Four young people have described the impact of an endless cycle of job applications and rejections, with one saying the social contract in Britain feels broken. In the first instalment of a new series, they reveal how they have been shut out of careers despite qualifications and effort.
Aamir: 'You can do everything right and still lose'
Aamir, 25, estimates he has applied for more than 1,000 jobs since graduating last year. He holds a BA in media and communications and an MA in media studies from two Russell group London universities. After a temporary digital publishing role ended after a few months, he has been living with his parents in east London, claiming universal credit and looking for work.
"I've been demoralised by the process, just constantly applying, then interviewing," he says. "Some companies don't even give rejection emails." He has attended interview coaching through the government's Restart programme and is completing free Google qualifications to strengthen his CV. "The universal credit people told me I'd done everything right," he says. "You can do everything right and still lose. I feel like the social contract is broken in Britain."
Alice: 'A generation of talent is being wasted'
Alice, 24, went from a state secondary school to the University of Oxford and completed a master's degree from Cambridge. After finishing her studies in 2024, she spent six months in hospitality to fund an Interrail trip, then returned to Bristol expecting to begin her career. More than a year later, she is financially supported by her parents and has submitted 50 tailored job applications, reaching the interview stage five times.
"It feels like a generation of talent is being wasted," she says. "We are all desperate to work, contribute to society and get on with our lives." One employer headhunted her and put her through two interview rounds before admitting it could no longer recruit anyone. She came second in a selection process for a deputy manager role at a charity shop, and despite being encouraged to apply for a similar position, she was again unsuccessful. "I feel that if I can't get this job, I can't get anything," she says.
Liam: 'Volunteering gives me a reason to get up'
Liam, 20, from Exeter, left school at 16 and completed qualifications in horticulture and land and wildlife management, hoping to build a career in grounds maintenance or landscaping. Instead, he has spent two years in a cycle of applications, rejections and short-lived jobs. One employer told him he lacked experience after a trial shift; another kept him on for just six shifts before saying rising costs meant they could not afford to keep him.
Liam, who is autistic, believes some employers fail to understand the adaptations that would help him succeed. He now volunteers two days a week at two community gardens and attends Connect to Work, a government-backed scheme for disabled people and those with health conditions. "Volunteering gives me a reason to get up in the morning," he says. "I keep fighting. I want to be financially independent, and I still believe that one day the right opportunity will come along."
Peter: 'One graduate can do the work of 10 with AI'
Peter, 21, studied computer science at Leicester University and achieved a first in his degree. After his course finished in April, he applied for graduate software engineering jobs in London but never reached the interview stage. He has applied for more than 50 jobs, but cannot afford to move away from Maidstone, Kent, where he lives with his parents, and says there are no graduate-level software engineering jobs locally.
"Why would you employ 10 graduates when you can have one graduate doing the work of 10 with the help of AI," he says. Peter, who achieved As in maths, physics and computer science, and a B in further maths, believes his lack of work experience has hampered his search. He has shifted his focus to entry-level work at supermarkets and restaurants and has recently secured two days a week of bar work. All names have been changed.
