The Guardian opens a new series that will follow eight young people's search for jobs with profiles of four graduates and school-leavers who feel shut out of work: Aamir, 25, on universal credit after a short publishing contract; Alice, 24, an Oxford and Cambridge graduate who has sent 50 tailored applications and been rejected even by a charity shop that headhunted her; Liam, 20, an autistic horticulture trainee told he lacks experience while he volunteers at community gardens; and Peter, 21, a computer science first who says AI has devastated entry-level tech roles. Aamir calls Britain's social contract broken, Liam urges employers to train people without experience and make reasonable adjustments, and the young people describe the toll on their mental health.