Real-life support for graduates
GradIRL is a welcoming place to build your career, make your money go further, and support your wellbeing while you find your feet after university.
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Graduate Jobs
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Jobs
Jobs for Graduates
Career advice, job search tips and open graduate roles — from CVs and interviews to landing your first role after university.
The 2026 graduate job market: What's really happening and how to adapt
The graduate job market has cooled, but it's not the story some headlines suggest. Here's what the latest data actually says and practical steps to find your footing in 2026.
Use AI tools in your job search without losing your voice
AI is now a normal part of the graduate job hunt. Here is how to use it wisely in your applications while keeping your authentic voice front and centre. category: jobs
Finance
Finance for Graduates
Practical money management — budgeting, student loans, savings and growing your confidence on a starter salary.
Surviving Your First Year Post-Uni in a High-Cost City
A practical budgeting guide for recent graduates, breaking down what it really costs to live in places like London and other expensive UK cities, and offering realistic tips for managing rent, bills, food, transport and everyday life after university.
Cost of Living Guide for Graduates: Save on Rent, Bills and Food
Practical cost of living tips for UK graduates. Learn how to save on rent, energy bills, food and transport, plus the financial support you may be entitled to.
Wellbeing
Wellbeing for Graduates
Support for the ups and downs of life after university — practical guides, and where to find help from services like the NHS and helplines if you need more.
Who Am I If I’m Not a Student?
A personal reflection on the transition from university to adulthood, sharing my experiences after graduation and the lessons I've learned to reassure graduates who may feel uncertain about what comes next.
Job Search Burnout: Rest Without Feeling Like You’re Giving Up
A practical, reassuring guide for graduates who feel drained by constant applications, helping them spot burnout, set boundaries and build rest into the search without guilt.
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Jobs
Weekly Interview Question
“What do you think our main challenges are right now?”
A classic competency question — asked by the large majority of graduate employers. Over 90% of FTSE 100 firms use structured, competency-based questioning (Institute of Student Employers).
How to answer it
- Use the STAR method — Situation, Task, Action, Result. Structure your answer around these four steps.
- Pick a real example — university group project, part-time job, volunteering, or sports team all work well.
- Focus on your contribution — what specifically did you do? Use "I" not "we" to show your role.
- Keep it concise — aim for 90–120 seconds. Practise aloud until it feels natural, not rehearsed.
- Practise with a friend — ask someone to throw you follow-up questions to build your confidence.
Free downloads
Useful Resources
Templates and tools to help you stay organised, save time, and keep on top of your finances.
Browse all resources →Job Tracker Spreadsheet
A simple spreadsheet to keep every graduate job application in one place — track roles, deadlines, interviews and outcomes so nothing slips through the cracks.
CV Template
A clean, graduate-friendly CV template designed to pass automated screening and catch a recruiter's eye, with prompts in every section to help you write it.
Budget Spreadsheet
A simple monthly budget planner built for starter salaries — track income, bills, rent, food and savings, with the maths done for you.
Cover Letter Starter
A flexible cover letter template you can adapt for any role, with prompts that help you connect your degree and experience to what the employer wants.
Interview Prep Workbook
A practical workbook to plan your answers, research the employer, and prepare questions to ask — covering competency, strength-based and technical interviews.
First-Home Checklist
Moving into your first rented place? This checklist covers deposits, bills, contents insurance and everything else you didn't know you'd need — in one tidy list.
How GradIRL helps
For life after university
Built for the gap between graduation and getting settled.
Jobs • Finance • Wellbeing
Everything that matters once the studying stops.
Free & impartial
No selling, no jargon — just honest, useful help.
Kind, not patronising
Supportive advice that respects where you're at.
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GradIRL works best when you participate. You belong here, sharing your journey with life, money or wellbeing. You can turn this space into real support for someone feeling lost.
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