Events, events events

We run a programme of events each term. We talk about them a lot but that’s because we have some great guest speakers and some really useful insights that we want you to make the most of. 
Autumn term sees our three big recruitment fairs which we have divided into sectors – Law, Technology and Graduate Jobs and Placements. Each fair will have over 40 exhibitors and they include employers who are seeking finalists but many are also coming here to tell you about their internships, placement years and taster days so there really is something for students from all years. The events programme doesn’t end there though, there are employer presentations, insights into types of career such as working in teaching and the public sector, law and tech plus our workshops on CVs, applications and aptitude tests. Take a look at the events programme on our What’s On webpage.

York Strengths

This is a programme for first years to help you identify the skills you’re good at and enjoy using as well as skills you have an aptitude for and can develop further. Why do we care about this you’re probably thinking?? If you can understand a little of what makes you tick in first year, this will help you think about what future career might suit you. The earlier you have some ideas then the better use you can make of all of the opportunities at Uni to develop the relevant skills for that career path and perhaps get some experience by trying it out through taster days, volunteering and internships before committing to a graduate role. York Award is available in your second year when you can consolidate what you have learnt so far and identify other areas to develop.

Try volunteering

Volunteering is a great way to improve your CV and skills, not to mention enjoying yourself! These experiences count as much as paid work in terms of skills you’ll develop and will give you experiences and scenarios to use on application forms and in interviews. By volunteering you’ll be able to demonstrate to employers that you have done more than your degree and not only has it benefited you but you have helped others too. Volunteering roles may also give you a better idea of the kind of career or role that is right for you. Our established York Students in Schools programme only requires a half day commitment over 8 weeks of term, volunteering in a local school – secondary, primary or nursery, the choice is yours. We also have a community volunteering programme which we recruit to each term, this covers opportunities in heritage, health, young people and sustainability amongst others. See what is on offer this term on our Volunteering page

Don’t forget our website..

We’ve designed our website to act as a starting point for your research. We cover the things we are asked about the most. Use the website to get tips on finding and applying for jobs and exploring your ideas. The Job Sector pages look at popular career sectors in depth and provide starting points for you to continue your research. Similarly use the York Profiles page to read the career stories of past York students and see what advice they would give to someone just starting out. The website is also a great source of information on all of the activities you can get involved in, including York Strengths, placement year, volunteering, enterprise and York Award.

NB. Careers Gateway is the intranet through which you can book appointments, look at our programme of events and search for job vacancies including part time work while you study and vacancies for graduate jobs and internships

Speak to us

There are lots of ways for you to speak to us and sometimes yes, it may be confusing to decide who to speak to and what type of appointment to book but the gist of it is:

• Drop in- 11am-1pm Monday to Friday in Careers and Placements. This is staffed by our team of Information Officers – Irena, Stephen and Tricia. It’s for initial career questions and help with finding information. You don’t need an appointment.

• Careers Advice – You need to book online to see one of our Careers Consultants for a 20 minute discussion on career choices, planning and advice

• CV & application reviews – it is what it says!

• Enterprise appointments – to discuss your business idea

• Placement year appointments – support if you’re thinking about doing a placement year 

We’ll also have a stand at all our careers fairs and at Freshers fair so you can speak to us there too

You can book careers advice, CV reviews and Enterprise appointments through Careers Gateway. Placement year appointments can be booked either by telephone or in person in Careers and Placements