Help with researching sectors and employers

In this session, you will learn how to research sectors and job roles, with a focus on using tools and informational interviews to explore career options.

For the latest events, please check Handshake. 

Employment Sectors: Take a look at our A to Z of employment sectors for more information about the sector, job board links, and more. 

There are a number of useful tools on Handshake including:

• Prospects Job Sectors - Employment sector information and information on specific jobs within the sectors, including responsibilities, salaries, employers, and future career prospects. 
• Prospects - What can I do with my degree? - Information about job options based on the subject you are studying.
  
• Prospects’ ‘Luminate’ - The home of student and graduate labour market information from Prospects. 

• Industry Reports - Information about employment sectors including Charities, Media, Banking and Consulting. Each employment sector includes SWOT analyses and trends, top companies, and links to further information. 

• Industry Insights - Helping you understand what it's like to work in a particular sector, usually in the form of short videos. Covering sectors from Accounting to Television.  

Career Zone Blog - This link takes you to features on career planning on our blog. There are blogs on various careers and how to begin your career, as well as job hunting advice from students and alumni. 

Our podcast covers a range of careers topics such as:

• ‬‬‬‬Careers in Nature Conservation
• Working in the Heritage Sector
• Careers in Consultancy
• Carbon transitions: evolution in the energy sector

The Library has created a page to help you research companies and organisations for your job search​.

This includes Finding Company Information - University of Exeter Library online guidance on selecting and using company information sources.

You may also be interested in Windo- Windō is an open website designed for students to easily review and compare the Sustainability, DE&I (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) and Employee Wellbeing plans and progress of the world’s largest graduate employers.

Below are a number of resources to help you with market research: 

Useful websites:

• Where Next? Up to date Information from PWC about employment sectors
• Prospects Luminate - The home of student and graduate labour market information from Prospects
• Institute of Student Employers (ISE)
• High Fliers: Graduate Market Report 2024
• Complete University Guide: Survey of UK's largest employers of graduates
• Office for National Statistics (ONS): UK labour market
• Institute of Employment Studies
• LMI for All
• Labour market outlook Quarterly report on national LMI issues
• Resolution Foundation: Supporting low/medium income people to improve their living standards. 

Blogs

• Charlie Ball’s (Prospects) blog

Alumni panel recordings are available covering a number of subject areas and career paths. Single Sign on required to access the recordings. 

The Career Mentor Scheme is a popular employability scheme which matches a student or graduate with an experienced professional, for sector insight and one-to-one careers advice and guidance, over a 6 month period. 

The Ask An Alum (Careers Q&A) is a fuss-free way to connect with University of Exeter alumni to ask careers questions. By filling in our quick and easy application form, you can be introduced to alumni working in your field of interest…whatever that may be at the time of applying. 

If you would like help with researching your career options, or know what you would like to do but don’t know how to get there, you can book a Career Guidance appointment. You can contact us via the Live Chat icon at the bottom of this page, or you can phone us on +44(0)1392 724493. For any other enquiries please email careers@exeter.ac.uk.