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Employability at INTO University of Exeter

Your INTO pathway isn’t just a route to a University of Exeter degree. Every program at INTO University of Exeter has been specially designed to enhance your employability too. You’ll develop your career skills, with unique opportunities and real-world experiences before you’ve even enrolled at university. So, when you progress to university, you’ll already be ahead of the game.

Meet our alumni | Sara from Bahrain

After moving from Bahrain to study business economics at the University of Exeter, Sara achieved her dream career in investments. Here, she explains how INTO and the University of Exeter helped her succeed in her career.

During your pathway program

INTO pathways are developed with your career in mind, helping you gain key skills for future success and the confidence to seize every opportunity. You'll benefit from:

Develop the skills for long-term career success with our employability program, delivered during your INTO studies. You’ll explore your own goals, gain transferable workplace skills and learn how to excel in your interviews.

Find out more about Get Work Ready.

Our module content and learning styles help you build key soft skills like communication, teamwork, presenting, time management, interview technique and problem solving. You’ll also learn how to use computer software and the internet to research, share ideas and collaborate.

As part of your assessments, you’ll complete tasks related to your degree subject and future career. Think short films for media students, business plans for business students and lab reports for future scientists.

Throughout the year, you’ll attend expert-led workshops covering a wide range of useful topics. Sessions could include: an introduction to the UK labor market, talks from employers and successful industry professionals, entrepreneurial challenges, and CV and application writing.

Develop your networking skills on international platforms such as LinkedIn. Join our online community to stay up to date with the latest INTO employability events, share your experiences and connect with other international students who are building similar careers.

What better way to gain hands-on experience than by volunteering or undertaking an internship? You can also work full time during the holiday periods (and limited hours during term time*).

* UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) regulations strictly stipulate that students studying the International Foundation, International Year One or Academic English programs should work no more than 10 hours per week, and Master's Preparation students should work no more than 20 hours per week.

Develop key skills and get involved in life at the center by becoming an INTO Student Ambassador. You’ll gain a variety of experience, from assisting the marketing team to sharing your experience with prospective students and representing INTO in the community.

Between your pathway and degree

You’ll have access to even more opportunities after you complete your pathway, but before you start your degree:

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Virtual Internships

If you want to secure your dream job after university, an internship will set you apart. That’s why we've partnered with Virtual Internships, an award-winning online work experience facilitator. With opportunities across 18 different career fields and 3,500 companies in 70 countries, they’ll help you gain valuable professional experience that your future employers will love.

Additional cost: £1,295

You must be aged 18 or over by the time you start your Virtual Internship.

During your University of Exeter degree

Study at the University of Exeter and you'll join a historic institution with a reputation for graduate employability. And with close links to more than 9,000 UK and global firms, the University of Exeter is among the top 10 UK higher education institutions targeted by top employers (The Graduate Market in 2024 Report, High Fliers Research).

Career Zone

Offering more than a dozen employability initiatives and expert ongoing support, the University of Exeter has a top 10 UK university careers service (StudentCrowd 2021). You'll be able to access a range of services at the Career Zone, including:

  • dedicated support for careers in education, sustainability and international industries

  • links to the Career Development Institute to enhance your career skills

  • regular careers fairs targeting a wide range of sectors

  • valuable industry work experience options

  • free access to employability schemes including GoinGlobal - a digital platform for global jobs and internships

  • support with CV writing, interview practice, and aptitude tests.

The Exeter Award

Boost your employability prospects while you study with The Exeter Award – an extracurricular employability achievement award designed to help you make the most of your professional experience. Learn how to optimize your CV, develop workplace skills and gain crucial workplace experience, so you can demonstrate to employers that you're a valuable employee.

"If you really want to work in the UK, you have to put in the effort from day one. My placement year was a turning point for me. I had exposure to what the job market and working world were really like. I’d been dreaming of working in the UK for so long and now it’s come true. If I didn’t study with INTO, I wouldn’t have the job that I have now."

Hugo, Hong Kong, China

Business Development Manager at EDF Energy

International Foundation > BA (Hons) Management and Marketing with Industrial Experience

Clubs and societies

The University of Exeter Students’ Guild has a wide range of clubs and societies – including many that are dedicated to specific industries and career paths. Take a look at a few of the clubs you could join below, or see the full list here:

View all courses at INTO University of Exeter