It’s normal to be unemployed after graduation
Up to 4 months. That is how long it typically takes from the day you graduate until you start in your first job.
Unemployment is a part of every job market
Regardless of how sought-after your degree is, or the strength of demand is in your future industry, there is generally some unemployment in the first year after graduation.
For engineers, unemployment in the first year is 23%, while it’s 38% for natural science graduates and 29% for IT graduates.
IDA reduces its membership fees for new graduates
As a result of the new rules with a lower unemployment benefit rate and a shorter unemployment benefit period for new graduates, IDA has introduced an option for a reduced membership fee for member’s who are unemployed and recent graduates.
In order to get the reduced rate, you need to contact IDA through this contact form and inform us of your current status.
Remember to keep in touch with your A-kasse regarding payment of unemployment benefit, rules for unemployment etc. Read more at AKA – Akademikernes A-kasse.
Active job search
Our figures show that one in five newly graduated members of IDA sends more than 20 applications before landing their first job interview. And 25% of our members go through 3 job interviews before being offered a job.
Waiting around for an interesting job ad before sending an application is not enough. A survey of more than 1800 companies carried out by IDA shows that companies are just as likely to hire new people from their network as via a job ad, and smaller companies are even more likely to find a candidate in their network instead of posting an ad in a newspaper or online.
Therefore, it’s important that you don’t just look at job ads in your job search. IDA has a number of workshops to help you use and expand your network and your LinkedIn profile in your job search.
How to use LinkedIn
Start by watching our video on how you use LinkedIn as a networking tool – turn on CC for English subtitles.
And then sign up for one or several of our online workshop series From Uni to Job, where you get concrete information and practice examples how you land that first job.
Be patient – watch your finances
Here is a run-through of events that might occur in these 4 months:
- You go through 3 interviews
- You negotiate your future salary
- You sign a contract
- You start your new job at the earliest convenience
This means that the average 4 months it takes between graduation and starting a new job have quickly passed. This is 4 months without a salary or an education grant.
Consequently, many new graduates end up on unemployment benefits for a period. This is perfectly okay and completely normal. Unemployment benefits help you to live without having to look twice at every penny or spend most of your savings without it actually being necessary. Unemployment benefits help you with your financial situation, so you can worry about your future job interview and not a future bill.
By joining an unemployment insurance fund (a-kasse) early on, you can make sure that you will not have to wait up to 2 months between your last state education grant payment (if you receive this) and your first payment of unemployment benefits.
If you become a member before you graduate, you will be guaranteed unemployment benefits from your first day of unemployment and you can register as unemployed as soon as you’ve passed your final exam. If you aren’t a member before you graduate, it can take up to 2 months after graduation before you receive your first unemployment benefits. This is because state education grants are paid in advance and unemployment benefits are paid in arrears.
