Master's career journey

While you should enjoy your holidays and relax before you begin your master's programme, sometime a small amount of planning, while you have a bit more time, can help you get a head start on your year. Here are some starting points. 

• Most of the careers service website is open access, meaning you can view it now without the need to log in. Explore this Career Planning section in full and start to work on your own Plan: Me to help you make the most of your year. 
• Explore the Imperial Success Guide for Masters which is packed with tips and links to help you better understand Imperial and your Master's programme. 
• Keep checking your email so you don’t miss out on the series of offer holder emails which are filled with useful ideas and information both from your department and from Imperial centrally. 
• In early September the Careers Service will run online live sessions to help you understand how to make the most of our services and plan your career. These will be advertised to offer holders in an Imperial email. 
• Also in early September, you will have access to the Attributes and Aspirations (AA) short course. AA helps you to build transferable skills, plan your career and adjust to life as a masters student at Imperial. It includes modules on Imperial life and how to make the most of your master's which are designed to be completed before you start at Imperial. 
• To get a head start on your networking, set up or update your LinkedIn profile (there is a unit in the AA course that covers this).

Autumn term is when large companies run their graduate recruitment and when funded PhD are advertised. It’s also when the majority of the careers fairs run and there are a lot of chances to interact with potential future employers. 

• You’ll be able to log into your JobsLive account, where you can browse and book careers events and appointments. Be sure to sign up to weekly/daily events and vacancies updates and register for our newsletter. 
• Many careers fairs and employer events happen as soon as university begins in October; add these to your diary and register to attend where necessary. 
• Work through the Career related modules on Attributes and Aspirations to learn how to explain your motivation for a role or PhD and how to explore careers related to your degree. 
• Attend one of our Careers Masterclasses. These are exclusive to postgraduate master's students and cover CVs & resumes, interview skills and making the most of your time at Imperial. You also have access to the full programme of Career Essentials seminars and Career Labs workshops. These can all be booked via JobsLive. 

International student? Know your rights and understand how your visa status can be explained to potential future employers. 

Got a lot going on and not sure how to organise it all? Why not do the Time Management module of Attributes and Aspirations where you’ll get simple, practical support. 

During spring term you maybe preparing for interviews, waiting on interview results or beginning your job hunt for roles with smaller organisations. If you are just starting to think about your career as a whole, don't panic - this is normal too.

• Practice for interviews with support from the ShortlistMe mock interview tool. 
• Start to explore smaller organisations that work in the industry your interested in. You’ll find links to professional organisations and companies specific to your department on the What can I do with my degree webpages. 
• Improve your skills by visiting our Networking webpage and doing the networking unit in Attributes and Aspirations. 

• Begin to make speculative applications for roles with smaller organisations. 

Thinking about working internationally? Explore different countries and roles via GoinGlobal.

International student? Know your rights and understand how your visa status can be explained to potential future employers. 

Not sure what to do with your future? Book an appointment to talk to a careers consultant. 

Want to improve your communication and teamworking skills? Check out the  Attributes and Aspirations module.

Trying to decide if you should accept a job offer? Here are some tools to consider when evaluating job offers. 

Over summer term, many masters students are involved in projects, presenting finding and writing up thesis. If you are looking for a job with the smaller organisation or a non-graduate programme job, you can begin this process now as most companies expect a two - four month gap between advertising a role and having their new employee start.

You may realise you want your career to head in a different direction than you originally thought, or are considering your next steps for the first time. Everyone's journey is different; we're here to support you no matter what stage you are at. 

• Many smaller organisations and some of the bigger companies will begin to advertise jobs. Make sure you’re searching the right places by exploring the department specific links on the What can I do with my degree? webpages. 
• Check your CV is showing that you match the roles you’re applying for through the MyCVs checker on JobsLive. 

Considering how to best prepare for your PhD or new job? The Attributes and Aspirations next steps modules can help.

Stuck for ideas on what to do next? See what past Imperial graduates are up to with Imperial's Graduate Outcomes data.  

The Careers Service remains available to you for three years after you graduate, allowing you time to explore and experiment with what could be your first steps into a career. 

• Once your JobsLive student account gets deactivated, register for an alumni account to continue accessing the platform for vacancies, events and appointments.
• If you have remained at Imperial to do a PhD, visit the PhD careers journey webpage to continue your career development. If you’re doing a PhD at a different university be sure to ask what extra support they have for you there. 
• Join the Imperial Alumni association to stay in touch with the university and take advantage of the many benefits they offer. 
• 15 months after you graduate, you will be asked to complete a national survey about what you have gone on to do after your degree. Keep your details up to date.