Finding graduate jobs
Graduate jobs are typically those where a degree is required. The best known types of graduate job are graduate programmes or schemes, however in reality most graduates are employed directly by employers into vacancies advertised individually.
Types of graduate job
Graduate schemes
Graduate schemes may have other titles including graduate training programmes, fast track schemes, and graduate leadership development schemes. They
- are usually offered by large employers who take on a cohort of graduates every year
- may involve rotating around different areas of a business or organisation during the scheme
- often start to recruit a year in advance, opening up for applications from the summer onwards, and closing by Christmas or even earlier
- involve a number of stages to the recruitment process, often including video interviews, online psychometric tests and assessment centres
You should start looking early if you are interested in this kind of opportunity. Some employers don't have a closing date but will stop recruiting as soon as the positions are filled, while others recruit throughout the year. Most graduate schemes are open to graduates for a couple of years after graduation.
Direct-entry jobs
Most graduates go into direct-entry jobs. Direct-entry jobs for graduates
- may be with large, medium and small organisations
- appear across all job sectors
- are advertised throughout the year, so you should aim to start looking for vacancies three or four months ahead of your preferred start date
- may not have the word “Graduate” in the title, although they will be suitable for new graduates. You should read any job requirements carefully to make sure you have the right level of qualifications, skills and experience
Graduate internships
A graduate internship is a fixed-term period of work, usually lasting between 6 months to a year, offering the chance to gain experience in a role. An internship may lead to the offer of a permanent role with the employer.
Where to look for jobs
The Careers & Employability Service's Career Connect lists hundreds of vacancies, so that's a good place to start. Update your profile to receive email job alerts for your chosen career.
Other sites include:
- Graduate job sites such as Prospects, Targetjobs, Bright Network and Gradcracker.
- Job sites that specialise in particular careers - use Prospects: Job profiles or Targetjobs: Job descriptions to find specialist job sites and recruitment agencies for the career you are interested in.
- Individual organisation websites.
- Social media, in particular LinkedIn.
- Recruitment agencies.
An alternative way to secure a graduate job can be through networking and making speculative applications, and for some sectors such as the creative and charity sectors this can be a key way to secure work. See our advice on Networking and speculative applications to find out how to make approaches to organisations.
If you're looking for work in a particular place, filter your searches by location
For jobs in
- the Yorkshire region; see Working in Sheffield, Working for an SME and Yorkshire Graduates.
- For other countries; look at the GoinGlobal resource for links to country-specific jobs boards.
Alternatives to a graduate job
Finding a graduate job straight after graduation may not be for everyone. You may be considering further study. Taking a break and going travelling might appeal, or you may wish to take a part-time job while building experience or particular skills, possibly through volunteering. There is no right or wrong choice, it’s about taking the route that best suits you and your circumstances.