Support for final year students
As the end of your time at LJMU approaches, it is important to consider your next steps. Some students may have a job offer in-hand, others may have ideas in mind but have not yet started to apply for jobs. Perhaps you are looking at self-employment opportunities, considering postgraduate study, or you haven’t decided your next move yet. Whatever your interests, preferences or needs, below is a list of some of the ways Student Futures, LJMU's Careers, Employability & Start-up team, can support you to make a smooth transition from student to professional.
Final Year Future Fortnight: 6-17 March
Final Year Future Fortnight will take place from 6-17 March and will feature a series of workshops, events and skills sessions (mostly online but some in-person) to help you make a successful transition from final year student to graduate job, self-employment or further study.
The sessions are designed to help you decide on your next steps so you are able to leave LJMU with a clear onward plan and direction of travel.
Download a flyer listing all of the events taking place during the fortnight.
Final Year Jobs Fair - Thursday 9 March, 12-3pm, Student Life Building
During Final Year Future Fortnight there will a Final Year Jobs Fair on 9 March, 12-3pm, at the Student Life Building, where final year students can meet with a range of organisations offering currently available or upcoming graduate-level jobs and other opportunities.
If you have a disability, health condition or are neurodivergent and find busy fairs can be overwhelming, join us from 11am for our accessibility hour. This will give you an opportunity to meet employers in a quieter environment.
Download this flyer to see a full list of organisations attending (subject to change).
Graduate Academy: from final year to graduate job, self-employment or further study (running in May and June)
Get support from the Student Futures team in the lead up to graduation and beyond on your journey to your next career destination! We are here to support current final year students and recent LJMU graduates as you make the transition from student life into your first professional, graduate-level job, self-employment or further study. We know leaving the familiarity of university can be challenging and we’re here to support you with your next steps. Graduate Academy will help you navigate the graduate labour market and overcome common challenges new graduates can face. Whether you have a career in mind or are just getting started, we can help with exploring options, creating a competitive graduate CV that makes the most of your degree and your skills learnt and developed at LJMU, or building a pitch for a new business venture, as well as much more.
More details will follow and booking will be via Student Futures Events page and will open in April-May.
Quick links to Student Futures Resources and Apps
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Get personalised, practical support to research and secure a job
- Book an online, one-to-one careers with an Adviser to evaluate your options, identify careers that suit your strengths, skills and values, find relevant opportunities, and develop an action plan to help you achieve your career ambitions. You can also get CVs, application forms and personal statements reviewed by our expert advisers and get help with the interview process.
- Check out the career insight/infographic (use the filters in the left navigation) for your programme which provides a summary of career options and read the student and graduates case studies in your school-specific Career and Employability Guide to generate some career ideas.
- Some of the most common areas that students ask for help with concern CVs, application forms and interviews. We’ve created self-service pathways in Careers Zone 24/7 to guide you through the steps needed to master these topics. Once you have worked through the pathways of your choosing, book a careers meeting with an adviser to have your CV or application reviewed, or to arrange a mock interview (see above for information about how to book an appointment with an Adviser).
- Creating a Winning CV
- Mastering Application Forms
- Preparing for Interviews
Locate opportunities for careers, employability and start-up skills development
- Explore a business idea, get support to grow a business or freelance via the LJMU Start-Up Hub. Check out the events and opportunities the team offer, including Start-Up Sprint, Freelance Foundry, LJMU Jelly, Start-Up Hub drop in and Start-Up Club, which takes place every month (4-5.30pm) at the Start-Up Hub. The team also offer regular, short practical online sessions around marketing, legal issues, and money matters about your start-up. Drop the team an email for more details.
- You can also get involved with LCR Founders, a collaborative programme been LJMU and the University of Liverpool supporting students and graduates to explore co-founding as a scalable businesses start up option. Check out the programme of events here.
- Take Career Pulse to assess and develop your confidence to enter the job market. Complete the associated employability skills programme and gain certification.
- Try our Skills Checker tool in Careers Zone 24/7. Skills Checker is exclusive to LJMU and helps you recognise and rank your skills against the nine key employability skills employers look for from graduates. Work through the programme and earn points towards your Skills Checker certificates.
- Careers and employability events are short, punchy sessions (available both online and in-person) designed to help you understand the possibilities open to you as well as help with all aspects of the graduate recruitment process.
- Check out our blog for the latest careers development and industry intel written by our team of careers experts. The blog also features the job opportunities, information on skills development opportunities and guest articles around graduate recruitment and the evolving careers landscape.
Find employment, start-up and paid work experience opportunities
- LJMU students or new graduates have exclusive access to opportunities for flexible, part-time, paid work through Unitemps at Liverpool John Moores University - our very own on-campus recruitment agency. As well as boosting your finances, assignments strengthen LJMU graduates’ CVs, their employability skills and their organisational awareness.
- We regularly invite employers and recruiters to speak to students both in-person and at online events. Employers talk about opportunities they have available, offer advice about the application process and talk about their own career journey. Recent employers have included the BBC, BAE Systems, Merseyside Police, Ardent, Tutor Trust, Crown Prosecution Service, Pirelli, Boohoo and Matalan. Check out the programme of events here.
- Final Year students (level 6) can apply for a paid Discovery Internship working with a local employer. A Discovery internship will help you to progress your employability skills, give you an insight into the day-to-day reality of different roles, boost your CV and earn you some spending money. The final round of internships for the 2022-23 academic year are available from 14 February and close for applications at midnight on Sunday 5 March. To apply, you must be registered with Unitemps at LJMU and have completed a 'right to work' check.
- Final year students and recent graduates can apply to join the LJMU Graduate Futures programme and gain experience with some of the Liverpool City Region's most dynamic businesses. This ESF-funded project provides part-time and summer student internships, and 6 and 9-month full-time graduate placements. As part of the programme you will also gain relevant industry knowledge, build your professional networks and explore if a career is right for you . Training and support are also provided.
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After you graduate
After you graduate from LJMU, you have:
- Lifetime access to personalised advice or career support at any time, supporting you from securing your first graduate role to getting that promotion to changing career direction.
- Support from our Start-Up Hub team should you wish to start a business, grow a business or thrive as a freelancer, for up to five years after graduation.
- Access to Careers Zone 24/7 tools and resources, including the LJMU job board. Set up ‘Graduate Access’ before you leave or contact us after you graduate for an account.
- Free access to annual events and our wider programme of events, workshops and recruitment fairs. Events, which focus on the needs and aspirations of our alumni, will take place both before and after graduation.
Graduate outcomes survey
Taking part in the Graduate Outcomes survey is an essential part of your higher education journey. As the biggest UK annual social survey, the collective graduate voice is powerful and will Directly impact the future of education for prospective students. So join your fellow graduates and be part of the picture of education today.
- Share your graduate success with us and with others through the new Graduate Outcomes Survey and by staying in touch through LJMU Connect, Student Futures LinkedIn and LJMU LinkedIn.
- You’ll be sent an invitation to complete the Graduate Outcomes survey 15 months after you graduate. It captures what you’re doing with your career, what you’re getting out of it, and your thoughts on how LJMU supported you.
Your input will help inspire others, help us tailor our support to you and your fellow alumni so we make a bigger difference and improve teaching and learning for the graduates of the future.
Stay connected with LJMU
The best way to stay in touch is to register for LJMU Connect and follow the Student Futures team and LJMU on LinkedIn.
- Join LJMU Connect, the home of our alumni community. Stay in touch with friends, boost your professional network, find out about social and networking events and reunions, and share your experiences with current students and future graduates.
- Follow the Student Futures LinkedIn page and the LJMU LinkedIn page and stay in touch. Get all the latest updates about LJMU, make connections to help develop your career and search for job opportunities from around the world.