What happens to graduates after they receive their diploma?

What happens to graduates after receiving their diploma?

One survey participant, who holds a degree in geology, currently works as a courier, earning less than 3 million soums per month and rates his job satisfaction at 1 out of 10. Despite completing his master's degree, he was unable to find a job in his field, even offering to work for free.

This case is one of the most striking in the survey, but it reflects common problems raised by other participants: a shortage of job openings, employers' experience requirements, and a mismatch between university training and real-world work conditions.

Of the 307 graduates surveyed, 146 are employed (working, running a business, interning, or self-employed), and 89 are looking for work.

The survey does not claim to be representative of the unemployment rate among all graduates, as participation was voluntary, and those with employment difficulties may have been more active. However, the results reveal discrepancies between education and first employment.

More than half of the participants rated the quality of university preparation for the real world negatively, while 42% gave a positive assessment.

A degree remains a key factor in launching a career for employed participants.

The problem lies not so much in confirming qualifications as in the lack of experience and skills that employers expect from entry-level applicants.

In their open-ended responses, graduates mentioned the importance of proficiency in Russian and English, Excel, 1C, Power BI, and SQL, as well as communication, sales, document management, and negotiation skills. Many acquired these skills independently, through courses, internships, or after employment.

The most significant difference is observed between those who began working in their field during their studies and those who did not.

About two-thirds of the participants with relevant experience during their studies were employed, while just over a third of those who were not employed were employed. Perhaps students with more experience studied in more in-demand fields, had better language skills, or had more professional connections.

Nevertheless, the results highlight the importance of entering the profession early, before receiving their degree.

One participant said he began volunteering in his third year, after which an organization offered him a permanent position. He also secured his next job thanks to his accumulated experience and connections.

The main obstacle for job seekers is the limited number of openings in their field. Almost half also face a requirement for experience.

A recent economics graduate succinctly stated the problem: someone who has just graduated from university is already expected to have experience.

Another participant, who has a degree in road construction, reported that he has been unable to find official employment for almost a year, as organizations reject him due to lack of experience, even with vacancies.

A vicious cycle emerges: experience is needed for a first job, but it can only be obtained after someone else provides that first job.

More than half of the participants searching for a job have been looking for at least seven months. Thirty-seven people have been searching for more than a year.

A lengthy search does not always mean a complete lack of offers. Graduates may turn down low salaries, informal employment, inconvenient locations, or jobs that are unrelated to their major.

The most common way to find a first job was through connections and family. Almost one in three employed participants found employment through this channel.

Twelve people found their first job through a university or career center. The same number of participants reported that an employer contacted them directly.

Personal connections do not necessarily mean employment through influence. They can include professional recommendations, connections from internships, volunteer projects, and first jobs.

However, the results show that university career mechanisms are still less likely to lead to employment than personal contacts. Only four out of 307 participants mentioned career centers as a factor in their career launch. This doesn't prove the ineffectiveness of such centers, as some graduates may not have used them. However, their role is almost invisible in the participants' stories.

Only 42% of employed participants reported that their current job is entirely related to their degree program.

However, a complete change of career is not the experience of most. Combining complete and partial connections, approximately 71% of employed participants maintained their relationship with their education.

Therefore, the problem isn't simply that graduates choose a different profession. It's often more difficult to secure their first job and translate their university knowledge into employer-recognized experience.

Among the 144 employed participants who reported income, the most common range was 5 to 8 million soums per month, which also served as the median.

Participants' incomes varied significantly. About half earn less than 8 million soums, while roughly one in five reported incomes above 12 million.

These results cannot be used to estimate the average salary of all graduates, as the survey included people of different professions, regions, ages, and graduation years.

The story of a geology graduate working as a courier does not reflect the situation of all young professionals, but it does illustrate the main gap identified by the survey.

A diploma remains important. Most working participants have fully or partially retained contact with their education. However, a diploma alone is often insufficient to secure a first job.

Some enter the profession through an internship. Others through work during their studies, a teacher, a volunteer project, or connections. Those entering the market without experience can search for months.

Until universities and employers create a clear transition from studies to their first position, graduates will have to independently resolve the main contradiction of the labor market: to gain experience, they first need to prove they already have it.

A lack of several years of work experience doesn't always preclude a first job. Comments from TBC Uzbekistan and CLICK suggest that when selecting students and junior specialists, companies look beyond a diploma and the length of their resume.

What's important to them are fundamental knowledge, the ability to apply it in practice, the ability to learn, motivation, and work ethic.

When hiring for junior positions, TBC Uzbekistan focuses not so much on the candidate's previous experience as on what they've experienced and learned.

This could be an internship, part-time work, freelancing, volunteering, university internship, or a student or personal project.

According to Daria Shabanova, Head of Talent Acquisition at TBC Uzbekistan, such experience helps determine whether a candidate is capable of setting a task, achieving results, collaborating with others, and taking responsibility.

"When hiring students, we don't expect them to have the experience of an adult professional. We look at their potential: learning ability, motivation, responsibility, initiative, and ability to work with others." A good signal for us is any real experience while still studying: an internship, a part-time job, a project, or volunteer work."

Therefore, the absence of an official job doesn't necessarily mean a blank resume. A small project can sometimes tell an employer more than just a list of familiar programs and tools.

Employers don't expect a student to be able to independently complete all tasks from day one.

TBC believes that a theoretical foundation is important for a junior specialist, but equally important is the ability to quickly master new processes, tools, and information. If a candidate can grasp a new task, ask the right questions, and apply their acquired knowledge, a lack of specific experience isn't always a decisive disadvantage.

CLICK takes a similar approach. The company says that when recruiting interns, it doesn't try to find the candidate who knows the most. What's more important is whether the person can think, is interested in the work, and is willing to put in the effort.

In other words, fundamental knowledge remains a prerequisite. But then, the employer wants to see what the candidate can do with this knowledge.

TBC also emphasizes the candidate's informed choice.

The interview reveals whether the candidate has researched the company and the position, understands the upcoming challenges, asks meaningful questions, and can explain why they want to develop in this specific field.

Therefore, the phrase "I want to develop" alone doesn't reveal much. Specifics are more powerful: what the candidate studied independently, what projects they've worked on, what problems they've tried to solve, and why they chose this particular field.

At CLICK, the intern selection process consists of three stages: first, the company reviews the candidate's resume, then assigns a test assignment, and then the candidate has a final interview with a mentor.

This allows us to assess not only their knowledge but also their understanding of the task, reasoning, and decision-making.

"We understand perfectly well that a student is not a fully-fledged specialist. Lack of experience and gaps in knowledge are normal, and we accept that. We will impart practical experience and knowledge ourselves. But there are things that can't be taught—engagement in work and hard work. That's what we look for first and foremost."

CLICK notes that some of the company's current employees started with internships and then stayed on.

According to TBC's observations, the main gaps among graduates can be divided into two groups.

Practical skills.

A graduate may have a strong theoretical foundation but lack experience in day-to-day work: how to prioritize, manage a task from start to finish, interact with a manager and colleagues, work with clients, and analyze information. Some positions may also require basic digital skills, such as Excel, CRM, and document management.

Soft skills.

Independence, responsibility, initiative, communication, and teamwork.

TBC emphasizes that Excel or CRM skills can be taught internally. It is much more difficult to develop responsibility, initiative, and the habit of independently understanding a task.

In this regard, TBC and CLICK's assessments largely coincide: gaps in technical knowledge can be gradually closed, but a person's attitude toward work, willingness to learn, and willingness to take responsibility are important from the start.

Our survey also shows a noticeable difference: among participants who worked in their field while studying, the proportion of those currently employed is significantly higher than among those who were not employed at the time.

First experience doesn't necessarily have to be a full-time job. It could be:

Some employers create such opportunities themselves.

Therefore, it's more useful for students to avoid dwelling on the thought "I don't have experience," and instead ask a different question: what real results can I create while still studying and then demonstrate to an employer?

307 university graduates participated in the online survey.

Questions varied depending on the participant's current status. 146 currently employed respondents answered questions about work and employment options. 89 currently job-seeking respondents discussed the duration of their search and obstacles.

Participants joined voluntarily. The sample was not weighted by age, region, major, or year of graduation, so the results cannot be considered representative of all graduates.

The survey reveals correlations between responses, but does not establish causes. For example, higher employment rates among participants with relevant experience does not prove that working during their studies determined their subsequent careers.