Finding graduate work

Once you complete your degree, there are a variety of jobs available that you can apply for. Two of the most popular are graduate jobs and graduate program positions.

Graduate jobs

Graduate jobs (also known as entry-level jobs) require a qualification, and a specific set of skills and knowledge. Graduate jobs can be great to get your foot in the door within your chosen industry and provide you with experiences and opportunities to develop your skills and expertise.

Entry level job vacancies can become available at any time of the year, therefore are a popular option for mid-year graduates. Not all graduates are attracted to the formal Graduate Programs, therefore a great number of university graduates commence their career in entry level positions. 

How do I find out about Graduate jobs? 

There are a variety of ways to find out about Graduate jobs including:

• Access
• UniSQ's Career Fair
• LinkedIn and Facebook
• Graduate specific websites such as Graduate Opportunities, GradConnection and GradAustralia.
• Australian Federal Government and Australian State Government websites
• Company websites
• Newspapers and industry publications.

Graduate programs

If you would like more structure to your new role and more formal on-the-job training and development, graduate programs are offered by a number of organisations each year. Graduate recruitment programs are generally offered by medium or large private and public organisations and Non-Government Organisations (NGO’s).These positions are highly sought after and recruitment can commence up to ten months before hand, so you need to be prepared and apply early. Most graduate programs have one key recruitment period per year, some with applications closing as early as April. Some companies however have rolling intakes throughout the year. You may wish to monitor these through sites like Access, Graduate Opportunities or GradConnection.

Graduate programs are more structured than entry level positions. They have a set duration (one to two years), have formalized training and development imbedded and can feature rotations around the company and physical locations. They can often feature mentoring and some have training leading to post graduate qualifications. Graduate Programs attract a certain type candidate and are not suitable for all university graduates. They are highly competitive, representative of certain industries, and most often limited to capital cities and major metropolitan areas.

Are you prepared for life after graduation?

UniSQ will be there to assist you with realising your career goals for 12 months post graduation. Find out what supports are available.