When Daniel Javeed graduated from Brighton University in June 2024 with a degree in software engineering, he thought he would find it easy to get a job. He had done a highly sought-after degree in a competitive field, with jobs typically paying above-average salaries.
Computer science degrees – including software engineering – were ranked 10th by educational consultant, StudyIn, for employability in the UK at the end of 2025, only behind degrees like medicine, dentistry and economics.
The average graduate salary for someone with a software engineering degree is around £34,000, according to Glassdoor.
Yet, after leaving university, it took Daniel almost six months to find a job in his field and he was forced to move back home with his parents, where he worked as a patient caterer at his local hospital.
He was eventually offered a one-year contract role as a data analyst through his university, but at the end of the contract, he once again found himself unemployed for over three months before he landed a role in FDM’s software engineering practice.
Daniel, now 23 and living in London, said: “I spent a lot of time scrutinising the details of my CV and applying for somewhere around 50 to 100 jobs a week.
“I wasn’t in a position to network as I was living in the countryside in Hampshire at the time with no nearby cities, so I had to just spam companies with applications.
“It was a really stressful time. Luckily I had accrued enough savings to keep me afloat [while I looked for a job], but I felt like I just surviving rather than living. It wasn’t what I expected with the degree I chose.”
Daniel is one of thousands of young graduates who faced unemployment after graduating from university, despite opting to study a degree they believed would help boost their career prospects.
According to the latest government data, there were around 732,000 people aged 16 to 24 who were unemployed at the end of January 2026, meaning they were actively looking for work – up 99,000 from the same time last year.
Overall job vacancies have fallen over the past few months as companies look to cut costs, with graduate jobs taking the biggest hit.
Data from jobs search site Adzuna said advertised jobs fell 3 per cent in January to 695,000 – the lowest level since January 2021 – while graduate job vacancies fell below 10,000 for the first time since 2016, when Adzuna began tracking job listings.
It comes as millions of graduates are stuck with tens of thousands of pounds of student debt they are paying off for decades.
The average student loan for graduates who finished their course in 2024, when Daniel graduated, was £53,000. But with interest rates outpacing what most graduates can pay off, many are seeing those loans balloon over time.
How to boost your chances of landing a job
According to recruitment expert Karina Oluwo, head of talent acquisition at recruiter La Fosse, there are several ways to get ahead of the competition if you’re currently searching for a job.
First, she said LinkedIn is always checked first before actual CVs, so it’s important for graduates or those looking for a new role to ensure their profile is up to date, as outdated information can make profiles “invisible”.
“Recruiters are silently scanning profiles before they’ve even opened your application. Think of LinkedIn as your public CV – a recruiter’s first impression is formed there.”
She added that while AI is becoming a core part of hiring processes, people ultimately still make the final call, so having a personalised application can set you apart.
“The basics never go out of fashion. Politeness, enthusiasm, and genuine interest make a candidate memorable. You’d be surprised how often decisions are swayed by who felt the most genuine.”
Experts say that the first few months can typically see more vacancies coming through, hiring managers will get more time to review applications once things settle in spring, so it could be worth applying now – and spending time tailoring applications to each role.
Bethany Windsor, careers expert at recruiter Generation Logistics, said: “While the first months of the year are typically busy for hiring permanent positions, March represents a fantastic opportunity for those seeking pastures new to get their CVs in front of hiring managers.
“It is essential to tailor your CV to each role and company that you apply for. Personalising your application to the specific job, company and sector can help ensure that you stand out during the first stage of the hiring process.”
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