There are lots of benefits to developing yourself while at university and beyond. This covers a broad range of options from jobs and work experience, volunteering, projects and skills courses. Doing this can help with career exploration and generating ideas. It offers an opportunity to apply existing skills and acquire new ones.
The information below covers some of the different options and ways to get involved.
Grow Aspire Lead (GAL)
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The Careers service offers all women studying at GCU the opportunity to participate in Grow Aspire Lead (GAL), a five-week career development programme which aims to address the gender pay gap, boost your confidence and help you plan your career with the help of experts from academia, industry and the GCU Careers service.
The programme delivers sessions on:
Communicating confidently/overcoming imposter syndrome Negotiating your pay and handle difficult situations at work Networking with employers. Applications for GAL are now closed and will re-open in January 2027. If you would like any further information, please e-mail
GCU Employability Award
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The GCU Employability Award is GCU’s employability and skills award run by the Careers Service, which aims to encourage, support and reward students engaged in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.
Completing this award will help you develop key employability skills that employers now increasingly expect in addition to a university degree. You can also use this award to demonstrate to employers key examples where you have put skills into action, which will be crucial for future job applications.
Work Experience Hub
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The Work Experience Hub provides you with a gateway to hundreds of on-campus paid work experience opportunities. By undertaking a work experience role, you can gain essential skills which employers value.
We advertise a wide variety of roles such as Student Mentors, Student Ambassadors, Open Day Helpers, Registry Assistants and many more.
Career Mentoring programme
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The Career Mentoring programme is a six-month scheme that runs from March until August each year. Successful applicants are hand-matched with an experienced GCU graduate who is working in your subject area.
Your graduate mentor can provide you with an insight into the world of work, provide honest feedback, and support you in taking the first steps towards your career goals.
LinkedIn Learning
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LinkedIn Learning is an online learning platform that allows users to take online courses in different subject areas. It includes a library of 5,000+ creative, business, and technology courses.
You can access free courses as the GCU subscription is managed through the Library. Find out more .
Code First Girls
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Are you a female or non-binary student/graduate at GCU? Check out GCU’s new partner, Code First Girls.
Code First Girls is a 90,000-strong community providing free coding courses for students and recent graduates through immersive online teaching and coaching opportunities. Sign up for free online courses over the summer and find top employment opportunities with globally recognised brands.
Apply at Code First Girls and use our partner code: UPGCU
Volunteering
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You can do this in your local community.
The charity and voluntary sector offers great work experience and is a good addition to your CV. Volunteering will allow you to gain experience, learn new skills, meet new people, build your network of contacts and give something back.
Jobs
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A degree shows your potential but real-life work experience on your CV shows employers that you have what they are looking for. Work experience allows you to show future employers that you have the knowledge, skills, attributes and experience that will make you stand out from other applicants.
Read more about finding work experience and part-time jobs.
