3 things I wish I had known as a new graduate

Graduate. Job seeker. “Adult”.

Uncertain. Frustrated. Hopeful.

That is how Emma Engelbreth describes the six months following graduation. A period she thought would last only three months.

“Surely something would happen before then,” she says.

But it did not.

Instead, it became six months filled with hope, waiting, expectations, and that feeling only people without a job truly know.

Six months during which every rejection email hit hard.

“Because you had poured your heart into those applications,” as Emma puts it.

Six months during which, with a dry smile, Emma recalls how “those distant relatives at family gatherings suddenly become very interested in you when you are unemployed.”

Six months during which Emma found herself wondering: “Maybe there is actually something wrong with me?”

In short, those six months were an emotional rollercoaster. Emma went from feeling like her world had been turned upside down to suddenly holding two job offers in her hands.

After months of applications and rejection, it almost felt surreal that she had not just been offered one job, but actually had two opportunities to choose from.

It is no surprise that Emma describes the period as “a wild six months”.

Fortunately, those six months are behind her now, and she has gathered the advice she wishes someone had given her before it all began.

From thesis to first job

Emma is 28 years old and submitted her thesis in the summer of 2025. Finally, she could call herself a graduate with a Master’s degree in Medicine with Industrial Specialisation, commonly known as MedIS.

She proudly celebrated the achievement with friends and family in Aalborg. Although job hunting was lingering in the back of her mind, it was far from her top priority. What she needed most was peace and a mental break after six months spent writing her thesis.

Even with an impressive CV for a recent graduate, including relevant student jobs, Emma certainly did not sit back and wait. She reached out to her network, arranged coffee meetings and called potential employers to ask questions about vacancies and make a positive impression.

Her proactive approach led to a two-month internship at the Innovation Clinic at Aalborg University Hospital. There, she became part of an exciting project, gained experience in an office environment and added even more valuable experience to her CV.

As an added benefit, the internship stopped her from overthinking every application and helped her find a healthier balance throughout the job search process.

In the end, she landed a real grown-up job.

In January 2026, Emma walked through the doors of her new workplace at the Danish National Genome Center, part of the Danish Health Data Authority in Copenhagen.

Three weeks earlier, she had accepted the position. Since then, she had hardly stopped moving. She packed up her life in Aalborg, her university city, said goodbye to friends and family, and found temporary accommodation with her cousin’s cousin in Christianshavn.

So when January arrived, it was not just the job that was new. The city was new. Daily life was new. Her flatmate was new. Everything was new.

And even though Emma had tried to prepare herself for it all, from meeting new colleagues to navigating Copenhagen’s cycle lanes, there was still something special about standing there on the first day and realising that this was where her next chapter truly began.

Advice 1: Find a friend

The first piece of advice that comes to mind is actually very simple, but Emma knows how much it matters:

“Find a friend.”

One friend you can share the entire journey with. Someone who is also looking for a job, preferably in a different field so you are not competing for the same positions.

“Someone who understands exactly what you are going through and who you can share your frustrations with,” says Emma, adding:

“In a completely different way than your mum.”

For Emma, that friend also became the person she ended up taking a nine-week pottery course with in the middle of all the chaos. Every Wednesday morning, for six hours at a time.

They did not just make wonky mugs and bowls. The course became a safe space and a way to distract themselves and give their minds a break from job boards and applications.

It also gave Emma something else to talk about with distant relatives besides the latest update on her job search.

But pottery was not the only thing that gave her a break.

Emma also spent time exercising and being with the people she loves – family, her partner and friends. They supported her, helped her think about other things and made everyday life more enjoyable.

And perhaps it was in those moments that the next piece of advice began to make sense.

Advice 2: “Job hunting is not something you just know how to do. It is something you have to learn”

After the “golden” first three months of job searching, with little response and the prospect of dealing with the job centre looming ahead, Emma decided to change her approach.

She chose to reach out to someone who “actually knew something about this” and could look at her applications and situation from a professional perspective.

That was how she first came into contact with Danny, a career adviser at Pharmadanmark.

Danny reviewed both her CV and applications, but that was not actually what meant the most to her. As Emma describes it, Danny became “my permanent cheerleader”.

The person who said, “It will work out,” exactly when she felt most hopeless.

He gave Emma renewed confidence and helped her articulate the value of her skills as a MedIS graduate. He also reminded her never to attend a job interview without speaking to him first.

That support and guidance gave Emma a sense of direction and reassurance. And that reassurance made it easier for her to understand the third piece of advice.

Advice 3: “No one stays unemployed forever. Remember that”

Emma knows it is easy to say that now that she is on the other side, with a permanent salary and a workplace she genuinely enjoys.

But that is also why she feels comfortable saying it out loud.

The period of unemployment can feel endless and uncertain, but as Emma kept reminding herself:

“It is not. There is always a deadline.”

She is also convinced that if she could make it through six months of rejection and self-doubt, others can too.

Because, as she puts it: “You just have to find your own path.”

And if all else fails, you can always sign up for a pottery course with a good friend and give Danny a call. It certainly worked for Emma.