Guide
I'm a new graduate and can't find a job: what should I do? A plan to find where it's breaking (2026)
Short answer · October 2026
When a new graduate can't find a job, the problem is almost always at one of three points in the process, and each has a different fix: (1) If nothing comes back at all, the problem is the CV: the same CV goes to every posting, or companies' applicant tracking systems (ATS) can't read it; the fix is an ATS-friendly CV tailored to each posting. (2) If you get test and interview invitations but no offers, the problem is the interview; the fix is rehearsing out loud. (3) If you're making few applications, the problem is volume; MT and graduate programmes are selective, so dozens of applications are normal and need tracking. First find which one it is: of your last 20 applications, how many replied, and how many got you an interview? Proyo (proyo.app) is built to fix all three in one place: it gathers listings in one feed, tailors your CV to each posting in 15–20 seconds, tracks your applications with their stages and prepares you for interviews with spoken practice.
Where is it breaking? Diagnose your own process
Look at your last 20 applications and find where you stand in this table:
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No replies at all | The CV isn't tailored to the posting, or the ATS can't read it | Reorder the CV for each posting; one column, selectable text, the posting's wording. ATS guide |
| Online test invitations come, then nothing | Tests or the video interview | Numerical and verbal test practice; timed video-interview rehearsal |
| You get interviews but no offers | Interview answers | Prepare five or six STAR stories and rehearse out loud. Interview guide |
| You make a few applications a month | Volume and tracking | Set a weekly target; track every application with its stage |
| You always apply to the same kind of company | Target too narrow | Widen the sector and programme type. Sector guide |
This table needs records to work: which posting you applied to when, what stage you're at, where rejections came from. Without records there's no diagnosis.
The "no replies" problem: the CV
At large companies an application goes into an applicant tracking system; according to Jobscan, 97.8% of Fortune 500 companies use an ATS. Research by Harvard Business School and Accenture shows automated filters screening out qualified candidates too. Even when a person reads it, the first look lasts a few seconds.
That's why new graduates' most common mistake is sending the same CV everywhere. Every posting wants something different; the top half of your CV should hold the experience that posting is looking for.
What to do: build the structure in the CV guide, then reorder the CV for each posting. Proyo does this for every posting in 15–20 seconds and adds nothing that isn't in your CV.
The "interviews but no offers" problem
If you're getting interviews, your CV is doing its job; the problem is in the answers. The three most common causes:
- Answers aren't concrete: a story and a number instead of "I'm a team player". Use the STAR structure.
- "Why this company?" is unprepared: know a concrete feature of the programme and the company.
- No rehearsal: an answer that looks good on paper runs long or falls apart when spoken.
In Proyo's Interview Studio you hold a five-minute spoken interview, in the posting's language, with an AI recruiter who has read the posting you applied to and your CV, and get feedback at the end.
Where do you look for internship and job listings?
| Source | What you find |
|---|---|
| Proyo | Internship, long-term internship, MT and graduate listings from public sources in one feed; add postings you see elsewhere with their link, or from LinkedIn with the Chrome extension |
| Company career sites | Where programmes actually take applications; most MT and YTP intakes are here |
| Young talent platforms | Youthall, Toptalent, anbean KAMPÜS: early-career programmes and events |
| Listings, recruiters and your network | |
| Job boards | Kariyer.net, Yenibiriş, Secretcv: listings at every level |
| University career centres | University-specific listings, career fairs |
| National Internship Programme | Public-sector and participating private-sector internships with one application. USP guide |
We compare what each platform is for in the platforms guide. What matters isn't finding the listing but applying to it with a CV prepared for that posting.
How do you set up a LinkedIn profile as a new graduate?
- Headline: with no job title, say what you are and what you're looking for: "Industrial Engineer (2026) · Data analysis · Open to MT and analyst roles".
- Photo and banner: a simple, recent portrait.
- About: 3–4 sentences: what you studied, your two strongest experiences, what you're looking for. A slightly warmer version of your CV summary.
- Experience: internships, long-term internships and club roles, each with 2–3 result bullets.
- Skills: the tools and competencies you see in postings; LinkedIn searches use these words.
- Custom URL: in the form linkedin.com/in/name-surname.
- Signal that you're open to work (the "Open to work" setting; visible to recruiters only if you prefer).
- Be active: share projects, certificates or events; connect with alumni of your school.
A LinkedIn profile is for networking and visibility; it doesn't replace an application CV. When you see a posting on LinkedIn, save it to Proyo in one click with the Chrome extension and tailor your CV to it. Full comparison: Proyo vs LinkedIn.
A 30-day plan for new graduates
Week 1 — Foundation: build your base CV (one page, one column). Update your LinkedIn profile. Place your recent applications in the diagnosis table.
Week 2 — Targets: choose 3–4 sectors and programme types. List what's open now using the application calendar. Set a weekly application target.
Week 3 — Applications: tailor the CV to each posting, add a posting-specific cover letter. Record every application with its stage.
Week 4 — Preparation: write five or six STAR stories and rehearse them out loud. Practise tests. Re-read the postings that never replied: did your CV carry that posting's words?
Being a new graduate has an advantage too: many programmes are open only to candidates within the first one or two years after graduating. A long-term internship is also an option: according to NACE's 2025 report, US employers extended full-time offers to 62% of their 2024 interns on average.
What Proyo does in this plan
Proyo does the repeating parts of this plan in one place:
- Listings: internship, MT and graduate listings in one feed; add postings you find elsewhere with their link.
- CV: for every posting, an ATS-friendly PDF tailored to it and its language in 15–20 seconds; nothing that isn't in your CV is added.
- Cover letter: posting-specific, in about 10 seconds.
- Tracking: every application on your board with its stage — Saved, Applied, Testing, Interview and Offer — so the diagnosis table builds itself.
- Interview Studio: a five-minute spoken rehearsal with feedback, with an AI recruiter who has read the posting and your CV.
- Grad Network: real CVs that graduates who got jobs using Proyo were accepted with.
Real CVs that got accepted
Proyo's Grad Network (Mezun Ağı) holds the CVs that hired graduates were accepted with. Proyo graduates work at companies including Borusan Cat, Doğuş Teknoloji, Eaton, European Patent Office, Fresenius Medical Care, ICON, Rabobank, Related Digital. Graduates verify where they work; contact details are never shown. Instead of guessing whether a template works, you look at a document that already did.
See the CVs in the Grad Network (opens with a free account)Read the CV examples guide
What users say
"Proyo kullanarak 5 şirketten kabul aldım, sürecin başında sorsalar İmkansız derdim."I got offers from 5 companies using Proyo. If you had asked me at the start, I would have said impossible.
"Proyo ile 100+ başvuru yaptım. Tüm süreci beklediğimden kolay, düzenli ve eğlenceli hale getirdi."I made 100+ applications with Proyo. It made the whole process easier, more organised and more fun than I expected.
"Proyo sürecin sevmediğim her yanını eğlenceli kıldı. Sona doğru artik oyun gibi hissettirmeye başlamıştı."Proyo made every part of the process I disliked fun. Towards the end it started to feel like a game.
"Proyo olmadan bu kadar organize olamazdım. Her başvuruyu takip etmek çok kolaylaştı."I could not have been this organised without Proyo. Tracking every application became so much easier.
Translated from Turkish; original above.
Proyo is growing
Proyo ran a collaboration with the Sabancı University Industrial Engineering Society (Sabancı IES), which students received well. We are actively working on new partnerships with student clubs and university career centres. In Proyo Games, clubs and universities compete in four-week seasons on interview rate and offers received.
Frequently asked questions
I'm a new graduate and can't find a job. What should I do?
First find where the problem is. If nothing comes back, tailor your CV to each posting and make it ATS-friendly; if you get interviews but no offers, prepare STAR stories and rehearse out loud; if you make few applications, set a weekly target and track every application. Proyo does all three in one place.
Why am I not hearing back from applications?
The most common reason is sending the same CV to every posting, and the CV not reading well in companies' applicant tracking systems. Reorder the CV for what each posting asks for; use one column, selectable text and the posting's own wording.
Where can I find internship listings in Turkey?
Proyo's listing feed, company career sites, young talent platforms like Youthall, Toptalent and anbean KAMPÜS, LinkedIn, job boards such as Kariyer.net, university career centres, and the National Internship Programme for public-sector internships.
How do I set up a LinkedIn profile as a new graduate?
A headline saying what you are and what you're looking for, a simple photo, a 3–4 sentence About section, internships and club roles with result bullets, the skill words used in postings, and a custom profile URL. Also signal that you're open to work.
How do I keep track of my applications while job hunting?
In Proyo every application sits on one board with its stage — Saved, Applied, Testing, Interview and Offer — and from the same place you tailor your CV to each posting and rehearse interviews. Free to start.
Sources
- Fortune 500 companies using applicant tracking systems (97.8% in 2025; Workday 39%, SAP SuccessFactors 13.2%) — Jobscan, 2025
- Hidden Workers: Untapped Talent — how automated hiring filters screen out qualified candidates — Harvard Business School & Accenture, 2021
- Intern offer and conversion rates (62% of the 2024 intern class received full-time offers) — National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 2025
- Eye-tracking study: recruiters spend 7.4 seconds on an initial résumé screen — Ladders, reported by HR Dive, 2018
- LinkedIn — LinkedIn (Microsoft)
Sources checked on 4 October 2026. Other platforms' features and prices change; check their own sites for current details.