Employability

Throughout your time at Aberystwyth you will be given lectures by the Careers Advisory Service on a range of topics including: writing a CV, giving effective presentations, psychometric tests and so forth. As well as these timetabled lectures, numerous additional workshops and ad-hoc drop-in sessions are offered throughout the year.

ABERcareers is the university's online portal which gives you easy access to everything you need to plan your career, including access to our vacancy database of work opportunities and industrial placements.

AberGrad is another element of your time here Aberystwyth University that helps to prepare you for your future life. Alongside your academic studies, personal interests, part-time work and any other extra-curricular activities in which you engage, the Careers Service provides you with a host of opportunities that encourage you to develop your skills and abilities. It is our aim that by graduation, you will be well placed to confidently demonstrate the wide transferability of your subject knowledge, skills and experiences recorded and developed throughout your time as an Aberystwyth student.

In your first year you will participate in activities which will help you develop your interpersonal, problem-solving and team-building skills. All our first year students take a Study Skills module, covering issues such CV writing, presentation, time management and team-working skills, whch are essential to improving employability.

‌If you are intending to take a year in employment in Year 3 you will participate in a careers event which focuses on improving your employability. You will receive guidance on your CV, learn how to give a presentation and you will have an opportunity to have mock interviews with real life industrialists. All this will improve your confidence and prepare you for the world of work.

All students take part in a major group project in Year 2, with team members taking on roles found in industry such as Team Leader or Quality Assurance Manager. This further develops team-working skills, communication and time management, and also exposes you to industry standard documentation, testing and tools such as version control systems.

We encourage all of our students to spend a year working in the computing industry between the second and third taught years of their degree scheme. Help is available from the department and the University's Careers Service to find suitable placements and to develop your CV and interview skills. Our Industrial Year students are in demand with prestigious employers such as IBM, HP, Walt Disney and Amadeus. 

In your final year you will be preparing for employability as you near the end of your course. We provide talks about writing job applications, talks from previous alumni about their jobs, and talks from visiting employers. You can also book one-to-one sessions with the Careers Advisory Service.

A significant part of your final year is your major project. This is your opportunity to complete a substantial individual project that showcases your computing abilities, which is of great interest to employers. All of our single honours students also take a module on Professional Issues in the Computing Industry, covering issues such as managerial, ethical, legal and financial topics relating to the IT industry, and discusses the opportunities and challenges of different career options.

The advanced specialised skills and knowledge that students acquire on our taught postgraduate courses are eagerly sought by employers in the industry. Many of the students on the courses are already experienced professionals and know from their own experience how much up-to-date expertise in these areas is in demand.