The Future-Ready Roadmap can help you to develop new skills, explore the right opportunities, build your support network and gain the confidence to realise your ambitions. It’s a framework designed to help you progress your employability throughout your time at Queen’s. Everything we offer is clearly linked to the Roadmap so you can see where your gaps are, chart your progress and plan your future.
DISCOVER
Understand what employability is and combine this understanding with self-awareness to identify your strengths and areas for development.
EXPLORE
Our events and programmes are designed to help you try new things, meet new people and build relevant skills and experience, both at home and overseas.
PREPARE
This phase is all about helping you recognise your potential and understanding how to promote yourself and your skills. Whether applying for part-time work, an internship or a graduate job, we support you through every stage of the recruitment process.
REALISE
Once you know a bit more about your goals, we help you plan how to achieve them. From connecting you with key employers to offering access to graduate and placement opportunities in your target sector, we’ll develop you into a future-ready graduate.
Did you know: Queen’s has the highest percentage (92%) of graduates in employment and further study among Russell Group Universities including Oxford and Cambridge.
As a Queen’s student, we are the secret weapon you need to reach your full potential. Why? Many students leave university assuming their degree certificate is enough to get them where they want to be. But employers want more than the right degree: they are looking for all-rounders with transferable skills like teamwork, communication and critical thinking. These skills can’t be learned in a textbook. This is where we come in.
Firstly, we know employers and the skills they are looking for. What’s more, we can help you develop the most in-demand skills that will unlock exciting opportunities for you. Whether it’s learning from leaders in Boston, completing an employer challenge in Belfast or networking with the tech community in Berlin, we can give you access to powerful experiences that will stay with you. Crucially, we will work with you to sell those skills effectively on your CV or in a future interview – turbo boosting your employability.
No idea where your future lies? We’ll teach you to lean into the power of uncertainty and of staying flexible. We’ll help you use your time at university. to road test a range of career opportunities and help you figure out which direction is right for you. If you challenge yourself to keep an open mind and look at fresh perspectives, we’ll help you improve, grow in confidence and be the best that you can be whatever success looks like for you.
The Future-ready Award is an employability award that allows you to gain formal recognition and a certificate for the extracurricular experience you gain during your time at Queen’s.
You can gain this award by completing an accredited activity.
Added to a CV, the award signals to a potential employer that you have worked hard to develop the skills you need to succeed in the workplace, and enables you to better articulate your skills and experience. In addition, the award gives you the opportunity to receive a certificate at graduation, on top of your degree, with the achievement verified on your QSIS Student Record.
Get Involved, Get Rewarded
We have over 100 accredited activities available.
These include extracurricular work experiences, community and voluntary work, Global Opportunities to work or study abroad, as well as early professional development activities.
Layer Your Skills
From trips to China and the USA to employer-led challenges, there are so many fun and rewarding activities for you to get involved in on campus.
Tailor Your Award
You can complete an activity (or more than one activity), at any time, fitting them in alongside your studies and tracking your Higher Education Achievement Record (HEAR) progress via QSIS.
Added Value
Taking part in the award is free of charge, (although some activities might have costs involved), and allows you to add valuable skills and experience to your CV all while having fun, making new friends or travelling abroad.
We’re located right at the heart of campus in One Elmwood Student Centre. We host a lot of our development workshops, information sessions and leadership programmes in The Cube, on the 1st floor (just take a right at the top of the first flight of stairs). Meanwhile our bigger events, such as our Spring and Autumn Recruitment Fairs, are held in the Mandela, Whitla and South Dining Halls. We also host pop-up events in the Foyer of One Elmwood throughout the academic year. Stop by our stand and meet our guest employers, or chat to our team about what’s coming up this semester.
On the University website
We have lots of self-help resources on our website. From personality tests to our free work values tests, get online and find out what truly motivates you. You can research careers options by School or sector, get interview and CV tips and get inspired by alumni career advice. You can also browse and book our broad range of events and programmes.
On the MyFuture app
Every Queen’s student has free access to MyFuture, our early career management platform which has its own app. There are loads of free tools in there.
Use it to:
Search and apply for jobs • Discover employers
Access 1-2-1 careers guidance
Book events
Check your CV
Online
You can opt to have an online careers consultation. Just select the online option when you are booking your appointment via MyFuture and you’ll be sent joining details for your online appointment. Alternatively, you can book a 15-minute online appointment with one of the Global Opportunities Team to hear more about study and work abroad opportunities. The drops ins take place every Tuesday and Thursday, 12-1pm.
In person
You can book a 1-2-1 appointment to speak to one of our team in confidence. Our consultations take place in the guidance rooms at the rear of the 1st floor of One Elmwood, opposite the Student Information Point. Book your appointment via MyFuture, then check in for your appointment via the Student Information Point.
In your School
We deliver workshops in your School to help you discover career options relevant to your degree. We also bring employers into your School for bespoke talks and events. Our annual Stock Market Challenge and the Accountancy Business Games are just some of the exciting games and challenges we run in Schools across campus. You’ll also find us on Canvas, the University’s virtual learning platform. Our free Future- Ready Skills Course will help you develop the personal and professional skills that major employers are looking for.
On location
Fancy a tour of top law firms in Belfast? How about a visit to leading public sector and not-for-profit organisations? We organise workplace visits to employers’ offices in Belfast and beyond. We also host challenges off-campus, such as the annual Real-World Challenge: Inside the Prison System, held at Hydebank Wood Young Offenders Centre and Prison.
Every year over 900 Queen’s students take the opportunity to go outside Northern Ireland to study or gain work-related experience. Why not be one of them? There are loads of options and we can help you research them – from studying in Europe or Canada to interning on Capitol Hill.
Take advantage of a period of study at an overseas university or an international work placement as part of your degree. Some degrees (especially those with a language element) include a compulsory year abroad. These are generally four-year courses, during which you’ll spend a year either studying at a partner university or on work placement with an employer. Many other degrees offer the option of participating in a study exchange scheme for one or two semesters, usually in your second year. The ‘semester abroad’ option allows you to graduate within the usual three years. There are also lots of summer options available, when a longer period abroad is not possible.
Go Global Fair
Our annual Go Global Week gives you the chance to chat to organisations that can offer you an experience of a lifetime to study, work or volunteer abroad and to hear from other students who have already taken part.
Funding Options
If a semester or year studying abroad is a recognised part of a degree programme, whether compulsory or optional, you should still be entitled to a student loan whilst overseas. Government or University travel bursaries are also available for a range of international programmes, to help with the additional costs of your overseas travel.
Confidence Boost
Whilst overseas, you’ll load up on confidence and independence. What’s more, you’ll be eligible to apply for your period overseas to be considered towards the Queen’s Future-Ready Award (DegreePlus). The Award provides official recognition of your improved employability skills, global and cultural awareness and increased self- confidence and motivation.
We make employability an essential part of the student experience at Queen’s. Our events and programmes are designed to encourage you to try new things, meet new people and build relevant skills and experience, both at home and overseas. Here are just some of the highlights for the year ahead.
Fairs on Campus
Our Autumn and Spring Fairs are an opportunity for employers to showcase their graduate roles, internships, placement and work experience opportunities to Queen’s students.
Webinars and workshops
Our Future-Ready Skills Bitesize programme will help you understand the skills employers are looking for and identify any gaps. Delivered online, these sessions cover everything from dealing with imposter syndrome to communication skills. Our live workshops in The Cube include Selling your Transferable Skills and Finding Your Purpose. You can also access the Future-Ready Skills Course through Canvas, the University’s virtual learning platform. The course will help you develop the personal and professional skills that will support you both at Queen’s and beyond.
Future-Ready Skills for Leaders
Our hugely popular leadership programme Future-Ready Skills for Leaders, is a three-day event of business games and challenges designed to develop teamwork, management, leadership and presentation skills held in semester 2 in One Elmwood.
Future Ready Skills for Leaders: Go Global
This global leadership programme brings together students from across the University to work on projects and develop skills that enable them to become change- makers. The project work is enhanced by a visit to an international city to meet with alumni and other professionals working in a range of companies. Last year, students travelled to Boston.
Future-Ready Skills for International Students
Our international student employability programme is designed to help you discover how to build your personal brand, craft an effective CV and cover letter for the UK job market and learn all about the nuances and etiquette of the UK workplace – including how to ace that all-important interview!
Spotlight on… Industry
Our Spotlight On… City tours include visits to local and global law firms based in Belfast, as well as an opportunity to tour local public sector and not-for-profit organisations. We’ll also be hosting key players from the creative industries during a panel event in The Cube.
Real-World Experience
We offer access to valuable and impactful work experience through work shadowing and internships. During our Real-World projects, you’ll deliver a short sharp project with a participating employer, while our funded summer internships offer the chance to gain valuable experience and earn a salary. Work shadowing is a great way to try a career on for size to see if it fits.
Real-World Challenges
Covering topics including overhauling the justice system and tackling climate change, our Real-World Challenge series gives you the opportunity to tackle a real-world problem, then persuade the experts, while developing key employability skills in the process. Meanwhile, our Stock Market Challenge offers the chance to simulate the excitement of the trading room floor right here on campus.
Global Opportunities
You’ll find out about the wealth of work and study abroad opportunities open to you at Go Global Week, culminating in the annual Go Global Fair. We also host a series of information sessions throughout the academic year.
Go Global, Work Local
Our Working Globally From NI internship programme allows you to build up experience with an international company from right here in Belfast.
Widening Participation Mentoring Programme
Our Widening Participation Mentoring programme is designed to help talented university students from underrepresented groups succeed in their early careers.
She Leads
Our She Leads Programme for Women is an opportunity for aspiring future women leaders to discover their unique strengths, values and behaviours and develop their sense of agency as they learn to assert themselves, improve their communication style and limit self-doubt.
MyFuture is your early career network and career management platform accessed via desktop or via the Symplicity app. It makes it easier for you to find the right jobs and work experience opportunities.
Log in with your QUB email Every student at Queen’s can log on to the platform for free using their Queen’s email address and password, and you can continue to enjoy access for up to two years after graduation.
Search and find opportunities
There are currently over 2,000 employers active on the platform. Thanks to Al and smart technology, the system will match you with opportunities based on your previous searches and QSIS data so the most relevant events and jobs will appear in your searches.
Free Tools
You can access loads of free tools via MyFuture including:
VMock, our free automated CV Checker
Student Circus, a platform for international students seeking work in the UK
GoinGlobal, a platform offering 16 million worldwide internship and job postings
My name is Carmel and I’m a Career Consultant working within the Careers, Employability and Skills team here at Queen’s.
A Career Consultant provides impartial and confidential career information, advice and guidance
We do this through 30 minute one-to-one career consultations.
These can be done either online or face-to-face in the new One Elmwood Student Centre.
There is a Career Consultant aligned to each school in the university, so you’ll often see us out and about in your classes,
supporting the delivery of careers and employability within the curriculum.
The career consultation is perhaps very different from what you have previously experienced within the school system, as you take a more active role in the process.
You will be able to consider your next step and put a plan in place to move forward.
There are many benefits to engaging with a Career Consultant, regardless if you know
exactly what you want to do, have absolutely no idea what you want to do, or maybe somewhere in between.
Making a career decision can often be overwhelming and confusing.
The best part of my job is that every day is different.
It aligns with my personal values of helping and supporting others
and making a positive contribution to those around me.
The worst part of my job is seeing students that are overwhelmed and anxious about their career prospects, while the best part is supporting those students to recognise their own potential, to build their confidence and to reach their aspirations.
Sometimes in university it can feel like graduation is coming faster than you anticipated and worries about your post-university future are seemingly always on the rise. This can lead to undue stress during university.
But never fear, the QUB careers service is here!
Here are 18 typical frustrations that university students encounter and how the QUB careers service are here to help dispel your worries.
Uncertainty about career goals and interests
Book a 1-2-1 consultation and we’ll help you narrow down your career options based on your skills and interests.
2. Difficulty in finding internships or job opportunities related to their field of study
You can search and find internships relevant to your course in MyFuture
3. Balancing academic workload and career planning activities
We offer events and programmes throughout the year, including during the Easter break so you have as much chance as possible to build your CV.
4. Lack of relevant work experience or skills
Our events and programmes are designed to help you build relevant skills and experience at Queen’s.
5. Financial constraints in pursuing career development opportunities
We offer a number of funded internship opportunities that give you the chance to earn while you learn.
6. Pressure from family or peers to pursue a certain career path
We’ll help you figure out the career that you are most suited to, not what others think you should do.
7. Feeling overwhelmed by the multitude of career options available
We’ll help you narrow down your career options to those most suited to your skills and interests.
8. Fear of making the wrong career choice
Our work shadowing and internship opportunities allow you to try and career on for size to see if it fits.
9. Limited networking opportunities with professionals in their desired field
We host a number of employer events to allow you to build your network.
10. Difficulty in creating a strong resume or cover letter
Book a 1-2-1 appointment for a CV check.
11. Lack of knowledge about industry trends and job market demands
Our Careers support is informed by the latest industry knowledge and job market trends.
12. Difficulty in obtaining informational interviews with professionals in their desired field
We can connect you with industry professionals and give you an insight into professional life in key sectors.
13. Feeling unprepared for job interviews or assessment centres
Book a 1-2-1 appointment to prep for a job interview or assessment centre.
14. Difficulty in balancing career planning with extracurricular activities or personal commitments
You are developing employability skills and personal qualities through those extracurricular activities. We offer flexibility of online or in-person consultations to help you verbalise the skills you’ve been building up.
15. Lack of motivation or direction in pursuing career goals
Early career planning is about building skills, meeting new people and having fun. Our events and programmes can help you.
16. Feeling discouraged by the job search process
We can help you focus your job search by skills and interests.
17. Difficulty in transitioning from student life to the workforce
We will help prepare you for the world of work by developing your workplace skills while at Uni through our Future Ready Skills Course. Internships can further prepare you for the transition to working life.
You can check out upcoming events here, or book 1-2-1 careers consultations here
In our series of four sessions for international students running in both semester one and again in semester two, students discovered how to build their personal brand, craft an effective CV and cover letter for the UK job market and learn all about the nuances and etiquette of the UK workplace – including how to ace that all-important interview!
The final session brought all these skills together in the Assessment Centre Bootcamp.
Missed out? Here is the top takeaway from each session!
Session 1
Key takeaways from Session 1 – UK Recruitment Process
– Get organised, know your application deadlines
– Sell your skillset as an International Student
– Do something outside your degree
– 100% of session respondents are planning to book further CES sessions!
Session 2
Key takeaways from Session 2 – CV’s
– Format matters, make your info easy to find
– If you don’t write it, employers can’t read it
– Change your CV for every job application
– Use VMock for written CV feedback
Session 3
Key takeaways from Session 3 – Interviews
– Know the company and the industry
– Use the STAR technique
– Show you would be a good fit for their team
– Book a mock interview with a Careers Consultant
Session 4
Key takeaways from Session 4 – Mock Assessment Centre
– Keep to time
– Don’t forget to listen
– Put your phone away
Missed this event? Check out other upcoming events here
