For more information, you can contact the Internships Team:
Email: internships@exeter.ac.uk
Tel: 01392 722617
Phonelines are monitored Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm. If the team are not able to take your call, you can leave a message.
The Graduate Business Partnership (GBP)
Graduate Business Partnerships (GBPs)
The Graduate Business Partnership scheme connects final year students and recent graduates with early careers roles at the university and with recommended employers in the southwest.
The GBP scheme is open to all who have graduated from a UK-based university in the last 3 years. If you are an international student, you can also apply for GBP roles if you have a Graduate Visa.
Do you want to hear about the latest opportunities?
Sign up to the weekly Graduate Internship Bulletin to learn about the latest GBP roles available.
This is the best way to stay up-to-date and to never miss out on an opportunity.
Employers - visit our GBP employer webpages to discover how the university can support your business with graduate recruitment.
You can follow the Career Zone where the latest GBP roles are shared every Monday
Cornwall-based students can follow UoE Cornwall.
Finding the Latest Vacancies
You can find the full details of all GBP vacancies on Handshake, by searching for 'GBP' in the jobs section.
If you have not registered on Handshake as a graduate you can use these links to activate your account or register:
- University of Exeter graduate - activate your Exeter Handshake account.
- Other UK University graduate - register for your Handshake account.
You can also sign up to the weekly Graduate Internship Bulletin Email to learn about the latest GBP roles available. This is the best way to stay up-to-date.
Not on Handshake? You can email the team at internships@exeter.ac.uk to request job descriptions and the application form. Please quote the GBP reference or job title for the role you are interested in.
How to Apply
To apply, you can download and complete the Internship Application Form. CVs cannot be accepted for GBP roles.
- You can refer to the Guidance on completing the application.
- Read the full job details and person specification in the job description.
- Insert the correct reference code on the application form, e.g. GBP 1234
- The University is a Disability Confident employer and as such this policy applies to recruitment through the Internship Schemes. Applicants who identify a disability on the application form will be offered an interview if their application demonstrates they meet the essential criteria. You should include the details of reasonable adjustments you may need for an interview or to undertake the role.
- State why you would like to work for the employing organisation and why you think you would be a good candidate to undertake this role. Make sure you refer to the required skills, qualities and experience found in the 'Person Specification'.
- Use the STAR approach to evidence each requirement in the Person Specification.
- Save your Internship Application Form as ‘your surname, your forename GBP XXXX’
- Email your completed application as a PDF or Word document to internships@exeter.ac.uk, with the GBP reference code in the subject bar of your email, by the closing date. The team cannot accept files via OneDrive.
Further Guidance and Support
- (Exeter graduates only) You can find resources to help you with application forms and interview preparation on My Career Zone Digital at: Career Zone application and interview information.
- (Exeter graduates only) If you need support completing your application, you can request an appointment with a Career Zone Advisor by emailing careers@exeter.ac.uk.
- If you have any questions, you can contact the team at internships@exeter.ac.uk
- Please check your online presence to ensure it represents you well, as some employers may undertake online research of their applicants.
GBP roles are available in a wide range of sectors covering a variety of job roles, including...
- Marketing
- IT
- Software Development
- Data Analytics
- Public Relations
- Technical
- Environment and Sustainability
- Engineering
- Business Strategy and Sales
- Project/event Management
- Finance and Accountancy
As a Graduate Business Partner, you can access extra benefits in addition to those available to you from your employer:
The University of Exeter's Career Mentor Scheme
If you have graduated from another university in the UK, you can still access one of the largest and most successful career mentor schemes in the UK. You can connect with an experienced professional in your chosen sector for careers advice, sector insights, and an opportunity to build your connections over a 6-month period. Learn more on the Career Mentor Scheme webpage.
My Career Zone Digital
All GBP's, regardless of where you attended university, can access an extensive range of training and development resources via My Career Zone Digital. Non-Exeter graduates can contact the team at internships@exeter.ac.uk to gain access.
The Graduate Network
The Graduate Network was launched in August 2022 and provides quarterly networking and personal development events exclusively for GBP's and their line managers.
Each event will provide you with the opportunity to build local connections and address challenges that are important to graduates. Each event includes personal development advice from industry experts and a place where you can feel apart of the business community. Once you start your GBP role, you will automatically be notified of upcoming events.
Most GBP roles are full-time, Mon-Fri 9-5pm. A lot of employers offer flexible working arrangements including hybrid or remote working. This will be detailed in the job description and something you can discuss at interview.
The duration of GBP roles can vary from 3 months to 23 months. Some roles are offered on a permanent basis and again, this will be detailed in the job description.
You can apply for a GBP role if you meet the following criteria:
- You have achieved* (or are about to achieve) a full undergraduate degree, Masters or PhD.
- You have graduated from a UK-based university within the last 3 years of your most recent degree (we will consider extenuating circumstances of potential applicants that may have prevented them from undertaking a graduate role within 3 years of graduation).
- The University of Exeter is committed to developing an environment which promotes equality of opportunity, values diversity and inclusivity.
- The University of Exeter is a Disability Confident Employer, committed to attracting and recruiting people with disabilities and retaining and supporting staff with disabilities. If an applicant declares a disability and meets all the essential criteria, they will be invited to interview.
- We welcome applications from all eligible graduates and in particular those from underrepresented groups. Selection and recruitment itself will be based entirely on merit alone unless there are multiple applicants demonstrating equal merit. In this clear circumstance, preference would be shown to applicants from under-represented groups. This is in line with lawful positive action measures under sections 158 and 159 of the Equality Act 2010.
- At the time of starting employment, the successful candidate must have permission to work in the UK and evidence must be provided in advance of the appointment. Examples of suitable evidence can be found in the Intern Guidance- Proving Right to Work the UK guide. Candidates should continue to have permission for the duration of the GBP contract. This includes British citizens, individuals with an EU Pre-Settlement or EU-Settlement Status; and those with a Graduate Route Visa.
- Current immigration legislation prevents the University from providing sponsorship certificates for GBP roles, as they do not meet the requirements for a Skilled Worker Visa as explained on the International Student Support webpages. You will be able to apply for a Graduate Visa once you have finished your degree which does not require company sponsorship.
- All graduates need to reside in the UK whilst undertaking a GBP role.
The Graduate Business Partnership (GBP) scheme provides final year students and recent graduates from all UK-based universities with paid employment opportunities to launch early graduate careers. All the graduate roles advertised through the scheme are only open to recent graduates (within the last 3 years) providing access to employment for those who have little or no work experience.
GBP roles offer graduates the opportunity to gain valuable experience to support career development, with recommended employers who offer a variety of learning and development opportunities. Learning and development can occur in many forms, including:
- University Induction (for GBP's employed by the University).
- Mandatory Training
- Making the Most of your Internship Guide.
- On the Job Training - with Line Manager, Task Manager or colleagues.
- 1:1 catch-up meetings with your Line Manager, usually once a month.
- Wider team meetings.
- Staff Learning and Development Courses.
- My Career Zone Digital - Providing graduate employability online resources.
- The University of Exeter's Career Mentor Scheme - Connecting experienced professionals and graduates via monthly meetings for sector insights, careers advice, and guidance over a six month period.
- The Graduate Network - All GBP's and their line managers and invited to quarterly networking and personal development events.
- Work Shadow Scheme - Bespoke work shadowing opportunities can be can be arranged at any time of the year by request.
- Social Media - You can join the UoE Internship groups on Facebook and LinkedIn. You can follow Career Zone on Twitter @UoECareer and Instagram; @UoECareerZone (Exeter) and @UoECareerZoneCornwall.
GBPs Employed at the The University of Exeter
All new staff are asked to complete the university's mandatory online training.
What to do if you experience problems accessing the online mandatory training.
If you encounter problems you may need to wait a few days until your staff IT details are recognised on the training platform. If access problems continue, you can raise a ticket using the SID Online system. Log in and start a “New Enquiry”, choosing 'Mandatory Training General Enquiry' from the “Category” drop down list.
Exemption requests for mandatory training:
Requests for exemption from the essential training will be considered only in exceptional circumstances. To apply for an exemption you can:
- Log into the SID Online system.
- Start a New Enquiry”, choosing "Mandatory Training Dispensation" (not the Mandatory Training General Enquiry) from the “Category” drop down list.
- Dispensations must be sought on behalf of a member of staff, associate or casual worker by the line manager or requester (or an individual must attach an email to the enquiry from their line manager explaining why dispensation is being requested). Dispensation can be requested for individual courses or for multiple courses.
- For all other courses please refer to the Table of Mandatory training and contact the course sponsor / owner directly with your request.
- Please note, the People Development Team can not authorise dispensations.
Discover how other Graduate Business Partners have developed and benefited from their GBP roles by accessing our bank of case studies. You can search by job type, sector, and employer.
You can view the terms and conditions that apply to GBPs and their employers by referring to the links below:
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