padgrad is a free career platform for graduates. It matches jobs to your degree, generates AI-powered CV checks and cover letters, and sends daily personalised job digests matched to your field of study.

Yes. You get 10 free credits on sign-up to use on AI CV checks and cover letters. All other tools — job matching, budgeting, application tracking, rejection logging — are free with no credit card required.

How does the AI CV Checker work?

Upload your CV and paste a job description. The AI analyses your CV against the role requirements, gives you an ATS compatibility score out of 100, and tells you exactly what keywords and formatting changes to make — helping you pass automated screening systems used by graduate recruiters.

How many jobs should I apply for as a graduate?

Graduates typically need to send between 20 and 50 applications to land a role, with top graduate schemes receiving an average of 58 applications per vacancy. Focus on quality over quantity — tailor each CV and cover letter to the role rather than spamming the same application everywhere.

How long does it take to get a graduate job?

Most graduates take between 3 and 6 months to land their first graduate role, though it varies by sector. Consulting, tech, and investment banking tend to have faster hiring cycles. Larger graduate schemes can take 4-6 months from application to offer.

What is the average graduate salary for 2026?

Graduate salaries vary widely by country, sector and region. Investment banking, law and tech tend to pay the highest, while public sector and charity roles typically start lower. Salaries in major cities usually sit above the national average — check local salary guides for figures relevant to your market.

How do I write a graduate CV with no work experience?

Focus on transferable skills from your degree — research projects, group assignments, presentations, and coursework. Include volunteering, society memberships, part-time jobs, and any placements or internships. Use Padgrad's CV Builder to structure your CV for ATS systems, then run it through the AI CV Checker to see how it scores.

How are jobs matched to my degree on padgrad?

We scrape thousands of graduate jobs daily and match them to over 300 specific degree fields. Whether you studied Biology, Law, Engineering, Psychology, or History — we only show you roles that fit your subject area and send them straight to your daily digest.

Do graduate schemes pay well?

Graduate schemes typically pay a competitive starting salary, with some industries paying significantly more. Law firms and investment banks often pay the most. Most schemes also offer benefits like bonuses, pension contributions, and professional qualification sponsorship — check each employer's offer for the specifics.

How many applications does it take to get a graduate job?

Research shows top employers receive an average of 58 applications per graduate vacancy. Most successful graduates send 20-40 tailored applications before receiving an offer. Track every application using Padgrad's Application Tracker to spot which types of roles you progress furthest in.

Can I apply for graduate jobs before I graduate?

Yes — most large graduate schemes open applications 6-12 months before the role starts, so you should apply in your final year. Smaller companies and direct-entry roles tend to hire closer to the start date. Padgrad's daily job digest includes both graduate schemes and entry-level roles you can apply for straight away.

What should a graduate CV include?

A strong graduate CV should include: your degree with predicted or achieved grade, relevant modules and dissertation topic, transferable skills (research, teamwork, communication), part-time work or volunteering, technical skills and software proficiency, and a personal profile. Most recruiters spend under 10 seconds scanning a CV — use Padgrad's AI CV Checker to make sure yours passes the six-second test.

Thinking about a career change after graduation? Learn how to test a new field, move your skills across and explain the switch to employers. Start here.

Career Change After Graduation: How to Switch Fields

TL;DR

A career change after graduation is a normal move, not a failure.
Start with skills you already have, then test the new field in small steps.
Give employers a short, calm story about why you switched.
Plan for a few months of steady work before you judge the result.

Why So Many Graduates Switch Fields

You pick a subject at eighteen. You learn a lot about one thing. Then you meet the real jobs, and some of them are not what you pictured.

That is not a mistake. A degree teaches you how to think and how to finish hard work. It rarely tells you what a Tuesday in an office feels like.

So you start again, a little wiser. A career change after graduation is easier than a change at forty. You have few ties, little pay to give up, and room to move.

Career Change After Graduation: Signs It Is Time

Read this list. If two or three lines sound like your week, it is worth a proper look.

You watch the clock all day.
You envy a friend in a different field.
You like the people but not the work.
You keep reading about one other job, over and over.
Your best days are the ones spent on a side task.
You feel flat on Sunday night and it never lifts.

One bad month is not a sign. A pattern is.

Start With What You Already Have

Most people think a change means going back to the start. It does not. You carry a set of skills with you, and every firm needs them.

Write down what you do well. Be plain. I write clear notes. I keep a budget steady. I calm an angry customer. I learn new tools fast.

Then look at the new field and ask one question. Which of these does it need? Our guide to the skills gap graduates face shows how to close the rest.

Test the New Field Before You Commit

Do not quit on a feeling. Test it first. A test costs a weekend, not a year.

Offer two days of free help to a small firm in the new field.
Join a group or a club that does the work you want.
Finish a short course and build one small piece of work.
Ask three people in the field what their worst day looks like.

Then check your notes. If the boring parts still hold your interest, that is a good sign.

If you want to plan this well, our guide to setting career goals walks you through the first steps.

Retrain Without Starting Again

You do not always need a second degree. In many fields a short course, a certificate, or a small body of work is enough to win a first interview.

A master's can help. It can also add debt and delay. Weigh the cost against the jobs you truly want.

Where you can, learn on the job. Ask for a small task in the new area. If you have no job yet, our guide to graduate jobs with no experience shows how to build proof from nothing.

How to Explain the Switch to Employers

Hiring managers worry about one thing. Will you stay? So give them a short story in three parts.

What you did before.
What pulled you toward the new field.
What you have already done about it.

Keep it to one breath. I trained in history, then spent a year in sales. I found I loved the numbers more than the pitch, so I took a course in bookkeeping and now I want to build on that.

Never call the old field a waste. Say it gave you something you now use.

Common Switches and a First Step

From	To	First step
Any degree.	Data work.	Learn one free tool and clean a real file.
Any degree.	Teaching.	Spend a week in a classroom.
Any degree.	Social work.	Volunteer on a helpline.
Any degree.	Trades.	Book a taster day on site.

Small proof beats a big plan.

Mistakes That Slow You Down

Quitting with no savings and no plan.
Applying only to the biggest names in the new field.
Hiding the switch from your CV.
Waiting for a perfect moment that never comes.
Comparing your month one to a stranger's year five.

The Bottom Line

A career change after graduation is a plan, not a drama. Test the new field, carry your skills across, and tell a clear story. Do that for a few months and the switch stops looking brave. It starts looking obvious.

Ready to apply? Run your CV through our free CV checker, then build a fresh version with the CV builder on Padgrad.

By Ori

For a closer look, read our guide to resigning from your first job.