Graduates

While you study with us and for up to 3 years after you graduate from the University of Cumbria, you will have access to My Career Enriched, your career hub. You can:

• Access a range of career information resources
• Search for graduate jobs, part-time work, work experience, industry placements and paid internships.
• Book one-to-one advice and guidance appointments.
• Book in for a practice interview.
• Search for and book onto careers fairs and employability events. 
• Send in your CV or application for a review and tailored feedback.

Watch our short video on how to book a careers appointment using My Career Enriched.

Deciding what you want to do after you graduate can be tricky. If you aren't sure about your next steps you can contact us or book an appointment, (by phone or online), on My Career Enriched. 

Starting a Business or Going Freelance:

If you’re thinking about starting your own business, we can help you with start-up advice, funding opportunities, marketing options, pricing matters, business structure and more. Have a look at our Student Enterprise page for more information. 

Finding work:

We have put together some information here about Graduate Jobs and Graduate schemes and there's information about finding internships here.

Government Employment and Skills Guide:

The Department for Education have put together a Graduate Employment and Skills Guide for students who graduated during the pandemic. It brings together a broad range of tools, advice and resources to support graduates to consider their post-university choices.

Go to: Graduate Employment and Skills Guide.

Specialist support for disabled students and graduates:

The Careers & Employability Service are able to provide information, resources and guidance to support disabled students as they search for placements, internships and graduate roles. For further information, please see our resources on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion | MyCumbria. You can also access the MyPlus information resource ‘Applying to roles with a Disability’ on My Career Enriched, Pathways.  

Working abroad: 

If you’re interested in travel and gaining new experiences, working abroad might the route for you. There are lots of volunteering opportunities, paid jobs and internships you can pursue in many different countries, here are some useful links to get you started:

• Prospects – work experience abroad
• Volunteer and intern abroad and online
• International Citizens Service

Travel and Gap Years:

Taking some time out to decide what you want to do is an excellent opportunity to gain new skills and expereince. Prospects.ac.uk have a useful article about Gap Years. 

Further Study:

Take a look at the Further Study page on My.Cumbria and remember that you may be eligible for a discount on your postgraduate study fees if you choose to continue your studies at the University of Cumbria! Find out more about our Postgraduate courses.

What is the Graduate Outcomes survey? 

The Graduate Outcomes survey is an annual survey which captures the perspectives and current status of recent graduates. All graduates who complete a course at the University of Cumbria will be surveyed 15 months after they complete their studies. The Graduate Outcomes survey aims to help current and future students gain an insight into career destinations and development. 

This survey replaces the Destinations on Leaving Higher Education (DLHE) survey, in which graduates were contacted 6 months after graduation.  

You will receive your survey invitation by email around 15 months after you complete your course. Make sure your contact details are up to date before you finish.

Why should I complete the survey? 

Taking part in the survey is an essential part of your higher education journey. As the biggest UK annual social survey, the collective graduate voice is powerful and will directly impact the future of education for prospective students. So join your fellow graduates and be part of the picture of education today.

This survey is unique because it picks up with you over a year (15 months) after you finished your studies. This allows you to reflect on the value your studies have played in your current activities, how this compares to your original plans and how you’re using skills you’ve picked up whilst in education. Only you will know if you left education with the skills and knowledge you needed to get you to where you are now.

When will I be contacted to complete the survey?

Depending on when you completed your course, you’ll be sent an invitation to complete the Graduate Outcomes survey around 15 months later. The survey won’t take long to complete and you can take part on all devices.

Completing the survey will help us to understand your unique perspective, and what success looks like for you following your time in higher education. Your responses will help the University of Cumbria evaluate and promote our courses.  

Who carries out the survey? 

The Graduate Outcomes survey is delivered by HESA on behalf of the UK higher education funding and regulatory bodies working with your university or college. You may be contacted in one or more of the following ways: 

• Email: The survey will be emailed to you - the email will come from Graduate Outcomes with your university or college name in the email address. These emails will contain a link to the online survey. 
• Text messages: You will receive text reminders from ‘GradOutcomes’. These texts will contain a link to the online survey.
• Phone: If you receive a phone call regarding the survey, it will be from IFF Research. It has been appointed to capture survey responses by phone. They will introduce themselves as calling on behalf of the University of Cumbria. 

Who can I contact if I have any questions? 

The Graduate Outcomes survey website is the first place to look for more information: https://www.graduateoutcomes.ac.uk/

If you have any questions about the Graduate Outcomes survey which are not answered on the Q&A page of the website, you can email HESA directly at: info@graduateoutcomes.ac.uk. You can use this email address if you would like to provide up-to-date contact details, want to opt-out of taking the survey, or simply have a few more questions.

The Cumbria Network - Exclusively for all University of Cumbria and legacy institution alumni, the Cumbria Network is a mentoring and networking platform and one-stop place to keep you connected to Cumbria and each other.

Search the alumni directory, network with new people, seek a mentor, find your dream job, keep up to date with events and opportunities, read exclusive content, news and blog posts or just find your old friends and reminisce... We are excited to see you there. Go to: https://www.cumbria.ac.uk/alumni/

JOIN THE CUMBRIA NETWORK

Exclusively for all University of Cumbria and legacy institution alumni, the Cumbria Network is a mentoring and networking platform and one-stop place to keep you connected to Cumbria and each other.

Search the alumni directory, network with new people, seek a mentor, find your dream job, keep up to date with events and opportunities, read exclusive content, news and blog posts or just find your old friends and reminisce... We are excited to see you there.

Join here: https://cumbrianetwork.global/

For advice about Graduate accounts and dealing with debts after graduation, check out the following resources:

• https://www.savethestudent.org/graduates/best-graduate-bank-accounts.html
• https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/students/graduate-bank-accounts/
• https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/family-and-care/student-and-graduate-money/how-to-dealwith-debts-after-graduation-from-university

For medium and longer-term savings goals, check out:

https://couchtofinancialfitness.moneyhelper.org.uk/