University of Manchester Careers Blog

Congratulations on finishing your course at The University of Manchester! Whether you’ve finished your Nursing degree, a master’s or a PhD, this is a massive achievement and you should be so proud of yourself. There’s no denying that you’ve had a tough year. This means that you’ve cultivated the resilience, independent working skills and adaptability prized by many of the top graduate employers.

Your time at The University of Manchester may be nearing an end, but help from the Careers Service doesn’t stop here! You can access all of our resources and support services online now, and for two years from the end of your course.

So no matter what you studied, where you are now or where you want to be, have a look at the ways we can support you.

I’ve just finished my master’s – what now?

You can access all of our online resources on the Careers Service website, from application and interview tips to industry information and advice on where to look for graduate jobs.

You can use our CareerSet Online CV Checker to get instant feedback on your CV, book an application advice appointment or access one-to-one support and advice through a careers guidance appointment with a Careers Consultant. You can even book a specific 30-minute careers meeting for recent graduates with Jenny, our Careers Consultant for Graduate Transitions, on CareersLink (which is also a fantastic place to look for graduate jobs!).

We also have lots of specific advice for master’s students and graduates on our Taught Postgraduate Careers pages, as well as several How To… Guides covering a range of topics from a postgraduate perspective, such as how to explore your strengths, find advertised and unadvertised jobs and get through interviews and assessments as a postgrad.

We also have a range of workshop recordings that are particularly useful for master’s graduates, such as Interviews and Assessments for Postgrads, CVs and Applications for Postgrads, How to Find a Job in 2021 and Just finished your Masters Programme – Next Steps.

Remember, as part of your graduate careers support package you can continue to access all of our virtual employer workshops and careers support sessions. If you’d like to find out more about how to get the most of the Careers Service as a graduate, check out our workshop recording on Reconnecting with your Careers Service: Graduate Careers Support or have a look at our graduate careers pages.

I’m thinking about doing a PhD – help!

If you’ve recently finished your master’s and are now thinking about pursuing a PhD, start by asking yourself 4 key questions.  Your next port-of-call should be our PhD study and funding pages. Here you will find lots of resources to help you explore PhD pathways, considerations for research and applications. You may also wish to have a look at our guide to academic careers as part of your research.  Finally, we have specific advice on writing a research proposal and PhD applications and you can book a practice interview for PhD interviews.

On Tuesday, 17 November from 11am to 3pm, we have The Virtual Postgraduate Study Fair which will give you the opportunity to meet representatives from over 30 institutions offering courses and further training for 20021, including PhD study.

I’ve just finished my PhD – what careers support is available to me?

As well as all the resources available on the Careers Service website, including instant CV feedback, application feedback and a whole range of virtual careers events, PhD graduates can benefit from careers guidance appointments for PhDs and Doctoral Researchers with Elizabeth, our Careers Consultant for Postgraduates (bookable via CareersLink), as well as practice interviews specifically for postgraduate students and grads by selecting ‘Interview simulation for postgraduate students’ on CareersLink. 

Furthermore, PhD graduates have access to our careers pages for Postgraduate Research students and graduates, our How To… Guides which cover a variety of employability topics from a postgraduate perspective, as well as specific advice on how to search for jobs following the completion of your PhD.

Don’t forget that as a PhD grad you can also access all of our online employer events and virtual careers support sessions, including records of past workshops, such as CVs and Applications for Postgrads, Interviews and Assessments for Postgrads, and How to Navigate the Job Market for Doctoral Researchers. Keep an eye on CareersLink for upcoming workshops that may be of interest, such as our Becoming An Academic webinar on Monday, 16 November.

Careers support for International Masters and PhD graduates

All of our international graduates have access to all the resources on the Careers Service website, including online application and interview advice, instant CV feedback using via CareerSet, application advice appointments and interview practice. We also have a whole host of specific resources related to international employability, from our international jobs to information on working in the UK after study. You can also book a careers guidance appointment with our International Careers Consultant, Noeleen, which you can book via CareersLink (where coincidentally you can also look for graduate vacancies across the world!).

Remember to keep an eye on the Careers Service blog for specific guidance for international graduates, such as employability tips from international professionals and CV and application advice for EU and international students and grads.

As a recent graduate you also have access to our virtual employer events and careers skills sessions, including our upcoming webinars on Working in the UK for International Students and Graduates (19 November), EU & International Student and Graduate FAQs (10 December) and the Global Panel Event (9 December).  Don’t forget that if you can’t access our events in real time, many will be recorded and uploaded to the Careers Service Youtube channel, where you can find a past webinar recordings, such as our China Labour Market Panel Discussion and Returning Home: Planning your Career Development. 

I’ve completed my Nursing/Midwifery degree – how can the Careers Service help me?

Our nursing graduates have access to all the resources on the Careers Service website, including specific information about Nursing and Midwifery careers, from job profiles, professional bodies, where to look for graduate vacancies and career progression insights.

You also have access to our online application and interview support, can get instant feedback on your CV via CareerSet, book an application advice appointment with one of our Application Advisors, or book an interview simulation with a Careers Consultant. Your dedicated Careers Consultant is Sarah, who looks after our Nursing and Midwifery students and graduates, so feel free to book a careers guidance appointment via CareersLink if you need any careers guidance.