If you’ve recently finished university and are looking for work, this post is for you.
We know this can be a difficult and uncertain time, especially in the current labour market. If you’re finding the transition from study to full-time work really tough, you’re not alone.
Below are some practical tips and sources of support to help you navigate the process as a recent graduate:
1. Try your university careers service (if you haven’t already)
University careers services can be a great source of support, but are often underused by graduates. Most universities provide at least 12 months of support after graduation - and many offer far more - but many graduates are unaware they can still access help.
Common services include:
- 1:1 guidance appointments
- CV, cover letter and application feedback
- Mock interviews and assessment-centre preparation
- Specialist advice for graduates with disabilities, neurodiversity, and mental-health difficulties
- Support for international graduates
- Exclusive internships, schemes, and employer links
- Entrepreneurship support, including help setting up a business or freelancing
How long does support last?
This varies by university. For example:
- London School of Economics (LSE) Careers Service - as of November 2025, offer full access to most services for up to two years post-graduation and various services beyond that including an alumni scheme and two alumni discussion appointments for those who graduated more than five years ago.
- Sheffield Hallam University Careers and Employability Service - offer free access for life, including evening appointments, Graduate Futures coaching, workshops and a career bootcamp for recent graduates.
Despite the wealth of support available, many graduates don’t use these services - often because they assume the careers service is for current students only, are unclear about the services on offer and how to access them, or worry the service won’t understand their needs.
How to access your careers service
Each university has its own process, but you usually will need to do one of the following:
- Registering on the careers platform (e.g. CareerHub, Handshake or another system)
- Logging into the careers platform using your own student details or creating a new graduate/alumni account
- In some cases you need to complete an online form to register with the Careers Service
If you’re unsure it’s worth contacting the service directly to check how things work.
2. Other sources of support to consider:
Beyond university services, there are several other organisations you could try
- The King’s Trust – offering employability programmes, mentoring, and training
- Graduate Mentor - mentoring to help graduates transition into the workplace and connect with employers
- 10000internsfoundation - offer diversity internship schemes: 10,000 Black Interns and 10,000 Able Interns.
- Morrisby - our Morrisby pass enables you to complete assessments and receive personalised career suggestions - useful if you’re unsure exactly which career area you want to go into. You can also book a 60-minute careers interview with one of our careers advisers.
3. Top tips from Amy - a recent graduate
Amy, who graduated in summer 2025, shares her experience of finding work in a challenging job market.
“I studied BSc Geography at a Russell Group university. I chose not to apply for graduate roles during my final year so I could focus fully on my academics. After graduating in July 2025, I spent the summer travelling and began my job search as soon as I returned home in September. I was nervous about starting to apply for jobs, as I have heard from friends first-hand how tough it has been for them, and certainly the initial browsing of open positions was overwhelming.”
Tip 1: Use graduate sites, not just general job search boards
Amy explains how she used graduate sites to find vacancies:
“I knew I wanted to pursue a career in sustainability or the environment, so I used those themes to guide my search. I started with graduate job sites such as Gradcracker and Bright Network, which mostly advertise graduate schemes. These graduate schemes offer fantastic training opportunities but can be extremely competitive. I quickly found LinkedIn useful too, because it includes a wider range of graduate-level roles beyond schemes.”
Other graduate sites include: Gradcracker, TargetJobs and Student Ladder. You can also find sites covering specific sectors of work by looking at the lists within the Job profiles on Prospects.
Tip 2: Be prepared to spend time on each application:
It can be tempting to quickly submit lots of quick applications, for example using LinkedIn’s “easy apply”. However, carefully reading instructions and tailoring each application significantly increases your chances of progressing to the next stage.
“I had seen online discussions about how tough the graduate market is, but the level of time and effort required for each application still surprised me. Every role requires something slightly different: tailored CVs, cover letters, answers to application questions, or even psychometric tests before you can submit a CV. Later stages often involve pre-recorded interviews, group assessment centres, and in-person interviews.”
Tip 3: Use AI carefully
Employers want to understand you as a person. AI can be useful for tasks such as brainstorming ideas or reviewing applications, but copying AI-generated content directly into applications can harm your chances with employers.
“It can be tempting to rely on AI when applying for jobs, and many employers expect candidates to use it to some extent. However, it is important to ensure your own voice comes through and that everything is accurate and personal. I used AI mainly to help generate ideas for my cover letters and to tailor my CV, while still writing most content myself. In fact, one recruiter told me that a key reason they invited me to interview was that my application didn’t feel AI-generated, which helped it stand out from many others.”
For more in-depth advice on using AI to help in your job search, have a look at this article from Bright Network
Tip 4: Expect rejection - and don’t take it personally
Unfortunately, rejection - or receiving no response at all - is experienced by most people looking for work - particularly graduates. Repeated rejections can be difficult to cope with and can start to chip away at your confidence and gradually undermine your self-esteem and mental well-being. Not taking rejection personally is often easier said than done, in reality.
Young Minds have some good advice on ways to cope with rejection and move forward when you’re looking for work. If you recently graduated, your university's careers service can also be a useful source of support - helping you recognise that you’re not alone in this experience, reminding you of your strengths, and offering reassurance and practical guidance.
Amy describes her own experience:
“I dedicated full days to job applications that matched what I was looking for in terms of job content, location and salary. Some applications took hours just to complete the first stage, and many weeks passed before I heard anything back. Receiving rejections, or worse, no response at all, can be discouraging, and I experienced being “ghosted” even after attending interviews. I learned not to take it personally and always followed up one to two weeks after an interview if I hadn’t heard anything.”
Tip 5: Thoroughly prepare for interviews in advance:
Preparation can boost your confidence and help you perform better on the day. Many universities offer mock interviews for recent graduates. You can send the job vacancy details in advance and then practice answering the questions based on the job you’re being interviewed for and receive tailored feedback.
“For interviews, preparation made a huge difference: researching the company, practising common questions, and using the STAR technique to structure examples of teamwork, leadership and problem-solving. I would often hand-write quick answers to these questions and ensure I was familiar with them all before the interview started. Additionally, mock interviews can be very valuable.”
For more interview advice, see Prospects Interview Tips.
Tip 6: Don’t give up
“After several months of persistence, I’m proud to say I’ve been offered a role in sustainability, a position that I found through LinkedIn. The job hunt was challenging, but it taught me to tailor every application, prepare thoroughly for interviews, and stay resilient even when progress felt slow. Through the process, I’ve gained confidence and a much clearer sense of the career path I want to pursue. It took time and persistence, but it was worth it, and I’m excited for what comes next.”
Good luck - if you would like to find out more about how Morrisby could help and support you, please visit https://www.morrisby.com/individuals. If you already have a Morrisby Profile account, you can get in touch with us via email if you have any questions.
