenever they need to sign something. It's made from hardwearing resin, but has platinum detailing.

Price: £330

Having something good to watch in the evenings is pretty crucial for everyone, especially if you're a recent grad still adjusting to post-university life.

Google's Chromecast, which lets you stream services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Google Play to your TV, is a handy gadget to get all watching needs in one place. It's cheaper than products like Amazon's Fire TV and Apple TV as well.

Price: £30

Turning up to a job interview looking scruffy and unshaven is one of the biggest no-nos when it comes to trying to get your first job out of university. Make sure they never make that mistake by giving them a beautiful shaving set, like this one from old-school perfumers Penhaligon's.

They've been catering for the grooming needs of British society since 1870 and count the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles among their clients, so they clearly know what they're doing.

Price: £136

They may not have much now, but at some point your favourite business graduate is probably going be earning lots of money.

Prepare them by gifting a shiny leather wallet like this one from Ralph Lauren. It's got plenty of space for cash and cards but is slim enough that it won't create a bulge in their suit pocket.

Price: £65 ($98)

If your business grad is searching for employment or has just started working in investment banking, they're going to be pretty stressed a lot of the time.

Scented candles like this one from Neom are a great way to ease the tension and create a calm environment. The Duchess of Cambridge is a fan of Contentment, but our favourite is Moment of Calm, which has a rose and neroli oil fragrance.

Price: £45

Wearing a business suit for endless job interviews or days at work can get boring really fast, especially for style-conscious ladies.

Buying the female grad in your life a beautiful silk scarf, like one from high-end fashion retailer Hermes can jazz up that boring skirt suit and add a bit of class to her outfit, which is never a bad idea.

Price: £195

If your beloved grad has been living in catered accommodation, or has just had very kind housemates, they might not have had to cook much until now.

Why not give them a good cookbook, so that they can get up to speed on the basics of the kitchen, and not end up living on takeaway pizza and curry. Nigel Slater's new book, "A Year of Good Eating," is full of quick, easy meals.

Price: £9.99

Smart shoes are one of the most crucial parts of business dress, so making sure they've got a solid, well-made pair is one of the best things you can do for a business graduate this holiday season.

When it comes to shoes, classic is best, so go somewhere like Crockett and Jones on Jermyn Street, one of London's most respected stores. They make both men's and women's shoes, but the gentlemen's Alex is one of our favourite styles.

Price: £400 ($603)

If there's one thing that is entirely certain when you start a new job, especially one in business or finance, is that you're going to be insanely tired for the first few week.

That's why giving a recent graduate a top of the range coffee machine is such a great idea. They'll still be exhausted, but they'll be able to give themselves a big boost with an espresso or two every morning. This one from DeLonghi was ranked the best on the market, and takes pods so it's super easy to use.

Price: £292.53

Long nights of work are bound to give the graduate in your life bags under her eyes, but that doesn't need to be the case.

Give her a little bottle of Eve Lom's Morning Time Cleanser to make sure she gets to the office every morning looking and feeling fresh.

Price: £40

Business grads should probably be reading as much as they can after graduation to make sure that they're clued up on the world they're about to enter.

"Rise of the Robots" by author Martin Ford won the FT McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award this year, making it a must read. The book addresses the increasing automation of many jobs, and how this could affect the global workforce. Probably a little depressing, but very interesting.

Price: £12.91

For many graduates trying to break into the world of business or finance, actually getting a good job at a bank or major company is virtually the only thing they'll want this holiday season.

So if you're working on the industry, or have got friends in high places, why not give them the greatest gift of all and help them get a foot in the door of the corporate world?

Price: Priceless