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.

Olukalala Olujjuvu lw'Okusaba Omulimu gwa Grad: Ekinaakolebwa Tonnaba Okunyiga Okuweereza

Olukalala lw'okwekenneenya olw'okusaba olwa grad UK — yisa amagezi ku CV yo, gigerezako ne AI, wandiika ebbaluwa z'okwemanyisa ezituufu, era olerage buli kusaba mu ddakiika 15 oba nga wansi.

TL;DR

Tossera okusaba okutali kwa ngeri. Okusaba kumu okwetegereze bulungi kusinga okusaba 50 okwanguyirivu buli kiseera.
Kozesa olukalala olw'okukebera nga tonnayisa buli kusaba — tunnga CV yo, gikwataganye n'okunnyonnyola kw'omulimu, wandiika ebbaluwa ey'okwetegereza, era otege buli kimu.
Ebikozesebwa bya Padgrad ebya bwereere bikola ku buli kikolo: CV Builder, AI CV Checker, AI Cover Letter, Application Tracker, ne Rejection Log.
Emitwarize gyo 10 egisooka gya bwereere — gimala okukebera CV 10 n'ebaluwa 50.

Lwaki Okyetaaga Olukalala Olw'okukebera nga Tonnayisa

Okusaba kungi okw'abayizi abamaliriza kugwa si kubanga tosaanira, wabula kubanga oyanguyirira. Olaba omulimu, okyusa CV okuminyota esatu, oteeka ebbaluwa ey'awamu, era oyisa. Abakunganya abayizi abamaliriza bamala 7.4 seconds nga bakyala ku CV — basobola okulaba amangu ddala obanga wagitondeka oba nedda.

Ekigoro si kiseera kisinga. Kye nkola ey'okuddiriŋŋana. Wano waliwo olukalala lw'okukebera nga tonnayisa, olukolebwa mu dakiika 15 buli kusaba.

Ekikolo 1: Zimba CV Yo Enkulu

Okyusizza kyonna, okyetaaga omusingi omunywevu. Tandika ne Padgrad's CV Builder — ya bwereere ddala era yakolebwa ku bayizi abamaliriza ba UK.

Kiki okw'okuteeka:

Ebikwata ku ggwe — erinnya, essimu, email, LinkedIn URL, n'ekifo. Tewali foto, tewali lunaku lw'okuzalibwa.
Okusoma — yunivasite, diguli, ekifo ekyasuubirwa/ekifunye, omwaka gw'okumaliriza. Kiteeka mu kifo kyasooka ku mirimu gy'abayizi abamaliriza.
Okukola — 3-5 buliiyo ku mulimu, nga woyinza okulaga ebyo by'akola so si mirimu. Kozesa namba we kisoboka.
Obukugu — obukugu obukwata ku mulimu n'obw'ekikugu. Bikwataganye n'okunnyonnyola kw'omulimu.
Ebikolwa eby'okungulu — bwe biba nga bwe biraga obukugu obusobola okutwalibwa (obukulembeze, okukolera wamu, okwogera n'abantu).

CV Builder ekola buli kimu, okusobola okwewala okutereera okutali kumu oba ebifo ebibula. Bwe mazima CV yo enkulu eterekebwa, osobola okuzzaamu ebipya ku mirimu egy'enjawulo.

Ekikolo 2: Tunga era Okebere ne AI

Wano we nkola gye yongera amaanyi. Tonnayisa ku mulimu gwonna:

Koppa okunnyonnyola kw'omulimu mu AI CV Checker wamu ne CV yo. Kijja kukutegeeza bigambo ki ebibula, bitundu ki ebisobola okunywezebwa, era n'engeri obukugu bwo gye busaanira omulimu.
Kyusa CV yo ng'okozesa ebiragiro. Yongeza bigambo ebibula okuva mu kunnyonnyola kw'omulimu. Kyusa buliiyo okukozesa olulimi lwe mulimu lw'akozesa.
Gikola nate okutuusa lwe kiba kirungi. Buli kukebera kwa CV kugula credit 1 — emitwarize gyo 10 egisooka gya bwereere, era oyongera ng'okozesa platform.

Kino kyokka kisobola okwongeza omuwendo gw'okuyitibwa mu ntebeza. Bayizi abamaliriza bangi basiba ekikolo kino — ky'ensonga lwaki okukikola kikuwa omugaso.

Ekikolo 3: Wandiika Ebbaluwa Ey'okwetegereza

Tewandiika baluwa empya buli kiseera. Kozesa AI Cover Letter:

Teeka okunnyonnyola kw'omulimu ne CV yo eyatondebwatondebwa
AI efulumya ebbaluwa eyatondebwatondebwa ku mulimu ogwo
Gisome, yongeza eddoboozi lyo, era otondeke ekitundu ekisooka
Buli baluwa egula 0.2 credits — osobola okufuna 50 okuva ku mitwarize gyo 10 egisooka

Ekigendererwa si kuggyayo obuntu bwo. Kwe kukakasa nti buli baluwa ekwata ku byetaago by'omulimu, nga tosula ku lupapula olwawerevu okuminyota 20.

Ekikolo 4: Kebera Byonna nga Tonnayisa

Tonnyisa buto, kebera olukalala luno:

✓ CV etondebwatondebwa — Ekozesa bigambo okuva mu kunnyonnyola kw'omulimu? Obukugu bwo buli mu nteekateeka ey'okukola?
✓ Ebbaluwa ey'okwetegereza eterekebwa — Wakyusa ekitundu eky'awamu n'ekyo ekikwata ku kampuni eno?
✓ Ennyukuta n'ebigambo — Gisome mu ddoboozi ery'omwanguka. N'okusinga, giteeke mu editor ey'awerevu okulaba obutereevu.
✓ Enkola y'okufulumya — PDF okugyako bwe baba bagambye ekintu ekirala. Word doc yo erabika nnyo ku sikirini y'omukungu.
✓ Ebibuuzo byonna ebiddibwamu — Bwe waliwo foomu, wajjula buli kitundu?

Ekikolo 5: Kiteeke era Osobole Okugenda Mu Maaso

Bw'omaliriza okusaba, teeka omusaba amangu ddala mu Application Tracker. Wandiika omulimu, kampuni, olunaku, n'ebikolwa eby'okugoberera. Bwe kiba nga kugaanwa? Kiteeke mu Rejection Log era otegeeze ekikolo we wakoma. Mu kiseera, enkola efuluma — oboolyawo CV yo nnywevu naye ntebeza ze zikugwa. Ekyo kikutegeeza wa kw'okussa essira.

Bwe kiba nga oyitibwa mu kifo ky'okukeberebwa, totya. Okwetegereza kye kikulu — kebera graduate assessment centre tips guide okumanya by'osuubira n'engeri y'okuyitamu buli kikolo.

Ekikolo 6: Kuuma Ebyenfuna Byo Mu Nteekateeka

Okunoonya omulimu kusobola okuba eky'omuwendo — okutambula okulaba ntebeza, engoye empya, okukoppa. Era bwe kiba nga ogenda okumaliriza, okyetaaga okuteekateeka okusaba okuva mu bulamu bw'omuyizi okudda ku musaala gw'omulimu. Budget Calculator ekusobozesa okuteebereza omusaala gwo ogw'okukwatira n'okuteekateeka okukozesa okuva ku lunaku olusooka.

Padgrad Credits Gikola Gitya

Buli kimu ku Padgrad kikolebwa okusobola okufunika. Ofuna emitwarize 10 egya bwereere bw'ewandiika — tewali kusasula. Buli kukebera kwa CV kugula credit 1, era buli baluwa egula 0.2 credits. CV Builder, Application Tracker, Budget Calculator, ne Rejection Log byonna bya bwereere. N'olwekyo, emitwarize gyo 10 egisooka gimala okukebera CV 10 n'ebaluwa 50 — gimala okusaba okungi. Oyetaaga ebisinga? Yongeza ku credits page.

Enkola Yo Ey'okukola mu Dakiika 15

Wano waliwo enkola ennyimpi — enkola yo ey'okukebera nga tonnayisa:

Dakiika	Ekikolwa
0-3	Tondeka CV yo enkulu ku mulimu
3-5	Giyise mu AI CV Checker era okole ku bifo ebibula
5-8	Fulumya era otondeke ebbaluwa ey'okwetegereza ne AI Cover Letter
8-12	Kebera byonna era oyise
12-15	Teeka omusaba mu Application Tracker

Ekigendererwa Ekikulu

Bayizi abamaliriza abafuna emirimu si be balina diguli ezisinga obulungi. Be balina enteekateeka, obutayosa, n'okwagala okukola dakiika 10 ezinga ezo abalala basiba. Padgrad ekugaba ebikozesebwa. Enkola ya bwereere. Kati kikwo.

Zimba akaawunti yo eya bwereere →