Careers and employability

Explore your career path

• Drop-in advice and guidance: Have a question about your options or want to get started? Our team is here to help.
• Discover your career options: Find out what you could do with your degree and gain detailed sector information with our online resources.
• Find job opportunities: Access our comprehensive job listings to see the types of roles available.
• Events and webinars: Our wide range of events help you gather information, make career choices and meet employers.
• Discover your entrepreneurial spark: Find your idea and launch a business. We provide the skills, space and funding to help you tap into our culture of innovation.
  

Prepare for success

• CV reviews: Get a professional review from our careers team and use our AI CV checker to craft your perfect CV.
• Job application support: Receive one-to-one help to refine your job and internship applications.
• Master interviews and presentations: Practice with our digital tools and get expert feedback in a mock interview.
• Practice for tests and assessment centres: Our practice tools will help you feel confident for assessment centres and psychometric tests.

These opportunities are delivered and supported by dedicated teams who can help you find and make the most of everything we have to offer.

• Placements: Almost all of our undergraduate degrees offer a placement year option to gain work experience. These structured opportunities are integrated into your studies and recognised in your degree title.
  • Some degrees have a built-in 'Year in Industry' option.
  • For others you can arrange a ‘Placement Year’ with support from our Careers and Placements team, which includes a range of sessions and support to help you find, apply and successfully interview for a placement. Our top-rated placements are quality-checked to ensure they meet criteria for graduate-level roles, and you'll have a dedicated supervisor to help ensure everything runs smoothly. 
• York internships and opportunities: Get essential experience for your CV. Boost your personal and professional development through paid, project-based internships.
• Study or work abroad: We aim to provide every student with an opportunity to gain an international experience. Add an enriching dimension to your studies, enhance your CV and explore a different part of the world.
• Volunteering: Connect to a cause you care about with a wide range of opportunities in York, working with schools, charities and communities. We'll support you in making the most of these experiences to support your employability.
• Part-time jobs: Many students work around their studies to earn extra money and develop new and transferable skills. We’ll help you access part-time work, including on-campus roles like student ambassador, student fundraiser, or student content creator. The city of York also offers lots of opportunities for part-time work in sectors like tourism, hospitality and retail.

• Play to your strengths: We’ll help you develop the core skills employers are looking for - such as problem-solving, innovative thinking, authentic communication and relationship building. Our employer-endorsed York Strengths Professional Skills Discovery online program helps you reflect on your existing professional skills with a personalised assessment and employer-based activities. For undergraduates, you'll have an additional two-hour workshop in the first year of your course to help you apply everything you have learned to your subject area.
• Hone leadership skills: Develop your leadership potential and find your voice through interdisciplinary modules and extracurricular activities such as societies, sports, colleges and volunteering. You’ll uncover what it means to be a leader and find your leadership style. Whether you already have leadership experience or don't yet see yourself as a leader, these experiences will help you understand and develop your capabilities alongside peers and professionals.
• Show employers you're proactive: Our York Award helps you document your accomplishments within and outside your course. This formal award, assessed by a panel, can be added to your CV to set you apart in job applications and interviews.
• Studying beyond your degree: There are options to study topics outside your subject as part of your degree through elective modules. Choose a module from another discipline (such as sustainability, tech, health and more) or learn a language to give your skills a boost and broaden your horizons.

• Graduate careers fairs: Meet future colleagues and explore opportunities with leading employers.
• Sector panel events: Gain insights from industry experts and find your inspiration at focused panel discussions.
• LinkedIn support: Learn how to effectively use LinkedIn to find your professional community. We also help you make a great first impression with a professional LinkedIn headshot from our photographer at careers fairs.
• York for Life, our online global community: Your connection to York doesn't end at graduation; it just grows. York for Life provides a lifelong connection to the University and a powerful network of support, opportunities and shared experiences that span continents.
  • Students: From day one, you’ll get access to the York for Life platform, giving you opportunities to browse alumni profiles and find out what graduates from your subject have gone on to do. You can also link up with alumni mentors who are keen to see you succeed too.
  • Graduates: The spirit of York stays with you long after graduation. Reconnect with your former classmates and access exclusive career support and opportunities tailored for York alumni.

We provide a range of specialist support and events to help you get career-ready:

• Free, unlimited access to a careers platform tailored for international students (Student Circus). It provides job listings, immigration guidance, a job seeker’s toolkit and online learning to help you learn about the UK job market, work visas, the hiring process, how to start building your network, and more. You'll get access from being an offer-holder and you can access it as a graduate.
• Expert advice on finding work during and after studies in the UK, plus tailored events covering UK job search strategies and post-study visa options.
• Our careers support doesn't end at graduation, it continues for life. This includes support on how to find work on the Graduate Visa.

The British Council and UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) also provide guidance on working in the UK after you graduate:

• British Council Student Guide - Working in the UK after you graduate (PDF , 356kb)
• UK Council for International Student Affairs (ukcisa.org)

We offer dedicated programmes and scholarships to help you thrive, such as:

• Our employability programme, OnTrack - designed specifically for home students who receive a York Bursary or Care Leavers and Estranged Students Bursary. It includes professional development workshops, networking opportunities, one-to-one coaching and more.
• Access to York Futures Scholarships, which provides financial and practical support for undergraduate home students to access employability experiences, such as funding travel expenses to a networking event.

Achieve your ambitions and overcome barriers in the job market through a range of specialist support, such as:

• Access to external programmes designed to help you navigate your career path and secure graduate jobs and internships. This include sector-specific programmes and initiatives designed to improve diversity and support those from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic background.
• Our Black Access Scheme - offers current York students part-time work opportunities. The student-led initiative supports prospective Black students in UK sixth forms and colleges in their journey to university through guidance and encouragement.
• Yorkshire Consortium for Equity in Doctoral Education, which promotes access to doctoral studies for graduates from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.

We’ll help you plan your career journey and navigate the workplace with confidence through:

• Supported career planning, including tailored resources and six hours of coaching.
• Access to services and support for reasonable adjustments in the workplace and during the job application process.

What comes after your Masters degree? We can help you plan what’s next:

• Career planning support from our professional careers advisors.
• Access to a range of work-related opportunities.
• Events to help you explore a range of career options, and connect with employers and alumni working across sectors. Interested in a career in research, industry or academia? We offer focus events to explore these options in depth.

Interested in an academic career or exploring other sectors? We can help you explore your options with a range of support, including:

• Internships and work experience designed specifically for researchers.
• Support with your job search, offering feedback on your CV and applications, as well as interview technique.
• Training and development to equip you with the skills, attributes and knowledge to thrive as an independent researcher.
• Learn more about careers support for postgraduate researchers

We know that balancing your studies, work and personal life can be a challenge. That's why we offer tailored career guidance and resources specific to your study mode and career stage, to help you navigate your unique path:

• Book a telephone or online appointment for careers support and advice.
• Get feedback on CVs, applications and supporting statements.
• Access all our networking tools - from alumni mentors via York for Life to our networking toolkit.