Website of the UK government

Career planning for graduates: getting started

If you’re unsure about what you want to do, try using the Prospects Planner - a tool to help you identify your skills, interests and motivations, then match them to job types. There’s also career planning advice in Directgov’s employment section.

• Use Prospects Planner Opens new window

• Planning a career (employment section)

Need advice on your options?

For advice from a trained professional, contact your university or college careers service. You’re also likely to find details of job vacancies and placements, and help with applications, CVs and interview technique.

Help is usually available to former students for some time after graduation, as well as to current students. If you’ve moved away since graduating, they’ll tell you what services are available at universities and colleges nearer to you.

The Prospects website has contact details for university and college careers services - and lets you search for services specific to graduates.

• Prospects: get in touch with your university careers service Opens new window

Making the best use of your higher education qualification

If you’re interested in exploring the types of career your course might pave the way for, the careers service and academic staff at your university or college will be able to advise you.

Before you start looking for a job, it’s worth checking that you’ve considered all your options. If you’ve focused on a particular area of work up to now, are there any related careers that could increase your options – and improve your chances?

Many graduate vacancies are open to graduates with degrees in any subject. However, finding out what other graduates in your subject are doing can be a good way of getting ideas. You’ll find plenty of resources online to help you do it.

• 'Ideas generator': see what other graduates are doing on the Mayor of London site Opens new window

• Prospects: options with your subject Opens new window

Finding a job or placement

As well as contacting your university or college careers service, you can search for jobs online, in newspapers or in trade journals. It can also pay to contact employers directly and find out if they have any vacancies.

Another way to gain entry to the world of work is by doing a placement or internship, such as those posted through Graduate Talent Pool. This service offers internships for graduates who graduated with at least a degree or foundation degree in 2008 or 2009.

• Getting a graduate job or placement

• Find an internship with Graduate Talent Pool Opens new window

Career development and keeping your skills up to date

Learning shouldn’t stop once you’ve broken into the career you want. Up-to-date skills and knowledge are as important for graduates as they are for everyone else.

This might be as simple as taking an interest in what's happening in your field – reading the trade press, for example. Or it might involve training or further study leading to a professional qualification.

How to keep your skills up to date

Keep an eye on how your industry is changing: this is key to knowing which skills are in demand. For example, check job advertisements for a sense of what employers want.

It’s also worth contacting your trade or professional association. An increasing number emphasise the importance of ‘Continuing Professional Development’ (CPD), and some have programmes to help members develop their skills.

Training and further study

Your employer may offer opportunities to develop your skills - or you may want to improve your career prospects by arranging training for yourself.

If you’re going to do some further training, it’s worth considering courses that lead to a postgraduate or other formal qualification. This will improve the chances of your new knowledge and skills getting full recognition from a new employer.

• Training and learning for work

• Postgraduate study: getting started

Other options for graduates

As well as jobs and placements, there are plenty of other options for graduates. For example, you could take your studies further with a postgraduate course or research opportunity, or embark on a Knowledge Transfer Partnership.

• Options after graduation

More useful links

• Public sector careers (employment section)

• Opportunities for graduates in Northern Ireland Opens new window

• Graduate careers in Scotland Opens new window

• Go Wales - jobs and work experience for graduates in Wales Opens new window