Careers

All of our degrees will equip you with the skills you need to succeed in industry. From design, problem solving, numeracy and analysis skills, to ‘transferable skills’, such as communication and teamwork, you will be highly valued by employers.

The IT profession includes a range of specialist roles, from technical roles in software engineering to project management roles and consultancy. Employment prospects for Leeds graduates are excellent and the School is regularly approached by organisations wishing to recruit our graduates. 86%1 of our recent graduates have either gone on to further study or have successfully secured positions with organisations across a range of industries including manufacturing, retail, finance, public authorities and consultancies. Recent graduate destinations include: Barclays, BT Group – Openreach, CSC, EMIS, Ernst and Young, Fujitsu, Goodrich ISR Systems, Imagination Technologies Ltd, Microsoft and PepsiCo.

According to the BCS (The Chartered Institute for IT) the average starting salary in the IT industry is around £22,000. Entry level salaries can start at £19,000 for a technical support officer, rising to £25,000 for a software engineer. Across the industry IT professionals can earn an average of £38,000; this can be significantly higher in more specialist fields and in different parts of the country.

As part of our ‘Employability Month’ in the autumn, the Faculty holds an annual Engineering and Computing Careers Fair attracting over 32 graduate recruiters including organisations such as 2e2, AECOM, Atkins, BP, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Her Majesty’s Government Communications Centre, Interfleet Technology Ltd, Network Rail, Procter & Gamble Product Supply, PwC and Unilever Leeds, to name but a few.

The Fair provides students with the chance to explore the opportunities available after graduation. It is also a great opportunity for the Faculty to develop links with these organisations both for summer placements and future employment.

As well as the Engineering Careers Fair, you can explore career opportunities at many other careers fairs and presentations that are organised throughout the year by the University’s Careers Centre. The Employability Month also see visits from some of the UK’s top recruiters who deliver presentations and workshops specifically for our engineering and computing students.

Our on-campus Careers Centre is one of the largest in the country. It offers an excellent range of services and has a great relationship with graduate recruiters. The Careers Centre is the place to get advice about what to do after university, help with finding work experience, improving your CV and dealing with job applications. The Careers Centre also holds training events and workshops to assist you with your career progression.

More information on the Careers Centre can be found at www.careerweb.leeds.ac.uk

Leeds for Life is a concept which informs the way staff, students, schools, services and alumni work together to ensure you get the most out of university life from day one. Developed in partnership with students themselves, the Leeds for Life website helps identify opportunities to develop your skills, and provides you with an online ‘living CV’ so that you can understand the value of your skills and knowledge and articulate the benefits of your University of Leeds experience.

At the heart of Leeds for Life is personal tutoring where you receive structured one-to-one meetings to support your personal and academic development. This ensures that you not only do well in your degree, but also become a confident, articulate and highly employable graduate.

For more information about Leeds for Life visit www.leeds.ac.uk/leedsforlife