Work with our students and graduates

Business challenges offer students a valuable opportunity to engage with real-world problems faced by your organisation. These experiences test their ability to collaborate, perform under pressure, and think creatively to develop practical solutions. It’s also a unique chance for your business to connect directly with students in the classroom – whether through a lecture or workshop – while enhancing your visibility and reputation.

Business pitches provide students with essential experience in presenting their business or innovation ideas to industry professionals. They receive valuable feedback, sharpen their communication skills, and develop a range of employability competencies crucial for their future careers. For your business, it's a unique opportunity to connect with entrepreneurial students and identify emerging talent.

Consultancy projects allow students to work individually or in teams on real challenges faced by your business, as part of their academic studies. Drawing on the latest insights from their course, they can offer fresh perspectives and practical ideas. For your business, it’s a powerful way to raise brand awareness among students while contributing to their learning through a meaningful, degree-integrated project.

Workshops engage students in collaborative activities aligned with their course learning objectives. These sessions offer students the chance to receive immediate feedback while working alongside industry professionals. Typically lasting a few hours, workshops provide a dynamic and interactive environment that bridges academic learning with real-world experience.

Our industry and alumni speaker series gives students insight into life after graduation by showcasing experiences from professionals and graduates. Through personal stories and career journeys, speakers help students build confidence, understand different industries, and recognise the value of their transferable skills.

Competitions across our courses are tailored to align with students’ learning objectives, providing a dynamic way to develop key employability skills. These activities can be adapted to suit different subject areas, helping students apply their knowledge in practical, competitive settings.

Simulations and professional role plays offer experiential learning opportunities that immerse students in real-world scenarios. These activities can be tailored to specific courses and graduate roles, helping students develop relevant skills in a practical context. They also provide a valuable opportunity for your business to engage with students and raise your profile on campus.

Focused discussion activities – such as fishbowls and sandpits – create opportunities for students to engage directly with industry professionals in an open, informal setting. These sessions can be tailored to suit specific learning objectives and provide a relaxed, ‘no pressure’ environment where students can explore ideas, ask questions, and gain valuable insights. For employers, it’s an excellent way to connect with students in a meaningful and approachable format.

Your opportunities will reach over 10,000 students and graduates via our online vacancy service, email alerts, social media, and our extensive network. We advertise a wide range of roles, including:

• Graduate jobs
• Part-time positions (we recommend 16-20 working hours for part-time roles during term time)
• Vacation work
• Voluntary roles
• Placements
• Internships
• Short-term paid projects.

We can also offer advice on the best time to recruit in the academic year, local and national graduate recruitment markets and salaries, and additional contacts to help you fill your vacancy.

Once registered, you can create your own profile with your company logo, and make updates to your vacancies 24/7. When advertising a vacancy, we require you to provide:

• A clear description of your organisation
• Full contact details including address, business email, and landline contact number
• The job title and clear description of the role
• The skills, experience, and qualifications required
• Details on how to apply
• Where to find further information
• Specific remuneration details
• A closing date (if not provided, we'll assume a date one month from submission).

By publishing a vacancy, you agree that you hold valid Employers' Liability and Public Liability insurance and a current Health and Safety Policy. You must ensure that all UK-based opportunities are paid at or above the National Minimum Wage(opens in new tab), however, we'd encourage you to consider offering the London Living Wage(opens in new tab).

We reserve the right to edit adverts for the purpose of brevity and clarity. If we feel that a vacancy is constructed as discriminatory, we may contact you to rectify this.

We reserve the right to not advertise or withdraw vacancies which, in our opinion, aren't suitable or in the best interests of our students or graduates, which may include adverts that:

• Have misleading, incomplete, or inaccurate job descriptions
• Have missing or incomplete company information
• Don't meet the National Minimum Wage
• Require the jobseeker to be self-employed without the guarantee of National Minimum Wage
• Are partnership or equity-only opportunities
• Are advertised by agencies who don't give details of who they're recruiting for or involve pyramid-selling, are commission-based, or pay 'in kind' rather than being salaried, or require an upfront payment from the job seeker of any kind
• Discriminate against candidates and don’t meet all UK employment equal opportunities legislation(opens in new tab)
• Promote or endorse illegal activity
• Are connected to the adult/sex industries
• Promote roles which require students to work in door-to-door sales or similar
• Promote courses or events provided by commercial or competing training providers
• On completion of due diligence, the University of Sunderland deems inappropriate.

For vacancies that require students or graduates to work from their own homes, it's your responsibility to have a Home Working Policy which adheres to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974(opens in new tab).

The University doesn't check or verify that individual applicants are legally entitled to work in the UK and we don't accept any liability for this – it's solely your responsibility. Visit the government website to find out more about:

• Employment status
• Graduate visas
• Skilled Worker visas.