Find out how we can help you improve your employability and find career success.
Royal Holloway has a unique way of preparing you for the world of work and it starts on the day you arrive. We'll give you an edge in the job market with an individual approach to developing your employability called CVstac.
CVstac is your unique Royal Holloway employability profile and your entire university experience will be built around developing yours. We'll support you to do it through our extensive range of experiences and opportunities inside and outside the classroom.
Why you need a CVstac
Research shows that there are 12 key meta-skills you must develop to become employable and thrive in the modern workforce. Your Royal Holloway experience will be built around them.
From day one, we will support you to:
- actively develop these skills
- translate them into language employers recognise
- evidence their development through your achievements; and
- help you connect them to graduate opportunities.
By the time you graduate, you'll have developed 12 unique statements against each of these meta-skills. This is your CVstac and every Royal Holloway student will have one, including you. So when you're writing your CV, pitching a business idea, or applying for a job, you can pick and choose from the 12 statements in your unique CVstac.
What else do we offer?
Whether you're interested in internships, part-time jobs, volunteering and voluntary work, graduate schemes, further study or another career opportunity, our Careers Service is here to help you discover and explore your options, and navigate the recruitment process.
Earn while you learn
We offer employment opportunities every year for students looking to work alongside their studies. Some of these are on campus and we have good connections with local employers. We continue to liaise with them as the lockdown lifts and the Careers Service will promote the part-time jobs on offer. Previous employers have included Merlin Entertainments (Thorpe Park and Legoland), Explore Learning and Wentworth Golf Club. We also support a wide range of volunteering roles.
Employer in residence
Hundreds of alumni and employers visit our campus every year to speak about student and graduate career opportunities, and to offer career coaching and top tips. With previous employers including PwC, the Civil Service, BBC and Deloitte, these visits are an invaluable opportunity for you to network with potential future employers and get ahead of the crowd. Students can book to speak with visiting employers to explore their options in different sectors and for advice on applications in a relaxed, informal environment.
Placement Year
All new undergraduates have the opportunity to take a Placement Year, which will contribute to your experience and add even more value to your studies.
Your future career
Our dedicated careers team are here to support you in landing an internship or your first graduate job. You can book one-to-one appointments with a Careers Consultant, practice your interview skills and get advice on applications, assessment centres and your CV.
They also host several events each year, from networking evenings to introductions to various sectors. The biggest event in the calendar, however, is the Careers Fair, where employers come to campus to recruit students for graduate schemes, jobs, placements, internships and insight days.
Volunteering
Royal Holloway Volunteering retains the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award given to volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work done in their communities. There are five streams of volunteering opportunities we support; Community Action, Social Action, Community Research, Volunteering Abroad, and Sports Volunteering.
The annual Festival of Volunteering gives space for you to interact with a wide range of opportunities and experiences on offer. Our Student Leadership programme enables students to take on a voluntary role as team and project leaders each academic year, which includes accredited training in leadership, teamwork, coaching and mentoring.
Volunteering can help you stand out from the crowd, provides great skills development, and unique networking opportunities.
