The Student Room Group

Can't get a graduate job

I graduated in 2021 and still haven't secured a place on a graduate scheme. I've been volunteering and doing part-time jobs since but it's really getting me down that I've not managed to get anything whilst everyone else is working in their dream fields. I'll admit I was really bad at interviews/online assessments at first which is why I would get rejected at the early stages but I worked on it and improved. But I would always miss out at the very last stage where companies would only take in a handful and I always ended up on reserve or just straight-up rejected. Now that it's been this long since graduating, most companies don't give me the time of day and instantly reject me or don't respond at all - I don't even make it to interviews. They'll either reject me after the initial application/CV stage or if it's automated and I pass the online test/video interview, after reviewing my whole application, they'll reject me. I have no connections who will be able to help me get a job, I've asked around and people just give me advice on what websites to use and offer to review my CV - which is helpful but I don't go past the first stage of anything I apply to. Since there will be a new application cycle for graduate schemes this year, I don't think I'm eligible to apply to most of them considering they only take in current students or recent graduates, not those who have graduated 2+ years ago. I don't know what I'm looking for by posting this, I just feel like a failure. Everyone is confused that I haven't landed anything because my academics are good and I went to a good university. I've done everything I can, I make sure to tailor my CV to the job I'm applying to, I write out cover letters, etc. and it's still not enough. I'm so embarrassed by my situation and my parents have lost all patience with me. I really don't know how to go on from here.

Sorry if there are grammatical errors and that it's a long read. Please don't say unkind things to me, I already know it's a pathetic position to be in.
Original post by username90921
I graduated in 2021 and still haven't secured a place on a graduate scheme. I've been volunteering and doing part-time jobs since but it's really getting me down that I've not managed to get anything whilst everyone else is working in their dream fields. I'll admit I was really bad at interviews/online assessments at first which is why I would get rejected at the early stages but I worked on it and improved. But I would always miss out at the very last stage where companies would only take in a handful and I always ended up on reserve or just straight-up rejected. Now that it's been this long since graduating, most companies don't give me the time of day and instantly reject me or don't respond at all - I don't even make it to interviews. They'll either reject me after the initial application/CV stage or if it's automated and I pass the online test/video interview, after reviewing my whole application, they'll reject me. I have no connections who will be able to help me get a job, I've asked around and people just give me advice on what websites to use and offer to review my CV - which is helpful but I don't go past the first stage of anything I apply to. Since there will be a new application cycle for graduate schemes this year, I don't think I'm eligible to apply to most of them considering they only take in current students or recent graduates, not those who have graduated 2+ years ago. I don't know what I'm looking for by posting this, I just feel like a failure. Everyone is confused that I haven't landed anything because my academics are good and I went to a good university. I've done everything I can, I make sure to tailor my CV to the job I'm applying to, I write out cover letters, etc. and it's still not enough. I'm so embarrassed by my situation and my parents have lost all patience with me. I really don't know how to go on from here.

Sorry if there are grammatical errors and that it's a long read. Please don't say unkind things to me, I already know it's a pathetic position to be in.

After reading your post, I looked at https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-adv...t-graduate-job for the meaning of a graduate scheme and graduate job.
I than looked at https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/...-graduate-jobs
Although you may not be able to get on a graduate scheme (due to their competitiveness, wont give a chance to someone who graduated 2 or 3 years ago), you can get a graduate job (who want someone with a relevant degree)
(edited 7 months ago)
Reply 2
Original post by username90921
I graduated in 2021 and still haven't secured a place on a graduate scheme. I've been volunteering and doing part-time jobs since but it's really getting me down that I've not managed to get anything whilst everyone else is working in their dream fields. I'll admit I was really bad at interviews/online assessments at first which is why I would get rejected at the early stages but I worked on it and improved. But I would always miss out at the very last stage where companies would only take in a handful and I always ended up on reserve or just straight-up rejected. Now that it's been this long since graduating, most companies don't give me the time of day and instantly reject me or don't respond at all - I don't even make it to interviews. They'll either reject me after the initial application/CV stage or if it's automated and I pass the online test/video interview, after reviewing my whole application, they'll reject me. I have no connections who will be able to help me get a job, I've asked around and people just give me advice on what websites to use and offer to review my CV - which is helpful but I don't go past the first stage of anything I apply to. Since there will be a new application cycle for graduate schemes this year, I don't think I'm eligible to apply to most of them considering they only take in current students or recent graduates, not those who have graduated 2+ years ago. I don't know what I'm looking for by posting this, I just feel like a failure. Everyone is confused that I haven't landed anything because my academics are good and I went to a good university. I've done everything I can, I make sure to tailor my CV to the job I'm applying to, I write out cover letters, etc. and it's still not enough. I'm so embarrassed by my situation and my parents have lost all patience with me. I really don't know how to go on from here.

Sorry if there are grammatical errors and that it's a long read. Please don't say unkind things to me, I already know it's a pathetic position to be in.

Try applying for entry-level jobs rather than Graduate Schemes. Join a Recruitment agency and become a temp until you get made permanent. Attend careers fairs in your area where you can speak to Recruiters face to face and get feedback on your CV.
Original post by username90921
I graduated in 2021 and still haven't secured a place on a graduate scheme. I've been volunteering and doing part-time jobs since but it's really getting me down that I've not managed to get anything whilst everyone else is working in their dream fields. I'll admit I was really bad at interviews/online assessments at first which is why I would get rejected at the early stages but I worked on it and improved. But I would always miss out at the very last stage where companies would only take in a handful and I always ended up on reserve or just straight-up rejected. Now that it's been this long since graduating, most companies don't give me the time of day and instantly reject me or don't respond at all - I don't even make it to interviews. They'll either reject me after the initial application/CV stage or if it's automated and I pass the online test/video interview, after reviewing my whole application, they'll reject me. I have no connections who will be able to help me get a job, I've asked around and people just give me advice on what websites to use and offer to review my CV - which is helpful but I don't go past the first stage of anything I apply to. Since there will be a new application cycle for graduate schemes this year, I don't think I'm eligible to apply to most of them considering they only take in current students or recent graduates, not those who have graduated 2+ years ago. I don't know what I'm looking for by posting this, I just feel like a failure. Everyone is confused that I haven't landed anything because my academics are good and I went to a good university. I've done everything I can, I make sure to tailor my CV to the job I'm applying to, I write out cover letters, etc. and it's still not enough. I'm so embarrassed by my situation and my parents have lost all patience with me. I really don't know how to go on from here.

Sorry if there are grammatical errors and that it's a long read. Please don't say unkind things to me, I already know it's a pathetic position to be in.


Why are you focussed on a graduate scheme? All a graduate scheme is is a mechanism for bulk recruiters to put large numbers of graduates through an entry/filtering process to weed out the rubbish and sort out the best fit for those that make the mark for the organisation. It's just a process, it used to be a route into just highly competitive roles, but the phrase is not protected, and now anyone can use it for bulk entry.

You should be looking through the year for any graduate role, and by this stage, any entry level job. You should just be job hunting across the whole sector you are qualified for. There's just nothing universally significant in the phrase 'graduate scheme'.

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