This document provides information to help Masters students with career development and planning. It discusses researching career options by understanding your skills, interests, and labor market information. Students are encouraged to research options through tools on the university website and consider careers in various sectors like education, professional services, and health. The document also covers the job search process, including finding vacancies, the benefits of a graduate scheme, and other opportunities like further study, entrepreneurship, or working abroad. University career services are available to support students throughout the career development and job search process.

1. Career Development
for Masters Students

2. By the end of this session you will
be aware of:
Career Choices
Knowing yourself
How to research career options
suitable for you
Job Search
Career routes and sources of
vacancies
This session

3. Understanding
who you are
Researching
options &
labour market
Making
choices and
taking action
Gaining
experience
Career Choice – Where to
start?

4. Know what you can offer:
skills, interests, values, personality and
strengths
Know what you are looking for:
types of activity, level of reward, part time or
full time, trying something out, graduate
scheme, people you want to work with …
Career Thinking -Understanding Who You
Are

5. Matching yourself with careers options – what’s out there that might suit you?
Try Prospects Planner or Profiling for Success here
What could I do with my masters?
Try ”Using Your Degree” on the Careers and Employability pages using your degree
What other options are there? Here
Try using the sector guides on the Careers and Employability pages
What have other students gone on to do? here
Linkedin Alumni and leavers destinations here
Researching Options

6. Knowing Your Labour Market
42,328 Masters graduates in 2014,
80+% in FT or PT work or working & study
after 6 months.
Of those who were in a job in the UK, 87%
were doing a professional or managerial
job
General labour market information
ere

7. Where to find this information? here
What about students from Sussex?

8. Top industrial sectors for
Sussex post-grads are:
Education (33%)
Professional Scientific and
Technical (15%)
Health and Social Work
(10%)
Public Administration (8%)
Where do post-grads work?

9. Commercial sector
• Manufacturing, retailing, business services, professional services, engineering, media
Public sector
• Civil service, local government, public protection, education, health service
Voluntary sector
• Charities, not for profit organisations, community organisations
Freelance and entrepreneurs
• Setting up on your own often in IT, web design, media, writing
What sectors do students work in?

10. Making Choices!
Bring together your research to help you
define:
• what you are looking for
• what you have to offer employers
• what options are open to you
This will help you:
• create targeted CV and job applications
• make more focused job searches
If you’d like to talk through your ideas with a
careers adviser you can book an appointment
through CareerHub

11. • Knowledge
• Skills
• Experiences
• Contacts
• Attitudes
• Research
• Project Management
• Writing Skills
Benefits of Masters Level Study

12. • Intellectual – research, generating ideas, analysis, problem
solving
• Interpersonal – communication, influencing, negotiating
• Personal – self motivation, time management, presentation
• Technical skills – Core to subject - IT, lab work, research
techniques
Researcher - Skills

13. “A structured programme that combines
working and training targeted to recent
graduates. Offered mainly by large
employers and can last for a period of 3
months to 3 years. Successful completion
normally leads to a permanent position and
often a professional qualification”
What is a graduate scheme?

14. Examples of Graduate
Schemes

15. • Self employment/entrepreneur
• Internships
• Other graduate roles e.g. SMEs, non-graduate schemes
• Further study
• Working abroad
• Part time work
• Travel
Other Opportunities

16. • Information about post-graduate study here here
Things to do:
• Talk to Academics/Supervisors here
• Talk to PhD students
• Talk to course providers/Doctoral School
• Talk to Careers Adviser
Further Study - Research

17. Global labour market: www.sussex.ac.uk/careers/careerchoices/international
Vacancies: www.sussex.ac.uk/careers/jobs/search
Where do students work globally?

18. • CareerHub
• Meet employers – attend
university events
• Creative job search
• Debut app here
• Sector guides here
• Recruitment agencies
• Job websites
Where can I find vacancies?

19. Job Searching
• establish a routine
• tidy up your online presence
• keep records of what you’ve applied for and when so
you can follow up
• keep copies of applications, you’ll need them to
prepare for interviews
• research organisations carefully, to help target your
applications and for interview preparation

20. Careers and Employability Centre support:
• For 3 years after you graduate
• Short interview with a careers adviser:
Mon – Fri from 9am ‘til 5pm, Vacancies – part time, work
experience, internships, graduate jobs
• Briefings and workshops
• Career Hub
• Attend events – listed on news & events page
Follow us on Twitter & Facebook
www.sussex.ac.uk/careers
How we can help you