Appointment Guidelines and Expectations

How we offer appointments and 1:1 support and how we aim to make this system work for everyone.

How we offer 1:1 support

We offer 1:1 support online and on campus at Central Area and King's Buildings throughout the year.

We are experts in careers information, advice and guidance and can support you. You can see any of our team who are offering an appointment or drop-in, no matter what school you are in or what stage you are at! 

To get the most from your time with us, we ask you to make use of our comprehensive range of online resources before booking an appointment or coming to drop-in.

To find out what kind of support is best for what you need, take a look at our Get Support page.

Inclusive Careers for Everyone

We’re committed to supporting all of our students and recent graduates to achieve satisfying and rewarding futures, regardless of who you are or your background. We know that navigating the labour market isn’t the same experience for every graduate and we work hard to address this with employers and to support students in understanding this.

Our 1:1 advice and guidance services

You can ask our team a question online and an adviser will reply to you.

The question you ask is private - only Careers Service staff can see this. 

We will send you a written reply within 3 working days. 


These are great for asking quick questions, CV feedback, or if you aren't sure what type of support you need.

  • There's no need to book!
  • These are offered online and on campus regularly.
  • Conversations last up to 15 minutes.

Check this schedule to find a session that suits you:


These are great for asking quick questions, CV feedback, or if you aren't sure what type of support you need.

  • Bookings open two days in advance at 8am.
  • Appointments last up to 15 minutes.

These are more in-depth consultations to discuss your needs and give you practical, tailored support.

  • Bookings open two days in advance at 8am.
  • Appointments last up to 30 minutes.

These are great for practicing interview techniques and common questions with a professional who can give you feedback.

  • You can book up to 2 each year.
  • Bookings open 21 days in advance at 8am, and close 3 days before the appointment.
  • Appointments last up to 45 minutes long.

How to use our drop-in service

Drop-in takes place in the Careers Service lounge. You can find us on the third floor of the Main Library Building.

Drop-in runs from 1pm to 3pm every Monday to Friday during semester. Sometimes a queue forms early, so if you attend towards the end of the drop-in time, we may not be able to see you that day.

When you arrive, please take a number to join the queue, and take a seat in the waiting area. You may wish to explore our online resources while you wait.

An adviser will call your number when they are ready to meet with you. This may not be directly after another student has left, so please be patient.

You can spend up to 15 minutes with an adviser, but you may not need all of this time. If the adviser thinks you may need a more in-depth conversation, they may refer you to book in for a longer appointment with a Careers Consultant.

If you need to leave before you are seen, please return your number to an adviser. You can come back another day, or get support another way.


Drop-in takes place in the Careers Service area. You can find us on the first floor of the Nucleus Building.

Drop-in runs from 12pm to 2pm every Monday to Friday during semester. Sometimes a queue forms early, so if you attend towards the end of the drop-in time, we may not be able to see you that day.

When you arrive, please take a number to join the queue, and take a seat in the waiting area. You may wish to explore our online resources while you wait.

An adviser will call your number when they are ready to meet with you. This may not be directly after another student has left, so please be patient.

You can spend up to 15 minutes with an adviser, but you may not need all of this time. If the adviser thinks you may need a more in-depth conversation, they may refer you to book in for a longer appointment with a Careers Consultant.

If you need to leave before you are seen, please return your number to an adviser. You can come back another day, or get support another way.


Drop-in takes place on Collaborate virtual classroom, which you have access to via MyEd. Details of upcoming sessions and the link to join can be found on our drop-in schedule.

Drop-in schedule

When you join the online drop-in, you will be in a waiting area. An adviser may not be there when you arrive, as they may be meeting with a student in a private call. Please add your student number into the chat to join the queue, and wait to be seen.

When an adviser is ready to meet with you, they will facilitate you joining a private call for your conversation.


How to use appointments & practice interviews

Appointments take place in the Careers Service. You can find us on the third floor of the Main Library Building.

When you arrive, please scan the QR code to check in, and take a seat in the waiting area. You may wish to explore our online resources while you wait.

Your consultant or adviser will come to find you when they are ready to meet with you. This may not be directly after another student has left, so please be patient.


Appointments take place in the Careers Service area. You can find us on the first floor of the Nucleus Building.

When you arrive, please scan the QR code to check in, and take a seat in the waiting area. You may wish to explore our online resources while you wait.

Your consultant or adviser will come to find you when they are ready to meet with you. This may not be directly after another student has left, so please be patient.


Online appointments are held on MS Teams.

Current students have access to MS Teams. Current students, we will contact you at the time of the appointment by calling you on MS Teams. Please log onto Teams in your browser or the app and wait for our call.

Graduates, you will be sent a Teams meeting invite to the email provided in the booking ahead of the appointment time. Join the appointment by clicking this link.

Please note that our appointments are UK time - therefore there may be a time difference depending on where you are in the world.


We can't review documents in advance

You are welcome to upload documents such as your CV when you book your appointment; however we are not able to read these before we meet with you. Uploading your documents in advance will save time during your appointment so we can make the most of our time together when we meet.

The exception to this is if you have booked a Practice Interview.

How to use the Careers Service

We operate in accordance with our Fair Use policy and ask you to follow it too.

Fair Use Policy

We’re here to help you explore your ambitions, build confidence, and shape the future you want. To support every student as best we can, we have a fair use policy that ensures our resources and staff time are shared widely and responsibly.

What you can expect from us

  • Friendly, supportive service: Our team is professional, approachable, and dedicated to helping you. 
  • Early notice of changes: If we need to cancel or reschedule your appointment or event, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and rearrange at the earliest opportunity. If the event is led by the Careers Service, we’ll also share slides and resources. 
  • Prompt responses: We aim to respond to your emails or calls within three working days. 
  • Opportunities to give feedback: We value your input on any of our services so we can keep improving. Please feel free to let us know what you think at any time.

How you can make the most of our services

  • Attend on time: We want you to benefit from the full appointment or event, so arriving promptly helps us make the best use of that time. 
  • Prepare beforehand: If there’s any suggested preparatory work for appointments or events (e.g. using CareerSet or other reading), please complete these so we can focus on your specific questions when we meet and you can get the most out of the interaction.
  • Consider whether an appointment is the best support for you: you may be able to find the information you need online. Have a look at our Get Support page first.
  • Contact us if you have additional needs: If you have any specialist requirements or accessibility needs, email careers@ed.ac.uk or call 0131 650 4670, and we’ll do our best to accommodate you. 
  • Behave respectfully: Please treat staff, employers, and guest speakers with courtesy and professionalism. 

If you can’t attend

  • Let us know: We understand plans can change. If you’re unable to attend an appointment or event, please cancel your booking as soon as you can – this lets another student use your slot. If MyCareerHub is unavailable, just email or phone us. 
  • Help us help all students: Repeated non-attendance or late cancellations can affect our ability to support everyone equally. If you miss multiple appointments, this may affect your access to our services and we may get in touch to discuss how we can best meet your needs going forward.

Access to appointments

Our appointments are in high demand, and we want to ensure everyone can access the support they need. This means we can’t offer unlimited individual appointments. Occasionally, we may need to limit appointments during busy periods or when we feel we’ve provided all the help we can for you at this stage. In those situations, we’ll recommend alternative resources that may be more appropriate.

This article was published on