Scientific research has previously shown that a successful transition from school to work is highly determinant for later careers. In other words: people who are unemployed for a long time before finding a first job as well as those who experience a mismatch in that first job (e.g. because it is below their level of education) are also less successful on the labour market later on in terms of (quality of) employment. It is clear that certain educational credentials, i.e. education-related CV characteristics such as degree of merit and study delay, help determine the likelihood of a successful transition, among other things because employers take them strongly into account when making their hiring decisions. In this research project, we explore why this is so. What exactly do employers infer from the educational credentials of tertiary education graduates? And what do they infer from long-term unemployment and mismatches after graduation? To answer these questions, we conduct innovative experiments with recruiters, both in a real-life (field) context and in a more controlled (lab) environment. We are thereby taking a logical step in the scientific literature, but also pursuing societal impact, as we will uncover what perceptions young job candidates with certain credentials or certain first labour market experiences should anticipate in order to achieve faster, higher-quality employment.