Careers service
What it really means
A free university service offering CV checks, mock interviews, job fairs and advice on placements and graduate schemes. Open to all students — use it well before final year.
Context, tips & common mistakes
The careers service is the most underused free resource on any UK campus: CV and cover-letter checks by people who read thousands, mock interviews (including recorded video practice), employer presentations, part-time job boards, and advisers who know which local employers actually hire international students — including the visa-aware guidance on post-study work routes that generic career sites cannot give. Access usually extends for a period after graduation too, which alumni forget.
The timing error is treating it as a final-year service: graduate scheme applications open in autumn of final year with deadlines that assume a CV already exists, placement years are arranged in second year, and the strongest applications are built on part-time work and society roles accumulated from year one. Book the first appointment in first year with nothing prepared — 'where do I start?' is a session they run daily, and starting early converts three panicked final-year months into a plan.
Example conversation
What you could say back
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