Masters Careers

Plan ahead to make the most of your Masters. Find out about our Masters Careers programme to help you realise your ambitions.

We recognise that, as a Masters student, your experience and career aspirations might be different from that of our undergraduate students, and that's why we tailor our support accordingly. Whether you’re moving into further study straight from your first degree, returning to study or looking to progress in your current role, we have the resources, people and support to help you manage and develop your career.

A teal background with white writing saying Masters Careers

Masters Careers programme

Semester one:

  • Masters Careers 2026-2027: Planning your Masters year 
  • Masters Careers 2026-2027: UK Graduate Careers: Employers, Opportunities, Recruitment Practices 
  • Masters Careers 2026-2027: Strategies for Developing Relevant Experience 
  • Masters Careers 2026-2027: Moving on to a PhD 
  • Masters Careers 2026-2027: Getting Started with LinkedIn 
 

Semester two:

  • Masters Careers 2026-27: Personal Branding and Career Narrative 
  • Masters Careers 2026-27: Skills for Success 
  • Masters Careers 2026-27: Career Planning for Career Changers 
  • Masters Careers 2026-27:  Applying for senior positions 
  • Masters Careers 2026-27: Networking for career advancement  
 
Summer
  • Masters Careers 2026-27: UK Visa Options for International Students 
  • Masters Careers 2026-27: Presenting Yourself for Graduate Roles 
  • Masters Careers 2026-27 Returning home – Working outside the UK  
  • Masters Careers 2026-27: Understanding the UK graduate job market  
 
All sessions take place on Thursdays, 17.30-18.30 (UK time), online. For a full listing of dates and details search for Masters Careers 2025-26 under ‘Events’ on MyCareerHub and book your place. 

MyCareerHub Events (University of Edinburgh login required)

Recordings of the events are available on our Media Hopper channel. If the playlist does not open, please login to Media Hopper using the user menu icon in the top right corner.

Masters Careers recordings (University of Edinburgh login required)

Planning your Masters year

You’re likely to have a busy timetable during your Master’s course and the time will pass very quickly, particularly if you are a full-time student. If you are a part-time student, adjust this time scale accordingly.

Whether you’re looking for a job for after your studies or are preparing to undertake a PhD, early planning will give you the best chance of success. 

Many major employers start recruiting up to one year in advance. This means you may have to start making job applications just as you begin your postgraduate degree. PhD deadlines can come early, so start researching your options as soon as you can.

  • Investigate opportunities for gaining experience to strengthen your CV, through part-time jobs, voluntary work or involvement in societies and committees. 

Build experience 

  • Engage with employers to find out what opportunities they can offer you. Check the vacancies on MyCareerHub regularly. Many graduate training schemes have deadlines early in Semester 1. If you are an international student who wants to work in the UK, stay informed about your visa options and begin your job search as soon as you can. 

What's On 

Understanding the UK recruitment process 

Finding graduate jobs 

Vacancies in MyCareerHub (University of Edinburgh login required)

Visas and immigration after studies

  • Make time during semester to begin your research into the options available to you. Our sector information pages are a great place to start.

Finding out about different careers

  • If you are considering undertaking a PhD after your Masters start your research early. Some deadlines can be as early as December.

Moving on to a PhD

  • Start to build connections and expand your network. Attend our events where you can meet with employers and alumni.  

Making connections and networking 


  • For many graduate jobs this is the time to start actively looking for opportunities. For some sectors and types of employers, it is much more common for them to advertise at this time of year. Keep checking MyCareerHub and use our sector information pages to research recruitment timelines in the sectors which interest you. Think about using creative job-hunting techniques including networking and speculative applications to find jobs which are never advertised.  

Vacancies in MyCareerHub (University of Edinburgh login required)

Finding out about different careers

Creating your own opportunity  

  • If you have interviews coming up for jobs or further study, take time to prepare and practise for them.

Interviews and assessment centres

  • You might find that your plans have changed. Make time during semester to begin your research into the options available to you. Our sector information pages are a great place to start. 

Finding out about different careers 


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