Wellington student discusses graduating in tough job market<\/p>\n
A recent Wellington graduate says she has undertaken more than 600 job applications and 53 interviews in a year amid a tough job market.<\/p>\n
Hannah Tollison got her bachelor of communications in 2023 and has recently graduated with her masters.<\/p>\n
She told Morning Report during her job-hunting process she made a spreadsheet to “keep herself accountable”.<\/p>\n
From July 2025 to July 2026, Tollison said she applied for 661 jobs, had 53 interviews and two job offers.<\/p>\n
“It’s very tough – applying for roles at times felt like it was a full-time role in itself, ironically.”<\/p>\n
Tollison found work in the public sector after graduating from her undergraduate degree, but within one month her role was disestablished as part of government cuts.<\/p>\n
“It’s hard because your identity as a person is not reflected in the number of rejections you get.<\/p>\n
“Your determination and drive are a better demonstration of the potential you have in the role than the very skills you’ve ironically studied and learnt about during your degree.”<\/p>\n
Tollison said to keep herself going whenever she received a rejection she would say to herself, “They were looking for a sunset and I’m a bright, blue sky.”<\/p>\n
One of the toughest parts of the application process was it didn’t let applicants be known as a person, she said.<\/p>\n
“My roles that I’ve interviewed for really got to know me as a person… can’t really be seen during an application process. In person you can build a rapport with them.”<\/p>\n
While many jobseekers were, Tollison said she wasn’t using artificial intelligence (AI) to help write her applications.<\/p>\n
“I use the skills that I learned during my degree, I did all of these applications with my own mind and my own hands.”<\/p>\n