Why Getting Your First Job Is Becoming Harder – and What Students Can Do About It

Getting your first job has never been completely straightforward. But for young people entering the workplace today, competition is becoming tougher.

New research suggests employers are becoming more cautious about recruitment. At the same time, more young people are competing for early-career opportunities.

So, if you are applying for your first job or apprenticeship and finding it difficult, what is happening – and what can you do to improve your chances?

Employers are becoming more cautious about hiring

Recent employment research found that just 15% of businesses said they were confident about hiring, down from 24% a year earlier.

More than half of businesses surveyed also said wider costs meant they were offering fewer apprenticeships than they would like to.

That does not mean businesses have stopped recruiting apprentices.

But it does mean some employers may be more careful about when they recruit and how many people they take on.

For young people, this can result in more competition for the opportunities that are available.

Competition for early-career opportunities is increasing

The challenge is not limited to apprenticeships.

Recent research found that applications for internships increased by 27%, while the number of positions available fell by 8%.

On average, employers received more than 100 applications for each internship.

Apprenticeships and internships are different, but the figures show how competitive some early-career opportunities have become.

You may now be competing with dozens – or sometimes hundreds – of other applicants.

That makes showing an employer why you are right for the opportunity even more important.

Lack of experience can become a problem

There is another challenge.

How do you get experience when nobody has given you your first opportunity yet?

Skills England says young people commonly identify limited work experience, anxiety and a lack of local job opportunities as barriers when trying to enter employment.

The government also says almost six in ten young people aged 18 to 24 who are not currently in education, employment or training have never had a job.

This is one reason work experience is receiving so much attention.

Meaningful work experience, particularly when young people are given real responsibilities, can be one of the most effective ways to develop and demonstrate workplace skills.

Does this mean you need a job before you can get an apprenticeship?

No.

Employers understand that apprenticeship applicants are often at the very beginning of their careers.

You are not expected to have years of professional experience.

But employers will still want to understand what you can offer.

That is where the experiences you already have become important.

Look beyond paid work

You might have more useful experience than you think.

Perhaps you have:

Completed a group project at school

This could demonstrate teamwork, planning and communication.

Played for a sports team

You may have developed commitment, teamwork and resilience.

Volunteered

This can show responsibility and willingness to help others.

Helped care for a family member

You may have developed organisation, patience and reliability.

Created your own project

Whether you built a website, created videos, repaired something or taught yourself a new skill, this could demonstrate initiative.

Had a weekend or part-time job

Even if it has nothing to do with your future career, it can provide examples of communication, teamwork and responsibility.

The important part is being able to explain what you learned.

Don’t just tell an employer your skills – prove them

Imagine an apprenticeship application asks:

“Tell us about a time you worked well with others.”

Writing:

“I am good at teamwork.”

doesn’t give the employer much evidence.

Instead, you could say:

“During a school project, I worked with four other students. We divided the tasks between us, agreed deadlines and helped each other finish the project on time.”

Now the employer can see how you actually used the skill.

When preparing applications or interviews, think about:

What was the situation?

What did I need to do?

What action did I take?

What happened as a result?

Keep a few examples ready. They can be adapted for different questions.

Apply to more than just the biggest employers

Household-name apprenticeship programmes can attract huge numbers of applicants.

But thousands of apprenticeships are also offered by smaller businesses.

A local engineering company, digital agency, accountancy practice, dental surgery or construction firm may offer an opportunity that you would never find by searching only the biggest company names.

Broaden your search by:

Looking at employers of different sizes.

Searching different locations.

Exploring careers rather than just company names.

Setting alerts for new apprenticeship vacancies.

Checking opportunities regularly, rather than once every few months.

Start looking earlier than you think

Another mistake is waiting until the end of Year 13 to begin searching.

Apprenticeship recruitment does not follow one national deadline.

Some employers recruit almost a year before an apprenticeship starts. Others advertise only weeks or months beforehand.

That means there is no single “apprenticeship application season”.

Starting your research early gives you more time to:

Improve your CV.

Build experience.

Research employers.

Practise interviews.

Understand which apprenticeship levels suit you.

And spot vacancies before applications close.

Don’t let rejection stop your search

When there are many applicants for one position, good candidates will sometimes miss out.

That does not automatically mean you were not good enough.

Ask for feedback when possible.

Look at where you reached in the process.

If you passed an online assessment but struggled at interview, focus on interview practice.

If you are not getting through the application stage, review your answers and make sure you are giving specific examples rather than generic statements.

Every application can teach you something.

More first-job opportunities are being created

There are also new attempts to help more young people gain their first workplace experience.

A new partnership between government and the hospitality sector has announced plans to provide 100,000 paid jobs over three years for 18 to 24-year-olds who are not currently in education, employment or training, alongside work experience and training opportunities.

A wider programme is also aiming to create an additional 200,000 work experience placements.

These schemes will not solve every challenge facing young people entering the workplace, but they show how important gaining that first experience has become.