Campus to career: How King’s can help you prepare for life beyond university

Cover letters, assessment centres and interviews: words which can strike fear into every soon-to-be graduate. I'm Lily, a Contemporary Literature, Culture and Theory student at King's College London, and one thing I've come to realise is that your degree is only part of your career journey.

I know just how scary and confusing it can be to balance applications, deadlines and uncertainty about life after graduation, which is why I'm happy to have discovered the support available at King's Careers & Employability.

The careers support at King's isn't just about applying for jobs; it's about building the skills that make you a confident and capable graduate ready for whatever comes next.

What surprised me most about the Careers & Employability service is how much of it is about building confidence, rather than ticking tasks off a list. You don't need to have a plan mapped out to start using the services on offer. In fact, many students turn to King’s Careers & Employability precisely because they don't know where to begin. The Careers team focuses on helping you understand your strengths, explore your interests and practice the skills that will help you feel ready for life after university.

The King's Skills for the Future self-assessment on CareerConnect helps you reflect on areas like teamwork, communication, adaptability, and decision-making. It highlights your strengths and areas for growth, which you can act on by exploring part-time roles, placements, internships, or graduate opportunities. You can set alerts for vacancies and events, book careers appointments, practice interviews, or visit careers lounges. Your results guide which Sector Pathways to explore and which tools to try, with all activity tracked in your Careers Passport.

You can also dive into King’s careers workshops and small group sessions all year long, where you can practice real-world skills and level up your career confidence. From #MyNextSteps workshops covering career planning, networking, applications, and interviews, to labour market insights and faculty-led sessions, these workshops let you explore sectors, build skills, and learn how to articulate your degree professionally without formal assessment pressure. 

Looking to get a taste of the working world? Micro-internships, work shadowing, and virtual work simulations let you try out real job tasks and see your skills in action. Some of these experiences can last a full day, giving you the chance to work alongside professionals, network with new contacts, and see how teams operate in practice. You can also book one-to-one appointments with careers consultants or application advisers. In my experience, if you feel unsure about your direction or need CV feedback, personalised advice makes the process far less overwhelming. 

All these opportunities have one thing in common: they help you believe in your abilities and give you space to grow. Your degree gives you knowledge, but the support at King's helps you turn that knowledge into something you can carry into the world.

Are you feeling ready to take the leap? Everything you need to kickstart your next step is available on the King’s Careers & Employability webpage.