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I am in my last year of university and have been looking at where I would like to take my career. So far I have seen a number of graduate jobs on offer (such as on stackoverflow jobs), but I’m not sure whether it is too early to apply, as I have 9~ months until I graduate (then again several of the graduate jobs I’ve seen have been up for a number of months already.)

As a small edit, I actually finish my studies around 2 months before my graduation.

When is the earliest that I should apply for a graduate job in the industry?

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  • +1 for @Seth's answer. Be prepared for a tough road ahead, unless you're really outstanding or already have a lot of relevant experience. There are likely to be a lot of redundancies over the coming months and many of those are going to be competing directly against you.
    – Justin
    Commented Oct 7, 2020 at 20:58
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    Yesterday should be about right
    – Old_Lamplighter
    Commented Oct 7, 2020 at 22:11

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No, it is not too early to start applying for jobs, though it may be dependent on what companies you are applying for. Companies I have worked at do most of their recruiting in September and October and have most of their entry-level positions filled by the end of Fall with students that won't be starting until after they graduate in the Spring. If you wait, you will miss out on those opportunities. I have seen others that don't recruit until Spring, if they actively recruit at all.

Look to see if your school, or a nearby large university has a career fair. They are common in the fall semester. Companies that attend those are definitely looking to hire now.

It doesn't hurt to start applying now. Just make it clear that you are currently a student that anticipates graduating soon and won't be available until you do. The worst that will happen is they will turn you down and tell you to apply again later.

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    Just as a side note - you don't need to graduate to start work. If everything goes to plan you can start working immediately after completing your studies, if you desire.
    – P. Hopkinson
    Commented Oct 7, 2020 at 19:53
  • And your school can assist with the job search, whether it is writing resume, interview practices, or even getting actual jobs from alumni and/or professor's contacts. People can even start looking for jobs before graduation, stating that they will complete their degree at a date and ultimately show up at work with a completed degree.
    – Nelson
    Commented Oct 8, 2020 at 8:56
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I don’t know if the UK is any different than the US, but many companies here have already interviewed and sent offers to spring semester graduates.

One of the comments was “yesterday” and I emphatically agree.

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