Apply for Graduate Jobs in March for Best Chance of Success, New Study Says

JOBLIFT CALCULATES THE BEST MONTH TO APPLY FOR A GRADUATE JOB. Post-graduation, September, the start of the year; when is the best time to apply for a graduate job opening?

Job search platform Joblift has analysed this question, calculating the difference between demand and supply for graduate jobs each month over the last two years.

These results were then grouped together by months to give an overall, average view of the best time of year for graduates to search and apply for positions. The findings highlight that spring and early summer were the best time to apply for vacancies, while the graduation month of July was the worst time.

APPLYING FOR VACANCIES IN MARCH AND EXAM-TIME GIVES THE BEST CHANCE OF SUCCESS

According to Joblift, the best month to search and apply for a graduate job is March. Ahead of the summer exam period, March saw the highest percentage share of graduate job vacancies posted online (10.34%) outnumbering the amount of users searching for vacancies (7.32%) by 3.02 percentage points, meaning a low level of competition on the job market.

May ranked as the second best month to submit an application for a graduate job. The fifth month of the year saw the lowest number of searches (6.76%) making the supply (9.17%) outnumbering demand by 2.41 percentage higher points. June followed as the third best month to apply with supply outnumbering demand by 1.53 percentage points, with 9.25% of graduate job vacancies advertised in this month and 7.72% of searches.

Interestingly, the results show that forward thinking students who actively search for positions just before and during exam time give themselves the best possible chance of employment.

COMMON GRADUATION MONTH, JULY, IS THE WORST TIME TO APPLY

Joblift’s studies show that July is the worst time to apply for a graduate job vacancy. With 7.83% in the number of available graduate job vacancies and 9.90% in the number of online vacancy searches, July saw the greatest negative difference of minus 2.07 percentage points, meaning the highest amount of competition for applicants.

July saw the second highest percentage share in online searches (after September with a 10.02% share), understandable given this time is a common post-exam and graduation period in the United Kingdom.

Following closely, October ranked as the second worst month, with demand for positions (9.91%) outnumbering the number of available vacancies (7.89%) by 2.02 percentage points.

As the third worst month to submit a graduate job application, December saw the lowest amount of available graduate job vacancies at 5.44% share. Therefore, despite relatively low online searches (7.19%), the Christmas month saw a negative difference of minus 1.75 percentage points.