Where Are the Graduate Jobs in 2026? Look for Entry-Level Roles Instead
If you have searched for "graduate jobs" this year, you will have watched the results thin out. The number of roles advertised as graduate positions has dropped to a record low, and we cover what is driving that in our look at the 2026 graduate job market.
This post is about something more useful: where the jobs you can actually get are. Because the figure that made the headlines measures one label, and most first jobs for graduates never use it.
What counts as a graduate job?
People mean two different things by a graduate job.
The first is a graduate scheme. These are structured programmes, usually run by large employers, that recruit a cohort once a year with a fixed application window, assessment centre and start date. Banks, the Big Four accounting firms, the Civil Service Fast Stream and large engineering firms are typical examples.
The second is any role a graduate could do as a first job. Marketing assistant, junior analyst, recruitment resourcer, operations coordinator, trainee accountant. These are advertised all year round, often by small and mid-sized employers, and most never mention graduates in the title.
When job market data talks about graduate vacancies, it mostly means the first group. When you are job hunting, you should be looking at both.
How big is the gap between graduate and entry-level vacancies?
Bigger than most people realise. Adzuna's latest monthly figures show the difference (Adzuna):
| Adverts in July 2026 | Vacancies | Change on a year |
|---|---|---|
| Advertised as graduate roles | 8,383 | Down 45.6% |
| Advertised as entry-level roles | 192,864 | Down 8.1% |
Not every entry-level role will suit a graduate, and some ask for experience you won't have yet. But the pool is many times larger than the graduate label suggests, and it is shrinking far more slowly.
The Institute of Student Employers has made the same point, telling People Management in August that graduates compete for a much wider range of entry-level jobs than those advertised as graduate roles. Another recruitment specialist quoted in the same piece described the fall as a graduate scheme problem rather than a junior roles problem (People Management).
Which job titles should graduates search for instead?
Search for what the job is, not who it is for. These are common entry-level titles in the UK, grouped by field:
- Marketing and communications: marketing assistant, marketing executive, content coordinator, social media executive, PR assistant.
- Finance and accounting: finance assistant, accounts assistant, trainee accountant, junior analyst, credit controller.
- HR and recruitment: HR assistant, HR administrator, recruitment resourcer, trainee recruitment consultant, talent coordinator.
- Operations and business support: operations coordinator, project support officer, business administrator, customer success associate.
- Data and technology: junior data analyst, IT support analyst, junior developer, QA tester.
- Sales: business development executive, sales development representative, account coordinator.
- Public sector and charities: administrative officer and executive officer roles in the Civil Service, assistant roles in councils and the NHS, programme assistant roles in charities.
Two search habits make a real difference. Pair words like "junior", "trainee", "assistant" and "coordinator" with your field, and filter by salary band rather than by the word graduate. You will find roles a graduate search would never show you.
Do entry-level jobs want a degree?
Many don't ask for one. That is not a reason to hide yours, but it changes how you use it.
For a graduate scheme, the degree is part of the entry ticket. For an entry-level role, the employer mostly wants to know whether you can do the job and whether you will stick at it. Your degree becomes supporting evidence rather than the headline. Lead with the skills the advert asks for, then show where you built them: your course, a dissertation project, a part-time job, a society role, a placement.
If you meet most of the requirements, apply. Entry-level adverts are often written as wish lists, and the people hiring know it.
When should you apply for entry-level roles?
All year round, and quickly. Graduate schemes recruit in cycles, with many opening in the autumn for the following year's intake. HSBC, for example, announced 1,000 early-career places in September across apprenticeships, graduate programmes and internships (Personnel Today).
Entry-level roles work differently. They open when a team needs someone and often close as soon as the employer has enough strong applicants, sometimes within days. Waiting for a deadline that doesn't exist is one of the most common ways graduates miss out.
The practical answer is to run two tracks at once: a small number of well-researched scheme applications in the autumn, and a steady weekly flow of entry-level applications all year.
How do you tailor your CV for an entry-level role?
Tailor it to the job, not to your degree. Pick out the three or four skills the advert repeats, use the same words in your personal statement and skills section, and back each one with evidence.
Many graduate CVs open with the degree title and a list of modules. For an entry-level role, that wastes the space a recruiter reads first. Compare these two openings from the same person:
- Degree first: "BA History graduate with a strong academic record, seeking an opportunity to develop my skills."
- Job first: "Organised, accurate administrator with experience running events for a 300-member university society and handling customer queries in a busy retail role. BA History, 2:1."
The second version answers the recruiter's question before they ask it. If you are applying for two or three types of role, build a CV for each type rather than rewriting from scratch every time. We explain how in should you tailor your CV for every job, and if your experience is from a different field, our guide to transferable skills shows how to reframe it.
Where are entry-level roles advertised?
Everywhere, which is part of the problem. The big job boards carry a large share, but plenty of roles only appear on company careers pages or in employers' own application systems. Public sector roles have their own portals, such as Civil Service Jobs and NHS Jobs. Recruitment agencies handle many junior roles in finance, admin and sales.
MyPathfinder's job search brings roles from the major UK job boards together with roles posted on company websites and applicant tracking systems, so you can search once rather than across a dozen tabs. Every role gets a Vibe Score for culture, flex and pace, which helps you spend your applications on the ones worth it.
The bottom line
The graduate jobs headline is real, but it describes graduate schemes, not first jobs. Entry-level roles far outnumber graduate-labelled ones and are falling much more slowly. Widen your search terms, apply all year, and lead with what the job needs rather than what you studied.