Why this first question matters (and why we need your answer)
The first question in the Graduate Outcomes survey isn’t a test of success - it’s a snapshot of real life. Your honest answer shows what early careers truly look like, shapes the support future students receive, and helps universities, employers and policymakers understand the realities graduates face. Here’s why that one week - and your response - matters more than you might think.
Let’s be honest: the first question in the Graduate Outcomes survey can feel… intense. “What were you doing in census week*?”
It sounds big. It sounds official. It sounds a bit like you’re being judged on whether life is “on track”.
You’re not.
This question exists for one simple reason: to understand what real life looks like for graduates right now. Whether you were working, freelancing, travelling, looking for work, caring for someone, studying, creating a creative portfolio, or doing something completely different - your answer helps build a true picture of what happens after graduation.
Here’s why that matters:
1. It shows what graduate life is really like
Your answer helps paint an honest picture of what early career life actually looks like. Not the glossy, one‑size‑fits‑all version - the real version. The winding paths, the unsure moments, the experiments, the wins, and the “still figuring it out” phases.
And this really matters. There’s a persistent myth that you’re supposed to discover one perfect job or have everything sorted the moment you graduate. That’s simply not how life works, and your responses help dispel that myth.
They also help future and current students see what early career life genuinely looks like - so they can prepare for the reality, not the assumption.
2. It shapes the careers support future students get
Universities and colleges use this data to understand:
- which sectors people are entering
- what career advice graduates need
- where graduates struggle most
If lots of graduates say they’re freelancing, caring, or job‑hunting, universities and colleges invest more support in those areas. Your answer has real impact.
3. It influences national decisions about funding and skills
Policy makers use these results to understand the health of the graduate labour market. The data influences decisions on funding for courses, investment in skills and graduate support programmes.
Your honest answers help keep the picture accurate and helps the Government to direct resources where it really matters.
4. It helps employers understand what early careers really look like
Your survey response gives employers insight into how graduates enter the workforce - not just who gets hired, but how long it takes, which routes people take, and what support early‑career staff might need.
If graduates are navigating non‑linear paths, juggling multiple roles, or facing barriers to finding work, employers need to understand that reality. It guides how they design graduate schemes, shape early‑career development, and create roles that reflect real graduate experiences.
Your experience helps shape future entry‑level jobs.
5. It’s about one week - not your whole life
This question doesn’t define you and it’s certainly not asking whether you’ve “made it”. It’s simply asking what your life looked like during one specific week.
This question isn’t about judging your current situation - it’s about understanding it. When you answer honestly, you help build a real picture of graduate life, shape future support, and improve the higher education experience for the people who come after you.
When the survey arrives, take just 10 minutes to tell us what that week really looked like. Your time and your honesty genuinely makes a difference.
*Census week
Refers to the specific 7‑day period the Graduate Outcomes survey asks you about - roughly 15 months after you finished your higher education course. It’s not a test or a special week. It’s simply the reference week everyone uses so the results are fair and comparable.