Postgraduate taught career timeline

Whether new to St Andrews or a returning student, the Careers Centre is here at every stage to support you in identifying and achieving your career ambitions.

The Careers Centre has developed this timeline for those on taught postgraduate programmes to help you navigate key steps and opportunities in your career journey.  

Here’s how to make the most of your year at St Andrews.

All year

• Sign-up to the Saints Skills Awards:
  • Saints Skills Builder Award, for developing new skills 
  • Saints Skills Spotlight Award, for talking about your existing skills 
• Volunteer to gain experience in a variety of fields.
• Attend events and sign up for one of the Careers Centre’s Career Journey Workshops on CVs, covering letters, application forms, interview skills and LinkedIn profiles.
• Book appointments with careers advisers or CV advisers to talk about your future, go over your CV, cover letter or application form, and improve your interview skills.
• Apply for part-time jobs and opportunities in St Andrews.
• Regularly check CareerConnect each week for new job opportunities.
• Make a profile on Saint Connect (a St Andrews-specific social networking platform) to find opportunities and reach out to alumni.

July to August (before you start your programme)

• Consider which student societies you might want to join when you arrive. 
• Research roles and employers for graduate jobs and graduate schemes according to your career plan and find out how and when to apply (refer to The Times Top 100 graduate employers and TARGETjobs UK300).
• Keep your LinkedIn profile and CV up to date.

September to December

• Go to Freshers’ Fayre to join societies and get involved with a range of activities – take yourself outside your comfort zone and try something new.
• Applications for graduate (training) schemes open. Many graduate scheme deadlines fall between October and January.
• Book appointments with careers advisers or CV advisers to talk about your future, go over your CV, cover letter or application form, and improve your interview skills.
• Attend careers fairs and employer presentations – talk to employers and make applications.
• Apply to the work shadowing programme to gain a better understanding of a job, sector or potential employer (winter applications usually open in October).
• Sign-up to Coffee Connect to find a mentor (winter applications usually open in October).
• Network with postgraduate researchers and learn about their experiences of further study. Contact potential supervisors for advice.
• Apply for further study – PhD and MPhil application deadlines for many Schools at St Andrews fall between December and January.
• Apply for scholarships for further study – the deadline for most scholarships is no later than the end of January.
• Familiarise yourself with the University’s graduate attributes platform and log your curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities to create your individual skills profile to help demonstrate your employability. Graduate attributes relate to the knowledge, skills and capabilities that the University seeks to help you develop throughout your time at St Andrews.

January to February

• Applications for many graduate (training) schemes close.
• Practise psychometric tests.
• Prepare for interviews and assessment centres for PhD or graduate scheme applications.
• Book a practice interview with a careers adviser before you get the invitation for an interview.
• Sign-up to Coffee Connect to find a mentor (winter applications usually open in February).
• Apply for Postgraduate Internship Opportunities (applications usually open in January).
• Look out for PhD networking events within your School.

March to April

• Attend interviews and assessment centres.
• Apply to the work shadowing programme to gain a better understanding of a job, sector or potential employer (summer applications usually open in March).
• Apply for Internship Experience UK (applications usually open in April).

May to July

• If successful with a graduate scheme application, you will usually now be receiving offers.
• Keep applying for graduate jobs and internships – employers recruit on a rolling basis throughout the year.
• If applying for further study, keep in touch with your potential PhD supervisor to discuss your research plan and start date, which can be flexible.

August to September

• You could now begin a graduate scheme, job, or PhD programme.
• Consider alternatives to getting a graduate job after graduation, such as taking a gap year, travelling or further study.
• Keep in touch with the Careers Centre. Don’t forget that its services are available for up to three years after you graduate: register as a graduate on CareerConnect.