How Many Graduates Get Relevant Work After Uni? We Asked, You Answered

How are graduates actually faring after they finish studying?

News reports about how tough it is out there for uni graduates to get full-time employment (let alone relevant work from their studies) are, unfortunately, countless.

There are a lot of factors that might contribute to this difficulty, like the rise of automation and improving technology, which means some entry-level positions are being made redundant. 

One of the most obvious contributing factors though is the fact that, with so many graduates out there, employers are spoilt for choice and can afford to be picky.

The number of applicants for many professional jobs in dense urban areas (like the major cities) can reach into the hundreds or even thousands, making graduates' chances of being shortlisted quite tough.

In fact, of those lucky enough to get full-time employment straight out of university last year, 27 per cent of them felt they were not using their skills properly; the very skills they had been developing over the years in university. That's one in three grads. 

But we don't just wanna be a Negative Nancy here. There are ways you can increase your chances by improving on areas that are important to employers or jazzing up your application.

Still, to find out how it's really been for those who've made it through the other side, we asked graduates to let us know what their experience was like after they finished up their studies and entered the big, wide world.

Nine graduates offered their experiences and they ranged from feeling lucky to disappointed. Check them out below!

• I am officially a graduate registered nurse and in all honesty, I have never been more terrified! I have learnt so much in three years and yet sometimes I feel as though all the education in the world will never be enough to prepare me for what is to come. But if there is one thing I am certain of, after over a thousand hours of practical placements, is that I cannot see myself in any other profession. Within a semester, I was qualified to work as a carer, which throughout the following 2.5 years opened my eyes to the greater world of healthcare in disability. In my circumstance, the theory I have learnt has direct practicality to my working and for that, I count myself lucky.
  Sureka from WA
• After graduating from a health science degree it was difficult finding work in that field. I applied for many jobs in the health sector but unless you had amazing grades or experience, there was little hope. I ended up lowering my expectations and started working in administration for a law firm. It was full time but not really in the field I wanted. Due to my lack of experience, the pay was also the minimum salary. It wasn't the most successful career path to start off on.
  Jessica from NSW
• I have been working contract jobs since 2012 and I have not had any permanent jobs since. My current job doesn't require a university degree but having a degree certainly puts me in favour against my competitors. I am just grateful to have a job but I know I can do so much more. I guess having a university degree is not that important. Your personality, character and communication skills will get you through life.
  Lydia from WA
• After graduating I struggled for a little to find employment. After a quick resume revamp, cover letter and applying face to face, I found myself booking interviews daily. Eventually, I found the job I wanted. It took about six weeks to find what I was after but received several offers in between. I know I am one of the lucky ones. Best advice I can give is ask a professional to help revamp your resume. I was applying for jobs daily for six months and nothing. After a revamp in six weeks, I received 10 offers and 23 interviews. It’s about speaking out to who you’re applying too.
  Sabine from WA
• Not good. I did a "good" degree in engineering, Worked hard, got good grades, sacrificed money and social life, and for what? Hundreds upon hundreds/thousands of job rejection emails, low paying jobs with no future career options, bugger all savings, no money, being broke, and having to take a job in a career not the one I graduated in. I wish I had of focused on money instead, got a trade and saved up for at least a degree that focused on making money. I would be so much further ahead in life. Two years out and starting to regret my decision.
  Jamie from WA
• I already accepted a part-time job with the company I was working with as a casual during my university studies. This doesn’t mean I do not [get] job alerts set up to see what work is available in my relevant field, but honestly not much has come up, and if I was seriously searching for a job relevant to my degree I would be seriously concerned. I will be volunteering while working to keep myself connected in the field and to gain the skills required for a future career in my field.
  Anonymous from SA
• Stepping out of my last exam for my Bachelor felt like freedom. Until the realisation that my degree of Advanced Health and Medical Science, got me nowhere except competing against 150 other graduates for three coveted full-time positions and a handful of casual or part-time jobs. None of which meet with our expectation of a salary. With that prospect, I decided to continue on by doing a Masters and to narrow in on a speciality that will be transferable from university to my profession.
  Shae from SA
• Graduating from university opens a whole new world for many people, including myself. My university looked after graduates and offers many services to help people find the right job or guide them in a good direction. I graduated from Creative Writing. My uni created a facebook for graduates where jobs or opportunities are listed and it is also a good place to keep up to date with each other's lives and careers. I decided to continue on to study but my degree has enabled me to be a better person and writer. I feel like I am in a place where I can take on the world and have skills to show for that.
  Louise from VIC
• After I finished university I felt pretty jolted, but like I still had some time to start applying for jobs in my field... I did writing as my major and wanted to focus on lifestyle journalism. I ended up getting an unpaid internship, which I found out I was actually meant to get paid for considering I wasn’t at university any more. Interesting that they neglected to tell me that. Despite the lack of pay, I thought it would be a good 'way in' to the industry. I was pretty wrong. I applied for hundreds of entry-level jobs, mostly under the title of 'intern', with little to no success with only a few callbacks and one interview. I didn’t land the job. I ended up using my resources to network to find a new internship. She expected and had me work for free also based on gaining 'experience' and 'exposure'. Basically, I’ve completely given up on ever getting into the field for which I trained for three years in and devoted a massive HECS debt. I now work as a travel consultant, because they actually pay.
  Sophie from NSW

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