What nobody tells you at university about finding your first job

I have spent years coaching MBA and undergraduate students at ESADE. I have seen hundreds of young professionals navigating the transition from university to their first job. And I have noticed something consistent: there is a huge gap between what university prepares you to do and what the job market actually demands.

It is not the universities’ fault. It is a structural problem. The education system is still preparing you to know. The job market demands that you do.

When I coach new talent, I find that most people have a complicated relationship with job hunting. Nobody has really taught them how to do it. University teaches you to research, write papers and pass exams. But who teaches you how to sell your value? Who explains how to read a company? Who prepares you for difficult conversations in interviews? Nobody.

University prepares you to know, not to do

The education system, especially in Spain, validates theoretical knowledge. You are asked to understand concepts, reproduce information and demonstrate that you have learnt the theoretical frameworks of your discipline. That has value. But it is only half of what the future of work demands. The future of work is not looking for theoretical experts. It is looking for practical problem-solvers.

In coaching sessions, I see candidates who can explain Kotler’s marketing theory to you word for word. But when I ask them, 'give me an example of a campaign you would have executed differently,' they draw a blank. University does not validate that ability to apply knowledge in new contexts.

Your biggest mistake: thinking your CV is the most important thing

In coaching sessions with young professionals, I see how they spend hours perfecting their CV. Changing the typeface, adjusting keywords, reorganising bullet points. It is important. But it is not the most important thing. I have seen perfect CVs that never lead to an interview. And I have seen mediocre CVs that open doors. The difference lies elsewhere.

What really holds young candidates back is that they do not have a clear narrative. A CV is a document. Your narrative is the story of who you are and what problem you solve. Two candidates can have the same CV. But if one goes into the interview with a clear narrative, the outcome is completely different.

And there is a third element that young talent underestimates: your digital presence and personal brand. Hiring managers look for young talent on LinkedIn, GitHub, Twitter and online portfolios. If your digital presence is non-existent, you lose an advantage. A young professional who occasionally posts about trends in their field is automatically more credible than someone who only exists on a CV.

The value you do not see in yourself

Here is the secret nobody tells you: new talent consistently undervalues what it has. A 24-year-old tells me, 'I only have a degree and some experience.' What they do not see is that they grew up as digital natives. They understand TikTok. They know how online communities work. They understand data privacy. They have navigated global crises on social media. That is a superpower that professionals with 20 years of experience have to learn from scratch.

My advice: before an interview, take an honest inventory of what you DO have. Not compared with someone with 10 years of experience. Compared with another young person. The future of work values speed of learning and adaptability. That is something new talent typically has in abundance.

What you should really do before your first interview

• Forget rehearsed answers. Prepare stories. An interview is not an exam where you memorise answers. It is a conversation where you demonstrate how you think and how you act under pressure.
• Research the company thoroughly. Do not just read the homepage. Check its social media. Look up employees on LinkedIn. Young talent that goes into an interview saying 'I did some research and I can see that you are expanding into X market' is automatically more memorable.
• Prepare smart questions about the culture and the team. The interview works both ways. Questions such as 'what is the biggest challenge your team is facing?' show that you think long term.

Your first job search is intimidating for young talent because it carries an emotional weight it should not have. The reality is: if it does not work out, there will be other opportunities. But if you do it well, with a clear narrative, thorough research and awareness of your true value, you will multiply your opportunities. Platforms such as Joblanders are democratising access to those opportunities, allowing new talent to connect with companies that value young talent without the traditional filter of personal contacts.