Student and graduate careers

At Winchester, our students graduate with more than just a degree. We encourage them to demonstrate a passion for social justice, engage in environmentally friendly practices and recognise that individuals matter. 

The development of both subject-specific and soft skills is embedded in our courses. We ensure that students are in the best possible position to go on to thrive in their chosen career and lead a life full of purpose. 

We help our students to become independent learners, compassionate and resilient and confident in both themselves and what they have to offer the world.  

You can find the most recently published data on our student population on this page. 

Use our free vacancy advertising service, CareerConnect, to promote a variety of opportunities: 

• Graduate jobs and schemes for final-year students and recent graduates  
• Casual, temporary, fixed term or part-time roles for our current students  
• Internships, placements, vacation schemes or work experience  
• Volunteering opportunities and projects (short-term or long-term). 

To advertise your opportunities, please create a Company Profile to which you can link your vacancies. To get started, click here.

Throughout the academic year, we run a series of activities where we invite organisations to contribute to events - such as 'Careers in…' talks or 'Preparing for Interview' workshops - to help prepare our students for life beyond their degree.  These may be within the curriculum or part of a central session - please email to register your interest.  

Would you like your business to benefit from the latest industry knowledge and the freshest talent? Would your staff like to develop their supervisory and mentoring skills? Our students are full of ideas and energy, and they can’t wait to put their academic abilities to the test with a work placement or volunteering opportunity. By offering a placement, you will be able to help a student to further their employability skills whilst utilising their knowledge and perspective to meet your business needs. You may even find your future employee! 

A work placement is defined as a period of assessed learning in a workplace, included in a course (lasting up to a year). It is a chance for a student to gain valuable practical experience in a real working environment. 

Taking on a work placement student from the University of Winchester can offer a range of benefits to your company:  

• An additional resource for a short-term project or change initiative   
• Access to enthusiastic, motivated individuals with fresh ideas who can bring modern professional skills into your workplace  
• A low-risk recruitment method, saving you time and money  
• Early access to the best talent, with a high proportion of graduates choosing to stay in the region  
• An opportunity to strengthen links with the University, which could lead to research collaboration 
• Contributions to your company’s Corporate Social Responsibility   
• An opportunity for staff to use and develop managerial or mentoring skills. 

“Lauren joined us at the event – she was fantastic! She really got stuck in and helped us prep everything ahead of it. It’s like she’s been in the team for a few months, not just four days!” 

• Amy at Treloar School, who took on a placement student for an event 

“It was fantastic to have Lucy on placement with us at the Winchester Health Clinic during an important period of growth. Lucy was a fantastic part of our team, understanding the service and then using her creative initiative to develop marketing systems for the clinic and plan a local running event. We wish Lucy all the best with her career.” 

• Liam at the Winchester Health Clinic 

The length of the work placement will depend on the course of study and your requirements. Typical placement types include: 

• Semester-long placement (15 days, part-time - 1-2 days a week)  
• Academic year placement (30 days, part-time - 1-2 days a week) 
• Short-term or vacation-long placement (full-time)  
• Sandwich year (full-time). 

Student semester dates 

For Winchester students’ current semester dates, please click here.

What we will do for you 

Our dedicated Placement Co-ordinators are here to support you throughout the placement process. We can help with the following: 

• Advertising your placement free of charge on your behalf via CareerConnect   
• Targeting appropriate students for your placement  
• Offering a variety of career and networking events, to which we welcome employers   
• Providing the student with a training session prior to the placement 
• Arranging interviews on University premises (if required). 

Volunteering while at university 

We encourage all of our students to take part in volunteering, and we offer the opportunity to gain experience with a charity or not-for-profit organisation as part of a volunteering module. If you would like to enquire about this – and how your organisation can get involved - please contact volunteering@winchester.ac.uk. 

Please view the Organisations' Guide to Placements for further details. Our Placements Team would be delighted to discuss this or opportunities for future collaboration. 

To get in touch, please email workplacements@winchester.ac.uk or call 01962 827232.  

Why should I employ a student?   

If you are looking for a part-time employee who is passionate about Winchester and the local community, students are the perfect candidates. They have actively chosen to work, live and study in Winchester for a minimum of three years, and during this time, they will actively contribute to both the local economy and the city’s cultural landscape.  

You can become part of their development by advertising your roles now on CareerConnect. Register your Company Account here. 

Students attend University to become experts in their field, to improve themselves and their future potential. They are striving to be the best they can be, and this translates into their part-time employment. Their willingness to learn, attention to detail, and desire to work to the best of their ability could mean they are just what your organisation needs.   

We recommend that students work no more than 15 hours a week (during term time), to avoid any negative impact on their studies. However, students can often be extremely flexible with their hours, often choosing to work less during exam periods but more during peak periods, such as Christmas and Easter. This can be beneficial to both the student and you, the employer. 

In taking on a student, you can positively impact their career:   

• By training and enabling them in a safe and secure environment, you can help them realise their potential 
• Through developing their skills and confidence, you can give them first-hand experience of responsibility 
• Most importantly, you can show them what a good employer looks like and empower them to recognise brilliant practices as they embark on their career journey.   

For more information, please contact jobs@winchester.ac.uk.  

Why should I employ a Winchester graduate?  

In 2023, the University of Winchester has moved into the top 10 in the UK for the percentage of students going into employment or further study. The latest figures show that 92.8% of 2021 graduates progressed to one or both paths within 15 months of graduating – this is the eighth best result in the country, and the fourth best among English universities. 

We therefore create driven graduates who are supported by our Careers Advice for Life service, and can bring a range of benefits to your business: 

• Graduates will have up-to-date industry training and knowledge, along with a passion for self-improvement and professional development 
• Employing recent graduates can be crucial for succession planning and business growth 
• A graduate in the office can also add to the team’s diversity, by offering new perspectives and innovative ideas 
• Throughout their degree, graduates have developed a high volume of employability skills, including strong written and oral communication abilities. They can devise well-researched presentations, solve problems creatively and analyse data with confidence. These skills, among many others, are highly transferable into any industry.

Advertise your vacancies on CareerConnect now by creating or logging into your Company Profile here. Contact us at jobs@winchester.ac.uk for any further information. 

We welcome interest from prospective mentors who want to participate in our Student Employability Mentoring Programme. Mentors work one-to-one with a student to give them an employer’s insight into future graduate career paths. The scheme aims to help students develop the skills and confidence they need to succeed in the graduate job market, to achieve their ambition of starting a business, or to go into further study.  

Email mentoring.careers@winchester.ac.uk to find out how you can get involved. 

Email: jobs@winchester.ac.uk   
Tel: +44 (0)1962 827305 

The Careers & Opportunities Team 
Student Support & Success 
University of Winchester  
Sparkford Road 
Winchester 
Hampshire 
SO22 4NR 

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