Picture this: you’ve spent 17 years in education, working diligently in the classroom and in assessments, and you’ve been told that you have great potential.
Graduation day arrives; you’re celebrating, everyone throws their hats up in the air and life seems like a dream with a whole world of opportunity on the horizon. You’ve put in the work both in and outside of the lecture hall, so of course, you’ll find yourself a job afterwards, right?
I wish I could say that was my experience, but I graduated in 2020. Most of my final year had already been disrupted by lecturer strikes and then came the pandemic. I’d hoped to get an internship in journalism; I’d spent the last three years studying for it after all. As we closed our doors and socially distanced, my opportunities seemed to do the same as many organisations withdrew their entry-level roles. My 20s were supposed to be fun and full of opportunities to try new things, but instead I was sitting at home scouring the internet for any jobs that I could find.
As we closed our doors and socially distanced, my opportunities seemed to do the same”
My friends who graduated in the following years also had a difficult experience looking for jobs. Especially those who had studied vocational or creative subjects. Each of us were trying to take a first step on the career ladder, except the career ladder felt more like a slippery slope down the rabbit hole, wondering if we, like the White Rabbit from ‘Alice in Wonderland’, were also “too late”, before we’d even had the chance to begin.
At the end of May 2026, former Labour Health Secretary Alan Milburn released a report on the risks of a “lost generation” which highlights that between January and March 2026, “over 1 million young people aged 16 to 24 years in the UK were not in education, employment or training (NEET).” Other findings reveal that entry-level jobs are out of reach, leaving many jobseekers from this age group in a catch-22 situation of needing experience to qualify to get a job and needing a job to get that experience.
In a discussion with some of my peers about the job market, it became apparent to me how much work was intertwined with their identity and self-worth. My heart ached in those conversations because these were friends who don’t know Jesus. I could understand the pull of wanting to feel socially validated by having something to say when people ask, “What do you do?” when you first meet them, but I am grateful to know that my identity is not based on what I do but found in who God has made me to be.
Between January and March 2026, “over 1 million young people aged 16 to 24 years in the UK were not in education, employment or training (NEET).”
After I graduated, I had a few freelance jobs before they dried up, and I was job searching again. It was another two years before I joined the Being Human team at the Evangelical Alliance. Every day was an opportunity to lose hope as I faced rejection after rejection and there were many days when I did. I doubted that God had a job out there for me. But there was always a glimmer of hope that He would provide. He provided in the small everyday provision and in the big, with my work at the Evangelical Alliance. I held on to past moments where God had made a way in seemingly impossible situations. Looking back, I see it was a really painful part of the potter moulding the clay and an opportunity for Him to get the glory.
So, where do we go from here?
For anyone that is feeling disappointed, discouraged and alone, hold on to the hope that God sees you, has gone before you and, in His perfect plan and timing, His plan for you will be revealed.
Top tips to encourage you as you search for that next job:
Connect with others: The church is also full of stories of people who have been unemployed, made redundant, felt hopeless and come out the other side. Take comfort in that community.
Get involved: God has given you talents and skills. See if your local church could use an extra hand and serve them in a way you wouldn’t be able to if you were in full-time employment.
Establish a daily rhythm of prayer and thanksgiving: Don’t let job searching become your only routine. Make time to pray, read the Bible and worship. If you don’t know what to pray, be encouraged by Romans 8:26 – 27, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
Learn something new: Periods between jobs can offer a rare opportunity to develop new skills or deepen your understanding of faith.
Remember your identity is not in your employment status: Work is important, but it is not the ultimate source of identity. Scripture consistently reminds us that we are loved and valued by God apart from our achievements. Returning to that truth can provide confidence, peace and resilience during a challenging season.
