Graduate Job Crisis: Why Top Degrees Aren't Enough in Today's Competitive Market

The Reality of Graduate Unemployment

Leah Savage, a 24-year-old with a first-class honours degree in marketing management and an internship at Amazon, has been job hunting for over six months. Despite applying for nearly 100 positions, she's only had two interviews. "It's so demoralising. All I do is wake up and apply for jobs," she shares. Living with her parents and relying on universal credit, she struggles to afford social outings with friends.

Leah Savage has a first-class degree but is still struggling to find opportunities.

The AI Barrier in Job Applications

Savage highlights a modern challenge: AI filters used by companies to screen hundreds of applicants. "Sometimes it can be something as small as formatting which is not readable to AI and you've got no chance," she explains. This raises questions about the value of her degree after four years of hard work and part-time employment.

Youth Unemployment Statistics

Guardian analysis reveals that almost half of all jobs lost since Labour came to power were among the under-25s. Youth unemployment stands at 15.3%, the highest level outside the COVID-19 pandemic since 2015. This trend affects both school leavers and graduates, making the job search harder than ever.

The Experience Catch-22

Lee, an 18-year-old multilingual job seeker in Manchester, describes the market as "a waste of time and very depressing." She notes, "They ask you for experience that you can't get without first having a job." Despite her language skills and competence, she can't secure an interview.

The Entry-Level Job Desert

Miranda Alford, 22, calls the entry-level job market a "complete desert." Her university degree didn't prepare her for the reality of job hunting. After securing a temporary receptionist role, she faces another search as her contract ends. "It's just a constant conveyor belt of applications and getting nowhere," she says, having depleted her savings to cover rent and bills.

Miranda Alford has found the job market precarious and dispiriting.

Alford points out the catch-22 in entry-level roles: they demand multiple years of experience for minimum pay. None of her graduated friends have found well-paying, satisfying jobs, with many still unemployed.

Removing Degrees to Get Hired

David Weston, 23, from Chesterfield, spent six months and over 200 applications to land a warehouse job stacking shelves—but only after removing his politics degree from his CV. "I feel as if I have been told all throughout my education to study hard and get a degree, and then you are almost guaranteed a job. But that wasn't the case," he reflects. Employers sought practical skills he lacked, and lower-wage roles deemed him overqualified.

Dreams Deferred in the Media Industry

Chouka Tung, 24, moved from Hong Kong to the UK to pursue a career in media. A year and a half after graduating with a journalism degree, she works part-time in an Asian supermarket after facing "rejection after rejection." "The difference between reality and expectation can be quite unbearable," she admits, worrying about losing her journalistic skills and being stuck in limbo while barely covering rent.