Where to look for graduate jobs
Learn the difference between a graduate scheme and a graduate job, and where to find them.
Before we talk about where to look for graduate jobs, let’s clarify what we mean by that.
How do graduate schemes and graduate jobs differ?
Graduate schemes with large companies attract lots of applications. They can be a great start to a career – but they’re much more common in some sectors than others, and they’re not the only route to success.
In a grad scheme you're likely to be:
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working for a large employer
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following a structured training programme; possibly rotating between different departments and locations
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working towards a professional qualification
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working on a fixed-term contract ranging from one to three years. Securing a spot on a graduate scheme doesn’t actually guarantee a job at the end; it’s best to check with the recruiter to gain a fuller picture of your prospects afterwards.
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starting on a higher salary than many other graduate jobs offer
In a graduate job you’re likely to be:
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working for a smaller employer in any of a wide range of industries, probably in a small or medium-sized enterprise (SMEs). Check out our advice on working for SMEs:
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learning on the job as there may not be a formal training programme
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working on an open-ended contract basis – so you can find out what’s a good fit for you without committing yourself to the length of a graduate scheme.
Timing
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For graduate schemes the recruitment process can start as much as a year in advance of the job’s start date.
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For graduate jobs the recruitment process tends to start later and have fewer stages.
Understand the recruitment process
Where to find graduate schemes and graduate jobs:
- MyCareerHub – use the opportunity type function to filter results by ‘graduate – immediate start’ or ‘graduate – future start’.
- employer presentations and careers fairs, where you’ll hear first-hand about opportunities and gain insights beyond what’s on an employer’s website. When preparing an application, you can mention contacts you’ve met:
There are many examples of each of the following categories of places to look for jobs,, all easy to find online. Here we suggest just a couple of each to give you a starting point.
- Graduate recruitment websites – many sites focus on advertising graduate schemes and there’s a lot of overlap between them. Prospects, TargetJobs and Gradcracker are well-established examples:
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Graduate job matching apps – relatively new, these include TalentPool which focuses on start-ups and smaller companies: and Debut.
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General recruitment websites – these advertise jobs for all levels of qualification and experience. Examples include S1jobs.com (Scotland) and Indeed.
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Specialist job sites for specific sectors – covering all levels of qualification and experience, Examples are Goodmoves (charity and voluntary sector) and New Scientist Jobs
Making speculative applications – create your own opportunity