Careers for Students in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology

Whether you're in your first year or final year, whatever your hopes or plans for the future, the Careers Service is here to support you. Maybe you know exactly what you want to do, maybe you haven't got a clue, or maybe you're somewhere in between?

It is never too early (or too late!) to come in and find out what you can be doing now, to give yourself the best chance of getting what you want for your future. You don't need to know what you want to do to make use of the Careers Service either, we are here to help you with your career planning and decision making.

Where do you want to go? If you're in your early years at University, have a look at our virtual resource to help you make the most of your time here. Start your virtual journey to your real future here, where you'll encounter some of the people and resources that can help you along the way. (If you have problems viewing this resource then please contact careers@ed.ac.uk).

Come in and have a look round, you'll find us at 33 Buccleuch Place . There is always someone on hand to help. Our friendly reception and information staff are here to assist with any initial queries.

Our website is also an excellent place to visit www.careers.ed.ac.uk and you'll find something on there for you, whatever your needs are.

I hope this list will give you some idea of different ways in which we can support you, whatever your needs.  If you have a query about any of this, please don’t hesitate to contact me, and I look forward to meeting you at some point.

• Career Advice
• What can I do with my degree?
• Want to find out more about different careers and options?
• Looking for a job?
• Want advice on CVs, application forms and interviews?
• Career Service workshops and events

Careers Advice
You can come and talk to a Career Adviser, whatever stage you're at. I'm the Career Adviser for this School and my name is Helen Whitham. Careers Guidance interviews usually last around 30 - 45 minutes, and are your time to discuss what matters to you. Find out more and how to book on our website.

If it's a quick query, you could come along to the drop-in sessions available everyday, operating on a 'first come - first served' basis, for a 10 minute slot. No appointment necessary. Check our website for times.

What can I do with my degree?
If you're wondering about what you can do with a History, Classics or Archaeology degree, the options are.many and varied! Have a look at the resources on our website under this very title to give you some ideas. It can also be interesting to see what previous students have gone on to do with their degree. Ask for the 'Destination of Leavers from Higher Education' surveys in the Careers Service, or find them online at the page just mentioned.

The key question is what do you want to do with your degree? Working out what you want for your future is no mean feat - the 'Getting Started' section of our website has loads of resources and ideas to help you. Come in and browse this section of the Careers Service too, and have a look at the relevant orange folder labelled 'Starting your career planning' for students in this School.

Why not come and talk it over with your Career Adviser?

Have you thought about the skills you're gaining whilst you're studying here at Edinburgh ? What about those from a part-time job, voluntary work or being involved in a student society too? Employers are looking for more than just a degree from applicants. The 'Online Career Planning Programme' in the Getting Started section of our website helps you think more about your skills and what else you have to offer. You might also find the student employability profiles for your subject interesting.

Want to find out about different careers and options?
The Careers Service has a wide range of occupational information and resources to help you explore a hugely diverse range of career options - pretty much anything you can think of.

Maybe you're considering further study instead, or thinking of working abroad, doing some voluntary work, starting your own business or taking some time out? Whatever your ideas, we can support your progress.

Our website has pages dedicated to all of the above too!

Are you looking for a job?
Try SAGE our vacancy database. You'll find employer information and graduate vacancies on there, plus part-time, semester-time, internship and vacation work opportunities, alongside voluntary work information, both at home and abroad. You can also look at archived vacancies to get a fuller picture of the range of opportunities open to you. Our website has a dedicated 'How do I go about job hunting?' section which is worth taking some time to look at.

It might be that you are going to need a more creative approach, proactively making speculative applications to gain relevant work experience or employment. Come and get advice and information about how to go about this most effectively, or have a look at this section of our website.

Advice on CVs, Application forms and Interviews
We have a range of reference materials in the Careers Service to help you including books, DVDs, magazines and sample CVs and covering letters. Have a look at the making applications section of our website for more information.

We also offer a range of lunchtime workshops on these very topics. No need to book, just turn up. Our website has all the dates and times. You can also book a mock interview, to get some practice before you go for the real thing.

Career Service workshops and events
For many of the areas discussed above, we run workshops or events. There is also a comprehensive range of information sessions to introduce you to a wide variety of career areas, and other skills workshops. You'll need to book in advance for some of these - the verbal and numerical reasoning tests, or assessment centre workshop for example. As always, our website has full details.

Well, I hope this has given you some idea of different ways in which we can support you, whatever your needs. If you have questions about any of this, please don't hesitate to contact me, and I look forward to meeting you at some point.

There are careers talks specifically for students in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology running in 2009/2010. A timetable is available.

Helen Whitham
Career Adviser