There are many ways to develop your employability and personal skills during your time at University.  Such skills are highly valued by employers who look for more than academic achievement alone.  This Career Development Guide is intended as an aide-memoire for postgraduate students, particularly for those on a one-year course.  It gives a broad overview of careers events and activities that are taking place during the academic year together with an indication of deadlines and closing dates where these exist.

When should career-planning start?
You will notice that more is happening in the autumn term than later in the year.  This is partly because many large recruiters start recruiting at this time and their activities and publicity reflect this.  It also reinforces the fact that, as a postgraduate student, you need to make effective plans for after your graduation. The following are examples of things you may want to think about.

• The beginning of your course is the time to start investigating career ideas if these are not yet clear. 
• You might have career plans but feel that you need some relevant work experience to add to your postgraduate qualification.  This can take some time to organise, so start thinking about this before Christmas. 
• If you want to continue your study to PhD level, then early research into possible institutions and potential sources of funding will be required.

Be ahead of the game by beginning your planning as soon as you start studying!

BEFORE CHRISTMAS
1.  Career choice

• Unsure what to do after your course?  Use Prospects Planner, a computer-aided guidance tool, to help you generate career ideas, investigate them and plan your strategy.  It will help you explore what you are good at, what interests you and what motivates you; use this information to produce a list of possible occupations to investigate.  This is available at the Prospects website at www.prospects.ac.uk/links/Pplanner. 
• Investigate what previous graduates from your course have gone into.  Look at the first destination information of previous postgraduates to find out what they went on to do after their graduation. 
  • Visit Student Development to discuss your ideas with an adviser.  Ask at the Help Desk for further information or visit the careers appointments page on our website.

2.  Employers and Vacancies

• Many large employers have early closing dates (some as early as November/December) for applications for future vacancies.  Start your research early so that you do not miss these.  Further information is available in the Student Development Zone or visit the explore vacancies page on our website. 
• Check early closing dates for Civil Service Fast Stream applications at www.faststream.gov.uk.
• Visit JOBSonline on the Student Development website for details of future vacancies.
• Read Prospects Finalist (published in October and November) which advertises future vacancies for graduates.  These publications are usually available in the Student Development Zone.
• Read national newspapers - different types of vacancies appear on different days.  See the press guide at the Student Development website for information. 
• Look at the events section on the Student Development website to check which employers are visiting the campus this term to conduct interviews, skills workshops or give presentations.
• Visit the Leicestershire and Student Graduate Fair (LSGF) in November - the county's largest recruitment fair.  
• Refer to the Prospects Directory, usually available for reference in the Student Development Zone; this lists companies advertising future vacancies.   Also available online at www.prospects.ac.uk.
  • Register with My Prospects at the Prospects website at www.prospects.ac.uk. 
• Find out what careers fairs and events are taking place on campus by visiting our website. 
• Visit our websited for details of other careers fairs being held around the UK.  Some focus on specific areas of work, e.g. finance and IT, whilst others are more generic.

3.  Work Experience

• Some employers offer vacation work placements with early closing dates - for details of placements check JOBSonline at our website.
• Visit The Workbank in the Students' Union for local part-time employment opportunities.
• Visit Contact Student Volunteers in the Students' Union for voluntary and community opportunities.  Visit go.le.ac.uk/volunteering for further information or the volunteering pages on our website.  

4.  Further Postgraduate Study

• Start investigating further study using Prospects Postgraduate Directory (usually available for reference at the Student Development Zone and on the Prospects website at www.prospects.ac.uk). 
• Pick up Prospects Postgrad (published in October), usually available from the Student Development Zone, for details of new courses and up-to-date information. 
• Research possible funding sources using Prospects Funding Guide (usually available from the Student Development Zone) and contact research councils for further information. 
• Note the early closing dates for some postgraduate courses including law and primary teaching.

5.  Study Skills
Improve your study and presentation skills by attending Student Development workshops aimed at postgraduate students and by booking an appointment with a study adviser.  Further information is available on the develop your academic skills on the Student Development Zone and the Student Development website.

AFTER CHRISTMAS

• Submit applications for further postgraduate study soon as postgraduate funding applications deadlines fall from May onwards. 
• Look out for summer placements, e.g. with legal firms - some have early closing dates. 
• Visit the events pages on the Student Development website at to check which employers are visiting the University of Leicester this term to give presentations. 
• Read Prospects Finalist, usually available in the Student Development Zone, for information on future vacancies (published January and March).
  • Check early closing dates for Civil Service Fast Stream applications at www.faststream.gov.uk. 
   

TOWARDS THE END OF YOUR COURSE

• Find out about careers fairs at other institutions where different employers may be represented.  These are listed on the Prospects website at www.prospects.ac.uk.  
• Read Prospects Finalist for information on future vacancies and other careers fairs (published at the end of May).

And finally . . .
Do make use of the services and information resources of Student Development.  We are here to help!

>>Further information at Career Planning