A 21-year-old graduate who spent nearly £100,000 (around Rs 1 crore) on his UK education says the job market is “broken” after applying to 500 jobs without securing a single offer.Khaled Sharif, who graduated top of his class in digital media technology from Kingston University near London in 2025, has received fewer than 20 interview calls so far and remains unemployed despite his academic performance, the New York Post reported.“I got top of my class, but I can’t find anything,” Sharif said, describing the experience as “really stressful”.Sharif, who was born in Egypt and raised in Qatar before moving to the UK at 18, had hoped studying in Britain would open global career opportunities,Instead, he says he has been forced to expand his search beyond his field into sales and other roles he is not interested in.
‘Flooded’ job market, fewer openings
He believes the graduate job market is oversaturated. “The system is flooded with applicants,” he said, adding that companies are also hiring less due to cost pressures, post-pandemic uncertainty, and growing use of AI tools.According to him, while he can easily take up a supermarket job, he wants to work in the field he studied for.Despite securing interviews, Sharif says the outcomes have been disappointing. “They say I passed the first round, but after the second, I get a rejection,” he said.In one instance, he cleared multiple rounds at a multinational tech firm, only to be told later that the graduate programme itself had been scrapped.Visa confusion adds to strugglesSharif also believes his international background may be working against him. Although he holds UK residency through his mother and does not require work sponsorship, he says recruiters may assume otherwise due to his education history in Qatar.“They probably think I need sponsorship and don’t read the full application,” he said.
Freelancing, startup route after job hunt struggles
With full-time opportunities not coming through, Sharif has continued working as a freelance videographer and photographer — skills he developed during college.Reflecting on his education, he admitted much of his practical knowledge came from real-world experience rather than classroom learning. “Honestly, I didn’t learn much at university. Most of it was YouTube and volunteering,” he said.He now regrets not choosing filmmaking earlier but says he avoided it due to fears of limited job prospects.“I wish I did filmmaking, but I thought there would be fewer opportunities,” he said.
Launches clothing brand
Sharif has now started his own clothing label, Zoqué, meaning “my style” in Arabic, combining his interests in fashion and photography.He says the experience has been demoralising but not discouraging enough to give up entirely. “More opportunities have to be made,” he said, adding that many other graduates are facing similar struggles in the UK job market.