Employability at the School of Computing
We support you to transform your degree into your dream career.
I’ve gained a wide range of employability skills beyond technical knowledge. My course has helped me become a confident and versatile developer ready for a professional environment.
Learn from people in industry
Discover how computer science is transforming our world. You'll learn through insights from professionals working in industry, and gain practical advice on how to be part of it.
Our events include guest lectures and industry sponsored hackathons. You'll hear from all types of computer science specialists, giving you varied perspectives on life after graduation.
You’ll gain:
- up-to-date insight into sectors, techniques and careers
- the chance to grow your network before you graduate
Year-long industry placements
All undergraduate students have the opportunity to complete a one-year industry placement. Taken between Year 2 and 3, it will extend your degree by one year.
Why take a placement?
Develop your skills in a professional setting and discover your strengths
Stand out in the job market. Placements can lead directly to graduate roles
Build connections
Recent placement destinations include:
- IBM
- Jaguar Land Rover
- Deloitte
- Procter & Gamble
- CERN
- LLoyds Banking
- Waterstons
- Apexon
- Enigma Interactive
- HMRC
- The Walt Disney Company
Applying for and winning placements is competitive. There is a wide range of support available from the Careers and Employability team to help you succeed.
Internships
Our Careers Service coordinates an internship scheme with local employers. This is a great way to earn money and gain experience without taking a year out.
Recent examples of computing-focused internships include:
- Data Analyst Intern, Ceres Energy
- UX Intern, Mosey Digital
- Programmer, Nosebleed Interactive
- Backend Web Developer, Nebula Labs
- App Developer, Siemens Gamesa
Students can also arrange their own internships.
We promote available internships to our students, as well as having dedicated vacancy pages.
Our Careers Consultant can offer tailored support and guidance for applications and interviews.
Industry Advisory Board
Our degrees are shaped by senior executives and our alumni from digital and tech businesses in our Industrial Advisory Board. The Board includes representatives from:
- Meta
- The Alan Turing Institute
- Airbus
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL)
- JP Morgan
- Lloyds Bank
- PwC
- National Innovation Centre for Data (NICD)
These connections provide you with numerous benefits, including:
- internship opportunities
- guest lectures
- industry-sponsored projects
- potential employment upon graduation
Fairs and events
The School organises networking events in the USB for students to meet with industry, such as The Computing Fair focuses on
- computing
- data science
- tech talent
You’ll get to speak directly with recruiters, discover opportunities and practise your pitch. You can also explore roles beyond computing at the University-wide Careers Fairs held every semester.
There are also numerous sector-specific industry-networking fairs organised within and across the Faculty.
Throughout the year, they’ll be other events and opportunities to network with employers. These might include pop-up business stalls set up in the USB Atrium, ready to meet and network with students.
Dedicated careers consultant and access to Careers Service
The School of Computing has a dedicated careers consultant. You can book one-to-one appointments to get expert guidance on planning your career.
With support from our consultant and Careers Service, you can rehearse the full recruitment process:
- CV, application and portfolio reviews
- mock technical and competency interviews
- assessment centre simulations
These are often delivered with input from real employers – so your feedback reflects what companies are looking for right now.
You’ll have access to our Careers Service during your studies and for three years after graduation.
Your online hub for careers and opportunities
Access a dedicated online employability space packed with insights, advice and opportunities from:
- across the School of Computing
- the University’s Careers Service
- our industry partners
You’ll find everything you need to explore and plan your next steps, including:
- careers support: from CV tips to career planning tools
- jobs and experiences: a database of internships, placements and graduate roles
- events and networks: upcoming fairs, guest talks and employer meetups
- industry insights: discover what employers are looking for and how to stand out
Apply your learning to real problems
Through group and individual projects, you’ll tackle problems that mirror real industry challenges.
You may also work on projects that respond to global challenges such as climate change, digital inclusion or gender equality. This helps you to build the skills employers want while making a meaningful impact.
On certain courses, you’ll work on a real industry project. You’ll use your skills to develop practical solutions, receiving direct feedback from the organisations involved.
Project work helps you to graduate ready to contribute from day one.
Join societies, hackathons and community events
Our student societies run talks, hackathons, game jams and informal networking opportunities. These activities are ideal for growing your skills and your network.
You can get involved with:
- Newcastle University Computing and Technology Society (NUCATS)
- Cyber Society
- Game Dev Society
Study abroad and grow beyond the classroom
Spending time abroad isn’t just an adventure, it’s a powerful way to boost your employability. Whether it’s a short-term experience or full year abroad, you’ll develop:
- global awareness
- adaptability
- communication skills
We offer a range of opportunities through our study abroad and short-term programmes. We offer dedicated support to help you make the most of your experience.
Recent short-term global opportunities completed by Computing students include:
- first steps in programming a humanoid AI robot at Seoul National University, South Korea
- business intelligence from web data analytics and data mining at Aarhus University, Denmark
- EcoSwell (sustainability projects in vulnerable communities), Peru
Graduate careers
Our graduates go on to build successful careers across a wide range of industries.
You may already have a clear goal or still be exploring your options. Either way, you’ll graduate with the skills, experience and confidence to be successful.
Below, you’ll find the roles and companies our graduates were working in 15 months after completing their degree.
Undergraduates
- Software Developer, Apple
- Site Reliability Engineer, Google
- Software Engineer, Microsoft
- Technical Consultant, IBM
- Associate Network Programmer, Rockstar North
- Software Engineer, Jaguar Land Rover
- Software Logical Testing, Huawei
- Graduate Software Engineer, BAE Systems
- Cyber Security Analyst, Meaius Cyber
- Artificial Intelligence Programmer, Ubisoft
Postgraduates
- Game Designer, ByteDance
- Data and AI Cloud Solution Architect, Microsoft
- UX Designer, Barclays Bank
- Geo Technical Technician, IBM
- Bioinformatics Analyst, University of Hong Kong
- Software Engineer, Red Hat
- Associate Technical Architect, Accenture
- IT Security Engineer, Venustech
- Junior Software Developer, NHS Digital
- Senior IT Manager, Procter & Gamble