Careers
Landing your first job after graduation
A new-grad's guide to the first job: where to look, how to compete without experience, what employers actually want, and how to use your university career resources.
July 3, 2026 · 9 min read
Graduating into a job search is daunting precisely because of the experience paradox — entry-level roles that somehow want experience. But employers hiring new grads know what they're getting: they're betting on potential, learning speed and core skills. Your job is to make that bet feel safe by showing evidence, not by inventing a history you don't have.
Where to look
Graduate schemes and entry-level roles at larger employers often recruit months ahead, so start early. Your university career center is the highest-leverage resource — listings, employer connections, résumé reviews and mock interviews, all free. The big centers' public guidance is excellent regardless of where you studied: Harvard, UC Berkeley and Stanford Career Education. To connect a major to careers and pay, the BLS field-of-degree data is genuinely useful.
Competing without experience
You compete on evidence of capability. Internships are the strongest signal (see how to find an internship), but class projects, a portfolio, a society you ran, or a self-taught skill all count. Present them like work — situation, action, result — on your résumé and in interviews.
What employers actually want
For a first role, employers mostly want signs you'll learn fast, communicate clearly, do the core tasks, and genuinely want to be there. That's good news: those are demonstrable now. Prepare concrete stories that show them (the behavioral interview guide helps), and tailor your interest to each specific role.
Get judged on potential, fairly
Résumé screening is brutal for new grads with thin CVs. Spoon Hire flips it — build one profile (no prior job needed), sit a fair AI interview, and be judged on skill and potential. Build your profile or browse internships.
Frequently asked
How do I get a job with no experience after college?
Lead with projects, internships, coursework and skills. Use your university career center, apply to genuine entry-level and graduate roles, and show ability through a portfolio or a fair skills-based assessment rather than relying on a thin résumé.
What do employers want from new grads?
Evidence you can learn fast, communicate, and do the core tasks — plus genuine interest in the role. Potential and demonstrated skills matter more than a long history you can't have yet.
When should I start my job search?
Before you graduate if you can — many graduate schemes recruit months ahead. But it's never too late to start a focused, systematic search.
Put it into practice with Spoon Hire.
Run fair, skills-first AI interviews and review anonymized, merit-ranked shortlists.