What next after your degree. Explore your options, find practical advice and useful links to support you with your next steps.
Employment
Finding jobs
Graduate job sites could be a good starting place but remember that opportunities for graduates can be advertised elsewhere too.
See our list of job sites for graduates. Access graduate recruitment schemes and work experience opportunities.
Use our list of popular job websites to help your job search.
Discover employers who are recruiting now. Start your job search here.
Find out how to use Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to find jobs near you.
Discover 6 ways to start looking for jobs online
Build up your contacts and get networking to tap in to job vacancies that aren't advertised.
Applying for jobs
You will face competition when you apply for any job. It's important to know your skills and strengths and what employers look for in candidates.
Employment support is also available to help you into work if you are disabled or have a health condition.
Ways to discover your skills and strengths. Knowing your skills and strengths will increase your confidence, and help you get into a job.
Increase your chances of getting work by matching your skills and strengths to what employers want.
Improve the skills and strengths you have, and increase your opportunities to get a job, get promoted or make a career change.
It is important to create an effective CV or application. This will help you prepare well for interviews.
Find tips on:
- Building a CV
- Writing an application
- Writing a personal statement
- Covering letters and emails
- Preparing for assessments and taking practice tests
- Interview techniques
Self-employment
Maybe you have a great idea, or you like the flexibility that self-employment can offer.
Find out more about self-employment on:
- Getting into self-employment - explore if self-employment could be right for you and where to get more support.
- Big Ideas Wales - support into self-employment if you are 25 or under
Post-graduate study
You might consider a Masters, PhD, postgraduate diploma, or professional qualifications. You could study full-time or part-time combining study with employment.
Search for postgraduate courses using UCAS.
Before heading into further study:
- Find out if postgraduate study will improve your job prospects. Use job information to discover more about entry requirements for jobs, and explore job websites to identify jobs that ask for postgraduate qualifications
- Reflect on whether you have the motivation to do further study
- Consider the financial implications of doing further study
Funding for postgraduate studies
Explore the funding options available for a range of different courses in Wales. Some funding is specifically for postgraduate study in university, and other funding may support with professional qualifications, or other general study.
Find the financial support that may be available to you for postgraduate courses at universities, including master's and PhD courses.
A Personal Learning Account will allow you to study fully funded, flexible part-time courses around your existing responsibilities.
ReAct+ offers tailored solutions which includes financial support for vocational skills training and training-related expenses to help remove barriers to employment.
Work and life experience
Taking a gap year, volunteering, or doing an internship can improve your future employment opportunities. You will gain new skills, valued by employers. These experiences can also help you focus on what careers you are interested in.
Find out if a gap year is for you and see our list of things to consider. See examples of how gap years are spent.
See how volunteering can increase your skills, experience and job opportunities at the same time as you help others.
Internships are a type of work experience for students in university or graduates. They are a great way to gain experience related to your degree.
Try our quizzes
If you aren't sure about what careers suit your skills and strengths, try our quizzes to get some ideas.
