I had the best time at university – made lots of friends, met so many new people, had once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I had so much hope and optimism for how my life would be after. But I graduated this time last year, and every month that goes by that I still can’t get a job, I lose more and more hope.
I’ve applied to over 50 jobs since I graduated, reached out to university lecturers, and even applied to agencies, yet I still haven’t managed to even get an interview. I’ve started to apply for jobs in coffee shops or restaurants now that don’t require any experience, but I’m still not being considered for an interview.
When I was applying to university, my dad called my degree a “Mickey Mouse” degree and now I’m starting to think that I messed up when choosing my career path. I feel so ashamed. I don’t know what to do next, please help.
__
Suki Sandhu OBE, founder and CEO of global network and consultancy, INvolve, and global executive search firm Audeliss says:
The first thing is, don’t ever let anyone make you feel like your university experience wasn’t worth it or that you chose poorly. Yes, your degree might be the end goal, but it’s also a crucial and formative time in your life for developing those essential “soft” skills that employers say so many applicants are lacking in: building relationships, communicating with your peers, living and working independently, networking, gaining confidence, nurturing hobbies.
I hated my own economics degree so much that I nearly failed my first year, so I would urge anyone thinking of going to university to do what you did: study a subject that you love. This way you’re actually motivated to immerse yourself in the work. I’ve met people that studied philosophy who are now accountants or investment bankers. It really doesn’t matter.
It’s definitely a tougher market for Gen Z applicants – you’re not imagining it. The reality is that the graduate intake has been reduced for a lot of companies. KPMG has slashed it by almost 33 per cent, Deloitte has reduced it by about 18 per cent, and since 2019, major tech companies have reduced their graduate intake by 50 per cent. There are fewer jobs so it’s a lot more competitive; there’s also an offshoring of talent, and AI is also impacting graduate positions.
I completely understand that it can be disheartening or demotivating to receive so much rejection. But rather than applying for the sake of applying, I would focus on broadening your skills or qualifications to make yourself a standout candidate, or explore other avenues where you might find your way in.
The traditional job application route currently isn’t working. So start by asking yourself, what are you passionate about? Animals? LGBTQ+? Human rights? Children? Reach out to charities that appeal to you, tell them you’re fascinated by the work the company does and ask if you can volunteer for them.
Volunteering gives you exposure to work experience, and to contacts who might set you on the right path or introduce you to someone else. Even if it might not be exactly what you want to do, it looks great on your CV, helps you develop key skills, and introduces you to an office environment. When you’re there, introduce yourself to everyone and make yourself indispensable. You might start as a part-time volunteer but it might develop into a paid full-time role.
Networking is so critical, even at Gen Z graduate level. It’s all about who you know. You need to make sure you’re leveraging your network, so set up a free LinkedIn account and then start researching organisations you’re interested in and connect with individuals whose career trajectories you find impressive.
Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone. Find the relevant contacts, write yourself a little script, be brave and call them. Ask for internships, volunteering work, an opportunity to shadow someone senior. In one five-minute call, you’re setting yourself apart from hundreds of people who won’t have the guts to do this, and you’re no longer just an email in their overflowing inbox.
ChatGPT is a fantastic tool – if you learn how to use it. It can cover the basic stuff: researching what type of roles you want to do or might be suited for, or you can ask what charities are in your region and who the best contacts may be. But also you can put yourself leagues ahead of other applicants by learning how to harness it by gaining certifications or training in it.
So many companies are still at early phases of trying to understand or best implement AI. You currently have all this free time while you’re applying, so make yourself more desirable by searching for free online courses and doing them in your spare time.
It might sound outlandish, but I would recommend trying to go directly to the CEO of the company you want to work for. Whether it’s a big or small company, people love someone who is proactive, engaged and passionate. One of our heads of delivery reached out to me seven years ago and said, “I love your company. I’ve got two daughters and I’m a big advocate for gender. I would love to come and work for Audeliss.” I looped in the right people who organised a meeting with him, and the rest is history.
Obviously the message needs to be very tailored and punchy, but you can use ChatGPT to help you with that, and then personalise it. Definitely do research on the CEO and include any common ground in the email (i.e. that you went to the same university) so you can try and build rapport.
I informally coach people and will have a call with them once a month and connect them to career-advancing contacts. Reach out to people you admire on LinkedIn and ask them to be your mentor and sponsor. Mentoring is showing someone the door, and sponsorship is opening doors and advocating for them.
Sign up to mentoring programmes, and have a look at HR or business conferences happening in your nearest city that aren’t too expensive – many of them will also have discounts for students. Print some business cards with your name, email address and number, take your CV with you, and go and network.
It can be draining to send application after application, so structure your day by time slots. In the morning, spend an hour on your emails, then check the job boards, do some applications, then spend time looking for online courses, free talks, conferences, or doing your AI training course.
If you feel like you’re hitting a wall, go for a walk, to the gym, or go and see friends for a coffee. Job-hunting can be a really isolating experience and on social media it’s easy to feel like everyone’s ahead of you, so join networks with fellow graduates who are also struggling so you can all share your experiences. Then, if someone does get a job, they can share how they did it, and there might even be another job there for you.
Remember, it’s a numbers game. Maybe you don’t get anywhere with your first 50 applications; but the next 50, you might get two interviews. Don’t lose heart.
