Support for final year students 

• Book a 1-2-1 careers meeting (either in-person at a Careers Zone or online via Teams) with a Careers and Employability 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.  
• Get support from the Start-up Hub team to explore a business idea, start or grow a business or become a freelancer.  Whatever you need from the Hub, a meeting with our friendly Business Adviser is the place to start. They will ask about your ideas and aims, and suggest a plan to move forward. Book a 30-minute meeting, which will take place either in person at the Student Life Building or online via Teams.  If the times listed don’t work for you, please provide us with your details to arrange a phone or video call at another time.  The Start-up Hub has also launched the new Bathgate Boost Award which gives final year students and 2023 LJMU graduates the chance to access a £500 award designed to support students to launch or grow their fledgling business.
• As well as accessing part-time, temporary or flexible jobs during your final semester, you can also work for Unitemps at LJMU for up to two years after graduating.  Unitemps offers graduate opportunities as well as short-term options that could bridge the gap over the summer before you start a graduate-level role, or to earn some spending cash for travelling or a gap year.  Call into Unitemps at the Student Life Building to speak to one of the team about the options available to you.

Graduate Advice:  "I went to the Start-up Hub to get some support and advice to help launch my coaching business. The team are really approachable and practical and helped me work through all the things I needed to do. The pitch preparation and access to funding really helped me. They have really helpful training sessions and webinars and a great network to refer you to. I recommend you pay them a visit!"  
Jack Jenkins, MSc Sports Psychology, 2023 Graduate

We have a number of large-scale events taking place during semester 2 where final year students can meet and network with a range of employers and organisations to discuss graduate roles and opportunities, as well as to help you prepare for graduation and make a smooth transition to your next destination.  As well as these large-scale events, there will also be regular employer events and our usual programme of careers, employability and start-up sessions, as well our twice weekly CV Café and weekly Careers drop-ins for quick careers enquiries.  You can also attend our twice weekly virtual reality drop-ins where you can practice interview and employability skills.

Grad Academy - LJMU's premiere transitions programme!

Unlock the secrets to success with a week of comprehensive sessions on crafting competitive applications, mastering STAR interview techniques, expanding your professional network, finding and securing graduate-level opportunities and decoding employer expectations. Elevate your career journey with Grad Academy at LJMU.

Grad Academy will be run 3 times during the spring/summer (you only need to attend one of them):

• 14 & 15 May (2 day, in-person event)* - 9.30am-3.30pm
• 21 May (1 day, online event) - 10am-4pm
• 23 July (1 day, online event) - 10am-4pm

*Final year students attending both in-person Grad Academy days on 14 & 15 May could be entitled to a £50 attendance payment. T&Cs apply.  A free lunch will also be provided on both days.  

JMSU Volunteering Fair 'Love Your Community' - This event took place on Wednesday 14 February 2024, 11am to 3pm, Student Life Building

This fair is run by JMSU and offers students the chance to meet with a range of charities and third-sector organisations offering voluntary opportunities.  This is a great way to expand your professional network, gain invaluable work experience, boost your confidence, skills and CV (especially if you don't have much experience at present).

Organisations attending (subject to change):

Final Year Future Week - this week of events took place from Monday 19 February to Friday 23 February 

Final Year Future Week is a series of workshops, events and sessions to help you make a successful transition from final year student to a graduate job, self-employment or further study.  The Final Year Support and Jobs Fair is the centrepiece of this week of activities, which are open to final year undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Monday 19 February

Student Futures, Careers, Employability and Start Up – what help can I get from LJMU in my final year?, 11am to 12pm, online

Thinking about further study? Find out what’s involved, funding and tips on personal statements, 1pm to 1.45pm, online

Discover your strengths: help make career decisions easier, 2pm to 3pm, online

Tuesday 20 February

How to make the most of the Final Year Support and Jobs Fair, 10am to 11am, online

How to sell yourself on graduate job applications, 1pm to 2pm, online

Upgrade your CV and make the most of your university experience to showcase your skills, 2.30pm to 3.30pm, online

Wednesday 21 February

Final Year Support and Jobs Fair, 11am to 2pm, Student Life Building

Wondering about life after University? We’re here for you! At this event you can:

• Meet 50+ employers eager to hire LJMU students
• Grab a free employability Grad Planner (digital version available here) while stocks last
• Connect with LJMU Alumni on LJMU Connect
• Explore graduation and even try on a cap and gown
• Check out further study options at LJMU and beyond
• Chat with Student Advice and Wellbeing, Libraries and IT experts who can help you manage your final semester and post-uni wellbeing
• Find graduate work with Unitemps at LJMU
• Seek advice on business startup and freelancing from the Start-up Hub team
• Get a LinkedIn-style photography headshot free of charge
• Play a game and win a free hot drinks voucher for the SLB café (while stocks last!)
• And lots more!

Check out the list of organisations attending the jobs fair.

Thursday 22 February 

Learn to use LinkedIn for jobs and build a personal brand, 11am to 12pm, online

How to talk about skills and what graduate employers want, 1pm to 2pm, online

Finding work in Liverpool and the North West, 2pm to 3pm, online

Friday 23 February 

How to use the STAR method to answer interview questions, 10am to 11am, online

I’ve got a business idea – what’s my next step?, 11am to 12pm, online

The Graduate Visa Route for International Students, 2pm to 3pm, online

Sustainable Businesses and Green Careers Insights Fair - this fair took place on Wednesday 13 March, 12 to 2pm, Student Life Building

Meet and network with guests from a range of ‘Green Careers’ areas and find out more about the opportunities for work experience and jobs in this sector.  Further details of organisations who will be attending will be available in 2024.

Book a place at a Student Futures event 

Graduate Advice: 
"My advice going into your final semester is to stay calm, breathe and remember there are so many amazing services at LJMU to support you as you embark on the transition from student to new graduate. Student Futures can offer advice and knowledge and help you to choose the career path that best suits you. You don’t have to have it all worked out straight away, explore different opportunities and most importantly chase your dreams".  
Sam Scragg, International Relations and Politics, 2023 Graduate

• Final year students can apply for a paid Discovery Internship during your final semester.  Internships will be advertised in February/March 2024 for a start in May after final assessments. You must be registered with Unitemps at LJMU to apply so sign up to receive notifications about the opportunities.
• LJMU students or new graduates have exclusive access to opportunities for flexible, part-time, paid work through Unitemps at LJMU - 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.
• Search for graduate-level roles on our jobs board in Careers Zone 24/7 and access opportunities from local, national and international employers.  The jobs board pulls in opportunities from across the internet, plus our employer partners post opportunities specifically for LJMU students and graduates.
• Check out the most popular websites that post graduate-level jobs, graduate schemes and (in some cases) information about postgraduate study, including Prospects, Target Jobs, LinkedIn Jobs, Milkround, Guardian Graduate Jobs, Reed Graduate Board, GraduateJobs.com.
• Over 47% of employed LJMU graduates go on to work in the Liverpool City Region so if you are considering working locally, check out the jobs board and other resources on the Liverpool City Region Be More website. 
• The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers is another handy resource, as it the 'What can I do with my degree' on Prospects.

Graduate Advice: 
"In my view, the best way to align yourself with the values of an employer is to evidence how you share those values or why those values are important to you. It is easy to say an employer’s values are important to you, I think it is evidencing why they are important to you that makes you stand out. When applying to the CPS, I used both work experience and personal experiences to evidence that."  
Emily Thorbjornsen, LLB Law, 2021 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.

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.

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.