My Graduate Scheme Application Story // Life After Uni // The Reality of Finding a Graduate Job
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- čas přidán 27. 07. 2024
- #graduatescheme #job #lifeafteruni
Hi!
I never wanted to apply to 154 jobs. I never intended to apply to 154 jobs. However, the competitiveness and the circumstances of this pandemic has put many recent grads in a position where it is just really hard to find a job, let alone to land your dream graduate scheme. The pressure to find a job is immense. I hope that by sharing my story, you'll see that you're not alone, you are definitely not the only one applying to lots and lots of graduate schemes. The early careers job market is wild out there and the only way to navigate it is by applying which means receiving rejection after rejection. But if I can do it, you can do it too!
This video was recorded in January (20-01-2022). Stay tuned for more Oxford content all the following weeks! Please don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe.
Follow me on insta: steffie228
Watch my application top tips video for graduate schemes:
• Graduate Scheme Applic...
Check out my life after uni video:
• Life After Graduation ...
Don't forget to check out my year overview vid, one year at Oxford:
• A Year at the Universi...
Little bit about myself:
I'm 25 years old and I'm originally from Amsterdam, I currently live in London. At the University of Oxford, I read for the Mst in Modern Languages. I've graduated from the University of Amsterdam where I studied the BA in French Literature and Culture.
Music that I do not own:
Intro and outro music:
Palmtrees by The Brothers Records
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Clouds by Joakim Karud / joakimkarud. .
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I'm American. After 300 jobs I stopped counting. It took over a year and a move across the country to get a job that wasn't even what I wanted. So, if it's been tough for you just know it's tough for others too. We're not all getting hired by Google in our first application
I’m so sorry to hear that, the process is brutal… that’s my point exactly! Lots of people expect grads to immediately get an amazing job after they graduate and it’s just not the case. This line of thought makes the process even more stressful than it already is. It is very unlikely that the first 50 applications work out. The job market for recent grads is super tough and also very random. I really hope that you’ll be able to find a job you enjoy in the right location soon!!
I felt this. I’ve been applying since January. I’m sure I’ve applied to well over 500 jobs at this point. I’m landing interviews but have yet to land the job.
The way you broke into tears of relief when you got the job interview almost made me want to cry too. I currently find myself in your prior position where I am job searching countlessly and getting no luck. I wish one day I get to breakdown in relief like you too, and finally be able to say 'I got a job' because being unemployed is scary.
It’s such a weird process to find a job as a recent grad, especially since we either don’t have any experience working or very little, so it’s comparing and judging a bunch of people who are all very similar. But the good thing is, that by going through the process over and over again you get more and more experience. It’s a painful and frustrating process but eventually you will land a job. I wish you all the good luck out there on landing that job! (Don’t give up and I’m sure you’ll burst into tears of relief as well 😉) You can do it!
@@Steffie228G I just had an interview. And I think I did well in the video call. Next I have a face to face interview and then assessment centre, and then job offer. I’m so scared 😭😂😂😂 I really want this job 😂😂😂
@@playershotzzz2890 congratulations!!! That’s good to hear! Good luck on your next interview, I’m sure you will do great 🍀🍀
Thanks for posting about your experience for applying for graduate schemes. This really shows how tough the process is.
Im from eastern Europe. Fortunately I was able to get a job 1 month before I graduated. I was very surprised they took me, and it turned out to be a very toxic workplace with huge fluctuation. I also had to move for it. I quit after 15 months, and was able to find another job. There they took me because I was the fastest applicant, I literally applied 3 minutes after the offer was posted. :D It was not the position I wanted, I made very little money, but it was an opportunity to learn. My third job was very easy to get, because I have had a fair amount of experience by then. For the first 6 months I had to work as a volunteer, but then they accepted me full time, and now I have a very flexible work schedule, with a great boss and amazing co-workers. And it is what I wanted. I guess what you can take away from this is the first few years you have to go with any opportunity that is offered to you, and trust that later when you gain the experience, you will have it much easier...
Wow! you got the job, congratulations! I can't imagine that you had 154 job rejections, but you didn't give up yet. I'm speechless to say this. you deserve this!
I'm 26 years old, and I graduated Business and Mathematics Joint Honours degree from the University of Hertfordshire in July 2021. I applied for data analyst jobs, but I had 78 job rejections. I gave up on this because I thought I couldn't get any job rejections because of my hearing aids.
Your video is inspired me so much! Now I will never give up on applying for graduate data analysts jobs! Thank you so much for motivating me! It is helpful!
Thank you!! Landing a grad job is hard, extremely hard. I found it to be way more difficult than applying for master’s degrees. I honestly believe that the key to success in landing a grad scheme is to keep on applying. You’ll see that you’ll slowly get further and further in the application process, you find out what works. When this is too time consuming you can always go the direct entry route, which can still be very competitive depending on the company that you are applying for. Anyways, good luck on applying and I’m very happy to hear that I inspired you to keep on applying! You can do it!!
Thank you for your advice and support! I can do it! 💪
Congrats Stephie, I'm very happy for you! It can be brutal out there and it's nice to see the 154 job applications paid off x
Thank you very much! It really was brutal, I’m very happy that it paid off.
This was so helpful thank you, hopefully your job is a nice fit for you
Thank you! 😊
Thanks for sharing! I'm an international student and was quite frustrated with those rejections. It really motivated me. Not many people are willing to share their failures, so thanks again, hope you enjoy your job now!
Thank you! I very much enjoy my job fortunately 😅. Good luck on all of your applications, it’s hard to keep on pushing, but you can do it 💪💪
Your story was so inspiring , Thank you for sharing your journey on CZcams.
Thank you!
those “grad schemes” are called training programs and THIS day and age, it’s hard as hell to get in. Most companies that offer these trainings here in the US, require proper previous experience, a high GPA, and much more. I discovered these during our college career fair and the staff offering positions for these programs had VERRRY strict requirements. In other words you have to be a top student to get in.
Thank you for pointing the differences between the UK and the US, I wasn’t aware that grad schemes are called training programs overseas. The UK has a huge variety of grad schemes available, from very competitive companies in competitive industries to lesser well known companies. While applying I’ve found that indeed it’s the competitive companies in competitive industries (such as banking, law, and consulting) that have very strict requirements, however less known companies and less competitive industries tend to offer a similar grad scheme with less restrictions on the application process. There’s such a wide range of companies that offer grad schemes over here that you really don’t need to be the top student in your class graduating from a top university. Fortunately, lots of companies in the UK are looking for a varied group of grads instead of a duplicate of one specific person. The problem is just that the amount of available grad schemes doesn’t cover the demand, which turns it into a numbers game to increase your chances. It was harder for me to get a place on a grad scheme than to get a place on a master’s degree, which is crazy.
I am so so happy for you!
Aww thank you! I really appreciate it! 😀
Im so happy you mentioned this, i get what you mean about being out of the loop, i went to a purely scientific based university we didnt even have non medical based recruiters at our university fair. I only learnt about grad schemes after university. My school had impression everyone wanted to study medicine /biology so didn't even bother telling us such schemes exist
If it makes you feel any better, Oxford is similar, in the sense that they want to prep their students for a PhD, so grad schemes are not their no. 1 priority either. In addition, where I grew up, grad scheme just aren't as big as they are in the UK, especially as a literature student, they're just not a priority. So, I literally found out about them because my UK flatmates were applying. If not for my flatmates, I would have found out after uni as well.
I once got 2 rejections one at 3:59pm and the other at 4:02 pm. I was like are these people working together? Fortunately, unknown rejection later I got the best graduate I can possibly get. Funny thing is once I got the first offer they just kept rolling in.
It’s such a weird process but so happy to hear that you’ve found your place!! Congrats!
which site were you applying on?
Congratulations. I’m at the application point right now. Any tips? Can I connect with you on LinkedIn?
I watched your video when I was applying for Internship, it really inspired me and pushed me. Now I have an offer
Congratulations on the offer!! That’s amazing news. Wishing you all the best!!
Thank you. I have been in such a bad space about this
You’re welcome! Good luck on your applications!! Don’t give up!
@@Steffie228G 🙏🏿
Thank god I got one by just applying to one company and hearing back in less than 4 weeks!
Oh wow! Thats amazing, good luck on the job!!
You have had an amazing journey, I was wondering if you could share your excel spread sheet template you used to log your job applications would be amazing!!!
I got my MSc recently, December 2022, so far, I'm at *69 applications* I received *29 clear rejections* 😬 (no reasons for these rejections, only we moved forward with other candidates), *34 without answer* and *6 online assessments done* waiting to receive results... To secure a Graduate scheme job is so overwhelming
Thank you for sharing! It certainly is a very overwhelming process, especially the unexplained rejections, they’re terrible as you cannot learn from them. Good luck on all your applications! Don’t give up! You can do it!
Hi Steffie your story really motivated me.
I know these companies look for different attributes but can you help me out with telling me any feedback on how to be successful on assessment centres and what kind of strategy to go with.
Thanks so much your advice will be of huge importance
Hi Ryan! Thank you for your comment. I must say that I have my theories on interviews but assessment centres, I honestly don't know. I have always tried to be the best version of myself. I feel like all these companies look at so many different aspects and it's also a bit subjective as you often encounter different people at different stages of the assessment centre.
Great video
Thank you
Happy to hear you overcame the application process, it's extremely tough. I am currently struggling, I am not sure what to do but I have to keep trying. Which sites did you use for your applications?
Hi! It really is tough. I’ve used Brightnetwork and Targetjobs. Hopefully that helps! Good luck on all of your applications!!
that's wild - is this how it is for most people?!
What were some of the assessment centres like? Could you give examples of what was done?
Hi! Yes ofc! Most of my assessment centers consisted out of the following: an introduction round where all candidates introduce themselves (generally age, where/what they studied), a group activity with about 5 to 12 others, one or two interviews, an individual task (can honestly be anything), and finally an info session on the grad scheme itself. I’ve come across different ones and while they all shared some the things I mentioned above, they’ll all have them in a slightly different way. Generally they do let you know in advance what to expect when you get invited to the assessment Center stage. I’ve never been ‘surprised’ with an interview or something. Hope that helps!
Interesting video, which I watched all the way through, hoping for some actual advice how to get the job offer. Other than being very resilient, you haven't given any tips on getting an offer. Your main point seems to be "don't stress", which is easier said than done for most. Would it be fair to say your degree wasn't a subject many companies were looking for?
If it was a law degree or computer science, do you think it would have been easier?
Hi! Thank you for watching. This video is mainly about how I felt going through the job application process after uni. There’s a separate video up on my channel with advice on how to get on a grad scheme.
I do believe that it is partly a numbers game and partly getting better at interviews thanks to practice as you interview over and over again. Which boils down to not giving up on the applications which can be incredibly frustrating and demotivating. But I really do think that the main thing is to not give up and learn from your unsuccessful applications. Which is really difficult sometimes.
In the year I was applying I had several things that weren’t helping, one being covid and the other being an ongoing Brexit. This meant that lots of companies were hesitant to hire EU citizens as some would require visa sponsorship while others don’t and it was sometimes unclear for companies what the situations was as companies don’t tend to sponsor very junior people. Multiple times I had to stress that I did not require a visa.
Besides that, as an EU person my school marks and info does not fit into the application prompts. For example I didn’t do GCSEs because we don’t have them nor do we have an equivalent back home. So multiple times I had to reach out to companies as I couldn’t submit the application form as filling out gcse marks was a mandatory field. One company went as far as saying that they couldn’t continue with my application if I kept on refusing to share my gcse results. 🤦🏻♀️
The other obvious thing was indeed my degree subject. French isn’t the most logical subject to get on a grad scheme with. However, during the assessment centres, there were multiple other applicants who studied history or English. In my grad scheme cohort I think we’re 50/50 on business related degrees vs other degrees.
Lastly, the other things that impacted me were my lack of experience in applying to jobs as well as my lack of experience of having a job.
Congrats! Did you apply in September to work in September of the next year? What are your plans for the year?
Hi! Thank you! Yes, I applied in September/October 2021 to start September 2022, there were some companies that offered a January or February start as well but in 97% of cases I applied for a start the year after. I’ve now finished my graduate scheme and currently have a full time role with the same company, so still super happy and excited. Hope this answered your question.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I've been on the hunt for over a year now (after graduating with a Master's). Yesterday, I got rejected by the Civil Services - I met all their criteria and they loved me during the interview, but they rejected me because of my immigrant status. Still fuming about that, but this gives me hope. Cheers! ❤
I’m so sorry to hear that. The job market is brutal especially when straight out of uni. Good luck on all of your applications! And take it as a good sign that you got far in the civil service application process as I’ve heard that it’s really hard to get on their scheme.
@@Steffie228G Thank you!
To be fair when i applied to 100 jobs i thought i was slacking behind xD
Omg really 😱 its a crazy process and not enough people talk about it in my opinion. Landing a job with one of the top 100 employers does not happen on the second try (some people act like they did) essentially it comes down to the fact that no one knows the actual number of applications you need to complete to be successful. But good for you for going for it! And 100 is a lot 😅
@@Steffie228G Great video btw. For enyone job seraching i recommend learning some more on the recruitment industries and their practises. I had an interview recently for one and they asked me who i would hire. A motivated person asking for 20k or b person who isisnt that bothered but is asking for 35k. Aparently the correct anwser was person b becouse they will make the recruitment agency a higher commision...xD so for all you out there, aim high, dont stress and keep going.
Do we have chances to work full-time in the company after passing the graduate scheme? What usually happens after graduate scheme? Should we again apply for the full-time role in the company and compete with other candidates?
Hi! Great question! I’m pretty sure that it will depend on the company. From my experience on what was written in the grad scheme job descriptions when applying, most companies offer their grads a full time position after finishing. Which was also the case for me. However, this might be different in other industries/companies etc. Companies generally see their trainees as professionals they invested a lot of time in, so they’re keen to keep their trainees, so from my perspective, that would mean, even if you’re having to reapply, you have a greater chance of for a role than someone from the outside - but that’s my speculation. Hope this helps!
@@Steffie228GSo that would be great. Thank you for your help Steffie
Can you please tell me what do you think On what basis they select candidates after the video interview recording?also, how much time they take to give the result of the recorded video interview ?
Hi! I'm sorry to tell you that it's going to be dependent on the company that is hiring, even companies in the same industry are likely after slightly different answers/things in candidates. I wish I could tell you how all companies select their candidates, but I honestly don't know.
On the timings, again, it's going to depend on the company. I remember some emailing me a standard reply after I completed the one way video interview, which indicated a time line. Generally speaking I want to say that I heard back within a week, however, there have been companies that came back 3 weeks later as, I assume, they release all results to all candidates from the past 3+ weeks on the same date for the next stage.
I hope this helps! Good luck on your applications!!
@@Steffie228G Hello, thank you so much for your reply and all the details. Can you please tell me in detail about the assessment centre interview? What do they ask? How to prepare for it? Also, how to prepare and focus on which part of the presentation? Any more tips or guidance regarding the same? Thank you.
How long after your assessment centre did you hear back about the offer? I’ve been to an AC but it’s been 2 weeks :(
Hi! It varied, some got back to me within 4 days others took longer, I’m pretty sure three weeks was the longest wait I had. In a way - no news is good news. You can always reach out to the company and ask if they have an update for you. Good luck!!
@@Steffie228G Thanks for your reply! Did they give you an offer after 3 weeks, or was it a rejection. Im not sure whether they hand out offers or rejections first. What's the longest time you had to wait for an offer after an AC? Sorry for my anxiety XD.
No need to apologise for your anxiety! It was an offer after 3 weeks. I do have my speculations that if it takes longer you’re on a waitlist. At least that’s how I felt. Like they likely already rejected the people they don’t want and accepted the ones they really want but have the buffer in case someone drops out, as they often have too many capable applicants and not enough spots. Again just want to highlight that is speculation and that I don’t know for sure. Some companies might just take some more time to get back to their applicants. Honestly it’s never bad to reach out for an update. Worst case scenario it shows that you are interested and are keen to hear back. Good luck! Keeping my fingers crossed!!
Considering your major, I am not surprised
Hi, I have applied for an graduate scheme and hr has emailed saying that they should be in a position to extend job offer by yesterday as they are deciding how many graduates they can take on. Could you please advise me whether this is good news or not as I have not heard anything yet?
Hi Ryan! Amazing to hear that you have made it to the final bit of the application process for your graduate scheme! That is a huge accomplishment. In all honesty, I don't know whether they are going to have good or bad news, as all companies organise these things differently. They might have encountered a delay in being able to process so many new hires. I would think that no news is good news but it depends on so many different factors. One company told me the date that they were supposed to release the decisions and it took them two weeks longer because of delays. So honestly don't panic about it, as long as they don't give you any bad news I would just keep the good thoughts going! (And you can always drop HR an email to ask them when they plan on letting candidates know)
@@Steffie228G Thank you for the advice. Hopefully I hear something soon. The worst part of the process is waiting to hear from the company whether you have been successful or not.
@@ryanittoo Hopefully they get back to you soon! 🤞🤞🤞 And I fully agree the wait sometimes is terrible.
Not a nice time to start a career
Why major in French???? Did you really think it would be easy to land a job with that major?
Originally when I started my degree, my goal was to become a French high school teacher. As life continues, plans and goals can change, which happened to me. Fortunately, I ended up in the UK where university is seen more as a place where you learn transferable skills, in comparison to the Netherlands where I’m from and where I started off in uni, allowing me to apply to different graduate schemes. Did it make the job search easier, probably not, but my odds were so much better than back home. It’s a lot more accepted here to have a humanities background and work in a business setting. Believe it or not, I now work in finance and I couldn’t be happier with the choice I made to study a subject I’m passionate about.
Are you paid for graduate scheme?
Yes! They’re like jobs but involve a lot of training 😊
I SAID I WANT A LARGE COFFEE
You learned French to call it a venti
I feel this pain so much rn. I'm about to graduate with a first from a top university and have just received my 60th unexplained rejection. I'm just applying for minimum wage jobs now, hoping I can get anything. Thanks for making this video.
I'm so sorry to hear that you're having a tough time landing a job. Keep on trying for a job that you actually like! There's nothing wrong with working a minimum wage job until you find a job that works out. I've worked one between finding out that I got on a grad scheme (january) to the actual start date (september) and I had a great time. So honestly, it's good to have a distraction while still applying for jobs that you are actually interested in + making some money is always helpful. You'll do great!! Good luck with everything!!
A first in what?