International Study Centre
Durham graduates smiling at camera

Study abroad career & employability

Career development and support at every stage

At Durham University you will plan for your future, meet employers and develop your employability skills. As a Russell Group University, Durham University produces some of the UK’s most employable graduates.

In a highly competitive graduate employment landscape, graduates need to demonstrate their strengths and experience to potential employers. You will start to gain the skills for career success and professional growth at the International Study Centre.

Career-focussed activities are built in to your pathway programme, including:

  • identifying your personal strengths and areas for development
  • developing key employability skills such as problem solving, teamwork, time management and communication
  • creating a personal development plan, identifying your goals for future success.

At the University

When you successfully progress to your degree at Durham you can take full advantage of the University’s wider career services at the Careers & Enterprise Centre. This includes access to career planning advice, support to launch your own business, and access to many of the online resources – even after you graduate. In addition international students can receive tailored information including details of overseas opportunities and employers, and platforms such as Student Circus.

Durham University offers its graduates lifelong career advice and support, no matter their career stage. This includes support build their own business, general career advice and access to Durham's online resources.

Develop your skills

Developing your academic and employability skills is key to being prepared for your study and work during and after your time at University. The Careers & Enterprise Centre can help you identify opportunities to help you understand and develop the skills you will need. You will have the opportunity to:

  • Attend sessions that provide practical advice about skills such as, performing well at assessment centres
  • Handling video interviews
  • Developing digital skills
  • Writing applications

You can also develop your employability skills using a wide range of resources, including a work readiness assessment, and the Durham Online Career Planning Programme, which includes pathways on Knowing Yourself and Employers’ Expectations, Exploring Options, Goal Setting and Career Action Planning, and Successful Applications and Assessments.

Build your work experience

Many degrees offer the opportunity for work experience. A wide variety of opportunities are advertised by the Careers & Enterprise Centre, including placement years, internships, local part-time jobs and voluntary work. These work experience opportunities are invaluable when looking for a graduate job. Employers are more likely to hire you if you have previous experience as you can prove you have the skills and knowledge required to work in the real world.

A dedicated Work Experience Development team create and run a number of work experience and internship programmes, specifically for Durham students. Taking into account the needs and interests of the student cohort, these programmes are intended to support students in gaining valuable work experience in highly sought after career areas.

The Student Employment Service can help you to find and apply for part-time work both on-campus and in the local area. Many employers value a broad range of skills that can be developed through part-time employment.

A number of events are hosted throughout the year, which are useful when searching for part-time jobs and work experience opportunities.

Other initiatives available to you include:

Careers & Employability deliver focussed workshops including the Durham International Student Employability Programme (DISEP) which is a collaborative project with colleagues from the Durham Centre for Academic Development. These interactive sessions cover the key elements of the job selection process including CVs, cover letters, online applications, interview preparation and assessment centres and go into great detail on language use and cultural expectations of employers.

This highly-respected framework is available to you when you progress to Durham University. The one-year programme provides you with the opportunity for 1-1 mentoring, skills development, workshops and speaker series, interactive think tanks and networking events.

You will also be provided with an opportunity to engage in a group of other student leaders, to define your own values for clubs and societies while being provided with the opportunity to be part of a leadership network of students and global leaders.

Work after study

After studying, you can start your career in the UK with the new Graduate Immigration Route – a 2-year post-study work visa for international students graduating from UK universities. Take the first step with a pathway programme at the International Study Centre to gain the skills you'll need both on your degree and in your career.

Discover the Graduate Immigration Route

Durham graduate smiling outside campus

Good graduate prospects

92% of international graduates were in employment and/or further study 15 months after graduating in 2020-2021.

(Graduate Outcomes)

William from Ghana

I did a one-year work placement in a company called Finbond. It’s a FinTech company that seeks to reduce the cost of investments by providing a portfolio management system to different asset managers, hedge funds and different firms. It has set a pathway for me that I intend to pursue the FinTech industry.

William from Ghana
Studied: International Foundation Year in Science and Engineering
Progressed to: BSc (Hons) Computer Science

Students in class

Pathway programmes

Choose from a range of pathway programmes leading to degrees at Durham University when you achieve the required grades.

Tutor talking to students on campus

How to apply

Ready to join us? Discover how to apply to study with us and learn more about fees, entry requirements and term dates.

READY TO JOIN US?

Our student enrolment advisors are here to help with your application and answer any questions you have about studying with us.