Junior Master’s (0-2 years of experience)
What the data really says: evidence-based insights and practical resources for taking your first steps into the job market.
Looking for your first job after a master’s can be exciting, and also exhausting. You may be waiting for answers that do not come, comparing yourself with classmates, trying to fit everything into your week, doubting which path to choose, or asking yourself whether to stay or go back home.
All of this is normal. It does not mean you are doing it wrong.
Many in our IE Community have been where you are. We all have faced the challenge of entering the professional world, and all the fears and doubts that come with it.
Read the concerns below, choose the ones that sound familiar, and use the resources on this page to turn worry into action.
Concern 1
MYTH: If you are not getting answers, you must be doing something wrong.
What the research really shows
Not knowing how long the process will take is one of the hardest parts of looking for a job. Students who find it harder to tolerate uncertainty report more job-seeking anxiety. [1]
The same study found that hope (having clear goals and seeing ways to reach them) makes this link weaker. [1]
A review of job search research reports that job seekers who notice their own progress tend to feel more confident and keep searching more actively. [2]
Try this
Focus on what you can control.
🎯
Split your search into small weekly goals, for example: 5 tailored applications, 2 networking messages and 1 informational interview.
📝
Keep a record of what you do, not only of the answers you get.
⏰
Choose a fixed time to check your email and job portals, instead of checking all day.
👣
When you feel stuck, ask yourself: “What is one small step I can take today?”
🔗
Use the Tools to Keep Track of your Job Search and the LAMP List Method to organize your search and see your progress.
You cannot control every answer. You can control your next step.
Concern 2
MYTH: A rejection, or no answer at all, says something about your value.
What the research really shows
Silence is very common in hiring. In a 2023 survey, 35% of job seekers in the US said an employer never acknowledged their application, and 40% said they were ghosted after a second or third interview. [3]
Setbacks like rejection tend to increase self-criticism. In a study with job seekers, a short self-compassion exercise reduced self-criticism and helped them feel better after a negative job search experience. [4]
Try this
Separate the result from your worth.
✍️
After a rejection, write down one thing you learned and one thing you did well.
🤝
Talk to yourself as you would talk to a friend in the same situation.
📩
If you get no answer after one or two weeks, send one short follow-up message, and then move on.
💬
When possible, ask for feedback after an interview.
🎤
Practice with Mock Interviews with Leland, review the Common Interview Questions and join the HR Interview Prep Workshops and the Group Dynamic Simulations in Events.
💙
If rejection is affecting how you feel, you do not have to deal with it alone. IE Counseling Services can support you.
A “no” is information about one process, not a verdict on you.
Concern 3
MYTH: If your classmates already have interviews or offers, you are falling behind.
What the research really shows
Comparing yourself with people who seem more successful can lower your confidence. In an experiment, upward comparisons on LinkedIn reduced job seekers’ confidence in their own job search. [5]
People also start the job search from different points. A study with students looking for their first job found differences in financial pressure, social support and confidence linked to their social background. [6]
Try this
Compare your process, not your classmates’ outcomes.
📱
Use LinkedIn with a purpose (search, message, apply), and then close it.
🤔
When you catch yourself comparing, ask: “Am I comparing my first steps with someone else’s results?”
💡
Use classmates as a source of information: ask them what worked for them.
🌍
Remember that classmates come from different countries, sectors and backgrounds, so their timelines will be different too.
🔗
Explore Networking and How to Run Informational Interviews. You can also connect with alumni through Ask IE Alumni.
Their timeline is not your timeline.
Concern 4
MYTH: The more applications you send, the better your chances.
What the research really shows
A large review of job search studies found that how well you search matters, not only how much. A planned, well-prepared search was linked to more interviews, more offers and better jobs. [7]
Setting clear goals and planning your search was linked to a better quality search. [7]
More is not always better: in one study, using LinkedIn more for job search was linked to feeling more drained and to poorer job search results later. [5]
Try this
Build a routine you can keep.
🗓️
Block 2 or 3 fixed time slots per week for your job search, as if they were classes.
🎯
Prioritize tailored applications for roles that fit you over many generic ones.
🌿
Plan your rest too: keep at least one day per week free from job search.
🔄
Every two weeks, review: what is working, and what can I stop doing?
🔗
Use How to Search to plan your strategy, Build Your Application Materials to tailor your applications, and AI in your Job Search to save time.
💙
If you feel overwhelmed, you do not have to manage it alone. IE Counseling Services can support you.
A sustainable search is a smarter search.
Concern 5
MYTH: Your first job has to be the perfect job.
What the research really shows
Finding it hard to live with uncertainty is linked to more anxiety and to more difficulty making career decisions among students. [8]
Your first job is not your last one. A long-term study in the US found that people held an average of 3.3 different jobs between the ages of 24 and 29. [9]
In Spain, a study with more than 11,000 master’s graduates found that a master’s degree lowers the risk of working in a job below your level of education, and this benefit grows with work experience. [10]
Try this
Choose with strategy, not with fear.
🧭
Before accepting an offer, ask: “Does this role help me build the skills and experience I want for my next step?”
🤔
Ask yourself: “Would I still choose this offer if I were not anxious?”
➡️
Remember that your first job does not need to be perfect, but it should move you in a direction you want.
❓
Before you accept, ask about the role and the team, for example: “What does a typical week look like in this role?” or “How is success measured in the first six months?”
🪜
Consider internships or immersion programs as a strategic step, not as a step back.
🔗
Explore Your Career Discovery and the Self Discovery Tests, check the Top Sectors and Roles in the Job Market, and learn How to Search for an Internship or join the IE Job Market Immersion Program. When you receive an offer, use the Salary Negotiation guide and the HAYS Salary Report to check if it is fair.
There is no perfect job. There are good next steps.
Concern 6
MYTH: To make your dream come true you have to stay abroad, and going back home means you have failed.
What the research really shows
International graduates often find it harder than local graduates to get a job in their host country after graduating. [11]
A study with international master’s graduates from a business school in Spain found that both staying and going back home were common choices. People decided based on career opportunities, visas, company culture and personal ties. [12]
The same study found that programs that connected students with companies gave them a stronger sense of career opportunities. [12]
In a study in Amsterdam, international students reported more stress than local students about money and about the health of their loved ones. [13]
Try this
Decide with information, not with guilt.
⚖️
Write down what each option offers you: career, visa, salary, cost of living, family and lifestyle.
🛂
Check your real options early. Visa and work permit processes take time.
🔍
If you can, look for opportunities in both places at the same time.
✨
Think about what your dream really is: a type of job, a sector, a lifestyle. Often there is more than one place where you can build it.
🕰️
Remember that this is a decision for now, not forever.
🔗
Check the Post-graduation Options for Working in Spain & Visas and explore the Regional Insights and Guides for the countries you are considering. You can also join the Sector Insights and Market Update Sessions to see what is happening in different sectors and markets.
Both paths can be the right one.
Looking after your wellbeing is also part of preparing for your first career steps.
Explore the IE Center for Health & Well-being to access holistic well-being support and mental health resources.
And you do not have to go through difficult moments on your own.
IE Counseling Services offers a safe and confidential space and one-on-one psychological support when the job search or university life starts to affect your mental health.
Want to talk it through? Book a 1:1 appointment with your Career Advisor.
And remember... Your first job is a starting point, not a final destination.
Your master’s is a moment to explore, try and learn what works for you. As you take your first steps, ask yourself:
Your career is just starting. Give yourself time to build it.
