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.

Tewali mulimu oluvannyuma lw'okumaliriza emisomo? Goberera enteekateeka ey'ennaku 30 okutereeza CV yo, okulonda emirimu esatu era n'okufuna eby'okuddamu.

Tewali Mulimu Oluvannyuma lw'Okumaliriza Emisomo: Kiki ky'Olakola mu Mwezi Gwo Ogusooka

Mu Bumpi

Okubulwa omulimu oluvannyuma lw'okutendera kya bulijjo. Enteekateeka ey'emirembe esinga okukola okusinga okutya kw'okusindika ebisale by'okunoonya omulimu mu bwangu.
Wiiki ey'olubereberye ya kwekenneenya: tegeka CV yo era londa emirimu esatu gy'oyagala.
Wiiki ez'okubiri okutuuka mu ey'okuna za kiseera kitono buli lunaku eky'okunoonya, okulondoola mu bwesimbu n'emboozi ez'amazima.
Kuuma ssente zo n'embeera yo ey'omutima. Byombi bisalawo ddi gy'oyinza okugenda mu maaso.

Wamaliriza diguli yo. Ebifaananyi bikolebwa. Olwo ennyumba ekkakkana, era ekibuuzo kimu kikomawo buli kiseera. Kiki kati? Okubulwa omulimu oluvannyuma lw'okutendera kirabika ng'okulemererwa ku bwo. Si kwo.

Okupangisa kwa mangu. Enteekateeka ennene ziggala emyezi mingi nga tezinatandika. Amakampuni amatono gapangisa ddi abakozi bwe bawangula omulimu, so si ddi ggwe lw'otendera. Abatendera bangi bafuna omulimu gwabwe ogusooka ogw'amazima wiiki oba emyezi oluvannyuma lw'emikolo.

Abantu abaddamu mangu tebalina mukisa gusinga. Balina enteekateeka ey'ebitundu ebitono bye bakola buli kiseera. Wammanga enteekateeka ya nnaku 30 gy'oyinza okutandika leero, mu nsi yonna.

Lwaki okubulwa omulimu oluvannyuma lw'okutendera kya bulijjo

Diguli kye kikuta ky'okutandikira, so si kiwandiiko kya kutuula. Tewali muntu akuwa mulimu kubanga wamaliriza. Ky'olina okukola kwe kunoonya omwagaanya, okulaga nti okwatana n'okuwangula ekibiina.

Ekyo kitwala kiseera, era kiseera si kye kufa. Ekikulu kati kye ky'okola mu nnaku 30 ezijja.

Wiiki 1: ddamu otandike era wekenneenye

Wiiki yo ey'olubereberye si ya kusindika ebisale 100. Ya kumanya bulungi ky'otunda ne ani gw'okitunda.

Ddamu ebikulu mu ttuntu limu

CV ey'olupapula lumu, ekintu ekiggya ku ntandikwa, enteekateeka ennyonnyofu era awatali bifaananyi.
Olunyiriri olutono olw'ebikukwatako ku ntandikwa olw'omulimu gw'oyagala.
Ekikuta ky'ebbaluwa ey'okuddamu mu ngeri yonna gy'oyinza okukyusa mu ddakiika kkumi.
Endagiriro ya imeyilo ennyonnyofu n'omutendera gwa bantu ogulungi.

Yita CV yo mu kikekkereza kya CV ekya bwereere okukwata ensobi ez'omukenkufu z'aggyamu. Bw'oyagala enteekateeka ennyonnyofu okuva ku ntandikwa, omuzimbi wa CV akukolera enteekateeka.

Londa emirimu esatu gy'oyagala, so si amakumi abiri

Londa amannya g'emirimu esatu gy'oyinza okukola kati. So si mulimu gwa kirooto mu myaka etaano. Esatu. Biwandiike ku ntandikwa y'olupapula.

Buli kusaba omulimu omwezi guno kirina okukwatagana n'omu ku gyo. Okunoonya okukkiridde kukola bulungi okusinga okugazi, kubanga CV yo n'ebiddamu byo bikula buli lw'ogezaako.

Wiiki 2: zimba enteekateeka y'okunoonya ekwatana ne wiiki yo

Weetaaga enteekateeka gy'oyinza okukuuma okumala omwezi, so si kubuuka okuggwaamu amaanyi mu nnaku musanvu.

Kiseera kya ddakiika 90 buli lunaku

Ddakiika 40: noonya era londa emirimu.
Ddakiika 30: tegeka okusaba omulimu kumu bulungi.
Ddakiika 20: tuma omuntu omu obubaka era wegezeessemu omukisa gumu.

Okusaba omulimu okubiri okulungi buli lunaku kusinga amakumi abiri aga mangu. Abakola empapula z'okunoonya omulimu basobola okulaba ebbaluwa eya kukoppa n'okuteeka mu ddakiika ntono.

Londoola buli kusaba omulimu

Olupapula olwangu lumala. Emikutu: olunaku, kampuni, omulimu, omuntu gw'otunuulira, ekiddako n'ebivuddemu. Kijjukirire ku lunaku lwe lumu, nga ebikukwatako bikyali bipya.

Oluvannyuma lwa wiiki bbiri ojja kulaba emirimu ki egiddamu era ki egikkakkana. Ekiwandiiko kyaffe ekikwata ku kulondoola okusaba omulimu kiraga emikutu egigasa ddala.

Wiiki 3: tuuka mu maaso g'abantu, so si ku bbugwe wa mirimu yokka

Ebbugwe wa mirimu kijjudde abantu. Ebisandu ky'amawulire tebijjudde.

Obubaka bubiri buli lunaku

Noonya abantu abakola omulimu gw'oyagala. Tuma obubaka obutono: ggwe ani, ky'oyiga, n'ekibuuzo kimu eky'olwatu. Tewali CV ekwatiddwa. Abasinga tebajja kuddamu, era kye kituufu. Ebiddamu kkumi okuva mu bubaka kikumi bisobola okukyusa omwezi gwo.

Ggulawo akatale k'emirimu akukwekeddwa

Emirimu mingi egya kutandika gijjuzibwa nga teginatangazibwa. Buuza basomesa b'eyo, mikwano gya famire n'abazannyi banno abakadde ani gwe bamanyi. Ekiwandiiko kyaffe ekikwata ku katale k'emirimu akukwekeddwa kikuyita mu mutendera guno buli kimu.

Wiiki 4: kebera, kyuusa era kuuma embeera yo ey'omutima

Kati olina ebikukwatako ebituufu. Bikozese mu kifo ky'okulowooza.

Soma ennamba zo

Tewali ddamu n'akatono? CV yo oba ekigendererwa kyo kikyamu.
Okusisinkana naye tewali kukkiriza? Ebiddamu byo byetaaga okukolebwako.
Tewali kintu mu mirimu gyo esatu? Gattako ogw'okuna era gugezeeko.

Kyuusa ekintu kimu buli kiseera, olwo kiwe ebisale kkumi nga tonnasalawo.

Kuuma ssente n'embeera y'omutima mu mirembe

Teeka ekkomo ku ssente ez'okumala wiiki. Kuuma emmeeza emu etakkakyuka. Nyiga omubiri gwo buli lunaku. Tegeeza omuntu omu enteekateeka yo era musabe akukebere buli Lwokutaano.

Okunoonya omulimu kukooya, era abantu abakooye basaba omulimu mu ngeri embi. Bw'aba okunoonya kukukooya, soma ekiwandiiko kyaffe ekikwata ku okukoowa mu kunoonya omulimu era kendeeza wiiki yo nga tonnakendeeza emitindo gyo.

Enteekateeka ya nnaku 30 mu bufunze

Wiiki	Ekigendererwa	Ky'omaliriza nakyo
Wiiki 1.	Ddamu otandike era wekenneenye.	CV emu, ekikuta ky'ebbaluwa kimu, emirimu esatu gy'oyagala.
Wiiki 2.	Kiseera kya kunoonya buli lunaku.	Ebisale kkumi ebiterekeddwa n'olupapula lw'okulondoola.
Wiiki 3.	Abantu, so si mabbugwe.	Abantu kkumi abaggya n'emikwano esatu egy'omunda.
Wiiki 4.	Kebera era kyuusa.	Okumanya okulungi ku kikola, n'omwezi ogw'emirembe.

Bw'omwezi gwo ogusooka tegufuna mulimu

Kya bulijjo, era si kuggwaako kwa kintu kyonna. Kuuma enteekateeka y'emu era kyuusa ebintu bisatu. Gattako omulimu gumu oguggya ogw'okulondoola. Gattako omulimu gumu ogusasulwa oba ogw'okuyamba okujjuzza wiiki yo. Buuza abantu basatu okukuwa ebirowoozo ebituufu ku kusaba kwo okusembayo.

Tandika leero ne Padgrad

Padgrad eteeka emirimu gy'abatendera, ekikekkereza kya CV n'omuzimbi wa CV mu kifo kimu. Kola akawunti eya bwereere, ggulawo ebbugwe wa mirimu gy'abatendera era teeka obubaka bwo obusooka busatu leero.

Omwezi gumu okuva kati ojja kuba n'omuze, CV ey'amaanyi n'emboozi ez'amazima ezikukwatako. Kye kifo kirungi nnyo okusinga ebisale by'okunoonya omulimu ebiduumiddwa.

By Ori