Can't get a graduate job. Need advice

Hey. What industries are you looking at?

In my experience (Investment Banking), people of all ages go and do internships. On my grad scheme there were even people as old as 29/30. Moral of the story - it's never too late, as long as you're truly driven to do the role you're applying to.

W

That's good to hear, I guess I need to do a bit more research and go back to the drawing board. I applied to a mixture of project management and consultancy schemes related to sustainability/the environment. The majority of places I applied were energy companies and they don't offer internships unless you are a penultimate year student. Today I have emailed a few of them asking if there's any other route in and for some general advice, though.

I graduated in July last year from a good university with a very good result from a 4 year degree - I am 23 now. I had applied that year to a few graduate schemes and got nothing, although I did get one final interview. I was disappointed but took it on the chin with the knowledge that at least if I got that far having done very few applications under restricted time I would be able to get something after graduating for next year's intake.

Since graduating I have got myself a part time job but I can only do it for a few hours a week - it sees me through but I have lots of free time on my hands and I am bored as ****. From August - December I must have applied to around 20 graduate schemes, each was one that genuinely interested me so I put adequate time into all of them. I got as far as phone interviews and assessments on about half, but have being getting rejections one after the other since. This morning I was rejected from the two I wanted most of all, after sitting face-to-face interviews (I thought I had actually done very well with these, so it came as a shock). I am at the stage where I do not intend on doing any more graduate applications as all the jobs I wanted have rejected me or the deadline has passed. I have 2 applications still active, both of which have informed me that I have passed the phone interview stage but they cannot confirm an assessment day because of high application numbers. I have heard it all before and am just awaiting rejection emails for those too.

I am very down about the whole thing and am embarrassed when I am asked daily by various people about what I am doing with my career. The problem is, I think, is that I don't have an internship. I have work experience but nothing that would compare to an internship/summer placement/year in industry etc (Although, I have seen many of my friends secure graduate roles in very good companies without one, so idk). Anyway, I need some advice as to what to do next? I know I need to get more experience but even that I am having trouble with - I can't apply to internships because for 90% of them you have to be at uni still. I am quite frankly fed up of living at home when all my mates have moved on and are out there enjoying life and the world. It's not like I haven't been trying either.

Hi,

If you are still active on this, where abouts are you now? I am in the exact same position. 40 job applications, 7 sssessment centres, rejection after rejection.

Frustrating!

I graduated in July last year from a good university with a very good result from a 4 year degree - I am 23 now. I had applied that year to a few graduate schemes and got nothing, although I did get one final interview. I was disappointed but took it on the chin with the knowledge that at least if I got that far having done very few applications under restricted time I would be able to get something after graduating for next year's intake.

Since graduating I have got myself a part time job but I can only do it for a few hours a week - it sees me through but I have lots of free time on my hands and I am bored as ****. From August - December I must have applied to around 20 graduate schemes, each was one that genuinely interested me so I put adequate time into all of them. I got as far as phone interviews and assessments on about half, but have being getting rejections one after the other since. This morning I was rejected from the two I wanted most of all, after sitting face-to-face interviews (I thought I had actually done very well with these, so it came as a shock). I am at the stage where I do not intend on doing any more graduate applications as all the jobs I wanted have rejected me or the deadline has passed. I have 2 applications still active, both of which have informed me that I have passed the phone interview stage but they cannot confirm an assessment day because of high application numbers. I have heard it all before and am just awaiting rejection emails for those too.

I am very down about the whole thing and am embarrassed when I am asked daily by various people about what I am doing with my career. The problem is, I think, is that I don't have an internship. I have work experience but nothing that would compare to an internship/summer placement/year in industry etc (Although, I have seen many of my friends secure graduate roles in very good companies without one, so idk). Anyway, I need some advice as to what to do next? I know I need to get more experience but even that I am having trouble with - I can't apply to internships because for 90% of them you have to be at uni still. I am quite frankly fed up of living at home when all my mates have moved on and are out there enjoying life and the world. It's not like I haven't been trying either.

Hi vilefor,

I’m in exactly the same position as you. I did a 4 year degree over a year ago and have got nothing but rejection after rejection. I’m 24 now and not working. I’m so embarrassed of my situation that I’ve become a bit of a recluse. I know it’s been a few years now since your post. I’m curious to know, how did things work out for you in the end?

Same. Graduated over a year ago now and absolutely nothing. I was recently diagnosed with depression so it's been one heck of a crappy past year. Every job ad I see wants so much experience and I'm just constantly wondering where they expect anybody to get that level of experience whilst at Uni and then finding a company that will give you that experience is almost impossible from where I'm standing. Not only that, but have you noticed how all the job ads out there are incredibly tedious and depressing in and of themselves? I can see myself in none of the roles and know for a fact that I'd just sink even further health wise. I'm at a loss tbh. Currently just looking for retail work just so I have some purpose again and not too much time on my hands (and even that is becoming difficult since it doesn't seem like many shops are hiring staff atm). Ugh.

I totally get what you mean. I think I’ve been depressed for a good few years now. It’s true sometimes when I don’t get a job I think I want, part of me wants to cry and part of me thinks well I probably won’t like that anyway. It’s hard to find the motivation to do any of the things I once loved to do, like volunteering for a charity when I don’t know when my next pay check will be or what my future holds. If you end up working in retail, still keep looking for graduate jobs, you never know something perfect may come up for both of us, it might just take twice as long, maybe even four times as long as everyone else. Until then...hang in there...somehow...no matter how difficult life gets

Same. Graduated over a year ago now and absolutely nothing. I was recently diagnosed with depression so it's been one heck of a crappy past year. Every job ad I see wants so much experience and I'm just constantly wondering where they expect anybody to get that level of experience whilst at Uni and then finding a company that will give you that experience is almost impossible from where I'm standing. Not only that, but have you noticed how all the job ads out there are incredibly tedious and depressing in and of themselves? I can see myself in none of the roles and know for a fact that I'd just sink even further health wise. I'm at a loss tbh. Currently just looking for retail work just so I have some purpose again and not too much time on my hands (and even that is becoming difficult since it doesn't seem like many shops are hiring staff atm). Ugh.

Hope you feel better and get a job soon. Can I just ask what degree did you get?

Thank you, and sure!

I did get a 2:2. I was on track for a 2:1 but because of mental health issues and numerous family deaths (10 by the time I graduated), my grade just took a battering.

10? Sorry to hear that. By saying what degree did you get I meant what subject was it in? If you don’t mind saying? Sorry I think I asked that poorly