Postgraduate students

Your Future First is an online induction course for master’s students in the Business School, which has been designed to introduce you to some essential things you need to know about developing your career, so you can make an early start with your career planning and put yourself in the best position to succeed.  

You will gain an understanding of: 

• What makes one student more likely to impress employers than another. 

• Explore how and when employers recruit postgraduates, so that you can be ready and prepared to apply. 

• Discover how to make the most of your time as a student, to make yourself more employable. 

Access Your Future First via learn.exeter.ac.uk here. You have been sent a username and password to your personal email address, or you can self-enrol onto the course by clicking on the orange Microsoft Office logo and using your student IT account details.

Throughout the year, you can attend a range of workshops designed to help you gain clarity about what you want from your career, navigate and identify career opportunities, improve your employability, craft successful applications, and boost your performance in the recruitment process. Many of these workshops count towards the Exeter Award and Exeter Leader’s Award.

Career Kickstart Action Planning Workshops 

New for 2024/25, these interactive action planning workshops will help you to make the most of your time at Exeter. You will be guided through all the careers support available to you and create a personalised action plan that works for you, whatever stage you are at in your career planning

Career Guidance Workshops  

These workshops focus on helping you to gain clarity on your career direction through guided self-reflection and career exploration. Including: understanding your strengths, values and career motivations, researching careers, jobs and sectors, making effective decisions and finding graduate opportunities. 

Application Advice and Employability Skills Workshops 

These workshops cover a range of topics, focusing on practical activities to help you get the job you want. Including: crafting successful CVs, writing effective applications, interview techniques (including Case Interviews), mock assessment centres, along with skills for the workplace such as time and stress management, leadership and managing people.

To book a workshop, search 'Master Your Future' events on Handshake.

As a student in the Business School, you have access to 1:1 appointments with a dedicated team of staff to help you with all aspects of your career journey. Appointments can be booked here. 

Career Guidance

30-minute appointments for impartial and confidential guidance from a qualified Careers Consultant. These appointments help you reflect on your strengths, values, and interests, explore potential careers, make informed decisions, and develop a personalised strategy to move towards your career goals.

Employability and Application Advice

20-minute appointments with an Employability and Placements Adviser for application support including CVs, cover letters, interviews, assessment centres and psychometric testing. 

China Career Opportunities 

For Chinese students hoping to stay in the UK or return to China to discuss their options with a Global Employment Engagement Officer. 

Several Careers Fairs are delivered each year, which offer you access to a range of employers offering part-time work, internships, placements and graduate opportunities. These are fantastic opportunities for you to access potential future employers.  

To help you prepare, the Career Zone deliver ‘Prepare for the Fair’ sessions ahead of major fairs, which you can book through Handshake. 

Outside of Careers Fairs, employers regularly visit campus and provide online opportunities for students to connect with them. You can sign up for these opportunities on Handshake. 

You have access to several employability schemes exclusive to Exeter students, to help your career development and gain work experience. 

Ask an Alumn

Through this scheme, you can apply to be put in touch with an Alumnus of the University of Exeter to have a short email exchange with and gain an insight into a career or careers that you may be interested in.

Career Mentor Scheme

You can apply to have a 6-month long exchange with a professional working in a sector of your choosing. The scheme opens twice per year – make a note of the next opening, as places are offered on a first come, first served basis.

Exeter Award and Exeter Leaders Award

These are achievement awards for all current students. To complete these you will attend valuable sessions in professional skills and learn how to optimise your applications.

Green Consultants

This is a programme of three elements. You will complete training in sustainability consulting, work on a group project to contribute to the University’s net zero goal, and then apply your skills and experience to a paid consulting internship with an external organisation. You can start the training now, as it is self-directed online.

Professional Pathways

Through Professional Pathways you can access sector specific training in a pathway and complete a paid 35-hour internship. Applications open in November.

The Career Zone has developed a range of resources dedicated to supporting international students, whether you wish to stay in the UK after you graduate or return to your home country to secure employment.  

China Career Ready and India Career Ready

These programmes offer Chinese and Indian students support when applying for jobs in the UK and at home. They each comprise of online self-guided resources and a programme of employability workshops. 

Careers & Visas

These ‘Careers & Visas’ workshops are delivered jointly by the Career Zone and International Student Support Office to help you: 

• Maximise your time as an International Student in the UK.
• Understand the UK Jobs Market.
• Create a brilliant UK job application.
• Manage employers and visas.

Search for these workshops on Handshake. 

Student Circus

Student Circus is an online jobs platform specifically for international students, which is pre-filtered for visa-sponsoring jobs (both Graduate Visa and sponsored roles). Sign up to Student Circus using your Exeter email address. 

The university has a dedicated team who source paid working opportunties and internships to help you gain experience and earn money whilst you study.  Part-time work is available during term-time and there are full-time opportunities during the holidays. All paid work is advertised on Handshake and promoted on the Career Zone's social media channels.

AmplifyME University Pathways offers real-world simulation experiences and fast-track career opportunities in finance. The University of Exeter Business School has unlocked the Explore tier, which means you get access to an unparalleled range of immersive workshops, careers sessions and on-demand learning.

Further instructions on how to create an account and make the most of this fantastic resource can be found here on Handshake. 

Graduates First helps graduate job seekers to succeed through the recruitment process. Here you will find help with all aspects of graduate assessment in recruitment, including game-based assessments and HireVue interviews. Exeter students register for Graduates First using your university email. 

Business School students have access to this online course led Professor Joe O’Mahoney (‘The Consultant’s Consultant’), comprising 50 short videos covering everything from ‘Do you want to be a management consultant?’, to case interviews and negotiating offers, cheat sheets to help your consulting applications, and a quarterly Q&A with Professor O’Mahoney. 

See here on Handshake for instructions on how to log in. 

GoinGlobal has information about jobs and internships across the world and has country and city career guides which give information about what it is like to live, work and how to apply for jobs in those places.  

N.B. When accessing Goinglobal for the first time, you must use a PC on campus.  

Highered is part of the EFMD network of Global Business Schools. It is a job platform focusing on European and International opportunities available to accredited Business Schools only. Sign up to Highered using your Exeter email address. 

Business School students have access to this range of guides which have been developed by Paul McCormick of Opening City Doors. These guides are an invaluable source of information and advice to anyone considering a career in finance. Paul McCormick is the founder of Opening City Doors and is a Financial Market Specialist. He provides a unique insight, and unusually broad perspective, into the opportunities available in London Financial Markets and related sectors and how to launch your career in the ‘City’.

Students can access these guides, covering topics such as the financial market landscape, CVs, Cover Letters, Interviews and much more, via Handshake.  

Student Circus is a job search portal for international students in the UK who are currently on a Student Visa.

Student Circus only advertise jobs that they have confirmed will sponsor a Skilled Worker Visa or accept the Graduate Immigration Route Visa.

You can access the Times Top 100 Graduate Employers digital edition online, or collect a hard copy from the Career Zone in the Business School (subject to availability).