I've spent over 30 years watching how employers make decisions, and I'll be honest with you: the job market right now is one of the hardest I've seen for people starting out. If you've sent off dozens of applications and heard nothing back, you're not imagining things and you aren’t alone. In the current climate, recruiters are inundated with applications and simply don’t have the capacity to reply to every single person.
But difficult isn't the same as impossible. Let me share what I've learned about getting noticed when the odds feel stacked against you.
The decline of entry-level roles
Let's start with the uncomfortable truth. A few years ago, we had around 180,000 graduate vacancies on our website Reed.co.uk. Today, that figure sits closer to 50,000. That's a dramatic fall, and it explains why so many bright, capable people are struggling to get a foot in the door.
Understanding this is important. It doesn’t mean you’re failing, it means you’re competing in a much larger, more competitive pool of talent. The decline in graduate job opportunities is being driven by several factors, including changes to employment legislation, rising national insurance costs, global economic pressures, and an increasing reliance on AI.
With the latter depleting entry-level roles further, those entering the workplace are battling with more experienced workers for roles across the board. As a result, you'll need to be sharper, more strategic, and more persistent than those looking for work were even three or four years ago.
Getting past the machines
Many employers now use artificial intelligence (AI) to screen applications before a human ever sees them.
If AI is reading your application, it's almost certainly comparing the job description with your CV or cover letter. So, in this case, try to mirror the job description with your own skills and experience. If the role asks for communication, organisation, or customer service, make sure your application clearly shows where you've done exactly those things.
One word of caution, and it's an important one: don't lie. Mirroring a job description means highlighting what you've genuinely done, not inventing skills you don't have. That always unravels, usually at the worst possible moment.
No experience? Go and build some
The most maddening part of job hunting is being told you need experience for an entry-level role. It's worse at the moment because employers are hiring less and often want someone who already knows the ropes.
My advice is simple: build experience wherever you can. Even if it's temporary, casual, or part time, it counts. Volunteering counts. Community projects count. Free online training counts too, such as Anthropic's AI academy. All of it gives you something concrete to talk about and shows you've taken initiative rather than waited around.
And if you're brave enough to get in front of an employer, you can make the point directly. Someone gave you your first opportunity. That's all you're asking for, too.
Use AI wisely, but sound like yourself
I'm not against using AI to help with applications. It's a wonderful tool, and it can genuinely improve what you produce. The problem comes when you let the technology do all the work, because then your application looks identical to everyone else's. The whole point is to stand out.
This means you need to make sure your CV says who you are. Keep it to one page – or two pages if double sided. Get the opening statement right, because that's what people read first. And get advice from people you trust to check it really sounds like you, that it's a document you feel proud of.
A small confession: I don't mind the odd spelling mistake, because it tells me a human wrote it rather than a machine. That said, attention to detail matters, so make sure the grammar holds up.
The skills that actually move the needle
Three skills make a real difference, and plenty of people are short on them.
Communication comes first. Good communicators have an advantage in every career. Learn how to express yourself clearly and build your confidence speaking in front of people.
Collaboration comes next. Nothing is achieved by one person alone, because you're always part of a team. If an interview is all about "me, me, me," you won't get far.
Then there's resilience. Job hunting is relentless, and you'll undoubtedly take some knocks. Develop a thick skin, stay persistent, and don't take rejection personally. It's normal, and it will serve you well to remember that.
Prepare for the interview
One question comes up more than any other: "Tell me about yourself." If you've prepared, it's the easiest question in the room and you can knock it out of the park. If you haven't, you'll go all over the place.
Treat every interview as a life-changing conversation, because it can be. That's reason enough to prepare properly.
The mindset shift that changes everything
The biggest mistake I see is people thinking the world owes them a living, or that someone should hand them a job simply because they've turned up.
Flip it around. A job is a problem waiting to be solved. Ask yourself, how am I the solution for this employer or company? The moment you stop thinking "what's in it for me" and start showing why they should hire you, everything changes.
Britain has enormous talent, and that includes you. The market is tough, but the people who prepare well, build experience, and present themselves as the answer to an employer's problem are the ones who get through. Keep going. It's worth it.
Looking to take the next step in your career, find your next opportunity here.
