Embedded Files
Log into your university account to view this spreadsheet.
Log into your university account to view this spreadsheet.
Current placement opportunities - We collate details of current placement vacancies in the spreadsheet below but you should also use other resources listed further down this page. Placements advertised during the previous academic year (2025-2026) can be found here.
Current placement opportunities - We collate details of current placement vacancies in the spreadsheet below but you should also use other resources listed further down this page. Placements advertised during the previous academic year (2025-2026) can be found here.
Click here to open this spreadsheet in a new tab
Websites for placements
Websites for placements
The websites below advertise placements and allow you to sign up for email notifications.
Gradcracker - advertises STEM placements, internships and graduate roles
Higherin- placements and internships in all sectors , including pharmaceutical and other science sectors
Career Connect - this is the university careers service website for advertising placements and other vacancies, you can filter by vacancy type and role
Indeed - general vacancies website but also great resource for bioscience placements. Search for science placements or similar
Bright Network - is a good site that list internships and placements from various sources
LinkedIn - use the search function on your LinkedIn page to find placement vacancies
Employer websites - if you are interested in working for a particular organisation, keep checking the careers section of their website for placement or internship vacancies.
Specialist websites
Specialist websites
The websites below advertise more specialised roles and may occasionally post placement vacancies but are also a good way to identify organisation to make speculative approaches to.
CareerScene (Biomedical science)
Speculative Applications
Speculative Applications
If you're looking for a placement in a specific region or in a role or sector that is more specialised it's advisable to also make speculative applications. This is simply a process where you contact an organisation to ask if you can do a placement year with them, without seeing an advertised position. This approach does work for many students, especially in areas such as conservation and ecology. The faculty placements team will be running a workshop on how to make speculative applications and there are some tips below:
Follow organisations that interest you on social media as they may post about opportunities
Connect with people who work in a job or organisations that interest you on LinkedIn. More details about using LinkedIn are lower down this page
Look for non placement roles that interest you on specialist websites, such as the ones listed above, and use the contact details to ask about doing a placement with them.
Use directories to uncover organisations in your area of interest and email them to ask for an opportunity. Examples might be the British Ecological Society, Microbiology Society, Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry, British Society for Immunology
Bionow has a directory of companies/organisations in the Biomedical and Life Sciences Sector in the north of England that may be useful.
Attend guest lectures, talks to academic staff, ask fellow students and society members, use any contacts and ask if they can suggest useful contacts. Looking for placements speculatively is about being curious and willing to ask for an opportunity.
The University careers service have further information around networking and speculative applications on their website here
Creating and Using LinkedIn
Creating and Using LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a great resource when looking for placements and can help you in the following ways:
At the most basic level your LinkedIn profile is there to create a good impression if/when a potential employer decides to review your online profile aka 'googles you'
More proactive employers may use LinkedIn to search for students who are a good match for their placement vacancy.
You too can be proactive and use LinkedIn to connect with people who work for organisations you'd like to do a placement with or in a role you'd like to do. Once connected you can ask for advice or about opportunities.
If you have an interview with a big employer, you could connect with a current student doing a placement with them and ask for any advice or tips on the interview. Is this cheating? not at all it is using initiative.
LinkedIn is also used to advertise jobs and placements, so you can use the search function to look for 'conservation internships' or 'science placements'
This Link has advice on setting up a LinkedIn profile and the careers service has a longer online session about LinkedIn here
This article and video, created by LinkedIn, shows students and graduates how to use the site
This is a summary of advice we have put together about LinkedIn
These slides created by RateMyPlacement are a great resource about using LinkedIn
Page updated
Report abuse