Where is your graduate stuck?

What it looks at. The ten questions cover how long your graduate has been looking, how many applications go out, how far they get, what happens at interviews, what job they’re aiming for, the skills on their CV, projects and work experience, feedback, and how they seem about it all.

How it decides. Each answer adds weight to one or more of six common sticking points:

• Early days: they’ve only just started, and a slow start is normal.
• Direction: there’s no clear target job yet.
• Skills gap: they’re aiming at data jobs without the core skills those jobs usually ask for, such as SQL or a dashboard tool.
• Applications aren’t landing: plenty of applications go out, but few lead to interviews, which usually points to the CV, projects or which jobs they choose.
• Interviews aren’t turning into offers: applications are working, but interviews aren’t.
• Volume and routine: not many applications are going out right now.

The one with the most weight is the main sticking point, and the next one, if anything else stands out, is “also worth a look”. Root causes come first when two are level: for example, no clear direction usually explains why applications aren’t landing. If you weren’t sure about most answers, the report says it’s a starting point rather than a firm view.

What the report includes. What usually helps, ways to support your graduate without taking over, and realistic options. Free options come first: their university careers service, free Skills Bootcamps in England and free online learning. Deeplink Coaching, our paid programme, is described last, with its price and who it does and doesn’t suit.

Its limits. It’s a guide based on what you know, not a verdict on your graduate, and it can’t see their CV or hear their interviews. It doesn’t assess anyone’s health or wellbeing. If they’ve slowed down or stopped applying, it suggests checking in about how they are, and where to find support.