How to find a graduate job
We have put together information on this page to help you take control of the graduate job search process, giving you some top tips, relevant resources, and letting you know about the support available. If you’ve already graduated, remember you can use the Careers Service for three years after you finish and we’re open all year round too. Visit our Graduate pages for further information about how to continue to access our services.
Not sure what you want to do?
Without a plan, the graduate jobs market can be bewildering and job-search a bit hit and miss, so it pays to spend a bit of time thinking about your priorities, strengths, values and career interests. You could start with the “Need help deciding” section of our Help by Subject Pages and try out some quizzes such as Prospects planner or Bright Network Career Path Test. You could come and see us in Careers to explore your options. Use our graduate attributes skills assessment tool to find out more about the skills that graduate employers look for, reflect on your strengths and areas for development, and build your skills profile.
Ready to get started?
Get clued up
How does the graduate jobs market work and what are the recruitment methods for the sectors that interest you? Prospects Getting a Job gives a good overview and features useful info including grad jobs v grad schemes and practical tips on finding a job.
Use AI searches to find out about companies doing the kind of work that interests you – where are they based and where do they advertise their jobs and when? Bright Network’s Guide to using AI in Job-search is worth a quick read. Our Help By Subject Pages have info and resources tailored to your course area. Target Jobs is a helpful site too and gives info about applying to different sectors.
What is a graduate job? What actually is a graduate scheme and how many students get onto them?
What is a graduate job? There is no set definition but it is basically a job that requires a degree, or a skilled job that a graduate is doing. This link gives a great overview: What is a graduate job? | targetjobs
What is a Graduate scheme? Paid, structured training programmes, usually run by larger employers, who take on a certain number of graduates each year to develop them as future leaders of their organisation. Many ask for a 2.1 or above and some may look at your A levels/BTEC grades too.
Note: Organisations who have grad schemes will usually take on additional graduates each year as well on a rolling basis into direct entry jobs where a degree is needed or preferred, and most graduates start work in these graduate jobs rather than on a graduate scheme. E.g. the Civil service runs several high profile grad schemes each year but also recruits a much larger number of graduates into positions via its Civil Service jobsite If you’re interested in working for the Civil Service, it, therefore, makes sense to consider both options – schemes and jobs. The same goes for most businesses that run grad schemes.
The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers gives information about big employers who run schemes. Many large employers use their undergrad vacation schemes and sandwich years as a way to recruit to their grad scheme – look out for these early in your studies if you think you might want to join a particular grad scheme. The Target Jobs UK 300 lists the most popular employers, many of whom run schemes. Also The Job Crowd Top 50 graduate employers to work for is worth a scan. Search for these opportunities on our Careers vacancy portal
Further info: Prospects overview of grad schemes includes information about which sectors/companies run grad schemes, how to apply and more about what they involve.
Timings and deadlines: companies often recruit for grad schemes almost a year ahead – e.g. start looking out for these opportunities at the beginning of final year if you want to start straight after you graduate. Graduate jobs recruitment times are less rigid and will depend on when need arises. Schemes have set deadlines (some as early as middle of the first term) whereas graduate jobs can appear at any time of year. Deadlines for schemes will vary and you’ll need to actively research these and be alert to closure dates. Use Bright Network’s Grad Scheme deadlines info to help.
Note: It is estimated that nationally only around 11% of the graduate population actually start their career via a grad scheme each year. (This may seem surprising, but the vast majority of grads from all unis start in a graduate job rather than a scheme, either in a large company, small business or the public sector.)
Pros and cons of grad schemes:
Pros: they are excellent opportunities to develop leadership skills and gain experience in different areas of a business. They are great if you want to fast-track your career. They are particularly useful if you are mainly interested in working for larger employers. They do cover a range of sectors, from teaching and social work to finance and engineering.
Cons: You need to devote a lot of time to the applications and their many stages. They are highly competitive. So, do apply for any grad schemes that appeal to you! But, don’t ONLY apply for grad schemes!
Find relevant job websites
Most employers who take on graduates will list their vacancies on their own websites – under headings such as “Careers with us/Work with us” etc. They will use social media too, such as Linkedin to advertise vacancies. Make sure you’re following any employers that you’re interested in so that you don’t miss anything.
Use our Help by Subject Pages to find vacancy sites particularly relevant to your course. If you have a specific job in mind, check if there is a Prospects job profile for it, – this will list relevant, sector specific jobsites. For example, if you’re looking for sustainability jobs, you’d be checking sites such as www.greenjobs.co.uk, if you’re looking for STEM roles, you should be bookmarking sites such as www.gradcracker.com
Some graduate vacancy sites:
Our EHU Careers vacancy portal – has national and local opportunities
Graduate Careers For Bright Minds | Bright Network
Handshake | Your career starts here | Handshake
But, don’t use these grad sites alone – these are national websites that list the vacancies with the most competition. Find the specialist sites for your industry and look out for smaller, niche job boards for your area of interest – use Chat GPT/Gemini/Microsoft co-pilot to identify
Also, use general sites like Indeed (UK’s biggest jobsite in terms of numbers of vacancies) and Total Jobs for searching too.
Local job information and relevant vacancy sites
Outside of London and the South East, the North West of England has the most diverse graduate labour market and many Edge Hill students want to stay in the area when they graduate. Locally, Manchester has the largest labour market for graduates – in fact, it’s third in the UK after London and Birmingham. Liverpool also holds it own – having the ninth biggest labour market in the country. Preston is also in the top twenty and has one of the fastest growing markets in the UK. Warrington and Wigan also have significant labour markets. So, if you want to stay in the region and are prepared to travel, you should find opportunities to apply for. Industries such as life sciences, media, digital, technology, sustainable energy and finance are big presences in the North West. For example, In the Northern Powerhouse area, there are over 1,000 life science and healthcare companies. The region is also home to the North West Regional Defence & Security Cluster This link gives info about businesses on the up The North West Fastest 50 Companies . This list is also very useful if you’re looking for businesses to target in our region: North West Top 500 companies (you need to register for a free basic account to see the full list).
The public sector, is also a big employer of Edge Hill graduates in the region. See this Prospects article explaining what that actually is and the types of employers that this includes, such as local government, education, health, social services, the Civil Service.
Vacancy sites
All of the job sites suggested in the “Where are Graduate vacancies advertised?” section above can be filtered by region to target your search.
Below are some additional local sites that feature jobs that may be suitable for graduates:
Vacancy site run by the Dept for Work & Pensions -listing graduate jobs in the North West
Civil Service Jobs – The Civil Service (central government departments) have quite a significant presence in the North West, e.g. HM Revenues and Customs, Ministry of Justice, GCHQ,
Local government sites – where you’ll find education, social services, council roles. Each local council will have its own vacancy site – use this postcode checker to find yours. In Greater Manchester the 10 Greater Manchester local authorities (which includes Wigan) advertise their vacancies here: Greater Jobs Liverpool has Liverpool City Region Jobs too
NHS Jobs – is a major employer in the North West and carries business, admin, support work roles, as well as the obvious healthcare positions.
Universities have a wide range of non-academic roles, and are big employers of graduates and there are a lot of unis in the North West. Check the webpages for any that interest you regularly and this central site too University Jobs
Liverpool Jobs – carries a varied range of positions in the area
Manchester digital – features local jobs in tech companies
Websites to help
The Prospects website has useful information about working in a large number of countries. This includes info about skills shortages in different countries, visas and where to look for jobs.
Target Jobs has a useful advice resource for graduates for those thinking about trying to get work in the EU – Working in Europe
Graduate Jobs | Overseas | International | Careers | GradlinkUK – is a useful resource for international students.
Linkedin is a global platform and can be a useful research resource if you are looking to work overseas – can you find Edge Hill alumni already working where you want to be?
How they work, where to find them
Recruitment agencies work for employers to find candidates for permanent roles, or to fill temporary vacancies. Temporary placements through an agency can be a great way to build up your experience when you are first starting out on your career. Agencies are paid by the employer, and are often looking for candidates with some relevant skills/experience and/or potential. Have a look at this short Prospects article explaining more about recruitment agencies, how they work and where to find ones that will be most relevant to you. Some agencies such as Reed, Ranstad and Hays have offices all over the UK and cover many industries and sectors, others are small specialists. You can find agencies in your area naturally by seeing them pop up advertising jobs on vacancy sites – REC has lists of reputable agencies too.
Does it matter?
Lists
How to assess if it’s worth applying
Look beyond the job title!
Have a careful read through any information you’ve got about the job – the advert, the job description and especially the “person specification” if there is one. The person spec is the document setting out, in detail, what they are looking for from you. This will often state certain essential qualifications/skills/experience you must have and any desirable ones too. Desirable means “nice if you’ve got it”.
Sometimes, even if there is no person spec, an ad will say, “The skills and knowledge we are looking for are…… “ or “Who you will be…..” or “What you’ll need to have”…… This is basically them telling you what they want in an ideal applicant. If you think you have all the “essentials” and you like the sound of the job, go for it! If not, how many are you missing? Is it something crucial such as a certain qualification/piece of experience, or something minor such as a knowledge of a particular bit of legislation (that you could get up to speed on anyway)? There’s nothing to stop you applying even if you’re short of a couple of point, as long as you’re prepared to take the time to do it, or you could get in touch with the employer via any phone/email contact given to start a discussion/double-check if it’s worth it.
Remember, lots of jobs say “open to any degree discipline” – i.e. they want a graduate but are happy to consider degrees in any subject. Some may ask for a 2.1 or above, others will consider you with a 2.2
What are employers looking for?
You definitely can a job without any relevant experience! Graduate employers are interested in your potential, and shouldn’t be looking for years of experience. Graduate employers will also be interested in examples from other areas of your life to assess you as a candidate. For example: volunteering, societies, part-time jobs, sports teams involvement, hobbies/passions, any positions of responsibility, leadership, teamwork projects you’ve taken part in. For “people-centred” jobs such as social care roles volunteer experience with relevant service users can be just as useful as paid. Read more here: How to find a job with no experience
That said, any relevant experience is helpful to show understanding/knowledge of a sector and motivation towards it, and is a real asset. Any relevant experience you can get will be an advantage. Have a look at our Jobs, Placements and Volunteering pages for more info.
Have a look at the How can I stand out to employers section? (below) for other ideas to boost your CV and applications.
Finding a job if you have a disability
Having a disability can naturally raise extra questions when you are looking for a graduate job. Have a look at our Careers EDI pages to find out more about how we can help support you with navigating this journey.
You might also want to have a look at this informative Target Jobs article which covers questions around how to disclose a disability during the application process, reasonable adjustments and finding disability-friendly employers.
Supporting Disabled Students & Graduates | My Plus Students’ Club – features job advice and employer contacts.
Organisations such as Leonard Cheshire run supportive internships for graduates with a disability.
How can I proactively find opportunities?
The “hidden” jobs market
Only applying for advertised vacancies can be quite limiting – anything that gets as far as an advert is going to have strong competition, and it can be frustrating waiting on replies. Some industries hardly need to advertise entry positions and you may find few suitable vacancies online.
If you know what you want to do, being proactive, building your contacts and networking can help you tap into the “hidden jobs market” and significantly increase your chances of finding a position. Organisations are often very impressed with students and graduates who approach them directly and show initiative in the job hunting process. Social media can be really helpful in finding out about opportunities and events.
Optimise your Linkedin profile, find opportunities, research Edge Hill alumni
Linkedin is your secret weapon in a proactive jobsearch! It is social media but for your future professional life and career journey – in the UK alone there are over 44 million users. Recruiters spend most of their day trawling Linkedin for suitable candidates, so the first thing to do is make sure that your Linkedin profile is really well written and doing a good job of reflecting your key selling points.
This short guide produced by Linkedin talks you through tips on completing your profile, how to build your network and make the most of the job-searches. You could also have a look at our Making the Most of Linkedin EHU Careers pages for more tips and resources.
Use the Edge Hill Linkedin alumni pages for inspiration and to see where graduates from your course have gone on to work, and send link up messages to start building up your network.
Whilst you are a student at Edge Hill you have access to an additional service which the uni pays for – Linkedin Learning. This link explains how to set up your free Linkedin Learning account. Linkedin learning gives you access to thousands of free online courses, you can gain certificates and certifications to boost your CV and Linkedin profile and demonstrate that you are a lifelong learner.
Once you have registered for a Linkedin Learrning account you could have a look at the EHU Careers employability playlist which features videos and short courses on topics such as using AI to jobsearch, tackling interviews and taking care of your mental health when in work.
Watch this short Linkedin Learning course: Rock your Linkedin Profile
Networking: Find out about opportunities to meet employers – online and in person
Get involved in any activities that involve meeting employers. This will help you to build you knowledge of your sector, and gives you the chance to have valuable conversations with those already doing jobs that might interest you. You could gain a mentor, work experience, a job, or just get advice! Meeting employers gives you the opportunity to make a great impression and start to build your network. Never underestimate the advantage of knowing the right people! If you meet employers at events, make sure you ask if you can join up with them on Linkedin to keep the contact going.
Check our Edge Hill Careers Events page to find out about upcoming departmental fairs, employers visiting campus and online opportunities. Check your dept blackboard pages regularly for info about events and visiting speakers coming in to your course.
If you know what you want to do, research industry events, and trade fairs that allow students to attend. For example, Manchester Digital regularly run events. If you are a Thrive eligible student the Thrive Fund can sometimes help with expenses.
Eventbrite business section lists all kinds of free events, including general regional jobs fairs
Prospects guide to virtual networking talks about opportunities to create a network online
To get more info about ways to expand your contacts have a look at Get networking tips for graduates from Bright Network
Applying to companies that aren’t advertising a vacancy – being proactive
Some competitive industries never need to advertise vacancies, especially entry level ones, e.g. media/entertainment companies; they rely on receiving CV’s sent proactively or by being approached informally. Many graduates get their first break in the work that they really want by actively contacting companies that they want to work for, without waiting to see an advert.
Small and medium enterprises, who often have more flexible hiring policies, rather than larger employers with their set online processes, can be particularly receptive to this approach. They may keep your CV on file for when a vacancy arises, or even create a position for a keen graduate who has used their initiative and has skills to offer (this does happen!)
Have a look at the Prospects guide to applying speculatively which covers how to go about identifying employers to contact and practical tips for how to tailor a cover letter and CV. Use Linkedin to find the right person in a company to send your email to.
Have a look at the resources we have available to help you
Our Edge Hill Entrepreneurs Careers webpages will give you an overview of the support available to you and an intro to relevant resources and events too.
How can I stand out to employers?
Boost your CV
Activities demonstrating your motivation for your chosen career area can really help. There are lots of free online course and experience platforms that can elevate your CV. Use the suggestions below to consider how you can add to yours. Also look at our Developing your Skills and Experience pages for more ideas.
In a competitive job market, it’s important to submit enough applications, and to make sure that they are top quality – targeted, relevant and well written. See our Making Applications pages for info.
Get immediate CV feedback from our Careerset program, then get your CV/application forms checked by an adviser – upload them to our Ask a Question e-guidance service. Practise your interview technique with a mock interview appointment. On the Careers portal appointments section select the Mock interview with a Careers adviser option (available to recent graduates too).
Explore the range of free courses you can access to demonstrate motivation, gain skills and increase knowledge
Boost your CV and applications by taking free online courses. Increase your knowledge of a career area, show your genuine motivation for an industry, or a particular employer, or boost your skills. (You’re also showing that you’re a life long learner, and are committed to your ongoing professional development). Read Target Jobs Guide to Advancing your Career with Online Courses
Whilst you are a student at Edge Hill you have access to a great resource which the uni pays for – Linkedin Learning. This link explains how to set up your free Linkedin Learning account. Linkedin learning gives you access to thousands of free online courses, you can gain certificates and certifications to boost your CV and Linkedin profile. (As a graduate you no longer have access to the free Linkedin Learning platform, and would need to pay for access to it).
Other course platforms that you could look at whilst you’re a student or as a graduate include:
The National Careers Service Toolkit – features courses related to professional development, coding, digital design, and lots more.
Alison: Empower Yourself – free courses across a range of sectors.
Future Learn and Coursera – flexible online courses from universities, academics and industry experts. Open Learn – nearly 1000 free, virtual courses from the Open University across 8 subject areas.
Google Digital Garage – courses in digital marketing, communications and data
GradSims short course/pathways – students can learn about specific sectors, roles and employers, get career insights from graduates, carry out real-life tasks, and explore upcoming job opportunities
Find out about different career areas, and specific companies and demonstrate your interest
Have a look at the career simulations on virtual work experience platform Forage You can explore general career areas of interest, or experience “a day in a life” at particular companies in a variety of different roles.
Springpod also offers online experiences – allowing you to search by subject, or job sector and gain certificates to evidence your hours.
These kind of activities help you to find out what you might enjoy, and also show keenness. You could add them to your CV under a heading such as Additional Work Experience undertaken or Virtual Work Experience.
Graduates First program – Learn what tests to expect and improve your scores
Graduate employers often use psychometric testing as part of their recruitment process – there’s evidence to show that you can improve your results through information and practice. Make use of Edge Hill’s Graduate First test package free to students and graduates to hep your scores. Graduates email [email protected] to request access.
The “My Learning” section of the platform also has lots of short videos with tips on a huge variety of topics, such as good answers to tricky interview questions.
Latest Graduate Jobs
Graduate jobs