Professional Pathways
Our Professional Pathways Programme is one of our flagship employability schemes for current University of Exeter students. We currently run 3 Pathways covering the following sectors; Arts, Culture & Heritage, Charity & Development and Marketing. The programme is now in its eleventh year and is very much unique to the University of Exeter.
We are keen to support students in making that first step into the world of work. The programme therefore aims to give students from any degree background and year of study the opportunity to gain experience within, as well as knowledge and insights into, their chosen Pathway sector. This is particularly valuable as these sectors are notoriously more difficult to break into or stand out in. Professional Pathways also acts as a way for students to build on the knowledge and experience they already have and to support them in moving into a graduate role.
The scheme is very much about working with industry professionals and employers to support us in providing our students with a great experience, making connections and building networks.
We are therefore very keen to connect and hear from you should you be interested in getting involved.
Employers or University of Exeter colleagues can get involved in a Professional Pathway programme by:
- delivering a 1-hour training session
- providing a business project for groups of students to work on during the training
- offering a 35 hour internship (fully funded by the university)
For more information, or to get involved with a specific Professional Pathway programme, please find the relevant Pathway page below.
Internship submissions for 2025 and 2026:
Please note, we are now at capacity with the number of internship vacancies we are able to fund for our 2025 Professional Pathways programmes and applications are therefore closed. We will be opening for submissions for next year's scheme in January 2026. To express your interest in the programme, please complete the short form here and we'll be in touch.
If you are a current student please see the Professional Pathways student pages.
From left to right: Natasha Schelestynsky, Emily Hayter, Carly Ainsworth.
Steve Wallers | Employer Engagement and Student Employment Manager
Steve manages the Employer Engagement and Student Employment Team that Professional Pathways sits within. Steve was responsible for setting up the programme 11 years ago and building it to be the successful and award-winning scheme it now is. Steve supports the programme by helping to shortlist student applications and co-delivering/hosting some of the training sessions. Steve also hosts the student assessment centres each year.
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Emily Hayter | Programme Officer (Professional Pathways with Internships)
Emily has been at the university for 9 years and working on Professional Pathways for 5 of those years. Emily runs the programme on a day-to-day basis, including everything from promotion to students, organising assessment centres, training logistics and liaising with the wide range of employers and industry professionals involved with the programme. Emily is happy to meet with anyone online or in person who would like to hear more about Pathways!
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Carly Ainsworth | Programme Manager (Professional Pathways, Vacancy Service and Managed Internships)
Carly is an experienced careers professional having managed both student & graduate internship schemes and employer events and now oversees the Professional Pathways programmes, along with the university's vacancy and targeted email service. Carly is involved with all areas of Professional Pathways, and ensures all students, employers and trainers receive a positive experience when engaging with the programme.
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Natasha Schelestynsky | Student Employment Support Officer (Access 2 Internships and Professional Pathways)
Having previously worked in the Career Zone for 2 years, Natasha currently supports the Professional Pathways programme and the Access to Internships scheme on a part time basis. Natasha provides support with the organisation of our assessment centres, shortlisting of applicants, and other administrative support to ensure the success of the programme.
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To reach the team via email, please contact: professionalpathways@exeter.ac.uk
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Contact
If you have any questions regarding the Professional Pathways programme, please contact the team at: professionalpathways@exeter.ac.uk.