padgrad is a free career platform for UK 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 UK graduate recruiters.

How many jobs should I apply for as a graduate?

UK 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 in the UK?

Most UK 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. The civil service fast stream and larger graduate schemes can take 4-6 months from application to offer.

What is the average graduate salary in the UK for 2026?

The median graduate salary in the UK for 2026 is around £28,000-£32,000 depending on sector. Investment banking, law, and tech pay the highest (£35,000+), while public sector and charity roles typically start lower (£24,000-£27,000). Regional salaries average 10-20% lower outside London.

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 UK 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 in the UK typically pay between £25,000 and £35,000 in the first year, with some industries paying significantly more. Law firms and investment banks often start at £45,000-£55,000. Most schemes also offer benefits like bonuses, pension contributions, and professional qualification sponsorship.

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

Research from High Fliers shows the UK's 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 in September and October for roles starting the following September, 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.

From Application to Offer: Building a Graduate Job Search System That Actually Works

A UK graduate guide to application — TL;DR Scattered job hunting wastes time — a system turns every application into data — Padgrad's seven free tools cover .

TL;DR

Scattered job hunting wastes time — a system turns every application into data — Padgrad's seven free tools cover the full pipeline, from CV building to offer negotiation, so nothing falls through the cracks.
Your CV needs to pass machines before it reaches humans — the CV Builder structures your experience properly, and the AI CV Checker scores it against each job description so you fix weak spots before applying.
A tailored cover letter doubles your response rate — the AI Cover Letter tool drafts role-specific letters in seconds with four tone options, so you never send another generic one.
Track everything, or you're guessing — the Application Tracker organises your pipeline across seven stages, and the Rejection Log turns ghosting into actionable insight.
Know your numbers before you say yes — the Budget Calculator shows your real take-home pay so you compare offers on facts, not feelings.

Why Most Graduate Job Searches Fail Before They Start

Most UK graduates approach the job hunt the same way: write one CV, send it to fifty roles, and hope something sticks. It doesn't work because the process is reactive, not strategic. You're responding to listings rather than building a pipeline.

A proper job search system has clear stages: prepare your materials, find relevant roles, apply with tailored documents, tracking-guide">track progress, learn from outcomes, and manage your finances. If any stage is missing, the whole thing breaks down. You end up with a CV that doesn't reflect your degree, cover letters that read like templates, no record of where you applied, and no idea why you keep getting rejected.

Padgrad's free tools were built to cover every stage of that pipeline. Here's how they fit together into a system that works.

Stage 1: Build a CV That Gets Past the Machines

Before you apply to anything, your CV has to be right. Most graduate CVs never reach a human recruiter — they're filtered out by applicant tracking systems (ATS) that scan for formatting, keywords, and structure.

The CV Builder gives you a clean, ATS-compatible template designed specifically for UK graduates. It organises your education, work experience, and skills in the order recruiters expect. No fancy formatting, no two-column layouts, no images — just the information in a structure that machines can parse.

Once your base CV is solid, run it through the AI CV Checker before every application. Paste in the job description and your CV, and the AI returns an ATS compatibility score plus specific improvements: missing keywords, weak phrasing, sections that need restructuring. Each check costs 0.2 credits, and you start with 10 free ones. That's fifty checks before you need to top up.

Pro tip: Build one master CV with everything, then use the CV Checker to tailor it for each role. Over time you'll notice which keywords keep appearing in your field — those become permanent additions to your master document.

Stage 2: Write Cover Letters That Actually Get Read

Generic cover letters are the fastest way to get your application binned. Recruiters can spot a template from three sentences. But writing a fresh letter for every application takes forever. That's where the AI Cover Letter tool comes in.

Paste the job description, pick your degree and experience level, and choose a tone — Professional for grad schemes, Passionate for startups, Concise for quick applications, or Evidence-Heavy for roles that ask for specific examples. The AI drafts a complete letter in seconds. Each one costs 0.1 credits, so your ten free credits get you a hundred letters.

The trick is to treat the AI draft as a starting point, not a finished product. Read it through, add a personal anecdote, adjust a sentence that doesn't quite sound like you. The AI handles the structure and keyword placement; you add the authenticity. That combination consistently outperforms both pure templates and purely self-written letters.

Stage 3: Track Every Application Like a Sales Pipeline

Once you're applying regularly, the chaos begins. Did you apply to that biotech startup in Cambridge? What about the NHS grad scheme? When was the assessment centre for the AstraZeneca role?

The Application Tracker uses a Kanban board with seven columns — Saved, Applied, Screening, Interview, Assessment Centre, Offer, Rejected. Drag applications between columns as they progress. One glance shows you exactly where everything stands. No spreadsheets. No sticky notes. No losing track of opportunities.

The tracker is completely free with your account. Break your applications into weekly batches: save five new roles on Monday, tailor CVs and apply to three on Tuesday and Wednesday, follow up on Thursday, review the week on Friday. A rhythm replaces the chaos.

Stage 4: Learn From Every Outcome

Rejection is inevitable. It's also the most valuable data you'll collect — if you bother to analyse it. Most graduates get rejected, shrug, and move on. They never learn why.

The Rejection Log turns every "no" into useful information. Log each rejection by stage — was it after CV screening, after the video interview, after the assessment centre? Tag it with reasons if you know them. Over time, patterns emerge: maybe you always get past CV screening but fail at the interview stage, or your applications to small companies convert better than big grad schemes.

The AI analysis feature on the Rejection Log spots these patterns before you do. If you've logged ten applications and five failed at the telephone interview stage, the system flags it and suggests areas to work on. That's feedback most graduates never get, and it's free.

Your rejection streak matters too. The Rejection Log tracks streaks — consecutive rejections without a screening call. When that number climbs, it's a signal something upstream needs fixing. Maybe your CV keywords are wrong. Maybe you're applying for roles above your experience level. Use it as a diagnostic, not a scoreboard.

Stage 5: Compare Offers With Your Eyes Open

If you do everything right, the problem becomes a good one: multiple offers. A £28,000 role in London and a £25,000 one in Manchester look different on paper. Which leaves you with more at the end of the month?

The Budget Calculator answers that. Enter the salary, and it calculates UK tax, National Insurance, and student loan repayments. Add your location, and it estimates rent and living costs based on local averages. The result is your real disposable income — not the headline number.

A £28,000 London salary often leaves you with less than £26,000 in Manchester. The Budget Calculator shows you the numbers before you commit. Use it early in the process too — it helps you decide which applications are worth prioritising based on where they'd leave you financially.

Stage 6: Fuel the System With Credits

The AI tools — CV Checker and Cover Letter — use credits. The other five tools are free. Your first 10 credits let you run multiple CV checks and cover letters, enough to test the system and see results. If you need more, top up on the Credits page. A batch of 100 credits costs £3.50 — easily paid for by landing one job faster.

Refer a friend and you both get 15 bonus credits. It's a quick way to double your runway without spending anything.

The System in Practice: A Weekly Workflow

Here's how it all fits together in a real week:

Monday morning — Check your daily digest for new matches. Save promising roles to the Application Tracker. Pick five to target this week.
Monday evening — Use the CV Builder to adjust your master CV. Run it through the AI CV Checker against each of the five job descriptions. Note the improvements needed.
Tuesday — Use the AI Cover Letter tool to draft letters for two or three roles. Personalise each one. Apply directly through the company sites or the digest links.
Wednesday — Repeat for the remaining roles. Move applied applications to the Applied column in the tracker.
Thursday — Review the Rejection Log from previous weeks. Do any patterns need addressing? If your CV isn't converting, adjust your keywords. If interviews are failing, practise with a friend.
Friday — Update the tracker with any progress updates. Check your credit balance. Log any rejections or interviews from the week. Use the Budget Calculator if you have a promising lead to evaluate.

Six hours a week, structured and intentional, beats twenty hours of scattered scrolling every time.

The Bottom Line

The graduate job market doesn't reward effort. It rewards systematic effort. Building a CV once and sending it everywhere is effort. Building a CV, checking it against each role, writing tailored cover letters, tracking progress, logging rejections, and comparing offers — that's a system.

Padgrad gives you the tools for every stage: CV Builder, AI CV Checker, AI Cover Letter, Application Tracker, Rejection Log, and Budget Calculator — plus the daily digest to fill the pipeline. Sign up, claim your 10 free credits, and build the system that lands your first graduate role.

— Ori