Caitlin Morgan is 23 years old. She has heroically publicized her painful post-academic job search after graduating on this brand new BEAM degree in Finance and Accounting. During her 18-month-long job search, Morgan applied to more than 600 jobs. Her eventual role as a trainee accountant in London had just been confirmed, deferring the start until September. Her story exemplifies the challenges all new graduates encounter in the current, cutthroat job climate.
Morgan started her post-graduation job hunt with optimism after having completed a year in industry as part of her degree. She thought this experience would provide her a leg up against other applicants. The reality turned out to be quite the opposite. She suffered an initial blow, getting rejected 150 times with no comments.
I spent blood, sweat, and tears on my applications. When I didn’t get any feedback, it was hard not to speculate on what exactly my application was lacking. I wish someone would have told me that,” said Morgan, looking back on the discouragement she experienced while searching.
Despite the initial rejections, Morgan remained determined. She only had to send enough applications to meet the target of two applications a day, which helped keep her pressure and anxiety low. Throughout her search, she reached the assessment stages for 221 jobs. On top of that, she killed it in five final round interviews. Even with all that effort, she didn’t even get a reply on 271 other applications. This all left her feeling discouraged at the impact of her work.
She confessed that she was utterly dejected for a stretch. It was during that time that she lost faith in the idea of going to university and/or receiving degrees. The absence of responses took a toll on her, and it was easy to lose faith in her own voice along the way.
Morgan also wondered if the increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) in recruitment processes played a part in her difficulties. “I think there’s a lot of noise with employers with a sheer number of applicants for an opportunity, so it’s really difficult for clients to whittle that down,” she noted.
James Fortnam, a career advisor with the National Careers Service, sounded a similar note. “Getting your first job post-education is the biggest step because you might not necessarily have a lot of experience,” he said. He underscored the importance of tailoring CVs and resumes for every job application. For the first time, companies are using new software tools to align applicants’ qualifications with job requirements.
Morgan’s tenacity finally translated into success with the offer for a once-in-a-lifetime position in London. Not only does her new job suit her career goals ideally, it has the courses she wants to take in finance.
If I had known early on what amendments would needed to be made on my applications, this would have helped tremendously! That information would have vastly strengthened my other applications. Morgan reflected on her journey.
