Graduate schemes are structured programmes for graduates, which usually last 2-3 years. They are sometimes known as graduate programmes, or graduate training programmes.

Key features of graduate schemes

The exact details of graduate schemes will vary from one employer to another. However, many of them share the same key features.

Graduate schemes often, or usually:

last between 2-3 years, with set start dates for each intake of graduates.
are offered by large organisations
are common in certain sectors, including business, finance, engineering, retail, law and IT.
are offered by employers who run webinars and sessions with students
include structured training and the chance to gain professional qualifications while you work (for instance ACA or ACCA accountancy/audit qualifications for finance roles)
are open to students from any degree discipline (unless you're applying for a very technical role e.g. engineering or science). For instance, if you are a Translation & Interpreting student, you will be able to apply for opportunities in business, finance and more, provided you meet the employer's criteria.
provide the opportunity to work in different roles and departments. This is sometimes referred to as a rotation and will help you learn about different aspects of a business, which can be useful if you're not sure exactly what you want to do.
offer higher starting salaries than other graduate jobs
are very competitive and have limited application windows. Large employers typically receive thousands of applications for only a handful of roles, meaning your applications need to make an excellent first impression.
involve multiple stages in the recruitment process. You may need to upload a CV, take recruitment tests, record video interviews, attend assessment centres and HR interviews. It's important to prepare sufficiently for every stage.
don't have an upper age limit on applying for these types of roles

You might not be guaranteed a job at the end of the graduate programme, although if you perform well it is likely.

Advice from our students about graduate schemes

Qianyue, Newcastle University graduate from China now working at PwC in the UK.

"Normally I search the ranking of the type of company I’m interested in, then I visit their company websites and careers pages to view their job opportunities. Be well-prepared, do as much research as you can, be patient and never give up, use the resource in Careers Service. Be patient- you should be mentally prepared that job-hunting may take a long time."

Qianyue, Audit Graduate Programme, PwC, (Translating and Interpreting, 2020). Secured graduate role after 1-3 months of job hunting

When to apply for graduate schemes in the UK

You usually need to apply for graduate schemes almost one year in advance.

The peak application window is September-December for roles which will commence the following July-September. For instance, if you start your one-year postgraduate programme in September 2024, you need to start looking now for graduate programmes in the UK which will start in July-September 2025!

There will still be some graduate schemes advertised after December, however there might not be as many opportunities.

Getting organised is crucial to avoid missing important deadlines! We recommend creating an Excel spreadsheet or or using Apps like Notion to note down what schemes interest you and note down application deadlines so you can prioritise your time.

Diagram representing graduate scheme timings in the UK. Peak application period is between September to Mid November.

Click through to the next page to find out about graduate roles/jobs >