2023 Guide to Kickstarting Your Career: Where opportunities lie for those starting out

Securing your first job should be one of the most exciting times in your entire career. But it can also be a period of profound uncertainty, even without taking into consideration how the labour market has been thrown off its axis since the pandemic hit in 2020.

As we adjust to another year of accelerated change, punctuated by a cost of living crisis and rising technological advancements such as AI, we've begun to see the booming labour market of the last two years slow down and new priorities influence where career starters choose to work.

Our third annual guide to beginning your career draws on LinkedIn data to explore this year’s biggest shifts. From the fastest-growing job functions to increasingly flexible workplaces and a growing number of entryways, we'll explore the changes that are shaking things up for those looking to land their first job. 

What does 2023's labour market look like?

The UK labour market is coming out of a period of record highs for job vacancies. Mass movements from certain sectors, in large part led by a younger generation less willing to compromise on what they want from their work lives, saw commentators coin the terms "The Great Reshuffle" and "The Great Resignation" – a time when companies found themselves competing for talent amid a unique power shift. 

Now, due to economic headwinds that have left their mark on every sector, there has been a notable rebalancing. Macroeconomic challenges have prompted many employers to be more cautious and several major firms that grew rapidly during the pandemic have announced layoffs. Meanwhile, the cost of living implications on individuals has left a growing number of employees nervous about keeping their positions or changing jobs.

"It's a bit like we're reverting back to the market of the pre-pandemic period," says labour economist Mariano Mamertino , who works on a team that advises senior leaders on future labour market trends. "To use an analogy, last year's jobs market was like extreme heat – it was too hot and, if you were an employer at least, the labour market felt off the scale. Right now, we're still warm, but we're not in that extreme heat warning anymore."  

This is reflected in the overall UK LinkedIn hiring rate (LHR), which tracks the velocity of LinkedIn members updating their profiles with new jobs each month. Since June 2022, there has been a consistent year-on-year decline in LHR, down -22.7% for new bachelor's graduates in January 2023. That said, while the year-on-year figures may sound concerning, "we're still in a historically tight labour market," says Mamertino. "There are lots of jobs and low unemployment, and wages are also increasing, albeit inflation is unfortunately higher." 

New data, therefore, points to a gear change, rather than a cause for pessimism among those beginning their careers. Meanwhile, career paths that are growing their share of entry-level hiring are still having to adapt to Gen Z’s work wishlist, which LinkedIn research suggests is increasingly informed by policies around work-life balance or a commitment to the environment.

The evolving concept of how we work in the UK – including substantial growth in the number of remote and hybrid jobs now being advertised – presents its own set of opportunities in terms of access to employment.

"Compared to the pre-pandemic labour market, [job seekers] are in a stronger position," says Mamertino. "That should instil some confidence in the people out there starting their search."

Stability takes precedence

Amid growing uncertainty around the economy’s impact on the labour market, last August, The Guardian shed light on how new graduates in the UK were being forced to make more difficult decisions about when and where they start their careers. As a result, career paths that have proved they can be agile and ride the macroeconomic rollercoaster of the last few years have solidified their position as safer bets. Job functions that grew their hiring share most in 2022 are what might be described as more "stable" choices.

A prime example of this is the growth in legal professions’ hiring share in 2022. LinkedIn data ranked the fastest-growing job functions using the first position members held after graduating and comparing the share of hiring for that function in 2021 versus 2022. Legal roles – whether at law firms or in other industries – grew their share by 17.1%.

Robert Hanna is the founder of KC Partners and host of Legally Speaking Podcast, which aims to help lawyers transform their careers. "It's very hard to go through business without having to have some sort of interaction with legal [teams]," he tells LinkedIn News UK . "Whenever there's a turn in the market, we tend to see a rise in disputes. So a lot of the recruiting we've been seeing comes down to a rise in insurance disputes from the pandemic that are now coming forth at big corporates."

As well as perceived stability, there is also the evolving nature of these career paths. "Just look at simple things like the data protection act, which changed when we brought in GDPR and brought with it a landslide of new law," says Hanna. "Now, we're talking about the regulation of AI and all the new regulatory laws and procedures that need to be learnt around that."

As the labour market rebalances, this sense of security during economic ups and downs and strong long-term progression prospects look likely to become more important for new career starters.

Access all areas

Jobs in several of the fastest growing fields have been subject to another significant shift impacting where career starters could be heading this year: a breadth of new ways to enter the industry. 

"In most regulated industries, I think there's always been a worry that not taking the traditional, highly educated path means you won't be able to work at the best companies," says Hanna. "Companies are recognising how people who have other experience, skills and backgrounds could actually be an advantage."

One such company is PwC . Last August, the historic "big four" accounting firm – which also hires across consulting, auditing and other disciplines – lowered the academic entry requirements for its graduate scheme in an attempt to attract a broader range of applicants. 

"Removing the [need for a] 2:1 is part of our commitment to looking at a student's potential, rather than their past experience," PwC's head of early careers, Cathy Baxter , told LinkedIn News UK. "We don't want applicants to feel limited by academic achievement and it also helps us diversify our people. You can demonstrate how you're building skills in all walks of life, either through their education, groups they've been working with or part-time jobs."

Be it legal, accounting, consulting or any other job function, this rise in accessibility is a defining characteristic of the 2023 labour market. Part of a broader diversity drive among UK companies at all levels, it also breaks down barriers for those entering the workforce for the first time.

But beyond entry requirements and growing receptiveness to alternative experiences, the rise in remote work is also opening doors for career starters. LinkedIn Economic Graph researchers compared the share of all jobs posted on LinkedIn that were remote, hybrid or on-site in Jan-Feb 2022 versus Jan-Feb 2023, taking into account the level of seniority based on what was provided by the job poster or directly inferred from the post. The number of entry-level jobs advertising remote and hybrid working patterns grew from 4.9% of all postings to 15.5%. 

For Molly Johnson-Jones , who left a job in investment banking to start her own global directory of flexible-work companies, Flexa , the changing attitude to flexible work has been instrumental in providing new geographical opportunities.

"If we look at how flexibility has helped people access their ideal roles, we can see that there's an increase in diversity of the candidate pool," she told LinkedIn News UK. "People felt like after university they had to move to London or another large city to be able to access a certain level of employment, whereas actually, flexibility has enabled people to not necessarily have to make that step." 

Flexibility has implications that go beyond accessibility and will likely define Gen Z’s impact on the workplace by better aligning work and values. "Remote and hybrid working enables people to ultimately balance work and life better, something Gen Z care about more than any other generation," says Johnson Jones. "Where millennials were always seeking it but never really achieving it, Gen Z expects that balance from the beginning."

The only question is, as economic uncertainty rebalances the labour market, will this be achievable?

Expectation vs reality

Flexibility in itself is only part of what younger generations are seeking, but plays into career starters’ wishlist of what they want from work.

Dan Mian is the founder of Gradvance , which assists underrepresented graduates and early career professionals in landing their dream jobs. "It's all well and good working remote," he tells LinkedIn News UK, "but there is huge value in having real relationships with real people, especially at the start, because you're going to soak up this wealth of experience and knowledge. I think the next generation wants opportunities to grow. They're really ambitious and very dedicated to learning."

Hanna has charted a shift in legal careers, too. "Some firms have started allowing employees to be themselves online, where there have otherwise always been very rigid social media policies," he says. "They’re encouraging staff to build a personal brand and seeing how employee advocacy can actually be a benefit. These are the ones that are going to really attract the Gen Z talent."

Globally, LinkedIn data found that entry-level job ads referencing culture and values have increased by 154% over the past two years, reflecting their growing importance for younger generations. Job ads referencing work-life balance have increased the most, while job postings that mention values like culture, flexibility and wellbeing receive nearly twice as many applications today than they did two years ago. Recent LinkedIn research also found that younger workers are far more willing than other generations to make sacrifices if their employer does not reflect their values.

For PwC, showcasing a commitment to values to career starters has become a top priority. As part of its outreach, it now travels to universities with a dedicated "eco booth" and distributes seeded flyers, "which we did purposefully because we know that students are really interested to know about what we're doing with regards to ESG and sustainability," says Baxter.

According to business leader Paul Polman , who recently published research on the rise of "conscious quitting", more and more CEOs are accepting that companies are judged on their values and impact on the world, especially by future talent. 

"The smartest C-suites and entrepreneurs are flipping this into an opportunity by striving to build courageous, honest and mission-driven companies which will attract, retain and motivate the best people, and thrive as a result," he says. "This trend will only grow: creating value through values is the future of business and of work.”

What do you think will be the biggest changes for those joining the workforce this year? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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If you’re a career starter looking to land your first job, we’ve unlocked a selection of relevant LinkedIn Learning courses which you can watch for free until June 12, including Professional networking for career starters, 30-minute resume refresh, Mastering common interview questions and Negotiating your compensation package.

Methodology: 

To compile this report, data scientists on LinkedIn’s Economic Graph team analysed millions of member profiles and job postings. Fast-growing job functions were ranked using the first position members held after graduating and comparing the share of hiring for that function in 2021 versus 2022. LinkedIn Economic Graph researchers also compared the share of all jobs posted on LinkedIn that were remote, hybrid or on-site in Jan/Feb 2022 versus Jan/Feb 2023, with the level of seniority of the job provided by the job poster or directly inferred from the posting. 

Research on Gen Z job confidence was conducted by Censuswide and based on 2,038 workers in the UK aged 18+ between 7 December 2022 and 12 December 22. Research on Gen Z values was conducted by Censuswide and based on 2,065 workers aged 18+ between 24 March 2023 and 29 March 23. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.

Reported by: Aaron Toumazou

Methodology and insights by: LinkedIn Economic Graph researchers Carl S. , Pingyu He, PhD , Caroline Liongosari and Nikhil Gahlawat

Managing Editor: Siobhan Morrin

Creator Manager: Ash Turner

Special Projects Leads: Marie Malzac (region), Michele Pierri (International)

Regional Lead: Julien Wettstein  

International Executive Editor: Sandrine Chauvin