Career Insights

Year-long Programme

Gain relevant work experience, explore a range of career opportunities, develop your employability skills and meet with a range of employers through our Career Insights Programme.

Would you like to:

Gain work experience?
Explore your career options?
Develop your employability skills?
Network with a range of employers?
Meet new people?

Yes? Then you need to take part in the Career Insights Programme!

If you have a busy timetable, if you commute to university, or if you have other responsibilities that prevent you from finding work experience or time to network with employers, then this is the programme for you.

The Career Insights Programme supports students from under-represented groups in higher education with their personal and professional development by providing opportunities such as:

meeting graduate employers and hearing directly from them about what they look for when hiring so that you can prepare your CV and skillset
a team business consultancy challenge where you work with other students to come up with solutions in response to real-world problems faced by organisations today
practicing your interview, presentation and assessment centre skills through exercises similar to those you might expect from a real recruitment process
hearing from organisation representatives, and Newcastle University alumni who will share their experiences of challenges and barriers they have faced during their career
visiting company HQs to see ‘behind the scenes’ and meeting a range of employees to learn about the different roles within an organisation

A £150 bursary is available to students who use the Career Insights Programme to successfully complete the ncl+ Award and take part in a consultancy challenge.

All activities within the Career Insights Programme support students to develop skills and experiences in line with the Graduate Framework. The framework represents the most common skills employers ask candidates to demonstrate during job interviews or in application forms.

Flexible Programme

The Career Insights Programme offers flexibility so that you can take part in the activities and events that you are interested in to fit around your schedule. Where a session is delivered online, we will make recordings available so that you can also listen back at times convenient to you if you can’t join live.

Most sessions will take place on Wednesday afternoons, between 13:00 - 15:00 or 15:00 - 17:00, either online or in person. However, depending on the availability of some of the companies we work with, we may need to schedule events at different times.

Off-campus trips to visit company sites in locations around the UK often include overnight stays and take place at times convenient to the employers hosting our visits. Expenses relating to off-campus trips e.g. costs of travel, accommodation and subsistence (e.g. food and drink) will be met by the Careers Service.

What types of companies work with the Career Insights Programme?

We work with a range of employers and organisations on the programme from local SMEs to international corporations. An example of the companies we have previously worked with include:

BBC
KPMG
Teach First
Accenture
Jacobs
Womble Bond Dickinson
Hallmark
W Communications
FDM
Jam Jar Cinema
One Utility Bill

Who can take part?

The Career Insights Programme is targeted at undergraduate students from under-represented groups in higher education. Some of the events that we organise will only be open to students who meet specific criteria, such as those listed below:

UK-home tuition fee status
undergraduate student studying at the Newcastle campus
entered the University through the PARTNERS programme
entered the University through the Realising Opportunities programme
be in receipt of the Opportunity Scholarship from Newcastle University
be in receipt of the Care Leaver Bursary from Newcastle University
be in receipt of the Student Parent Bursary from Newcastle University
be in receipt of a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or DSA
be a Mature Student (you were aged 21 or over on your first day at university)
have declared a Disability or Specific Learning Difficulty to the university
have a home address that represents an area of Low Participation in Higher Education.
from a Black or Minority Ethnic group and prior to university attended a state school/college in the UK
be a Student Carer (with sole or shared responsibility for the care of a relative due to illness, a disability, mental distress or substance abuse)*
if either/both of your parents/carers are serving or have served in the armed forces at key educational times or you have previously served in the armed forces yourself*
estranged and living independently of your family/carers due to a relationship breakdown*
from a Gypsy Roma travelling community*
have refugee status*
have experienced extreme personal and extenuating circumstances*

*if any of the criteria marked with a* apply to you, you may be asked to provide additional evidence to support your selection.

How to apply?

Applications will open in October 2021. The application process is to be confirmed.

Find out more

Take a look at the case studies of previous programme participants to hear about their experiences on the programme and beyond.

If you have any questions about the Career Insights Award, email us and we'll get back to you within 5 working days.

Case Studies

Read more about the experiences of students who have completed the Career Insights annual programme.

Use the links below to read more:

Shauna Roberts, Biomedical Science, Graduated 2019

Shauna Roberts, Biomedical Sciences, Graduated 2019

Employment post-graduation: NHS Graduate Scheme

My initial reason for applying was because I was in the final year of university and wanted to gain some work experience before becoming a graduate. The graduate job market is extremely competitive, and I knew I had to have something on my CV to make me stand out.

I visited numerous employers, including GlaxoSmithKline, where they presented to us about the skills and knowledge they look for when hiring. They provided hints and tips about their application process which I found extremely useful and applicable to all the applications I later sent to a range of employers.

Nicola Cheung, Chemical Engineering, Graduated 2019

Nicola Cheung, Chemical Engineering, Graduated 2019

Employment post-graduation: Graduate Engineer with Emerson Automation Solutions

I applied for the Career Insights programme to improve my CV and increase my confidence when speaking with employers. The programme allowed me to increase and develop my existing skills through the range of activities provided and by participating in the networking opportunities I became less nervous when visiting companies for interviews and assessment centres after the programme had finished.

John Crane, Computer Science

John Crane, Computer Science stage 2 (2018/19)

Placement: Leonardo - Aerospace, Defence and Security

I applied for the Career Insights programme to improve interview skills, meet potential employers and improve my CV. I realised what I had learned from the programme when I needed to put my skills to use in writing applications for industrial placements and attending interviews.

My interpersonal/communication and presentation skills, areas I have always lacked confidence in, were honed through the collaborative activities. The presentation on successful interview techniques was also very insightful and prepared me for my own interview and presentation at Leonardo, a defence company with whom I have been offered a paid industrial placement. They have also informed me that if I perform well on the placement, after I return and complete my final year, I will have a place on their graduate scheme. I feel that I wouldn't have achieved this without participating in the Career Insights programme.

Meghan Burn, Geography stage 2 (2020)

Meghan Burn, Geography stage 2 (2019/20)

Placement: Northumbrian Water

One of the main aspects that I will take away from this programme, is the ability to effectively communicate with employers. Through presenting in front of a panel at KPMG and through networking events, I feel much more confident. I am keen to attend more networking events, to further develop my confidence and networking skills.

Another aspect I will take away from this experience is confidently working with a group that I have never met before. For example, working in a team for the KPMG and Groningen events was challenging but also very rewarding. I was able to learn how to adapt my team work skills and communication skills to successfully create projects with a wide range of people.

After completing this programme, I am now able to confidently speak to employers, search for graduate jobs and speak about myself and the skills I have in an interview. I am a lot more confident working with a group of people and I am able to share my ideas in front of an audience but effectively.

Mark Clipperton, Marketing and Management stage 4 (2019/20)

Mark Clipperton, Marketing and Management stage 4 (2019/20)

Participating in the Careers Insight Programme has propelled me to step out of my comfort zone and use these opportunities to gain further experience in leadership and presenting which I had identified as my main weaknesses.

The chance to engage and network with employers from a wide variety of companies has empowered me to feel more confident in knowing how to present my skills to employers as well as advancing my confidence in approaching companies for speculative work opportunities.

As a marketing student, the chance to work within the Creative & Arts stream has been particularly interesting to me as not only have I been able to find potential job opportunities I wasn't aware existed but I have also worked collaboratively with students from different backgrounds to myself. Seeing firsthand the positive influence of combining a diverse set of skills within a team when working on a project has been enlightening and is something I will always remember.

Attending the ncl+ Award workshops enabled me to reflect upon the experiences I was having and the skills I was developing as well as share my personal and professional goals with like-minded students. These sessions supported me in planning strategically to ensure that I seek opportunities to build new skills and gain further expertise.

Bursary

The Career Insights Bursary provides financial support to help you explore your career options and to apply for opportunities.

It aims to help you gain experience and develop graduate skills, by providing funding for unpaid opportunities. The bursary can also cover travel costs for an interview if the employer is unable to provide funding.

What does it cover?

The bursary can support with:

travel to and from your work experience or interview - typically public transport or mileage costs
accommodation if the interview or work experience requires travel

The bursary does not cover:

loss of earnings from missed work
subsistence costs such as food, drink or clothing
private transportation
rent costs, where a pre-agreed tenancy contract incorporates the dates of the work experience

How much is available?

All current Newcastle University students can apply for a bursary of up to £250.

Undergraduate students who meet additional eligibility criteria can apply for a bursary of up to £500 for work experience opportunities. The amount you receive is dependent upon the length of your experience and the associated costs.

For interview costs, a maximum of £250 is available.

When applying for your bursary we ask you to provide an estimate of your travel and accommodation costs. This figure will be used to calculate the bursary amount you can receive. You will be required to provide receipts for all costs and we will provide funding up to the amount evidenced.

This means if your estimated costs are £250 you will be awarded a bursary up to this amount. If your receipts show you only incur costs of £220 this is the amount you will receive.

You will receive 50% of the bursary before your work experience or interview. To receive the remaining 50%, after the experience or interview, you will need to submit a reflective report (between 300-500 words) demonstrating what you have gained from the experience.

If you are applying for the bursary to cover interview expenses you will also be asked to tell us the outcome of the interview.

Eligibility criteria

1. Work experience criteria:

The work experience activity cannot be part of your degree course, for academic credit, a conference or an external qualification.
It also should not be part of a Careers Service work experience scheme, such as our term-time internships.
The activity should be within the UK.
Retrospective applications will not be considered and this must be the first time you have completed the work experience; funding can't be allocated to repeat activities.
The activity can take place during term time or vacations and must be completed within three months of graduation.
You may only receive one Career Insights Bursary per academic year.

It can take up to two weeks for us to process applications. If your insight takes place before a decision has been made, we can award payments retrospectively as long as your application has been successful and was submitted before the start of the activity.

2. Student criteria

All current Newcastle University students can apply for a bursary up to the amount of £250 for an unpaid work experience activity or interview. Funding is allocated on a first come, first served basis and each case is considered individually.

For a bursary up to the amount of £500, additional criteria apply.

You must be a current, undergraduate Newcastle University student who is paying UK Home tuition fees. You also must meet at least one of the following criteria:

entered the University through the PARTNERS programme
entered the University through the Realising Opportunities programme
be in receipt of the Opportunity Scholarship from Newcastle University
be in receipt of the Care Leaver Bursary from Newcastle University
be in receipt of the Student Parent Bursary from Newcastle University
be in receipt of a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or DSA
be a Mature Student (you were aged 21 or over on your first day at university)
have declared a Disability or Specific Learning Difficulty to the university
have a home address representative of a Low HE Participation Neighbourhood
from a Black or Minority Ethnic group and prior to university attended a state school/college in the UK
be a Student Carer (with sole or shared responsibility for the care of a relative due to illness, a disability, mental distress or substance abuse)*
if either/both of your parents/carers are serving or have served in the armed forces at key educational times or you have previously served in the armed forces yourself*
estranged and living independently of your family/carers due to a relationship breakdown*
from a Gypsy Roma travelling community*
have refugee status*
have experienced extreme personal and extenuating circumstances*

*if you indicate one of these criteria in your application, you will be asked to provide additional evidence supporting your status.

Email us if you’re not sure whether you are eligible.

How to apply for work experience costs

1. Find and secure an eligible work experience with an organisation

Support for finding such opportunities on our website in the Internships, placements & shadowing and External Events sections.

If you need help with finding relevant work experience, please submit a query via MyCareer and we’ll get back to you within 5 working days.

We can arrange online meetings via MS Teams or Zoom, or provide information and advice via email.

Please get in touch via MyCareer or at careers@ncl.ac.uk if you have any specific requirements, eg an alternative format, communication support, or other adjustment, to access our support.

2. Once you have secured a suitable work experience placement…

Request a copy of the company’s health and safety policy (you will need to upload this in the application form).

Ensure your host company has arranged an appropriate induction and will provide adequate supervision and guidance while you complete your experience.

Download and complete a General Risk Assessment Form (work with your contact at the company to complete it and upload it in your application).

Complete the Expected Costs Table confirming how much you will be claiming for (again you will be required to submit this in the application). We understand you may not know exact costs before the activity has been completed but please provide a realistic estimate.

While it is not compulsory and not applicable to everyone, we recommend having a chat with the Student Wellbeing Team at Newcastle University to ensure that the experience you have found will be appropriate for you and that you are confident the company will be able to accommodate any additional needs you may have.

Should an accident occur whilst you are completing your insight experience, the host company will be responsible for you but we encourage you to let us know about the situation and outcome within 7 days by emailing us at: careerinsights@ncl.ac.uk.

3. Complete the online application form

Once you have all the documentation you need, please complete the application form.

We aim to let you know if you have been successful within 14 working days. If you have been successful, we will request bank details in order to process the payment.

4. Submit a reflective report

To receive the 2nd payment of your bursary you will need to submit a reflective report (between 300-500 words) demonstrating what you have gained from your experience and how it has contributed to your understanding of career options and the development of your employability skills.

How to apply for interview costs

1. Provide evidence of interview

If you are applying for the bursary because you have been invited to an interview we will ask you to provide evidence of your invitation email/letter.

You will also need to provide evidence that the employer does not cover interview expenses. If you are not sure, you can confirm this with the employer before applying for the bursary.

2. Complete the Expected Costs Table

Complete the Expected Costs Table confirming how much you will be claiming for (you will be required to submit this in the application). We understand you may not know exact costs before the interview has been completed but please provide a realistic estimate.

3. Complete the online application form

Once you have all the documentation you need, please complete the application form.

We aim to let you know if you have been successful within 14 working days. If you have been successful, we will request bank details in order to process the payment.

4. Submit a reflective report

To receive the 2^nd payment of your bursary you will need to submit a reflective report (between 300-500 words) demonstrating what you have gained from your experience and how it has contributed to your understanding of career options and the development of your employability skills.

Find out more

For more information about the Career Insights Bursary, email us.

For help with finding relevant work experience, visit the Careers Service.