University of Cambridge

Undergraduate

Study

Careers: Transforming your future

Cambridge graduates of all disciplines are highly employable. In fact, we have one of the highest proportions of graduates entering graduate-level employment or further study in the country.

The Cambridge advantage: graduate prospects

  • Last year, 91 per cent of our graduates were employed/in further study six months after graduating. Just 4.7 per cent were still seeking employment/further study – well below the national average of 9 per cent.
  • Cambridge is third in the world for reputation with employers according to the 2011 QS World University Rankings.
  • The Careers Service promotes more vacancies each year than there are Cambridge graduates seeking employment.

Career destinations

Cambridge courses are respected all over the world so there's no need to worry about your choice of course limiting you to one career path:

  • the majority of employers recruit students with any degree discipline
  • it's the flexibility, teaching style and demands of your degree, as well as the range of transferable skills that you develop, that are of interest to employers

Examples of career destinations of recent graduates can be on our website (www.cam.ac.uk/camdata/).

Transferable skills

While at Cambridge, you develop a wide range of 'transferable skills' through both your studies and social activities. It's these same skills that employers are looking for when reviewing job applications. As a Cambridge graduate you should excel at:

  • learning quickly
  • developing and adopting new approaches
  • organisation and flexibility
  • effective communication, both in writing and orally
  • analysis and attention to detail
  • creativity and problem-solving
  • achieving to the highest standards

Employers value other achievements and experiences gained through involvement in clubs and societies, and vacation employment as well. Potential employers also interact with some department-based societies so you have opportunities to network and make contacts long before graduation.

The graduate employment market

Cambridge students are ambitious, intelligent, motivated, hard-working, passionate, committed, curious, intellectually creative, independent thinkers and able to manage their time effectively.

Employers know this and look for the same attributes in potential new employees, which is why our graduates are so sought after. The chart (below) shows the destinations of 2010 Cambridge graduates, six months after graduation.

Destinations of 2010 Cambridge graduates, six months after graduation

The Careers Service

The Careers Service offers a wide range of services and staff can help you make informed career choices and work out what to do next, whether that's:

  • advice about internships and vacation work experience
  • matching your interests and skills to possible careers
  • postgraduate study guidance
  • job application support

There are also numerous opportunities for you to meet employers through events organised by the Careers Service and department-based societies.

And even after you've graduated, you can continue to make use of the Careers Service.

How the Careers Service can help you
Choosing a career
  • Careers consultations.
  • Online careers health check package and Prospect Planner.
Getting internships and work experience
  • Over 2,000 internships available across all sectors, with bursaries offered to support unpaid work.
Researching occupations and employers
  • Career information events for a range of sectors.
  • More than 50 employment-related skills training sessions.
  • GradLink - contact details for Cambridge alumni who can offer first-hand advice.
  • Information on over 100 occupations, further study courses and funding
Finding vacancies
  • Online vacancy information on more than 5,500 organisations.
  • Email subscription service.
Making successful applications
  • CV and Cover Letters book.
  • CV and interview advice and support.