“I liked the accessibility of information and wide range of knowledge and resources we were exposed to” - Malcolm Engmann (BA Anthropology)
“I am a lot less worried about my future because of this course” - Chloe Heaven-Ward (BA English with Creative Writing)
"Before [the course] it felt daunting but the guiding through in each workshop really provided me with confidence for my future career prospects."- Orla Punnett (BA Anthropology)
Unsure what to do after graduation?
This January we will be running Your Options, Your Future, an extra-curricular 3-week online course to help your explore your career options and feel more confident about the future.
This term's course is for second year undergraduates from any discipline.
The live online course runs from Wednesday 28 January to Wednesday 11 February and includes three workshops and weekly reflective workbooks.
Your Options, Your Future will help you:
- Identify what you want from a graduate job to support your career decision-making
- Explore and refine your career ideas to create a clearer focus
- Discover your strengths, skills and values
- Identify where to find opportunities including internships in your area(s) of interest
- Maximise your second/penultimate year, to help you make a smooth transition into life after university
Since 2021, over 750 Exeter students have successfully completed YOYF.
The course is recognised by the Exeter Award and completing it will count towards A THIRD of the Exeter Award.
Workshop dates (online via Teams):
- Workshop 1: Wednesday 28 January, 2-3.30pm
- Workshop 2: Wednesday 4 February, 2-3.30pm
- Workshop 3: Wednesday 11 February, 2-3.30pm
For more details about the course please read the FAQs below.
Applications are now closed (please visit our career guidance page for available support)
Here's what students who have completed the course say...
Alba Turner
BSc Biochemistry
"I find myself much more able to find a path towards finding a job, something that before this course seemed overwhelming and impossible."
Malcolm Engmann
BA Anthropology
“I liked the accessibility of information and wide range of knowledge and resources we were exposed to”
Cameron Hallett
Msci Computer Science
"I have gained a much clearer idea of the roles that are suitable for me [and] I am more confident in my career goal of becoming a full-stack software engineer"
Vandhana Tamilvanan
MSc Psychology (Conversion)
"The course helped me shift from feeling uncertain to having a clear action plan and direction."
Ayman Muntasir
MSc Finance and Investment
"Overall, this course gave me time to reflect, practical tools to explore, and renewed self-belief. I now see my career as something I'm actively shaping, not something I have to fall into."
Felix Gough
BSc Marine Biology
"I have a lot more ideas and plans to act on since the start of this course."
Melusi Ncube
MEd Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
"the course provided the bridge between my academic passions and a professional future. I now have not only a clear goal but also a confident, structure approach to achieving it."
Orla Punnett
BA Anthropology
"Before [the course] it felt daunting but the guiding through in each workshop really provided me with confidence for my future career prospects."
FAQs
The course is for any second or penultimate year undergraduate and is primarily aimed at students who are unsure what to do after their degree. However the topics explored are likely to benefit many students, even if you have some ideas or a clear career in mind. The course is open to Streatham and Penryn students.
These will take place on Microsoft Teams. Interactive polls, questionnaires and quizzes will be used, but there will not be any breakout rooms or group activities, and you will not be expected to turn your camera or microphone on.
Live participation is strongly encouraged to help you get the most from the course. However, if you’re unable to attend live due to academic or personal commitments, you may still take part provided you commit to watching the full session recordings and completing the weekly workbooks alongside live participants.
The three workshops will take you through a process as follows:
Workshop 1: You
In this session, you will reflect on what truly matters to you in terms of your future work. This self-reflection will lay a solid foundation for exploring career options in the second workshop.
Workshop 2: Your Options
In this session you will learn how to research your career options and gain insight into the jobs and sectors that align with what you are looking for from a job or career. You will be introduced to various websites and tools which will help you with this process.
Workshop 3: Your Future
The final session focuses on building experience and insight before final year, helping you make the most of the remainder of your second year and the summer.
Completion of the course counts towards the following components of the Exeter Award:
- 2 Personal Development Sessions
- 1 Other Employability Activity
Please note: you will need to sign up to the Exeter Award before starting the course.
The course is made up of three mandatory online workshops and three mandatory online reflective workbooks. The online workshops will take place via Teams on the dates listed above.
The course has been designed to fit alongside your other commitments. The majority of the course content is held within the three taught workshops; however, you also need to complete around 3 hours of work outside of the taught workshops per week, for a total of three weeks.
After attending each online workshop you will complete a reflective workbook which will include activities to consolidate your learning before the next session. Once the online workshops are over you will create an action plan to maximise and provide momentum for the rest of the year.
To pass the course you must engage with all three workshops and complete the reflective workbooks by Wednesday 25 February 2026.
If you have further questions about the course, please email Employability and Careers Consultant, Sarah Blunt: s.blunt@exeter.ac.uk