How hard is it to get a job after uni?
Once you've completed your degree and are looking for work as a graduate, you may be thinking, "Why is it so difficult to get a job after university?" You'll be eager to turn your degree into a career that you'll enjoy because you've invested so much time, money, and resources into completing university and getting good grades.
The competition for graduate work that pays well, on the other hand, is tough. Only 52% of graduates get a graduate-level job, which is a momentous statistic. The majority end up underemployed in positions that don't need a graduate degree. Today we’re going to talk about how hard it is to get a job after university.
How hard is it to get a job after university?
In the United Kingdom, nearly 800,000 students graduate each year. These job seekers will join a pool of graduates who qualified in previous years and are still looking for work. From 2016 to 2018, there were an additional 1.2 million graduates who were also looking for work in 2019. Furthermore, there are approximately 300,000 foreign students who wish to obtain a graduate job in the United Kingdom.
Why is it so hard to get a job after university?
Since there are so many eligible graduates, the graduate job market is extremely competitive. There are approximately 80 applicants for each job opening and over 800,000 recent graduates looking to put their newly learned skills into practise.
While you will be job hunting in a highly competitive industry, there are many things you can do to improve your prospects and gain a competitive edge by receiving one-on-one career coaching and interview preparation.
What can I do to increase my chances of landing the job I want?
All is not lost, however, as there are plenty of things you can do to increase your chances of landing yourself a position in the industry you’ve worked so hard for. You can increase your chances by:
Working hard on your interview skills.
Reading self help books aimed at your demographic such as the Graduate Career Handbook.
Be sure to include all of your skills on your CV - even skills that might seem trivial to you such as previous experience in customer service will count towards the decision! You can use platforms such as Indeed to help write an impressive CV.
Don’t be afraid to show personality on your CV and at interviews - employers don’t want somebody average working for them! Write and talk about your interests and what you like to do in your spare time!
Focus on getting your foot in the door! A mistake many students make is turning down a job that may allow them to work their way up in the future.
Use websites like LinkedIn to help connect with those that might be able to help you land a job in the industry you’ve trained for.
Getting a job isn’t easy at the best of times, but as a recent graduate, you’ve got a lot of competition up against you. It may not happen immediately, and it might not be the position you first imagined, but with these tips you can land yourself a job to help build your future!