Whatever stage of your University study you are at it is never too early or late to start thinking about what you are going to do when your undergraduate studies end. Edinburgh University Employability Service Information from the University on how to become more employable and develop your employability skills can be found through the link below. Employability - Information for Students Advice for early years students There is a lot you can and should do in your lower years to lay the foundations for a successful future after you graduate. You can begin preparing yourself by developing the skills recruiters seek and by finding out and exploring different careers and opportunities. Doing this during your early years (when you have more time) takes the pressure off later on and puts you in a strong position to gain an internship/experience in the summer of your penultimate year and then apply successfully to a graduate job or postgraduate study in your final year. Within the University In the School of Mathematics and the University of Edinburgh, there are many opportunities for you to get involved in. If you don’t fancy anything on offer then look outside the University or even start your own group. Opportunities in the School Student societies Student sports clubs Voluntary Work This can be a great way of developing experience and doing something completely different to get a break from studying. If you are considering teaching it is a good idea to get some voluntary experience in a school. Example organisations offering help with this are Pro-Science and LEAPS. EUSA volunteering opportunities STEM Ambassadors Voluntary teaching opportunities with LEAPS Developing Skills By getting involved in these activities you can start to develop key skills which employers and postgraduate admissions tutors think are really important. And of course, this is a great way to settle into University and make friends. In addition, you may be eligible for an Edinburgh Award which is how the University formally recognises these additional activities on your Higher Education Achievement Report. You may also have the time to get a part-time job which is another good way to develop your skills. Information about the Edinburgh Award Information about HEAR Information about part-time jobs Other ways to develop skills Jobs for Maths Graduates There are some career paths that are more typical than others and these can be a good place to start generating some ideas. The Careers Service website has details on where previous Maths graduates have gone and on areas of work that are most common. More information on the Careers Service Institute of Mathematics careers website Maths Careers Guide: "What can I do with my maths degree?" Advice for senior years students If you are not sure what you want to do, don't panic, but don’t ignore it. Many students aren’t sure what they want to do after graduation, there are a few things you can do to start gathering your thoughts. Try allocating time to think about your experiences so far, at university, work, and extracurricular activities. Thinking about what you want from a job is often more helpful than simply searching through vacancies. The clearer you are about what you want from a job the more chance you will recognise it when you do look at vacancies. Try using some of the resources on the Careers service website to get you started. University of Edinburgh Careers Service Do some research into careers you would like to have Doing some groundwork will make things a lot easier when you come to the application stage. Research different careers sectors and take any opportunities you get to speak to people in the career areas you are considering; for example; lecturers, your Personal Tutor, employers who come on campus to give talks and Careers Fairs. The University of Edinburgh Careers Service - Occupations Have a go! Even if you are not sure what you want to do next, getting work experience in any area can really help with your decision. You may find an area that you enjoy but equally useful you may find out what you don’t want to do. From an employment point of view, there is no such thing as bad experience and any experience is viewed favourably. The best form of research is to actually try out the area you are considering. Applications for internships are typically aimed at penultimate year students (and sometimes graduates). In bigger companies, such as in financial services, they tend to open in August for the following year, while applications to smaller companies can be made closer to summer. There are lots of types of experience you can get, from volunteering to a fully-fledged internship to working at the Fringe, all of them are valuable. The important thing is to do something and to get started as early as possible. The Careers Service website has lots of information get you started. EUSA Volunteer University of Edinburgh Volunteering Careers Service - Internships Careers Compass Go and speak to someone you don’t need to know what you want to do to speak to a careers advisor. The Careers Service is there to help you make sense of the opportunities out there. Although they can’t make the decision for you, they can make it easier! You can speak to a Careers Consultant by: Booking an appointment (Central or King’s Buildings) using MyCareerHub Turning up to the weekly Maths Careers Drop-in (Tuesdays of teaching weeks, 12:30-14:30) outside the Magnet Café, JCMB. MyCareerHub Keep deadlines in mind If you are in your final year be aware that many deadlines will pass in semester 1. This is especially the case for graduate recruitment into larger companies. Looking at the University's Career Service is a great place to start. If you are considering further study, including PhDs, then the sooner your secure a place on your chosen course the easier it will be to find funding. The University's graduate job advice section Information about further study Perfect your applications Whether you are applying for work experience, part-time work, graduate jobs or further study you may find it useful to get some help with the application process. The Careers Service runs one-hour talks throughout the year (including at KB), on topics such as interview skills, application forms, CVs and covering letters. They also have a range of information on their website to help you. You may also find it useful to make an appointment at the Careers Service. The Careers Service also offer practice interviews for employment and further study, get in touch to find out more. Booking an appointment with the Careers Service Other useful links Mathematics Careers Prospects Careers in Statistics This article was published on 2025-02-26
