Welcome to seedling. Feel free to scroll through the page as you would normally, or use the table of contents below to jump straight to what you want to know.
So, what is "employability"?
It seems like the word ‘employability’ is everywhere right now, but what does it actually mean? And why is it something you need to think about now?
Employability refers to a person’s skills, knowledge and experience that help you to secure employment. However, being "employable" is much more than being able to get a job – it helps you to make better decisions about the type of work and employer you work for, and ultimately be more successful in your future career.
Check out the video below to learn more:
I'm in my first year, what are my options?
The main options for first year students are:
Spring insight days/weeks/programmes – these are essentially mini internships designed to give you an insight into the life at a particular organisation, before committing to a full internship or placement year. Some of the typical spring insight programme activities include: introductions to the work of an organisation, networking events with employees, shadowing current graduates and workshops or skills sessions. These are usually offered by organisations in the financial services sector, and are valued highly when applying for further internships & placements. These programmes can last up to 10 days and usually run during the Easter break, though some also run during the summer.
Independently sourced voluntary work experience – this is a good option for you if you are wanting to get experience from any smaller or local businesses which you're interested in. Though there are plenty of online applications for more formal work experience, there is nothing stopping you emailing a couple businesses you're passionate about working at to ask if they would consider providing you with a couple days work experience. The company will have no obligation to do so, but you might find that if you explain well enough why both parties will get a lot out of the experience, they may accept.
I'm in my second year, what are my options?
As a second year student, your two main options are:
Summer internships – this is paid work experience, usually lasting around a month, which run at the end of your second year and are available in most industries. Companies will often consider their summer interns for their graduate schemes or for employment after they finish university, making summer internships an excellent way to increase your employability. Summer internships are extra-curricular as they are completed outside of the university calendar, and so are not worth any credits.
Placement year – also known as a year-in-industry, this is paid work experience of at least 38 weeks that takes place between your penultimate and your final year at university. As this the year is taken during your time at university, it is considered a credited module which requires a pass grade upon completion. Placement years are offered in various sectors and it doesn't have to be subject specific (though you should check eligibility).
I'm in my final year, what are my options?
There are three main career options for students once they have graduated:
Graduate schemes – these are offered by most of the large, well-known companies. Each year, they recruit a cohort of graduates to work for their organisation for a fixed period of time (after which you may be offered a permanent job). Some graduate schemes specialise in a particular area (e.g. Finance or Marketing), whereas others offer you the opportunity to rotate between different departments. Recruitment usually starts in autumn for the following summer.
Individual vacancies – these are jobs that are advertised as and when vacancies arise and usually have a more immediate start date. This is the most common route for our graduates, particularly as the majority of the UK economy consists of small and medium-sized enterprises (i.e. less than 250 employees).
Postgraduate study – this is where you specialise in a particular area of academic study. This could be because it interests you or it will help to further your career (though it is isn't essential for graduate level jobs).
I'd like more information on placement years.
Of course! We've created a separate page for all information regarding placement years because there's a lot to cover.
Can I hear from previous placement students?
Three students have written up mini-blog style posts about their time undertaking their placements. Explore below to get started.
Josh Kenyon – What I gained from my placement
Harry Rose – Life in the Civil Service
Isabella Hardwick – A month in the life of a Civil Service placement student
What career options do I have with my degree?
Many students are surprised to learn that the majority of jobs don’t require applicants to have studied for a particular degree. However, there are some where an Economics degree would be seen as essential or highly advantageous. This may be because they require subject-specific knowledge, or because the skills are usually developed by studying for an Economics degree, such as:
Numeracy – handling complex data and applying statistical analysis methods
Problem solving and analytical skills – extracting information, drawing conclusions and making recommendations based on your findings
Written and verbal communication – presenting and explaining complex data (often to non-specialist audiences)
IT skills – using specialised software to undertake data analysis
These skills are highly-sought after for jobs in the Civil Service and the finance sector.
Suggested further reading:
‘What can I do with an Economics degree?’ (Prospects website)
Use your subject (The Careers Service)
I'd like more information on working in the Civil Service.
Sure. We've created a separate page for all information regarding being a Government economist because there's a lot to cover.
I'd like more information on working in financial services.
Sure. We've created a separate page for all information regarding working in financial services because there's a lot to cover.
What alternative career options do I have with my degree?
Did you know that, for most vacant jobs, employers aren’t looking for someone who has studied a specific degree? This is because the role requires skills, knowledge and experience that could have been learned in many different settings. These include:
Communication (written and verbal)
Teamwork
Problem-solving
Organisation
Resilience
Many of these will be developed through studying an Economics degree (visit the ‘careers with my degree’ section for more information), others from previous work experience and involvement in extra-curricular activities.
This means you have a lot of career options available to you, and that you can research and apply for jobs that align to your strengths, interests and personal circumstances.
Suggested activities
Take the Prospects “What Jobs Will Suit Me?” quiz to get some initial ideas for jobs to look into
Complete the Careers Service’s “How to Find a Job You Love” course (you may need to log in using your university account details to access this)
Sign up to be mentored by someone working in a job that you think sounds interesting (applications usually open at the start of each semester)
Visit the Career Connect event planner to see if there are any employer or alumni talks that might give you some inspiration.
Tell me more about postgraduate study.
Sure. Instead of seeking employment immediately after graduation, some students choose to pursue postgraduate study. This allows you to study topics you find interesting in greater depth, whilst gaining further skills and improving your CV.
Masters degrees in Economics are typically 12 months in length, requiring students to take two semesters of taught courses and write a dissertation over the summer. Shorter and longer programmes of study are available at some universities.
PhD degrees are research-based programmes (typically 3-4 years in length in the UK) and generally require you to have completed a Masters degree first.
The Department of Economics offers lots of different MSc courses (full list here), watch the videos below to learn more about two of them:
If you are interested in postgraduate study, you may want to consider these three key questions:
What do you want to study? – Do you want to specialise in a particular area of economics (econometrics or health economics, for example) or do you want to take a broad economics masters degree?
Where do you want to study? – At Sheffield, within the UK, or internationally?
How will you fund your studies? – Postgraduate courses typically attract tuition fees and you may need to consider your living costs as well.
Finding a postgraduate course
Start with the following websites:
Findamasters (allows you to filter by subject, country, region and degree type)
Once you have narrowed your options, look at individual university webpages for more details. Applications are made via each university rather than a centralised system.
Funding
Tuition fees vary by course and university. You may wish to consider the following funding options:
Postgraduate loans for study in the UK. More information (including eligibility requirements) can be found on the Prospects website.
International students studying in the UK may be eligible to apply for a scholarship through the British Council.
University scholarships and bursaries (offered directly by individual universities). These may be awarded for high academic performance or widening participation. You can find information about these from each university’s webpages (this is the web page for Sheffield).
Sheffield alumni bursaries. University of Sheffield graduates receive a discount on Sheffield postgraduate fees.
If you are considering PhD study, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) provide “1+3” funding for a one-year masters and three-year PhD. Apply through the University you wish to study at.
I'm an international student. Can I work in the UK?
All you information you need is in this talk, where we discuss the visa restrictions that apply when you’re working during and after your studies. You’ll also discover the different routes you can take into work, how to prove your right to work, and what kind of jobs you can do.
Please note that the information given was correct at the time (13th October 2021). Immigration rules can and do change regularly, so please contact the Immigration Support Service for up to date information.
You've reached the end of our seedling content. You should now be ready to move over to growing, which will help you achieve your employability goals.
Still feel a bit confused? Think this page is missing something? Contact us at seed@sheffield.ac.uk, and we'll be happy to help.