"WTF is a Grad Program?" and other grad application questions, answered
Nicolette Petra guides you through grad application season.
As a student with just under one year left of her tertiary studies, I’ve spent the last four months applying for graduate positions and grad programs in order to set myself up for the next phase of life: full-time work.
The thought of leaving university behind might fill some of us with dread. But for others, the change that post-graduation life brings rings in relief and excitement - no more mandatory group presentations, no more stupol messages around election time from people that haven’t spoken to you in months, no more unpaid internships.
You can see it now - you’ll get outta this town, have your dream job in no time, and climb the ranks (and the pay grades) as quickly as Emily in Paris accumulated Instagram followers. But, securing said ‘dream job’ - or pretty much any job - can be a whole lot harder than Netflix makes it out to be.
Emily from Emily in Paris looking perplexed because she’s just realised getting a dream job isn’t as easy as Netflix makes it out to be.
Applying for grad jobs is the rite of passage we all wish we didn’t have to go through. There’s the time spent scouring the internet for ads, confusing job descriptions, hours spent on CVs and cover letters, cold-call interviews and even the dreaded online interviews. Even if you’ve nabbed yourself an exxy degree (or two), spent years accumulating experience on the side, and marked every application due date on your calendar - there’s no guarantee you’ll be accepted.
Olivia Rodrigo has it right. It’s brutal out here.
I’m not a ‘grad application expert’ by any means, but I am one of many students in the midst of the application process, so I can speak from experience - and I can wholeheartedly attest I know more now than I did when I first started. So, in a bid to dispel the gatekeeping of information about first-time job-hunting (and at the risk of being blacklisted before I’ve secured my own grad job), here are eight FAQs I wish I’d known the answers to a little sooner.
1 - What if I don’t know what I want to do for work yet?
It is okay (read: normal) not to know what you want to do for work yet, and there are plenty of ‘next steps’ you can take, from researching the industries you’re interested in for a better idea of what the day-to-day looks and feels like, to contacting people in your field of interest for their insights and experience. Whether you’re a jack of all trades who can’t decide which career path to follow or you want to work in a field completely different to the one you studied, what’s important is educating and arming yourself with as much information as you can to make the best decision for you.
2 - WTF is a grad position and how is it different from a grad program?
A grad position is an ‘entry level role that requires a university degree but does not necessarily require any experience.’ By contrast, grad programs are offered by firms as structured training, mentorship and learning experiences that can last 1 to 2 years. Often organisations that offer grad programs will allow you to do “rotations” which means you have the opportunity to try out different roles.
For some students, a cadetship might be a better fit. For law students, clerkships can be a great stepping-stone to becoming a graduate.
3 - How do I know which is for me?
Grad programs are great if you’re unsure exactly what you want to specialise in, whereas grad positions are an effective means of diving straight into what you want to specialise in.
Grad programs are also widely advertised so they’re easier to find than grad positions. However, these programs are highly competitive, recruiting only 30% of graduating students each year. If you can sniff out those hard-to-find grad position ads, you’ll still be competing but against a lot less candidates meaning the recruitment process can be up to 50% faster.
But don’t feel like you have to limit yourself to one or the other! Granted you have the time, throw your hat in the ring for all types of grad roles. And remember, just because a job doesn’t have the words ‘graduate’ attached to it doesn’t mean you can’t apply for it!
4 - When should I start applying?
As a blanket rule, you should start applying from about one year before you finish your studies. Yes - one year. And it can feel like a long year. But it’s important to start asap.
I’ve heard many an anecdote from friends who waited until after graduation to start applying because they realised too late. If your goal is securing full time work in a field you want to work in or try out, then putting yourself out there as soon as possible is your best bet at making this happen.
In some cases, you’ll find that companies in similar industries tend to advertise graduate programs around the same time which can make life a little easier. Other times, it’s a matter of setting LinkedIn email alerts and regularly checking online for fresh grad ads.
5 - Where can I find grad role ads?
If you know the names of companies you want to apply for, go to the Career page on their website to check for opportunities. If you’re wanting to cast your net wide, try out these sites as a starting point:
The ‘Jobs’ tab on LinkedIn
Your university’s career portal (for Usyd, it’s the CareerHub)
Glassdoor, for reviews of workplaces and a rough idea of salaries.
6 - What if I don’t have experience?
It’s undoubtedly ironic that some graduate application descriptions have ‘Must have X years of experience’ or ‘Experience ideal’ when a tertiary degree should be enough to qualify you for an ‘entry level’ job. In this situation, you have two options:
Count yourself out of and don’t apply. (Not recommended).
Realise you might have way more experience than you’re giving yourself credit for and apply anyway.
Don’t believe me? Look at the part-time jobs you’ve held over the course of your degree. The tutoring you’ve done. The societies you’ve been part of. The small business you’ve been trying to get off the ground. The weekly volunteering you’ve been committed to. All of these experiences have given you skills and knowledge - time to stop undervaluing them.
7 - What should I include in my application to stand out? Literally, what words?
It’s important you highlight your skills and experience in your CV and cover letter but it’s more important still to refine these documents with each new application. Yes, it’s time-consuming, but it’s necessary to showcase how you’re the best fit for that specific position. As one response on Instagram put it, ‘Don’t pray and spray.’
As for the words to use in your application, do your homework:
Use key words from the job description.
Look up the organisations and companies you’re applying to and note down the words they use to describe their business, job positions, etc.
Use the STAR method to show how your skills and experience are effective.
8 - Am I really going to receive heaps of rejection letters?
Heaps? Maybe, but not necessarily. Some? Most likely. It can be easy to feel disheartened, or even fall victim to the gravitational pull of the comparing-yourself-to-others rabbit hole when you see your peers advancing to the interview stage or receiving acceptance, but it’s important to remember that rejection is part and parcel of the application process. It also means you’re trying. Don’t stop just because you haven’t received your first yes. To revive an old but relevant meme, you can get 99 rejection emails, but all it takes is one yes.
As Lady Gaga says: there can be 100 people in the room and 99 don’t believe in you and just one does. Amen.