With figures from the National Office of Statistics showing that nearly one million 16-24 year olds are unemployed, the Times has launched a quest to follow six recent graduates and school-leavers over the next two weeks as they hunt for a job. They will be helped along the way by Graduate Coach’s own Chris Davies to get their CVs ‘interview ready’. Follow the latest developments here each day as we shed light on what it’s like for millions of grads hunting for a job today.

It’s been just a couple of days since the launch of the graduate job hunt challenge on the Times website but discussions are already heated. Readers are shocked to read of the day to day reality facing graduates who can’t find a job in today’s lean jobs market. One reader cried, ‘these people are heartbroken and I cannot bear to see it’. Others have poured in support, advice and encouragement for the six job hopefuls.

One of the first to blog about her experience is 23-year-old Zainab Mansaray, a marketing graduate from south London. She has sent off over 50 CVs since she began searching for a job last summer. Zainab said she’d been feeling ‘useless’ and discouraged but following her first coaching session with Chris Davies last week has renewed her determination to continue her job hunt.

Chris explained that the reason she’d been unsuccessful getting to interview stage was down to her CV: it’s good but does not quite show what an employer is looking for. Zainab told the Times: ‘I’m glad he told me why my CV wasn’t what they were looking for, otherwise I would have been looking for years.’

Fellow job hunter James Brown, 23, from Staffordshire, is a modern languages graduate from Newcastle University, pursuing a career in teaching, politics or journalism. James says he typically applies for between ‘5-10 jobs a day by phone, by post, online and in person’ but has had little luck.

During his coaching session with Chris, he was tipped on how to stand out from the crowd in what are pretty competitive areas, by emphasising what he can bring that’s unique – everyone will have the core skills and abilities but it’s what you have that’s ‘yours’ that will win through.

For James the coaching session was an experience of self discovering. With some really direct questioning he was able to clearly explain why he enjoys teaching: ‘the adrenaline of thinking on your feet, the rewarding nature of giving someone a tool and seeing them use it’.

Comments on the Times website have now turned to question why no one teaches graduates how to market themselves for today’s jobs market, a very different one to years ago when a graduate was more or less guaranteed to walk into a job following university. It’s a ‘skill all of its own’, said one reader. ‘This project will be interesting.’

Check back for more updates soon!