Careers, Employability & Opportunity

A common feature in the graduate recruitment process, assessment centres give an employer the chance to assess multiple candidates at the same time through a variety of exercises. These centres are often the final stage of the selection process and can last from half a day to two days.  

Learn more about assessment centres 

Many employers will use an application form – often online – rather than a CV as the first stage of a recruitment process. It is important to follow all instructions carefully, e.g. don’t send a CV instead of the application form unless this is specifically asked for.  

Read more about application forms

We host several on-campus careers fairs each year, and there will be others outside the university as well.  In the UK, career fairs are usually an opportunity for employers to promote themselves and their opportunities, and employers will not usually be recruiting/accepting CVs at the fair (although this can vary, particularly for externally organised fairs).  As a jobseeker they provide a great opportunity for you to ask questions, network and get valuable insights and advice about their application processes.  

Explore and book upcoming events

A Curriculum Vitae is a document that markets your skills, education and experience in a concise and impactful manner. CVs are crucial as they make a good first impression on recruiters who quickly scan through your job profile. On the other hand, cover letters are your chance to express in detail and more directly to the recruiter why you are interested in the job and what you will bring to the organisation. 

Find out more about CVs and cover letters

A key employability skill that is valued by employers in the UK and includes aspects such as knowledge about the company, and industry and current affairs including economic, social and political trends. Also interchanged with business awareness or business acumen, commercial awareness is important for career development and reflects a candidate’s commitment during the recruitment process. 

DBS check stands for Disclosure and Barring Service check, and PVG stands for Protecting Vulnerable Groups. DBS is used in England, Wales & Northern Ireland and PVG in Scotland. Both are broadly criminal background screening processes used in the UK to help employers identify any offences in an individual’s criminal record to ensure safer recruitment practices. These will only be required for certain jobs; typically, those which involve working with vulnerable people (e.g. children or vulnerable adults), roles of trust (e.g. legal or financial). 

Most jobs fall into this category. It simply means jobs that are advertised as and when they need someone as opposed to graduate schemes and internships recruited on an annual cycle. All employers recruit for direct entry jobs, including those organisations who also run graduate schemes. 

Intentional cultivation of knowledge, skills, behaviours, attributes and attitudes that enable students to gain employment and to contribute in the fullest way possible to culture, society and economy locally and globally throughout their lives. 

Structured training programmes designed for recent graduates that combine hands-on experience alongside formal training. They provide a salary, employee benefits, and prepare graduates for future roles.  These are usually advertised and recruited on an annual cycle, typically open for applications 10-12 months in advance of start date. 

Read more about graduate schemes

An interview is a formal meeting where the employer asks questions and evaluates a candidate’s skills and experience for a particular role and is significant in the selection process. Depending on the hiring practices, there are different formats such as face-to-face, telephone, video and group interviews, sometime involving one or different interview stages.   

Find out about different types of interviews and how to prepare

Internships are typically extra-curricular and paid positions up to 12 weeks in length that typically occur over holiday periods but can also be offered to graduates and may be as long as a year. The student is given specific work to do over this period of time for the employer usually working with employees of the company to broaden their experience and aid the transition to the workplace.    

Find internships and part-time work on the Student Opportunities Hub

This is the process of gathering, analysing and interpreting the data about a particular sector or field in the current job market to make an informed career decision. This helps students understand what skills are in demand and how they can align themselves better with market needs.    

Get tips on how to do market research

In a mock interview, you can meet with a careers advisor who will conduct a practice interview and ask questions similar to a real-life interview. This will help you rehearse your responses, receive feedback and improve your interview skills.    

Book a mock interview with a careers advisor

A unique nine-digit identifier used to track your income tax and National Insurance contributions. This number is essential for students when they start working part-time or full-time, and it also makes them eligible for state benefits and pensions.    

Find out how to apply for a National Insurance Number  

National Minimum wage is the legal minimum pay per hour all UK employers must pay workers from school leaving age until they are 21. As of April 2025, it is currently set at £7.55 per hour for apprentices and £10 per hour for workers aged 18 to 20. The National Living Wage is the legal minimum wage that all UK employers must pay workers aged 21 and over, and as of April 2025, it is £21.21 an hour. It is important to note that rates change on 1st April every year.  

In the UK many students work part-time. Part-time jobs which suit students’ study commitments are most readily available in sectors like retail, hospitality and care.  It is less common to find part-time jobs in professional level jobs which are flexible enough to fit around study commitments. 

Placements are structured work experience opportunities generally paid and often embedded in the curriculum and usually accredited by institutions. They can vary in duration and be up to 1 year in length with most opportunities being paid (dependent on sector). 

Psychometric, or selection tests are standardised assessments often including personality and aptitude tests, such as numerical and verbal reasoning. These tests help employers assess a candidate’s critical reasoning and situational judgment skills.    

Read more about selection tests and how to prepare   

If you are disabled, neurodivergent or have a long-term health condition which affects your day-to-day activities, you can request reasonable adjustments in the recruitment process and at the workplace. This could include extra time for preparing for a test or requesting interview questions in advance.    

Learn more about diversity and inclusion support   

Employers may use recruitment agencies to help with their staffing. This is particularly common for short-term or temporary work, but also common for permanent staff in many sectors. Recruitment agencies work for the employer and should not charge you for their services. 

Find out more about Recruitment Agencies

A Referral is the act of recommendations made by current or former employees to endorse candidates for job positions. References or referees are individuals who can vouch for a candidate's abilities and character and are often contacted by the HR team after a conditional offer of employment has been made.    

SMEs stand for small and medium-sized enterprises, businesses that have fewer than 250 employees and play a crucial role in the UK economy. In the UK, SMEs account for 99.9% of all private sector enterprises and 60% of private sector employment. 

This refers to the practice of proactively reaching out to organisations to express interest in potential future jobs or opportunities. This approach could potentially help students get internships or other contractual work. 

Get tips to write a speculative application 

A structured format of Situation, Task, Action and Result to help you create impactful answers in interviews or provide evidence of specific skills in applications. This approach helps students present their experience in a clear and concise manner, making it easier to demonstrate their skills and experiences in an impactful manner.   

Read more about the STAR technique and how to apply it 

Freely giving your time, usually to charities or non-profit organisations that benefit others and the community. Volunteering offers students a great opportunity to build experience and transferable skills to develop their CVs, meet others and build networks.   

Find a volunteering opportunity

If you are able to work as a student, this will be indicated on your visa, as well as stipulating any conditions (e.g. number of hours per week etc). It is your responsibility to ensure that you adhere to visa conditions. When discussing visas with potential employers, it is important to use the correct terminology – e.g. ‘graduate visa’ not ‘PSW/ Post-study work visa.’ UofG International Student Support provide information about the different visa options for working during and after your studies, and you should contact them if you are unsure. 

Find information about visas and working in the UK from International Student Support  

A type of employment agreement where the employer is not obligated to provide a minimum number of working hours or any fixed/guaranteed shifts. The employees are also entitled to accept shifts as per their agreement and have the same rights, such as rest breaks and protection against any unfair treatment. These contracts have more flexibility, but less security, as compared to fixed-hour contracts.