Are Employers Doing Enough For First Time Job Seekers?

Going through entry level job adverts can be very draining for many teenagers -especially when one advert says “entry level” but asks for two years of experience. Another calls itself an internship but lists a long checklist of skills that many school leavers have never had the chance to learn. Then comes the application itself, which can end in silence without even an email to say no.

Youngsters are already finding the journey into work difficult before they have even finished school or college, according to new research from online education platform Save My Exams. The survey covered 1,460 UK students aged 14 to 18.

Many young job seekers are left asking if employers are making it too hard for people trying to get their first chance.

What Happens When First Jobs Feel Out Of Reach?

Save My Exams said just 8% of teenagers feel they will find full time employment after education without worrying about it. More than half, 55%, said they are worried about getting a full time job, including 13% who said they are very worried.

A Level students felt this more than GCSE students. Around 61% of A Level students said they are worried about finding work after education, compared with 50% of GCSE students. Many of these students are much closer to leaving education and entering the jobs market.

Finding a job topped the list of workplace concerns. Around 60% chose it as one of their biggest concerns. More than half were worried about job interviews, 48% said they were unsure which career to follow and 34% worried about writing a CV.

Are Young People Getting Ignored?

One of the hardest parts of applying for work is hearing nothing back and the Save My Exams survey said 38% of students who had applied for a job had received no response from an employer. Around 17% said this had happened many times. Only 12% said they always heard back after applying.

Older students were much more likely to experience this. Around 58% of A Level students said they had been ghosted after applying for work, compared with 21% of GCSE students.

Getting no reply can make an already difficult process feel even harder, especially for teenagers applying for their very first weekend, holiday or part time job. Many are trying to build experience, yet job adverts often ask applicants to arrive with experience already on their CV. This leaves many young people trying to work out how they are supposed to gain experience if nobody offers them their first opportunity.

Is Enough Being Done Before Students Leave Education?

The survey also looked at careers support in schools and colleges and found that just 16% of students said they receive personalised careers support very regularly. 48% said it happens only occasionally and 29% said it happens rarely or not at all.

When asked if enough support was available, 37% said their school or college was not doing enough to help them prepare for employment. A further 6% said they did not know what support was available.

Astrid deRidder, VP of Content at Save My Exams, said, “Secondary schools and colleges play a vital role in preparing teenagers for life outside of school, and what both our data and Alan Milburn’s report have highlighted is that currently these efforts are falling short.

“The curriculum review outlined a number of changes and reforms, but it is clear that we need to better align learning to supporting the career aspirations of teenagers, as well as giving them the skills to thrive in the workplace post education.”

What Does This Mean For Young People?

Save My Exams combined its survey with national data showing that 1.01 million people aged 16 to 24 were classed as not in education, employment or training between January and March 2026, according to the House of Commons Library. Youth Employment UK reported a youth unemployment rate of 16% in April 2026.

Many students also shared concerns about life inside the workplace. Around 33% were concerned about getting along with colleagues, 27% worried that colleagues would see them as lazy, 26% feared their mental health could affect work and 16% felt anxious about attending an office multiple times each week.

The first job has always been the most difficult to get hired for and teenagers now feel they are expected to come into the scene with experience before anyone even gives them that first chance. Things like receiving a reply, even if it is a rejection, may be just as valuable as the opportunity itself.