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.

How to Make the Most of Your 10 Free Credits on Padgrad (UK Grad Edition)

A UK graduate guide to credits — TL;DR Padgrad gives you 10 free credits when you sign up — use them on the tools that give the biggest ROI: AI CV Checke.

TL;DR

Padgrad gives you 10 free credits when you sign up — use them on the tools that give the biggest ROI: AI CV Checker (0.2 credits) and AI Cover Letter (0.1 credits).
Your first CV check is always free — you get a full ATS score, keyword gap analysis, and actionable fixes before you send a single application.
With 10 credits you can check 50 CVs or generate 100 cover letters — or mix and match to build a repeatable application workflow.
All organisational tools (CV Builder, Application Tracker, Budget Calculator, Rejection Log) are completely free with your account — no credits needed.

Your 10 Free Credits: More Than You Think

When you sign up for padgrad, you get 10 free credits. On the surface that sounds modest. But here's what those credits actually unlock:

50 AI CV Checks at 0.2 credits each — or one check per application for 50 different roles
100 AI Cover Letters at 0.1 credits each — enough to cover an entire graduate job hunt
Any combination — check a CV, generate a letter, adjust, repeat

The trick isn't the number of credits — it's how you use them. Let's break that down.

What Uses Credits (and What Doesn't)

Only two tools on padgrad consume credits. Everything else is completely free:

Uses Credits

Tool	Cost	What You Get
AI CV Checker	0.2 credits	ATS score, keyword analysis, formatting feedback, role-specific suggestions
AI Cover Letter	0.1 credits	Tailored letter in 4 tones (Professional, Passionate, Concise, Evidence-Heavy)

Free With Your Account

CV Builder — create and format a professional CV from scratch
Application Tracker (Kanban) — drag applications through 7 stages from Saved to Offer
Budget Calculator — see take-home pay with UK tax, NI, and student loan deductions
Rejection Log — track feedback and spot patterns across applications
Credit Transactions — monitor your credit usage and history
Daily Job Digest — personalised graduate roles delivered to your inbox every morning

Bottom line: Your 10 credits stretch further than you'd expect because the organisational tools that keep you sane day-to-day don't cost a thing.

Strategy 1: The Pre-Application Cycle (0.3 Credits per Role)

This is the most efficient way to use credits. For 0.3 credits total, you run a complete pre-application cycle for every role:

Build your CV using the CV Builder (free)
Tailor it to the specific job description (free — just edit your CV)
Check it with the AI CV Checker (0.2 credits)
Generate a cover letter with the AI Cover Letter tool (0.1 credits)
Track it on the Application Tracker (free)

With 10 credits, you can run this cycle 33 times. That's 33 tailored, high-quality applications — more than enough for most graduate job hunts.

Strategy 2: The Bulk Edit (2 Credits for a Full Overhaul)

If you're starting from scratch or switching industries, run this once:

Build a master CV in the CV Builder (free)
Run 5 CV checks against 5 different target roles (1 credit)
Note the common keyword gaps and fix your master CV
Generate 5 cover letters in different tones to see what works (0.5 credits)
Use the remaining 0.5 credits for spot checks on real applications

This approach costs 2 credits and leaves you with 8 for the rest of your job search.

Strategy 3: The Competitive Edge (Minimal Credit Use, Maximum Impact)

Already confident in your CV and cover letter writing? Use credits sparingly but strategically:

Check only for dream roles — save CV checks for the roles you really want (0.2 credits each)
Generate a cover letter for the first application to each company — for follow-ups, adjust the existing one (0.1 credits each)
Use the free tools daily — track everything on the Kanban board, log rejections in the Rejection Log, and compare offers with the Budget Calculator

At this pace, 3-5 credits can cover an entire job search. The rest stays in reserve.

Why the Free Tools Matter Just as Much

The AI tools get most of the attention, but the free organisational tools are where the real progress happens:

The Application Tracker turns a chaotic spreadsheet into a visual Kanban board. You see exactly where each application is — Saved, Applied, Screening, Interview, Offer, or Rejected.
The Rejection Log helps you spot patterns. Are you getting rejected at screening? Your CV needs work. Getting to interview but not offer? Your interview technique needs polish. Data beats guesswork.
The Budget Calculator lets you compare graduate offers side by side. A £28k job in Manchester might leave you better off than a £32k job in London once you factor in rent, commuting, and the student loan repayment threshold.

Tracking Your Credit Usage

You can see exactly where your credits go on the Credit Transactions page. Every CV check and cover letter is logged with a timestamp and cost. No mystery deductions, no hidden fees.

Final Tip: Start With a CV Check

If you're not sure where to begin, start with a CV check. Upload your current CV, pick a target role, and get your ATS score in seconds. You'll immediately see what's holding you back — missing keywords, formatting issues, weak bullet points — before you waste a single application.