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After university: your options

Last updated: 9 March 2018

You have different options for what to do after university.

You could:

  • find a job
  • apply for graduate schemes
  • take an internship
  • study more at university, for example take a postgraduate course
  • start a business
  • take time out to decide
  • volunteer

Find a job

You can search for jobs on the My World of Work website.

Your university may have a careers service to help you find a job and may host recruitment fairs.

Find out more information on finding a job.

Find a graduate scheme

If you have an undergraduate degree, you could apply for a graduate training programme. They are sometimes known as:

  • graduate placements
  • graduates schemes

They offer a set amount of time of structured training and development. The company or organisation will decide how the scheme is structured.

Find graduate jobs on the My World of Work website.

Internships

Internships are sometimes called 'work experience' or 'work placements'. They give you a chance to develop your skills and have more to put on your CV before applying for jobs.

You can get more information about internships from the:

Internship pay

Any intern given a 'worker' role must be paid. The only exceptions are if you're working for a charity or a not-for-profit organisation.

Find out more about intern worker rights on GOV.UK.

Further study at university

After you finish an undergraduate degree you could continue to study at university. The courses you could do are called 'postgraduate courses'.

The Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) offers some funding for postgraduate study. Contact SAAS for more information about what's available.

You may also find funding for postgraduate courses known as 'studentships' on the Research Councils UK website.

Find out more about why you could study a postgraduate course on the UCAS website.

Start a business

Support is available if you've thought about starting your own business or social enterprise.

You could:

Take time out to decide

You might want time and space to figure out what to do after you graduate.

Volunteering

Volunteering can help you decide what you want to do next. You can get information about volunteering at home or abroad from: