Prospective Students
Find out about the support on offer, and opportunities that you can access, to help you plan ahead.
Introduction
We’ve compiled information to answer any questions you might have before starting your course. If you can’t find the answers you are looking for, you can connect with our team.
What we offer
Current students can access the Careers Service throughout the academic year. Graduates can continue to use the service for three years after graduation.
We support students to understand their strengths and we provide opportunities to develop skills, experience and contacts.
We can help you to explore your career path and options after graduation.
Our service provides:
- one-to-one appointments
- workshops and events
- careers modules
- start-up and self-employment support
- online tools and resources
- vacancies
The Careers Service can be accessed from anywhere in the world online via MyCareer.
Options after graduation
You will have a range of career options after having completed your degree. The route you choose will depend on your interests and your career goals. Our careers team is here to help you explore the different paths that you could take.
Common next steps for graduates include:
- graduate training scheme
- graduate job
- further study
- work experience
- business start up
- freelancing
- volunteering
- travelling
What can I do with my degree?
A degree can open a range of opportunities, and the subject that you choose doesn’t limit you to one sector or role. Your degree will give you subject specific knowledge, but you will also gain transferable skills and experience that are valuable in a range of graduate professions.
You can use the tools and resources below to explore common job roles that relate to your degree.
- What can I do with my degree? Prospects gives some suggestions for careers linked to your subject
- NCL Graduate Employment Outcomes Directory look at your course and similar programmes to generate ideas.
- Research graduates from your course using LinkedIn. Get inspiration and find out what path they took to get into their job.
The roles listed on these resources are not exhaustive. There are many potential options based on your own skills, strengths and interests. We can support you to explore this through 1-2-1 support and by providing opportunities to build your work experience and contacts.
What if I don’t like my course?
Coming to university is a big transition and it is not uncommon to have doubts. If you find yourself in this situation, there is a range of academic and pastoral support available from your personal tutor and the teams within Student Services.
At the Careers Service we can help you talk through your alternative options at Newcastle University and at other institutions. You can access one-to-one careers support and we encourage you to speak with your course tutors, as well as friends and family. We have online resources to help you reflect on any concerns you may have in the Changing or Leaving Your Course section of our website.
Gaining experience
Gaining work experience will help you to secure a job after graduation. Many graduate employers are looking for graduates who have had some work experience. Work experience is also a great way to get involved in university life and make new friends.
Work experience can include many types of activities, including:
- volunteering
- internships
- insight days
- part-time work
- work shadowing
- placement year
Some of these can be done alongside your studies or during vacations. A placement year would usually be completed after your second year at university.
The Careers Service can support you to find work experience on and off-campus. We advertise a range of roles and opportunities through our MyCareer portal, and we can also help you to find experience with external companies.
Can I do a placement year?
You can choose to do a placement year on the majority of our undergraduate degree programmes, even if you didn't originally apply for one through UCAS. Your placement would start after your second year of study extending your degree programme by one year.
You will complete an assessed module to reflect on your placement experience and you will be assigned a Placement Adviser who will support you during your placement year.
Finding a placement year
It’s your responsibility to search and apply for placements, but you’ll receive plenty of support along the way from the Careers Service to help you find opportunities and make effective applications.
The Careers Service advertises placements on our vacancy site, MyCareer, and you can also find vacancies on websites designed for students such as:
Many students create work placement opportunities for themselves through networking and making contacts. If you have identified a company you would like to work for, you could try approaching them directly about possible opportunities. This is what we call a speculative approach.
Part-time jobs
Part-time work is a great way to gain experience, develop valuable skills, meet new people and earn money. We support you to access part-time roles both on and off campus.
There are a range of paid opportunities available on campus every year. For example, the Careers Service recruits for a team of CV Advisers on an annual basis. You could also join our Jobs on Campus team and apply for short term opportunities in a variety of roles including administration, events and catering.
You will find vacancies for part-time jobs being advertised throughout the year on MyCareer. This includes campus roles, and opportunities with external employers.
Find part-time jobs - /careers/find-jobs/part-time-jobs
Business start up support
Our START UP team can help you explore working for yourself at any stage. Whether you want to explore an idea or have already launched a business or freelance career, you can access the following help:
- support with idea generation
- provide tailored advice
- help you develop your skills
- introduce you to like-minded peers
- refer you to further support from mentors
- award grant funding up to £3,000
Connect with our team
Before starting a course, you can meet with our team to find out more about careers and employability support.
Careers Service representatives are available at the information fair at our virtual and on campus annual open days.
If you are on a campus tour you can also visit us at the Careers Service on Level 1, King's Gate.
Make sure to follow our social media channels - @nclcareers and @nclstartup - to keep up to date with the latest Careers Service news and events.
You can use our Unibuddy service. Through Unibuddy you can ask questions about studying at Newcastle University. You can chat to a current student, admissions tutor or a Careers Consultant. We aim to respond within 5 working days outside of vacations.
If you have a query related to a specific course, please contact the University.