Career Ready Plan Find graduate jobs and programs

Find graduate jobs and programs

Prepare early in your final year

Develop a job search plan and devote time to it. Identify employers and positions of interest and familiarise yourself with their recruitment practices and deadlines. Broaden your search for opportunities based on your skills, not just your degree title. Employers are increasingly recruiting from a diverse range of degrees.

Tips

  • Check the job sites such as JCU CareerHub, SEEK, LinkedIn Jobs, Australian Job Search, Queensland Government Jobs
  • Scan the careers section within employer websites to identify recruitment opportunities and time frames.
  • Complete the Graduate Job Search module in JCU Employability Edge to gain confidence in your job search approach and ensure you are applying the most effective job search strategies.
  • Read your course-specific Career Snapshot for ideas on future employers and job boards relevant to your degree.
  • Scan jobs of interest to identify employer expectations, priorities and organisational values. Work on gaining the experiences, skills and knowledge you need to get the job.
  • Follow employers’ social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok) to learn of opportunities available and understand their company culture and expectations. Employers use social media to promote their organisation and connect with future staff.

Graduate programs vs graduate positions

Graduate Programs

Government and large employers may offer structured graduate employment programs which include on-the-job training and mentoring. Programs are advertised throughout a student's final year of study for commencement of employment in the following year. Many employers commence recruitment early in the year, applications may open as early as February.

While many graduate programs will be tailored towards a particular degree, a number of organisations will run graduate programs recruiting from a wide variety of degrees.

Tips

Graduate Positions

Employers, particularly smaller to medium size organisations may not offer formal graduate programs and will recruit when a position arises. Identify organisations of interest and ensure you are aware of their recruitment practices.

Explore innovative graduate opportunities

Be future orientated, read about innovations, predictions, forecasts and the entrepreneurial nature of future work. Investigate start-ups and network with the entrepreneurial community - attend meetups, start-up weekends, and hackathons. Many employers seek innovative, forward thinkers.

Tips