Careers

Our Careers and Placements team is based on Campus West next to the Spring Lane Building and there is always someone to talk to during opening hours.

The team covers:

• • • Information, advice and support - from our professional team of accredited careers consultants and the wider support team

    • Experience - including Placement Years, volunteering, community engaged learning and short term internships with our network of local employers

    • Skills and development - including our award-winning York Strengths programme, York Leaders and York Award

    • Events and networking - linking you up with future employers and showcasing the diverse graduate opportunities available
      
      

Careers support

During your programme, there will be careers support opportunities, facilitated in partnership with the University’s Careers Service and practice partners. Students will have the opportunity to meet with practice partners and prospective employers throughout the programme. 

In your first year, you will have the opportunity to undertake the York Strengths programme that helps you understand both what you are good at and what you enjoy doing, so that you can focus on preparing for a career that suits you. You can apply for the York Award, the University’s certificate of personal and professional development, to demonstrate that you have taken a proactive approach to your time at university.

The Careers Service delivers nursing and midwifery-related sessions to develop the skills of students. These include how to make your application form/c.v. stand out, interview skills, and how to approach assessment centres.

The Department is contacted by employers seeking to publicise Careers’ Fairs throughout the year and this information is disseminated to students on a regular and timely basis.

Careers-related information and web-links are all brought together in one section of the VLE site for each cohort, to make this information easy to find.

Working during your studies

Our Careers and Placements team can help you to find a part-time job and can provide information on your legal rights and obligations. We advise that you work no more than 20 hours a week during the semester as anything over this may interfere with your studies and affect your health and wellbeing. If you are a Student visa holder you will need to be aware of any working restrictions placed on you by your visa.

Working whilst studying

The Department recognises that you may choose to supplement your finances by gaining employment. You are reminded that your primary commitment during your programme is to the academic and clinical requirements of the programme. You must not undertake paid employment at times when you are expected either to be on duty in clinical practice or in attendance at theoretical sessions in the Department (this includes timetabled periods of private study).

To comply with the Maximum Weekly Working Hours (Gov.uk) you should not exceed 48 hours work per week (averaged over 17 weeks) in relation to University practice and theory, (when both programme requirements (theory and where relevant practice) plus hours of paid employment are combined). Working in excess of this could result in issues of safety for students and those in their care.

You are also reminded that pursuit of paid employment should not jeopardise your ability to participate fully and safely in all aspects of the programme. For example, working a night shift as an employee immediately prior to going on day duty as a student midwife would be regarded as unsafe practice.

You should notify your supervisor of any employment outside your programme and requests for references from employers will be completed by supervisors following discussion with you. You are reminded that, when you are engaged in such employment, you are employees and, as such, are subject to the rules and regulations of the employer. In such situations you should not represent yourself as a student of the Department of Health Sciences and should not in any circumstance wear your student uniform.

Midwifery students: Working as a maternity support worker (MSW) in one of our practice learning partners' maternity settings is discouraged, as such please discuss this with your personal supervisor.