“Each rejection is difficult to take”: The experience of postgraduates in the labour market
Image Credits- Mika Photogenius
As we approach halfway through the first semester of the academic year, many final year students are applying for post graduate jobs as they start to think about what life after university might have to offer.
For many, the postgraduate job hunt has proved to be tricky. Students can find themselves applying for hundreds of job advertisements without receiving anything as much as a standardised rejection email.
Research from the job-hunting website ‘Indeed’ shows that in the twelve months leading up to June 2025, graduate job postings has fallen thirty-three percent compared to the previous year.
The fall in postgraduate jobs has been coupled with higher numbers of university leavers. The 2023/24 academic year saw over one million graduates compared to 828,000 five years before.
Postgraduates aren’t the only ones struggling in the UK labour market figures published by the Office for National Statistics last week showed that unemployment rose to 5% in the three months to the end of September, the highest level in four years.
The issues in the postgraduate job market are symptomatic of a much more systemic issue facing younger people in the job market. Figures from the ONS showed that in September 2025, 12.7% of all people aged 16 to 24 were not in education, employment or training.
In an interview with a University of Leeds graduate who, after four years of completing a degree and a full-time role in her desired career path, has spent six months struggling to find another job in the same sector and is currently working in hospitality.
The graduate said “I thought I’d have found another role in my desired industry by this point, especially after having worked incredibly hard on a unique skill set alongside a degree for four years”
She went on to say that “Each [job] rejection is difficult to take as it means one step back for every two steps forward via applications, interviews or other opportunities.”
She commented how she felt “lucky to have a job”, given that this was not the reality for many of her peers and noted that she tries her best to stay grateful and optimistic in a “very challenging job market for young people.”
A spokesperson for the University of Leeds said, “The Careers Service provides a variety of ways for students to work with the team. These include one-to-one online appointments, which are available for graduates unable to make it to campus and appointments outside of typical office hours.
The dedicated graduate support team is committed to developing the employability of our students by running a variety of focused graduate events, including ones outside of office hours, to help with the transition between student and graduate life.