Congratulations to our Future-Ready Award students receiving their awards at Winter graduation 2024!
Hear from Varshitha Manjunath, (pictured above), who is a Queen’s PGT student who graduated in December 2024 with a Master of Science in International Business, and an impressive NINE Future-Ready Award accreditations.Well done Varshitha!
“The Future-Ready Award enabled me to reflect on the diverse range of activities I participated in, including leadership roles, volunteer work, and practical experiences like the Think Pacific Remote Internship. By engaging in initiatives such as the Real-World Consultancy Programme and Prestige Volunteers, I was able to identify key skills I developed, such as teamwork, effective communication, and problem-solving. For example, my involvement in Homework Clubs highlighted my ability to mentor and support others, while Handy Helpers (SU) refined my organizational and time-management skills. These activities provided a structured platform to assess and appreciate the breadth of my personal and professional growth.”
In semester one 2024, Careers, Employability & Skills celebrated 444 unique students gaining the Future- Ready Award, including single and combined routes as well as an increase in work experience accreditations.
The award enables you to articulate your learning and signals to employers that you have developed essential skills required to succeed in the workplace and is open to all Queen’s undergraduate and postgraduate students.
We have over 100 accredited activities available to search on our activity search tool and there are three different ways to achieve the award, single route activity, combined route activity, and the work experience route. Full details on this and the list of accredited activities can be found on the Future-Ready Award website.
Applications open for the Future-Ready Award summer applications open on 20 December 2024 and close at midnight on 01 March 2025.
May 2024 saw the return of our interactive Real-World Consultancy Programme, with students gaining a different type of work experience by providing a consultancy service to real clients and working on a real challenge that those clients face.
The Queen’s University Belfast students from different disciplines were facilitated through a Design Thinking process to resolve the client’s problem with hosts Patricia Flanagan and Michaelle Dolan of Rejig.
The students applied the design thinking process, tools and mindset to live challenges provided by companies including, Aflac Northern Ireland, BDO Northern Ireland, Gig Grafter Limited, KPMG Ireland, The Phoenix Education Centre, and SureCert.
The busy and interactive programme ran over four days and provided a great opportunity for students to develop highly valued Design Thinking skills prior to them going on to take up a placement, internship or a graduate role.
A massive thank you to Patricia Flanagan and Michelle Dolan of Rejig for coming in to the host the programme, to our Careers Consultant Ludovica Piccinini for overseeing the programme, and to all the employer partners and our amazing students who took part, making this year’s programme a resounding success.
We are already looking forward to Real-World Consultancy 2025.
Below is some feedback from employers and students who participated on the programme.
Thanks to Ludovica Piccinini and Patricia Durkin for the invite to the Careers, Employability and Skills at Queen’s University Belfast Real World Consultancy Programme.
It was great to spend some time at Queen’s University Belfast this week with a team of highly talented students that attempted to resolve a KPMG Ireland business challenge focused on corporate citizenship.
Well done to all the participants and a special shout out to Michael, Majd, Lauren, Ruth and Muhammad for their efforts on our challenge this week (expertly stretched by Patricia Flanagan and Michelle Dolan as always!).
Paul Braden, KPMG, Ireland
Recently, I had the pleasure of taking part in the 2024 cohort of QUB’s Real World Consultancy Programme. This programme allowed me to work in teams with individuals from diverse disciplines with the end goal of providing consultancy services to real life clients.
My team was partnered up with Emma Shaw from Phoenix Education Centre. Emma alerted us to the challenges she was facing and gave us feedback and valuable guidance throughout the process. As a group we came up with innovative ideas to mitigate against these challenges and provided solutions and recommendations that could potentially be implemented by Emma.
Many thanks to Patricia Flanagan and Michelle Dolan for your valuable guidance throughout the program and enabling us to utilise our imagination to obtain useful solutions.
Amith Varghese, Queen’s University Belfast MSc International Business student
Recently, I took part in the Real-World Consultancy Program ran by Careers Queen’s University Belfast. My group got the chance to tackle a real-life problem presented to us by Aflac Northern Ireland; “How Might We Develop Future Tech Talent in NI.” Our group came up with innovative solutions after being introduced to a new way of thinking “Design Thinking” developed by Stanford University. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Deivydas Sakys, Shubham Soni & Akinyemi Folasewa and a huge thank you to Isabel Stacey & Jason Brennan from Aflac Northern Ireland who helped us throughout the week.
Paddy Latimer, Queen’s University Belfast, International Business with Spanish student
This immersive 4-day program equipped us with ”Design Thinking”, a problem-solving approach developed by Stanford University. Patricia Flanagan and Michelle Dolan guided us through the process.
The program was a series of incredibly interactive sessions with dozens of fun activities that fostered invaluable knowledge about design thinking. We learned the importance of stepping outside our comfort zones, fostering group creativity, and embracing empathy.
The program instilled valuable skills in storytelling, identifying key concepts like divergence and convergence, and the importance of inclusion. It also highlighted the power of reformation, building connections, and empathetic listening. Overall, this program provided an exceptional platform to apply our knowledge and prepare us for the professional world.
Riya Anandpara, Queen’s University Belfast MSc Marketing student
The programme participants were a mix of Queen’s University Belfast Law students and students from other disciplines within Queen’s. They visited a number of Law firms during the programmes including, A&L Goodbody LLP, Tughans LLP, Fieldfisher LLP,Lewis Silkin, and Factor.
The networking that followed provided a good opportunity for our students to connect with numerous law firms and potential employers, including TLT LLP, A&L Goodbody LLP, Phoenix Law, Arthur Cox, the Departmental Solicitors Office, and Fieldfisher.
A massive thank you to our partners at Queen’s School of Law and to all the employer partners and our students who made this year’s tour a resounding success. We are already looking forward to 2025’s programme.
Below is some feedback from students who participated in the tour.
What an incredible start to the 2024 Careers in Law Insight Programme! A heartfelt thank you to everyone at A&L Goodbody LLP for hosting us today. The session on commercial awareness and the firm’s CSR initiatives was not only informative but truly inspiring. It was also a pleasure to meet and learn from Queen’s Careers staff, Terry O’ Hanlon, Phil Wren, and Mark Gallagher. Your dedication to fostering student employability and skills development is evident and greatly appreciated.
Rushikesh Ravindra, Queen’s Law and Technology student
A special thanks to Queen’s Careers staff Terry O’ Hanlon, Mark Gallagher and Phil Wren for putting this tour together, it has made a massive impact on my decision to enter the law industry. As a student from outside the school of law, I cannot recommend this tour enough if you are considering a career in the legal industry. This tour has opened my eyes on the opportunities available to me as a non-law student.
Jake Dodds, Queen’s History Undergraduate
The tour closed with a panel event and networking session at the QUB One Elmwood building, where we had the privilege of learning from some key members of the legal landscape in Belfast, each offering a unique and invaluable perspective on the journey into a career in law.
Grace McSorley is a final year student who had the opportunity to attend a placement at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Here is what she had to say about her time there!
“Recently I had the opportunity to complete a study abroad placement in Utrecht University in the Netherlands, and it was an amazing experience. The course, ‘Exploring Data through Culture’, was a great learning opportunity and it provided me with the chance to learn several new softwares, whilst equipping me with a range of new data skills and techniques.
One of the highlights was the chance to work alongside a brilliant group of students and lecturers from across the world. The team collaboration was fantastic, and together we presented a research project investigating the rise of Chat GPT and natural language processing AI within education. The insights, skills and experiences I have gained from the Summer School will be invaluable as I commence my final year of university.
A massive thank you to the Careers Queen’s University Belfast Global Opportunities Team for funding and organising the programme, and also to the team at Utrecht Data School for making this experience possible. #UtrechtSummerSchool“
Fancy studying in the Netherlands? We are offering up to £1,400 in funding for approx. 40 full time Queen’s Undergraduate students to complete a Utrecht Summer School Course in the Netherlands – closing date for applications for 2024 is 04 March 2024 at 12 noon. Find our more about Utrecht Summer School courses places on our Utrecht Summer School web page.
Luckily for you, we have a hotline to powerful recruiters across a range of industries and sectors, and we are committed to helping you make key introductions.
Many employers hire graduates that they already know, and you’ll have plenty of opportunity to meet employers on campus through Careers Fairs, employer panels and industry workshops.
Find opportunities to suit you
Whether you are looking for a funded summer internship, a short-term, real-world work project, or to road test a career with work shadowing, we can help you put what you’ve learned on your course into practice, enhancing your CV and graduate prospects. We source and promote employer vacancies and work-related learning opportunities through MyFuture, Queen’s early career management platform. This intuitive system allows you to filter your job search by industry, job function and course. You can also set up job alerts which are sent directly to your student email. There is even a handy app – think of it as Tinder for jobs!
Careers Fairs on Campus
Our Careers Fairs take place on campus twice a year in October and February offering the opportunity to connect in-person with employers offering work experience, placement and graduate opportunities.
We also run the NI Graduate and Recruitment Fair in partnership with Ulster University once a year before summer graduation for final year students and recent graduates.
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.
