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The Careers Service

Programmes, events and advice to help our students

Careers Service LogoThe Careers Service

The University of Oxford has an excellent Careers Service that provides confidential and impartial careers information, advice and guidance to students at all levels and stages of their studies and across all employment sectors. They also provide a life-long service for Oxford Alumni. 

Even if you do not know what you would like to do after Oxford, you are welcome to use the Service to help get yourself started. Equally if you are clear about your career destination then you may wish to make use of their extensive resources designed to help you on the way to achieving your goal. You can do this at any stage during your studies at Oxford.

Careers Service Support for You

Here are the ways that the Careers Service can help you:

Options & Occupational Information

Jobs, Internships, Work Experience and Employability Programmes

  • Their website contains a live database of job vacancies and internships. Log in to CareerConnect and use the “Opportunities” tab on the top menu
  • Information is also available on finding advertised opportunities, networking, using agencies and many other aspects of job searching.
  • Law firm vacation schemes from approximately 70 law firms are compiled into a central list each year and published in the solicitor occupational profile in the “Skills and Experience” Section
  • The Oxford University Internship Programme provides a huge variety of internship opportunities in the UK and worldwide each summer for matriculated Oxford students only.
  • Mircro Internships are also available just to Oxford students each term and cover a variety of sectors in and around Oxford.
  • Insight programmes exist for Teaching, Business, and Medicine and are designed to give students the chance to find out more about those sectors and to network with both fellow applicants and professionals.
  • The Student Consultancy – provides the opportunity for students to gain practical experience to build skills such as teamwork and commercial awareness whilst in Oxford . It is not just for “would-be” consultants.
  • Springboard – is a personal development programme for female undergraduates and masters students.

The Job Application Process

Support can be found on these and many other aspects of the job application process:

Events

The Careers Service organises a range of events across the academic year that are tailored to students’ needs and to coincide with key dates and deadlines of employers who recruit graduates. They aim to cover as many employment sectors as possible – not just City ones! They do include specific sessions for those considering legal careers (City and non City legal careers) and they work closely with the Law Faculty to organise these.    

Each term’s events are published on the Careers Service’s weekly e-newsletter and in the “Events” section of CareerConnect.  Some events will require booking.

Careers Fairs

The Careers Service run 11 careers fairs each year; The Law Fair, The Oxford Careers Fair, The Management Consultancy Fair, The Finance Fair, The Art, Media and Marketing Fair, The Internship Fair, The Science, Engineering & Technology Fair, The Teaching & Education Fair, Oxford Postcode Fair, International Careers Day, the Summer Graduate & Internship Fair and the “Getting a Head Start” Fair.

Fairs are usually held in the Exam Schools, at the Town Hall or at the Careers Service. Advice on how to help you prepare for a visit to a fair is here.

Skills Sessions

Sessions are run throughout each term covering all aspects of your career and the skills needed to secure the one you want and are generally held at the Careers Service. Examples are:

  • “How to find your dream job”
  • “ Applying for solicitor vacation schemes”
  • “Planning for post graduate study”
  • Workshops on CVs, interviews, case studies, numeracy and many more

Occupational Talks and Employer Presentations

The Careers Service aim to cover as many employment sectors as possible (not just the City ones!)  Examples are:

  • “Life at the Bar”
  • “Legal Alternatives“
  • “Careers in Government, policy and international organisations”
  • “Careers in Publishing”
  • And many more…

A variety of employers also come to Oxford on an annual basis to make their own company/firm specific presentation or workshop. They usually host around 30- 40 different law firms as well as employers from many other sectors.

Student Society Events

Often the Careers Service co-ordinate an event with a student run society and/or will publicise relevant society events on our website providing there is no pre-existing booking. 

If you run a student society and are interested in talking through an event idea or having your event publicised, please contact us on reception@careers.ox.ac.uk

Careers Appointments

The Careers Service makes available over 200 individual appointments for students each week.  Here are some of the important things to know about these sessions:

  • You can discuss any careers related topic
  • You don’t need to know what you want to do/be before you arrive
  • The Careers Service won’t tell you what to be but they will provide you with impartial advice and guidance to help you on your way
  • Initial appointments are for 15 minutes but we may refer you on for a longer appointment or one with a different adviser if needed
  • If you would like a CV, letter, application or personal statement reviewed, please refer to our online advice first. It makes better use of your time.
  • To book an appointment, log onto CareerConnect
  • Appointments are held at a variety of locations – the Careers Service, the Law Faculty, Exam Schools, Colleges and other departments.  You select the location/time which best suits you – the appointments are all the same type.
  • If you cannot make your booked appointment, please cancel it to allow a fellow student to come instead.
  • If you are having trouble booking ( ie you have tried on at least 2/3 occasions) then please call us 01865 274646 and ask our Reception Team to help.
  • If you are a student with a disability, please call us to discuss your needs and we will be happy to help.
  • You can select which Careers Adviser you would like to see.  We all handle general enquiries but we also all have areas of interest. 

Students with a Disability
The Careers Service run specific sessions on careers and employability topics to help students with a disability or long term illness – watch out for our (Dis)Ability branded events which will be advertised on CareerConnect.   Anne Dutton is our Careers Adviser with special responsibility for supporting disabled students and her appointments are available to book on CareerConnect as usual.  If you have any particular needs for example you may wish to be accompanied at one of our fairs or you would like to have a careers discussion in College please contact our Reception team reception@careers.ox.ac.uk or on 01865 274646 and we will be happy to help.

 

 

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