Improve your employability

Our graduates continue to have a very good reputation amongst employers. According to the 2012 High Fliers survey, Leeds is the 11th 'most-targeted' university by the UK's top graduate employers with companies including Teach First, Accenture, PricewaterhouseCoopers, IBM, Jaguar Land Rover, John Lewis and Unilever regularly visiting our campus and recruiting Leeds students.

And in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, Leeds ranked 51st for the employer review score and came 13th out of the UK universities.

We host over 450 employer attendances on campus each year

Many of the University's courses are professionally accredited, so you know that you will be on the right route towards a career in your chosen field. Through regular engagement with employers and professional bodies we ensure all our programmes remain current and address employers' changing needs. In fact, we've been running career development modules as integral parts of our degree courses for fifteen years.

And our commitment to your future works: The most recent Higher Education Statistic Agency figures (July 2011) show that 93% of our undergraduates are employed or studying within six months of leaving.

However, in the current challenging economic climate you need to be one step ahead. That's why we've developed an employability strategy which sets out the ways in which the University will encourage and help you to start planning your career earlier and more effectively.

Three steps to a brighter future

1) Decide what you want to do

Our experts in the Careers Centre aim to help you make well-informed choices, based on understanding of yourself, the wide range of opportunities available and the steps you need to take to pursue your choices. For example, if you chose teaching, we'd advise you on the skills and experiences you'd need to gain alongside your course that would give you the best chance of being accepted on a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course.

2) Plan how you're going to gain the skills and experience you need

Working with personal tutors and supported by Leeds for Life, you'll identify the skills you're gaining through your course and also find co-curricular opportunities to get experience (such as work placements and internships), meet employers and develop knowledge that you need for your chosen career. The University and LUU offer a truly spectacular range of opportunities through Leeds for Life; Spark, the University's unique, graduate business start-up service and the wide variety of careers fairs are just two such opportunities.

3) Compete for the career you want

The Careers Centre offers one-to-one support, together with general courses and events on completing applications, CV and interview skills or it can tailor services to your specific needs.

Whilst it's the Careers Centre that leads on the employability strategy, you'll also receive help and advice from your personal and academic tutors, and our alumni (through networking events). Together they will help to ensure that you leave Leeds with the skills, mindset and experiences that will make you valuable to a wide range of employers and industries.

Read our employability statement