Student Futures+

Graduate jobs and schemes

Identify the difference between a graduate job and scheme and which would suit you best.

As a graduate, you will be able to apply for a wide range of jobs including graduate jobs, graduate schemes, entry-level roles and non-graduate roles. Which roles you choose to apply for depends on:

the opportunities available in your chosen industry – and the competitiveness of these positions
what you want from your working life and job
your current level of experience and suitability for the roles you are interested in

However there is nothing stopping you from applying for a range of different types of jobs that support your career plans – this is usually the best approach to ensure that you keep your options open and maximise your chances of securing a role in your chosen field. Once you’ve got an idea of which type of job would suit you best, you can use our advice on job-hunting to help you.

Graduate schemes

A graduate scheme is a structured programme typically offered by large companies, although some smaller companies and public sector organisations offer them too. Whilst the duration can vary, graduate schemes typically run over two or three years and whilst there is no guarantee, if you perform well, the company may offer you a permanent contract at the end of it.

Graduate schemes are designed to give graduates a broad range of experiences across different areas of the business and generally involve rotations around different departments. There will often be a cohort of graduates on the scheme together and employers typically offer a comprehensive package of training, mentoring and support to help develop knowledge and skills.

These schemes are extremely competitive, with high numbers of applicants vying for limited positions each year. As such, they tend to have multi-staged recruitment processes, including psychometric tests and assessment centres.

Although all employers vary, recruitment for graduate schemes typically starts in the autumn of your final year of university, with applications opening as early as August and closing in November or December. Assessment centres and interviews usually take place between November and January with successful candidates starting their schemes in September. Some employers will hold further recruitment rounds in the spring and summer and there are an increasing number recruiting graduates all year round, but they all typically start the September after you graduate. Whilst lots of schemes are open to graduates from all degree disciplines, some will have certain stipulations so make sure you check before you apply.

Graduate jobs

A graduate job is a job where you will require a degree and be offered a permanent position within the company. Much like any job, you will take on a specific role as per the job specification and be expected to develop your skills and knowledge in that area. Whilst you may well benefit from training and mentoring, the period of training is unlikely to be as structured and extensive as offered on a graduate scheme.

Graduate jobs exist in all sectors and industries and with many employers in the UK labour market, including large graduate employers, smaller organisations and businesses (what are known as ‘small and medium enterprises’, or SMEs for short), charities and the public sector. Whilst graduate jobs are still competitive, they tend to have a shorter application process than graduate schemes; a CV and short application might be all that is considered for an interview.

Graduate jobs tend to be recruited all year round as and when required, so unlike with a graduate scheme, the employer might not recruit every year. If you are currently studying, you would typically look to start applying for a graduate job no more than three months before you are available to start work as the employer is likely to be looking for a fairly immediate start.

Entry-level and non-graduate jobs

‘Entry-level’ usually describes jobs where the candidate is not expected to have relevant industry experience. These could still be graduate-level but aren’t always. They provide a useful way to get into a sector or industry.

Non-graduate jobs don’t require you to have a degree but as with entry-level roles, your degree may make you more competitive for non-graduate roles.

Entry-level and non-graduate roles can be a great way to gain relevant experience in a particular sector, especially if the sector is very competitive or if you are looking to build your experience in this area. They also provide an opportunity to find out more about a job or sector, especially if you don’t feel ready to commit to a graduate-level job or scheme. For example, you may be interested in a psychology career and take a non-graduate level job as a support worker to gain valuable experience of what it is like to support someone with their mental health. This experience could confirm to you that this is what you would like to do and will also help you stand out from the competition if you then go on to apply for graduate level roles or further study in this field.

Further resources

Use the below resources to explore this topic further:

Book a careers appointment in your Student Futures Account if you're not sure which jobs to apply for
Check job profiles on Prospects to understand what types of jobs you can apply for in your chosen sector
Find out more about graduate jobs on TargetJobs
Find out more about graduate schemes on Prospects and Bright Network