Trying to find your first job right now can be a struggle.
There is a lack of opportunities to gain experience and the huge number of AI applications can mean neither you nor the employer can find what you're looking for.
Yet plenty of people are finding ways to stand out and get their feet on the career ladder.
Four people who had been stuck in the cycle of sending hundreds of applications and rarely hearing back have shared the one thing they did differently to secure their first jobs.
Theresa Blair, 24, from Birmingham, graduated from Aston University in 2025 with a pharmacy masters.
But following a project management placement she decided this was the career path she wanted to pursue.
She spent eight months sending off hundreds of job applications often not hearing back.
"I realised I was sending very generic CVs to recruiters and that was making it harder to stand out from other applicants," she says.
She began tailoring her CV to suit every job, reading into each company's values and referencing them in her applications.
"I've learnt that you should state the skills you've gained because of doing certain roles and explain how that makes you a suitable candidate," she says.
She applied for fewer jobs but spent more time on each one. "The less generic the better," she says.
Theresa got a job working full time in a bank customer service call centre.
Now she 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 struggling to get their first job: "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," she said.
Callum Stevens, 24, from Curry Rivel in Somerset, studied computer science at the University of the West of England (UWE) where he also developed an interest in transport.
He reached out on LinkedIn to someone doing a transport planning internship at Bristol City Council and when the internship came up again, he applied and was successful.
Callum had no previous experience in transport planning but believes he got the role because he demonstrated he "was interested and passionate to learn".
The internship is full-time, pays minimum wage and is due to end in August. There may be an opportunity for him to extend it but for now he is beginning the search 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."
Callum's advice for people hoping to land an internship is to not "underestimate how useful it is to do an internship just because it's temporary".
Joshua Hopkins, 26, from Glasgow, started a business and marketing degree in Belgium but then switched to an apprenticeship.
He works at a law firm and is halfway through this three-year Chartered Institute of Management Accountants course to qualify as a chartered accountant.
In between his last job and his current job, Joshua started serving on a housing association board.
He says this has enabled him to show prospective employers "young people can bring a fresh perspective, ask the questions others overlook and add real value even without a mountain of experience."
His advice is to take any opportunity that helps you stand out from other candidates.
He added: "You should be reaching out to people you admire, getting involved in a cause you care about or building skills through short courses.
"A lot of progress comes from simply being proactive."
Clover Nelson, 20, from Leeds, secured a job in retail after three years of unemployment.
"I was on job sites and doing what I could to find work and nine times out of 10 I didn't get a reply back," he says.
Clover decided to try a new approach, going in person to talk with managers instead of sending in online applications and he says that's what landed him this job.
"Start looking for things in shop windows, there is no human element when applying online and it can make all the difference," Clover says.
Katherine Leopold, Faculty Employability Lead Tutor, at Greenwich Business School has shared her top tips on how to apply for roles.
Additional reporting from Kris Bramwell, Andree Massiah and Rozina Sini.
