Employability, enterprise and skills

Durham has an international reputation for excellence in both teaching and research that will provide an outstanding platform for your future career.

The Careers, Employability and Enterprise Centre provides a range of services tailored to meet the very specific needs of our postgraduate students, from helping you plan your career path to assisting in finding a job, they are always available to provide support and guidance.

What you achieve academically and experience as a person whilst at Durham will say a lot about you in the future. One of the main reasons for our system of colleges and college mentors is to equip our students with adaptable and marketable workplace skills. The opportunities we provide to become involved in committees, clubs and societies and to be active in voluntary or paid work experience will help you develop an enviable set of professional techniques enabling you to be more successful in the graduate job market. Your Durham University experiences will help you build up skills in teamworking, problem-solving, communication, negotiation and leadership. These are all qualities highly valued by regional, national and international employers who know that a degree combined with a unique Durham life experience is just what they need from graduates that they recruit. In 2010, 92% of postgraduate taught graduates secured employment or went on to further study within six months of graduating.

Over the course of my PhD, I have come into contact with the Careers Centre on a number of occasions and in different ways: careers talks, courses, and events that helped me to consider and discuss what I might do after submitting my thesis. Later on in my studies, I attended a couple of one-to-one interviews where I discussed my developing plans in more depth. Eventually, and with guidance, I produced a new CV and became much more targeted in the development of my skills and future career. I have found it most helpful just being able to talk through my plans with an adviser and to get impartial feedback.

David Walker, PhD Applied Social Sciences