Job hunting has a peculiar ability to make even the most capable person feel completely unemployable.

After finishing my master’s degree, I spent months applying for everything from journalism to communications, marketing, PR and sales.

In the end I was incredibly fortunate to pick up shifts at The Irish News, but it would be another year before a permanent position became available.

My own route into graduate employment was far from straightforward. Unfortunately it does not appear to have become any easier for those graduating today. In fact the competition facing them may be greater than ever.

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A recent BBC report warned of a potential “lost generation”, with more than one million people under the age of 24 currently neither working nor taking part in education or training.

Among those featured was Eloise, a 24-year-old with a first-class undergraduate degree and........

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