Undergraduate career timeline

• First and second year timeline

  First and second year is the time to immerse yourself in the University community, make new friends and connections, and develop interests outside of your studies. Employers want to hire well-rounded individuals, so whether you're a Dr Who addict or a kayaking champion, societies – and particularly committee positions – are a fantastic way to build professional skills.

  Below are suggested ways you could make the most of your first two years 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
  • Sign-up to the Careers Launchpad - a short, ten-step programme to help you explore career options, build professional networks and source opportunities to gain work experience.
  • Volunteer to gain experience in a variety of fields – find out more on the St Andrews Voluntary Service (SVS) website and the Students’ Association volunteering page.
  • Attend events and sign up for one of the Careers Centre’s Career Journey Workshops on CVs, cover letters, application forms, interview skills and LinkedIn profiles.
  • Book appointments with a career adviser or CV adviser to talk about your future, go over your CV, cover letter or application form, and improve your interview skills.
  • Consider applying for part-time jobs and opportunities in St Andrews.
  • Explore career options to start getting ideas of what you want to do with your future.
  • Make a profile on SaintConnect (a St Andrews-specific social networking platform) to find opportunities and reach out to alumni.

  August

  • Consider which student societies you might want to join when you arrive. 

  September

  • 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.
  • Sign in to CareerConnect to explore job and volunteering opportunities.
  • Consider applying for part-time jobs and opportunities in St Andrews. It may be easier to find a part-time job earlier in the semester as jobs are filled very quickly around December and January.
  • Apply for the St Andrews Research Internship Scheme to engage in paid academic research.

  October to January

  • 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).
  • Apply to the Your Future, Start Now programme (applications usually open in November, eligible to first year students only). 
  • Apply for an employer insight day or a spring internship.
  • Apply for a Laidlaw scholarship, which can lead to research and international internship opportunities in leadership.

  January to June

  • Apply for the St Andrews Summer Internship Scheme (applications usually open in January, eligible to students from second year onwards).
  • Sign-up to Coffee Connect to find a mentor (spring applications usually open in February).
  • Apply for the St Andrews Research Internship Scheme to engage in paid academic research (applications open in February and June).
  • Apply for Internship Experience UK (summer applications open in May).

• Penultimate year timeline

  Your ‘penultimate’ year is the year before the final year of your degree. This is a vital time for career planning and gaining valuable work experience.
  
  Attend careers fairs, employer events and presentations to network and find out what opportunities are available. Remember that the recruitment process starts early (especially for some sectors, including law, accountancy and banking) and competition for places can be high.
  
  Below are suggested ways you could make the most of your penultimate 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 - find out more on the St Andrews Voluntary Service (SVS) website and the Students’ Association volunteering page.
  • Regularly check CareerConnect each week for new opportunities.
  • Attend events and sign up for one of the Careers Centre’s Career Journey Workshops on CVs, cover letters, application forms, interview skills and LinkedIn profiles.
  • Consider applying for part-time jobs and opportunities in St Andrews.
  • Book appointments with a careers or CV adviser to talk about your future, go over your CV, cover letter or application form, and improve your interview skills.
  • Make a profile on SaintConnect (a St Andrews-specific social networking platform) to find opportunities and reach out to alumni.

  September to December

  • Research employers and explore career options.
  • Apply for internships – many graduate recruiters have deadlines before the Christmas vacation.
  • Apply for the St Andrews Research Internship Scheme to engage in paid academic research.
  • Apply to the work shadowing programme.
  • Sign-up to Coffee Connect to find a mentor (winter applications usually open in October).
  • Attend careers fairs – the majority take place in October and November.
  • Sign up for employer presentations, skills sessions and workshops. See the events page for upcoming sessions.
  • Consider applying for an internship with a smaller employer through Saltire, or by applying speculatively (which is applying to an employer who is not currently advertising).
  • Don’t forget to update your CV and LinkedIn profile – book an appointment with a career adviser to help you.

  January to February

  • January is the key deadline for many law firms’ summer schemes.
  • Apply for the St Andrews Research Internship Scheme to engage in paid academic research
  • Apply for the St Andrews Summer Internship Scheme (applications usually open in January).
  • Check to see if some formal internship programmes still have vacancies.
  • Explore work experience with smaller employers, work shadowing and volunteering opportunities.
  • Sign-up to Coffee Connect to find a mentor (spring applications usually open in February).

  March to May

  • Keep an eye out for summer internships with late application deadlines – some firms may have closing dates as late as March or April, depending on the company’s recruitment needs.
  • Apply to the work shadowing programme (summer applications usually open in March).
  • Apply for Internship Experience UK (summer applications open in May).

  June to August

  • Remember that some graduate recruitment schemes open as early as August, such as in banking and finance.
  • Apply for the St Andrews Research Internship Scheme to engage in paid academic research.
  • Research roles and employers for graduate jobs and graduate schemes (refer to The Times Top 100 graduate employers and TARGETJobs UK300) according to your career plan and find out how and when to apply.
  • Keep your LinkedIn and SaintConnect profiles and your CV up to date.
  • Consider postgraduate or further study.

• Final year timeline

  You’re busy wrapping up your degree and perhaps preparing to say goodbye to St Andrews. Where will your journey take you next?
  
  Below are suggested ways you could make the most of your final year at St Andrews.

  All year

  • Make a profile on Saint Connect (a St Andrews-specific social networking platform) to find opportunities and reach out to alumni.
  • 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 - find out more on the St Andrews Voluntary Service (SVS) website and the Students’ Association volunteering page. 
  • Regularly check CareerConnect each week for new opportunities. 
  • Attend events and sign up for one of the Careers Centre’s Career Journey Workshops on CVs, cover letters, application forms, interview skills and LinkedIn profiles. 
  • Consider applying for part-time jobs and opportunities in St Andrews.
  • Book appointments with a careers or CV adviser to talk about your future, go over your CV, cover letter or application form, and improve your interview skills.

  September to December

  • Applications for many graduate training schemes open. Deadlines for applying typically fall between October and January. For graduate jobs, positions remain open until filled.
  • Consider applying for an internship with a smaller employer through Saltire, or by applying speculatively (which is applying to an employer who is not currently advertising).
  • Book an appointment with a career adviser or a CV adviser to have your application, CV or cover letter checked.
  • Attend careers fairs and employer presentations – talk to employers and make applications.
  • If you intend to go on to further study, look into applying for postgraduate study and applying for scholarships.

  January to February

  • Applications for many graduate training schemes close.
  • Prepare for the job application process, including:
    • psychometric tests
    • interviews
    • assessment centres.
  • Book a practice interview appointment with the Careers Centre.
  • If you are applying for postgraduate study:
    • Get your personal statement checked by a careers adviser.
    • Funding and scholarship deadlines for postgraduate courses beginning in September typically end between January and March.
    • Apply for university accommodation after you accept an offer for a postgraduate course.

  March to April

  • Attend interviews and assessment centres.

  May to July

  • If successful, you will now be receiving job offers.
  • Keep applying for graduate jobs – employers recruit on a rolling basis throughout the year.
  • Apply for Internship Experience UK (summer applications open in May).

  August to September

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