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.

No job after graduation? Follow this calm 30-day plan to fix your CV, pick three target roles and build a job search that gets replies and interviews.

No Job After Graduation: What to Do in Your First Month

TL;DR

Having no job after graduation is common. A calm plan beats a panic of mass applications.
Week one is for taking stock: fix your CV and pick three target roles.
Weeks two to four are for a small daily search block, honest tracking and real conversations.
Protect your money and your mood. Both decide how long you can keep going.

You finished your degree. The photos are done. Then the flat goes quiet, and one question keeps coming back. What now? Having no job after graduation feels like a personal failure. It is not.

Hiring is slow. Large schemes close months before their start dates. Small firms hire when a team wins work, not when you graduate. Many graduates land their first proper role weeks or months after the ceremony.

The people who recover fastest do not have more luck. They have a plan made of small steps they repeat. Below is a 30-day plan you can start today, in any country.

Why having no job after graduation is normal

A degree is a starting point, not a booking. Nobody hands you a role because you finished. You still have to find the opening, prove you fit and win the room.

That takes time, and time is not the same as failure. What matters now is what you do in the next 30 days.

Week 1: reset and take stock

Your first week is not for sending 100 applications. It is for getting clear on what you are selling and to whom.

Fix the basics in one afternoon

A one-page CV, newest item first, plain layout and no photos.
A short profile line at the top that names the role you want.
One cover letter skeleton you can adapt in ten minutes.
A clean email address and a tidy public profile.

Run your CV through the free CV checker to catch the mistakes recruiters screen out. If you want a clean structure from scratch, the CV builder does the layout for you.

Pick three target roles, not twenty

Choose three job titles you could do now. Not the dream role in five years. Three. Write them at the top of a page.

Every application this month should match one of them. A focused search works better than a wide one, because your CV and your answers sharpen with each try.

Week 2: build a search system that fits your week

You need a rhythm you can keep for a month, not a burst that burns out in seven days.

The 90-minute daily block

40 minutes: find and shortlist roles.
30 minutes: tailor one application properly.
20 minutes: message one person and practise one skill.

Two good applications a day beat twenty rushed ones. Recruiters can spot a copy-and-paste letter in seconds.

Track every application

A simple sheet is enough. Columns: date, firm, role, contact, next step and result. Update it the same day, while the details are fresh.

After two weeks you will see which roles reply and which ones go quiet. Our guide to tracking your applications shows the columns that actually help.

Week 3: get in front of people, not just job boards

Job boards are crowded. Inboxes are not.

Two messages a day

Find people who already do the job you want. Send a short note: who you are, what you are learning, and one clear question. No CV attached. Most will not reply, and that is fine. Ten replies from a hundred notes can change your month.

Open the hidden job market

Many entry roles are filled before they are ever advertised. Ask former lecturers, family friends and old teammates who they know. Our guide to the hidden job market walks through this step by step.

Week 4: review, adjust and protect your morale

By now you have real data. Use it instead of guessing.

Read your own numbers

No replies at all? Your CV or your targeting is off.
Interviews but no offers? Your answers need more work.
Nothing in your three roles? Add a fourth and test it.

Change one thing at a time, then give it ten applications before you judge it.

Keep money and mood steady

Set a weekly spending limit. Keep one fixed desk. Move your body every day. Tell one person your plan and ask them to check in each Friday.

Job hunting is tiring, and tired people apply badly. If the search is wearing you down, read our guide to job search burnout and cut your week down before you cut your standards.

The 30-day plan at a glance

Week	Focus	What you finish with
Week 1.	Reset and take stock.	One CV, one letter skeleton, three target roles.
Week 2.	Daily search block.	Ten tailored applications and a tracking sheet.
Week 3.	People, not portals.	Ten new contacts and three warm leads.
Week 4.	Review and adjust.	A clear read on what works, and a calmer week.

If month one does not land a role

That is common, and it is not the end of anything. Keep the same system and change three things. Add one new target role. Add one paid or volunteer role to fill your week. Ask three people for honest feedback on your last application.

Start today with Padgrad

Padgrad puts graduate roles, a CV checker and a CV builder in one place. Create a free account, open the graduate jobs board and set your first three alerts today.

One month from now you will have a habit, a stronger CV and real conversations behind you. That is a far better place than a pile of rushed applications.

By Ori