UK employers value experience gained from a wide range of experiences. This can include:

• Previous employment prior to university

• Part-time jobs

• Internship or placement

• Being a parent or a carer

• Responsibilities eg babysitting

• Spending a semester or year abroad/travelling

• Volunteering

• Hobbies/interests/side projects (e.g. music, writing, your own small business)

• part-time jobs

• casual vacation work

• volunteering

• insight days

• working virtually

• international experience

• Internships are short periods of professional experience. They give you a taste of what graduate work is like and can help you make industry contacts.

• Summer Internships develop and enhance your skills and can last between two – twelve weeks and are generally paid.

• Most internship opportunities advertised by large graduate recruiters are aimed at penultimate (pre-final) year students. When to apply: many are advertised the summer before the internship is due to start with deadlines from as early as October

• Smaller businesses (SMEs) that offer internship opportunities may not specify a year of study. When to apply: closer to the start date/some throughout the year for part-time opportunities

• Some companies will also offer Easter or Christmas opportunities (often called spring internships or insight days). These are often targeted at first and second year students, however, there will be a limited number of these opportunities available. When to apply:

• There are some unpaid opportunities but these should be very short and not last more than four weeks.

• A placement may form part of your course. If it is credit-bearing you are not required to be paid

• Your academic or placement adviser will provide you with information about the requirements for your placement and possibly advise you of opportunities posted directly by employers to your academic department.

• Many Strathclyde courses don’t include an industrial placement year as part of the course. However, it is possible to interrupt your studies for one year, with support from your academic department, to complete a year long work placement.

• Section 4 - Enhance your employability - understand what we mean by employability at Strathclyde. Identify opportunities you can get involved with that will help you further develop your employability. And connect with students from other disciplines

  
  

• Section 5 - Develop your job search strategy - this section will enable you to achieve a better understanding of the UK and international labour markets. You will also learn how to job search effectively. And find opportunities relating to your career goals

Attending events is a great way to learn more about what different organisations do, the types of roles they have for students and graduates and what it is like to work there.

Recent graduates are often involved in presenting and there is usually an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the session.

Recordings of past events are available via the dropdown menu on the Events web page (linked to above).

• Ensure you read all the information they provide, which may include video case studies of recent graduates speaking about their experience.

  
  

• Read the About Us section of their website and any information they provide about their Values.

  
  

• Practice for pre-screening tests such as psychometric tests as appropriate.

Register for free with MyPlus Students’ Club for advice on openness, requesting adjustments and access to many more resources

• choosing a career

• work experience

• looking for a job

• making applications

• further study

• guidance appointments

• practice interviews

Employers do not expect graduates to have all the workplace skills they need at entry point.

However, below are skills they tell us that graduates need to work on (or be better at evidencing in recruitment processes):

• Self-awareness

• Resilience

• Work-appropriate written communication

• Dealing with conflict

• Awareness of the wider context:

  • commercial awareness

  • diversity and inclusion awareness

SOURCE: ISE Development Survey 2024, pages 30-35