New data from RateMyPlacement has found that 64% of first-time job applicants in the UK are rejected due to a lack of experience.
The research also found that:
- Retail and finance are the hardest industries to get into without prior experience.
- Leeds is the hardest place to get a job without experience, whereas Belfast is the easiest place to secure a first-time job, regardless of experience.
- Early careers expert has shared top tips to help first-time applicants avoid rejection due to lack of experience.
In 2022, the UK government revealed Graduate employment rate saw a slight increase of 0.4% since 2020 up to 86.7%. But, what are the obstacles standing in the way of the remaining 13.3%?
According to new survey data carried out by the online student job board, RateMyPlacement, 64% of people in the UK have been rejected from their first job application because of their lack of experience.
What's more, the data shows that men are more likely than women to be rejected from a job due to a 'lack of experience' as 70% of men claim they have been rejected compared to 59% of women.
WHICH REGION REJECTS FIRST-TIME APPLICANTS THE MOST DUE TO 'LACK OF EXPERIENCE'?
|
City
|
Amount rejected from first job due to 'lack of experience'
|
|
Leeds
|
73%
|
|
Sheffield
|
68%
|
|
Liverpool
|
67%
|
|
Nottingham
|
67%
|
|
London
|
66%
|
|
Southampton
|
66%
|
|
Birmingham
|
65%
|
|
Glasgow
|
65%
|
|
Manchester
|
65%
|
|
Newcastle
|
65%
|
|
Norwich
|
61%
|
|
Cardiff
|
57%
|
|
Edinburgh
|
50%
|
|
Bristol
|
46%
|
|
Belfast
|
42%
|
Inexperienced respondents in Leeds are most likely to not see their application progress, with three quarters [73%] saying they've been rejected from jobs for this reason. Whereas Belfast appears to be the most likely city to get a job without experience, as rejections sit 22 percentage points below the national average [42% vs. 64% national average].
WHICH INDUSTRY REJECTS FIRST-TIME APPLICANTS THE MOST DUE TO 'LACK OF EXPERIENCE'?
|
Industry
|
% of rejections
|
|
Accountancy, banking and finance
|
16%
|
|
Retail
|
16%
|
|
IT
|
10%
|
|
Engineering and manufacturing
|
10%
|
|
Business, consulting and management
|
9%
|
|
Public services and administration
|
8%
|
|
Hospitality
|
7%
|
|
Sales
|
7%
|
|
Charity and voluntary work
|
5%
|
|
Healthcare
|
5%
|
|
Teacher training and education
|
5%
|
|
Leisure, sport and tourism
|
4%
|
|
Transport and logistics
|
4%
|
|
Creative arts and design
|
4%
|
|
Property and construction
|
4%
|
|
Energy and utilities
|
3%
|
|
Marketing, advertising and PR
|
3%
|
|
Recruitment and HR
|
2%
|
|
Law
|
2%
|
|
Environment and agriculture
|
2%
|
|
Social care
|
2%
|
|
Law enforcement and security
|
2%
|
|
Science and pharmaceuticals
|
0.9%
|
When asked which industries they were rejected from, accountancy/banking/finance and retail come out on top at 16%. One in ten [10%] say they were rejected from IT and engineering/manufacturing jobs for their lack of experience.
Early careers expert and co-founder of RateMyPlacement, Oliver Sidwell, reveals how entry-level applicants can avoid rejection due to a lack of experience in their chosen field:
"Whilst it may seem an impossible situation sometimes for graduates to break into their career sector, rejection is often due to applicants not using the application process to really show off the skills that they do already attain. There are a few things graduates can do to reduce the chances of rejection due to a lack of experience:
- Target entry-level positions
- Champion the skills acquired from university and include these in your CV
- Show off your extra curricular efforts, including volunteering and part-time jobs
- Practice your interview techniques to feel more prepared."
You can find more information from Oliver on how to enhance your chances of securing your first-time job, here.