Routes into graduate employment

The Careers Service offers impartial advice on different approaches to finding graduate-level employment. We can relate this to different industry sectors and roles, and will not steer you in any particular direction.

Within a sector, there are a typical set of recruitment processes, but each organisation will manage its vacancies and applications in its own way, so: • Understand both the industry pattern and the exceptions for the roles you are targeting. • Be clear about timescales and deadlines from the beginning. • Start your sector research with the 20+ short industry briefings in this Guide. Each one includes advice on recruitment processes and outlines ideas on how to develop relevant skills, enriched by personal stories and advice from Oxford alumni, and current opportunities from some of the major employers. • Talking to companies and people doing the work in which you are interested can be invaluable. While you can network all year round, the first few weeks of

Michaelmas term see hundreds of companies visiting

Oxford every year for our career fairs and companyled events. We are planning for in-person fairs once again in 2022: • See Careers Term by Term for an overview of the recruitment year at Oxford.

What can you offer an employer in addition to your degree qualification? Graduates who can demonstrate the transferable skills most commonly sought by “ recruiters will find that they have a competitive advantage in the jobs market. The eight core employability skills that employers look for are described here: www.careers.ox.ac.uk/developyour-employability-skills. Use this resource to identify your own skills gaps, get tips on improving your profile and boost your chances of job success. Rebecca Ehata, Careers Adviser, Oxford University

•Use the Events Calendar on CareerConnect to find dates, times and locations. • Follow employers’ websites, Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and job alerts. • Use national graduate career sites like Prospects,

TARGETjobs, and Milkround.

Graduate training programmes

Organisations that recruit a number of graduates every year often have structured training schemes. These generally last for one or two years and provide formal training and development as part of a structured programme. Often they also offer ‘rotations’ through a succession of roles in different parts of the organisation. Graduates gain a range of experience, specific skills, and a broad introduction to the firm and its industry.

Applications usually open during the summer (July onwards) and often close during Michaelmas term (as early as October!) for start dates in July to September following graduation. Check the relevant industry sector briefings for more specific information.

Oxford’s numerous Michaelmas term careers fairs support this cycle. These, together with our other fairs in Hilary and Trinity terms, are excellent opportunities to meet a wide range of recruiters and alumni, to find out more about their work and explore possibilities. With a little preparation, they are also a chance to make a good first impression and show your interest in an organisation.

Many employers also run separate company presentations in Oxford. Go to these whether you are simply interested to learn more about their graduate scheme, or use them specifically to deepen your knowledge about that company and meet more people from the firm. You’ll find these listed in the Events Calendar in CareerConnect.

Individual graduate roles

Many, many more graduates join organisations to fill a specific position rather than as part of a graduate training programme. All types of organisations offer these direct entry roles, including employers with big graduate schemes.

Direct entry roles are advertised widely, generally one to three months before a job starts. The best places to start looking for vacancies include: • Individual organisations’ websites and, increasingly, their social media feeds. • The Careers Service’s vacancy database on

CareerConnect. • National graduate career sites like Prospects,

TARGETjobs, and Milkround. • Industry professional bodies and specialist media channels. Finding work in specific UK locations

Geography and reputation mean that recruitment at Oxford can appear London-centric. However, opportunities exist across the UK: • Major organisations often offer a choice of locations in regional offices. • Some sectors, like education and healthcare, provide opportunities countrywide. • Many thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) offer graduate jobs too, and the websites of professional bodies usually list locations for SMEs in their industry.

Some regions are recognised for specific industries. For example, Manchester is increasingly seen as a creative hub, and Cambridge has a reputation for science and computing start-ups. Oxford is also particularly good for science, health and publishing jobs, and has a vibrant and growing tech sector: attend our ‘Summer Fair’ each Trinity term to meet some of these dynamic and rapidly expanding companies.

Many job platforms allow you to search by region – including our own vacancies on CareerConnect – and you can search specifically for jobs in: • Scotland www.s1jobs.com • Wales www.gowales.co.uk • Northern Ireland www.gradireland.com

Read the advice on working in different countries and UK visas, or see a careers adviser at the Careers Service for advice if you are considering working abroad.

Unadvertised roles

A significant number of job vacancies are never advertised or only advertised via social media. Employers often recruit people they know, who are recommended to them, or who approach them speculatively. In certain sectors, such as media and advertising, networking is an essential and expected part of the application process for both full-time jobs and work experience.

Networking can help you understand the industry in which you are interested and uncover possible opportunities. For more information see our advice on ethical networking.

As you build your contacts and knowledge, you develop the foundations to make well researched speculative applications that are properly tailored to the specific needs of an employer.