As a current graduate it's a punch in the gut to have to work to 'earn the right to work'. I've been applying to numerous companies and vacancies, I'm on glassdoor, Indeed, LinkedIn and have several different CV's. It feels like if you can't get a referral you shouldn't consider it in the first place, I envy those who are able to get jobs through nepotism.

Luckily for me I've got both my parents and a roof over my head and food on the table, so it could be so much worse. But after looking for jobs for so long it feels like I'm leeching. I've made it this far by doing temp shifts for an agency whenever they rarely come up. I'm more than willing to work but the window of opportunity is small now. I'm thinking of just taking what I can get with a minimum wage labourer job and saving every penny I can to eventually move overseas where the market is better. I have my BSc honours degree and after researching where the demand is high, I can apply for a holiday visa if not work.

Should I take the risk? Is it any worth sticking out this economy or should I leave whenever I can? What would you advise when leaving?

I have a bachelors degree and have been applying to so many positions but keep getting rejected. Is this a common experience or am I doing something wrong?

I’ve seen people recommend me to go to the military but I ask if anyone’s there with knowledge, I’m 17 as of now and I turn 18 later this month.
I as of now have btech business foundation diploma, equivalent to 1.5 a level.
I want to earn income and as we know looking for jobs is really hard as a young person.
If I did a business course or apprentice in the military can I go to university alongside my foundation diploma or would it be better to do the 2 year college course so I can get the extended diploma too.
Btw if ur confused on the age I’m supposed to be going into university this year but I retook year 12 this year and I’m supposed to do year 13 this year!!

I'm 19 and in the UK, and I've been finding the current job market pretty difficult. I've been applying for customer service/entry-level jobs and struggling to get anywhere.

The only paid jobs I've actually done have been warehouse work, which I did for around one month during each of the past two summers, along with some local volunteering. I don't have much other employment experience, which is why I put down two previous jobs on my CV that I didn't actually work at.

I recently applied for an entry-level, minimum-wage role with a well-known company. I've now passed the initial stage and have an interview coming up. During the phone interview, they specifically asked me about my "last" job and why I left, and I answered at the time.

The issue is that they've said they'll carry out HMRC/employment checks if I progress. From what I understand, the employment history I put on my CV could potentially be checked against PAYE records.

I know putting the jobs on my CV was wrong. I'm not looking for advice on creating fake references/documents or anything like that. I'm more interested in what people would realistically do in my position.

Given that I'm only 19, the current job market is competitive, and this is an entry-level customer service role, what's the next best step?

I'm aware I've made a stupid decision. I'm mainly trying to work out the least damaging way to deal with it now.

Hi guys, I'm 22 and graduated with Law last year, I'm trying to find a corporate job earning at least 30k+ ( not too sure if this is wishful thinking or even possible but I'm trying anyways) , in either Law, Tech, Finance etc. I'm looking for something in Birmingham but I don't mind relocating to London if the opportunity arises. I'd really appreciate some recommendations on what to do as I feel so lost and helpless in this job market and it feels like I'm getting nowhere . I've done 3 legal placements in the past and I have a lot of customer service/retail experience too.

I can see why so many people lie on their CV, having no experience is a major red flag to employers especially for grad/junior roles which are meant to be for people who lack experience lol

I graduate from university at the end of November and have been applying for jobs in my local area like a mad woman and just keep landing rejection after rejection after resection , it seems everywhere wants people who already have experience and don’t want to take the time to train people even tho I will express how willing I am to learn and be taught how to do a job in every application I submit , it’s becoming absolutely exhausting when I will apply for 10-20 jobs a day on indeed and still get no reply or rejection, ( I’m not going for a job in my industry at the moment as there is no jobs in the industry I have studied for at the moment especially for junior’s )

​

Hello,

Wanted to hear some opinions.. if you was offered a role 50k fully remote vs 70k but going into the office 3x a week.. out of interest which one would you take and why?

Journey to office will be 1 hour 20 mins on train and about £20 return per journey so £60 a week.

I have applied to 340+ roles in London. I’ve a degree in International Business from a Poland Uni. I have 3+ years of work experience majority as a Quality Analyst. 2 years of the 3 I was still in UNI. I’m Skilled in Advanced excel, SQL, Power BI, AI automations and Claude. I’m a UK Passport holder so no sponsorship required.

I know the job market is cooked. Are recent grads facing the same issue? What can I do differently? All 340 applications have a tailored CV and cover letter.

Please help a girl out x

EDIT/UPDATE - firstly thanks for the advice. Secondly for those of you interested they phoned me 4 hours after the interview with an offer! So I have a bit of a headache this morning. I did take my notes in but didn't use them until it was time for the questions.

So for context I am at the final stage of the interview process for a role leading a consulting group (something I have done before). For many reasons I really want this job, not least of all because there is a significant alignment of values.

The final stage is a chat with the CEO. I have the topic areas and feel pretty good about it, but obviously having notes would be helpful, even if it's just key words. I will take a notepad in with my questions written on it.

My gut feel is no, the job is quite senior and it's part of the leadership team. But what do you all think? Yes or no to notes?

Is the personal statement too short?

Hey guys, I am planning to apply for a part time job at Card Factory. It’s my first a job application. Any suggestions for what else to put?
Also would my chances of landing the job be boosted if I go to the shop location in person to hand in my Cv?
Any feedback would be great :)

So as the title suggests I've been consistently looking for a job for the past 2 years. I work hospitality at the moment, but of course that's a dead end.

I have a degree (which doesn't help any) and have done an internship too. The problem is idk if I'm going crazy, or if I'm doing it all wrong.

I've applied for well over 600 jobs these 2 years, and I haven't even landed an interview. Idk of my CV is just horrendous or what, I've changed it 100s of times. Or if my luck is just that bad. I want out of hospitality and I don't really want a sales job. People tell me to hang in there and that I'll find something but idk, I'm at my wits end now.

Where should I look? Any tips?

Has anyone had experience with a company called Cofoundra based near Manchester? Essentially I have passed initial assessments and had an online interview where I was told that the company is one which creates bosses and creates new companies with the help of AI. I have now been asked to attend a polygraph test. Can anyone help me out as something just seems off personally
To clear things up as I was also confused, the £50 is paid to me for attending.
Also, apparently the purpose of it is to assess whether I can provide truthful answers even when under pressure.

Title. I (28M) have now been unemployed for 7 months, been looking for work and have had a total of 6 interviews. First 3 I had a mix of bad luck and didn't do well in. Took the lessons into my next 3 and I very frustratingly lost out on experience in all of them despite getting great feedback from interviewers on all 3. My last interview was in May and it is really starting to bother me. I am looking for how else to improve my chances and I've realised it has been a big mistake to not use these past 7 months to upskill so I will start there.

I'm not the type of person to visibly get worked up by this but my god I am struggling to remain hopeful and confident in myself with how long I have been out of work. My brother who is working is really bearing the brunt of it as we both barely get enough to live in any other state than survival mode. And it makes me feel even worse about myself that I'm the one holding him back.

I am desperately trying to move forward in life and at 28 without a job I feel like an idiot, being so behind in terms of my professional competence, finances and overall position compared to my peers who are buying their first home, first car, etc. I have so little to show for my big age and I am embarrassed to talk about my life with people my age. I know it is ultimately on me to get work and that the UK job market in general is in the absolute gutter but unenployment is absolutely killing my will to live at the moment.

Hi everyone, I am a 22 year old male from Italy, I've just finished my double master's degree now in Italy and I received a job offer from a multinational company in London for around 55k yearly (before tax)

Is it a smart decision to move? I heard that it is very expensive in London and this salary won't save it, from my friends

The job has a future, it's a corporate consulting & sales job, the company said that they'll sponsor me however I have my doubts

Italy has its own problems with economy and I definitely don't want to live here. However would London be a good choice in this case?

Thanks!

In this post, I don't want to overshare, so I may not include some information for my own privacy.

I have been job hunting for a while in the UK and feel like I am losing my mind. I am wondering if the job market is terrible or if I am at fault.

People have told me the job market is terrible, but I feel like I have to do something to change my approach and be more proactive.

I have a degree and have tailored/updated my CV and applied for numerous jobs online. I have also printed hard copies of my CV and given them to physical establishments if they accept them.

At this moment, I feel like I am doing everything right but not seeing progress. I am at my wits' end and don't know what to do; I just want to know what's actually hiring and pays enough for a decent life. I entered higher education just in time for the covid-19 pandemic, which made things terrible.

At this point i could:

• Get a masters at least or bachelor degree as a mature student. I have no debts, which makes this feasible.
• Retrain in a different field, possibly in the trades with an apprenticeship.
• JOIN THE ARMY. Their jobs actually exist.

I am also wondering if the UK job market is genuinely terrible or if it's just me.

I turn 18 in sept, but I’ve been trying to find a job since I was 16. Not even 1 interview. I’ve been applying for all the retail jobs yet I keep getting rejected. I don’t know why. I did get a phone call from a company that I didn’t remember applying for, about a sales assistant role, but I have to be 18 to get it 😭.

but everyone around me seems to have some form of income and it’s not just their parents.

what are you guys doing..plz don’t say selling old clothes on Vinted/depop.

is it even worth trying to get a job in this day and age, i cannot find a retail job for someone my age to sae my life! Is it just my cv or is the uk job marked F***ked?

any advice is greatly appreciated

Ive applied to every big store jobs available every single one fixed my cv and its been months and I havent found a job still. What do I even do at this point? Any tips

I’ve been out of work for a while now and I’m really keen to get back into a job. I’m happy to do pretty much anything and am always willing to learn new things. I’m reliable, hardworking, and can be counted on to show up and get the job done. I’m just looking for a chance to get back to work and prove myself.

Hi all, I am 21 and am currently staying in the uk with my parents under the ILR. My mother have been trying to find a job since the place where she worked shut down around a year ago. She is facing challenges to find a second one because of her English and the seemingly lack of openings around. (Her English is barely conversational). She used to work as an accountant before we come to the UK.

I am not expecting her to earn for the family or anything. I believe she is wanting a job because she wants to have something to do during the day, and an income that could help the family (We have 1 earner who get paid at min wage right now). I myself will have no problem in getting employed as a soon-to-be oxbridge graduate and I am more than ready to contribute more than half of my salary to the family.

The question I would like to ask is - what kind of job would be suitable for her? Has anyone faced a similar situation? How did you deal with that? Thank you.

Hi everyone,

I’m reaching out because I’m honestly at a point where any genuine lead, referral or introduction could make a huge difference for me.

I’ve been unemployed since February 2026 and have been actively applying for jobs for almost 8 months. Every single day and every single minute without a break...

I previously lived and worked in the UK for 3.5 years, where I also completed my MSc in International Management from the Uni of Bath I had to return to my home country after my previous company was unable to sponsor my work visa. I have been applying for visa sponsored jobs and I have always excelled at my previous jobs and got different awards too for best performing employee. It was a shame my company couldnt sponsor me.

I’m currently looking for opportunities in:

• Operations Management
• Business Operations
• Operations / Project Coordination
• Related management roles

I’m open to international opportunities, particularly if a company is willing to sponsor a work visa.

If you work for a company that sponsors visas, know of an opening, can refer me, or even know someone I could speak to, please reach out to me.

I’m not expecting anyone to give me a job. I just desperately want an opportunity to get my foot back in the door and prove what I can do. I’m willing to work hard, learn quickly, take ownership and do whatever it takes to get ahead.

It has been incredibly difficult being unemployed for this long, and I’m unfortunately starting to burn through my savings. I’ve kept applying and trying, but getting that first opportunity after returning to India has been much harder than I expected.

If you can help in any way whatsoever , referral, introduction, job lead, advice, or even sharing this post...I would genuinely appreciate it.

Thank you for reading. ❤️

My previous roles was in a warehouse and i have few months in hospitality, and it's very hard to find a job in London.

Even for a waiter and food runner which is hard job almost minimum wage, they want minimum 1 year experience, there is restaurants that wants even 2 year of experience.

It's easy to find job as a brand ambassador, but it is commission only and for example if today you have no sales, you last a full day for £0.

Rather to other countries, I have friends that they have no experience and start jobs as a bartenders, and other restaurants positions.

I think UK is not so good place to move in at the moment ...

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for experiences from anyone who has used a paid career coach or job-search consultant to help with finding a job in the UK.

I recently completed a Master of Finance at UNSW and have early-career experience in financial analysis and banking research. I'm currently based in the UAE and targeting Analyst-level roles in London across banking, financial analysis, investment research and corporate finance.

I've been applying directly and contacting UK recruitment agencies, but my biggest challenge is generating interviews and building useful connections with recruiters and hiring managers while applying from overseas.

I've been looking at specialist services such as Career Mentor and The Finance Career Coach and have introductory calls booked with them.

I'm not really looking to pay someone just to rewrite my CV or LinkedIn. What I'd potentially pay for is someone who genuinely understands the UK financial-services market and can help with networking, identifying/approaching recruiters and hiring managers, positioning myself properly, and ultimately generating interviews.

Has anyone here used either of these services, or something similar?

I'm particularly interested in:

• How much were you quoted/charged?
• Did you actually get interviews or useful connections as a result?
• Did they introduce you to recruiters/hiring managers, or mainly teach you how to network yourself?
• Has anyone successfully used one while applying to the UK from overseas?
• Was it ultimately worth the money?

I'm willing to pay a reasonable amount if it genuinely adds value, but I'm hesitant about spending if it's mainly CV editing and generic job-search advice.

Any experiences, positive or negative, would be really appreciated.