Work Placements and Graduate Schemes

If you want to start a career in the professions right away you may want to consider doing a graduate work placement or an internship in your chosen profession.

They give graduates the opportunity to develop their skills, knowledge and experience while getting firsthand experience of life in a real working environment.

What’s more placement work is one of the best ways for graduates to improve their employability and begin a successful career in the professions.

The Association of Graduate Recruiters site contains advice, events listings and research results. The AGR run a bi-annual survey of the graduate jobs market, the results of which are published in the papers.

Step has over 10 years of experience in developing some of the UK’s most highly regarded placement programmes. They have strong links with a variety of employers – from small businesses to multinational corporations - all operating across a multitude of sectors. Check out their website for further information.

Interested? View the success stories. 

The Step Foundation has been formed in order to provide financial support to students looking to undertake periods of constructive work experience during their time at University.

Here you will find online graduate scheme information and databases as well as specific graduate schemes in various sectors.


Online graduate scheme information and databases

Here we list useful sites to help you kick-start your search…

Milkround - searchable schemes, advice, job searches and links to companies, most of whom are large, e.g. Barclays.

The Graduate - schemes searchable by area with salaries shown and jobs categorised by sector and location.

Graduate Recruitment Bureau - includes section for Graduate Schemes.

Guardian Jobs - browse schemes and sort by location, salary etc.

Just4graduates - job searches for positions suitable for graduates, which claims to have new jobs added each day. Can also monitor interest in your CV and help you get recognised for unadvertised jobs.

TopEmployers - search by sector; results with details and descriptions of companies as well as actual vacancies.


Specific graduate schemes

Here is a list of major companies and organisations who offer graduate schemes in the following sectors: Accountancy, Business, Engineering, Finance, HR, IT, Law, Not for Profit, PR/Advertising, Public sector, Retail and Teaching.

 

Accountancy


Business


Engineering


Finance


HR

 

IT

 

Law

 

Not for Profit


PR/Advertising

These schemes often close early, so make sure you apply asap!

 

Public sector


Retail

 

Teaching