Theresa Blair had sent off hundreds of job applications. For eight months, the 24-year-old pharmacy masters graduate from Aston University heard nothing back. Then she stopped sending generic CVs. Instead, she began reading into each company’s values and referencing them in her applications. “The less generic the better,” she says. She applied for fewer jobs but spent more time on each one, stating the skills she had gained and explaining how they made her a suitable candidate. The strategy worked: she got a job in a bank customer service call centre and now works as a project manager, commuting three days a week to London. “It’s two to three hour commute which can be difficult but I’m gaining valuable experience at a reputable company, so I’m incredibly happy,” she says. Her advice to others: “As hard as it is, keep applying. The job market isn’t easy right now but believe the work you’ve put in will be seen by employers.”
Callum Stevens, 24, from Curry Rivel in Somerset, studied computer science at the University of the West of England (UWE), where he developed an interest in transport. He reached out on LinkedIn to someone doing a transport planning internship at Bristol City Council. When the internship came up again, he applied – and succeeded, despite having no previous experience in the field. He believes his demonstration of interest and passion to learn secured the role. The internship is full-time, pays the minimum wage and ends in August. There may be an opportunity to extend it, but for now Callum has begun searching for a full-time job. “While it’s not permanent, the experience has been invaluable,” he says. “It’s as powerful as my university degree.” His advice to others hoping to land an internship: don’t “underestimate how useful it is to do an internship just because it’s temporary”.
“Two graduates who faced hundreds of job rejections share the targeted strategies that finally landed them roles.”
Both graduates managed to break out of a cycle familiar to many young people today: sending hundreds of applications, rarely hearing back. The struggle is real – a lack of opportunities to gain experience, plus the flood of AI applications that can obscure candidates. Yet Theresa and Callum found ways to stand out. As Theresa puts it, her tailoring meant she could show employers what she had gained from each role and why it made her a candidate worth hiring. For Callum, a single LinkedIn message opened the door to an internship that now rivals his degree in value. What comes next for them – a permanent job for Callum, a shorter commute for Theresa – remains to be seen. But both have proved that persistence, when paired with a targeted approach, can break through the static.