Oxford graduates have outstanding long-term career prospects and find success in all industries and sectors across the globe. Oxford alumni have included Prime Ministers, Nobel Prize winners, business leaders, saints, renowned academics, international leaders, entrepreneurs and everything in between.
Graduate study at Oxford is an investment in your career. The University has an excellent record for graduate employment. 91 per cent of Oxford graduate students are engaged in work or further study six months after graduating and enjoy an average starting salary of £34,000*.
Whatever you want to study, and whether you are destined for a life in academia or the vocational or commercial sector, potential employers recognise the value of undertaking independent research in addition to the wide range of transferable skills and the intellectual challenge that graduate study at Oxford encourages.
* Source: DLHE 2008–2009
Careers service
The University of Oxford Careers Service helps all graduate students in their career search with tailored resources, skills sessions, fairs and events. The Careers Service works with thousands of employers who seek to recruit Oxford graduates, including: non-governmental organisations, small- and medium-sized enterprises, large national and multinational corporations, and public sector organisations.
Whether you are interested in academic or non-academic careers there are plenty of opportunities to explore your options and develop your career whilst at Oxford.
Students on taught courses
Life on a postgraduate course is extremely exciting, but it can also be very busy and you may find it difficult to find the time to consider your next move. The Careers Service is available from the moment you accept an offer to study at Oxford, to help you explore your options, develop a job search strategy, or continue your study.
It is worth looking at our website before you come to Oxford, to be aware of application processes for particular careers and to find out about opportunities to develop your skills and experience. Michaelmas term (October – December) is a busy time of year with many employers coming to Oxford to give presentations and attend careers fairs ahead of their various application deadlines. Details of these sessions can be found in the ‘What’s On’ section of the careers website.
Research students
Embarking on a higher degree by research can be a personal journey, the start of an academic career, or an essential element of your professional life. There are a range of activities for you to take advantage of whilst you are at Oxford, including career planning and skills workshops, mentoring programmes and a vacancy database that helps you find teaching or other work experience.
For further information, please see the Careers Service website.
Alumni benefits
The Oxford University Society is the alumni organisation for the University of Oxford and has a presence in more than 200 places around the world, with a rapidly expanding volunteer-run branch network – one of the most extensive alumni networks in the world.
The University Alumni Office aims to foster alumni interest and goodwill in University affairs by encouraging intellectual and emotional ties between members and their University. It supports the work of the Oxford University Society and provides a range of benefits and services for alumni, including:
- Professional development opportunities – career-based networking events and discounts on courses with the University’s Continuing Professional Development and
Executive Education programmes - Oxford Today, the University’s award-winning alumnimagazine
- ePidge, our monthly alumni newsletter
- Alumni email, a professional Oxford-based email service
- Oxford10, a programme for graduates of the last ten years
- Oxford Alumni Card, giving access to offers on everythingfrom books to restaurants around the UK
The Alumni Office also provides a growing portfolio of benefits
for current students, including the OUS Awards Scheme, which
offers support to students in the categories of travel, sport and
hardship, and the Oxford Student Alumni Society (OxSAS), which
encourages interaction between old and new members of the
University.
For further information, please see the Alumni Services website.
