Care leavers are those who were looked after by a local authority during childhood. At the Careers and Employability Service, we're here to help you build your skills, experience and contacts, and support you in applying for graduate jobs or further study.

Are you aware of the career options open to you? For any student, navigating your next steps and choosing a career direction can be challenging. However, if you don't have networks to rely on and gain insight from, you may particularly benefit from talking through your ideas with a careers adviser. This can help ensure you are aware of the range of options open to you and assist with your decision-making. You can find useful information to begin your research and career exploration on the Career Options pages of our website.

Do you have relevant work experience? 

Are you seeking a part-time job? You can access campus jobs and part-time jobs through Handshake. There are also regular opportunities for ambassadors, which involve sharing your experiences at university with young people and representing the University at events. If you do not have time for a part-time job, you can seek out other ways to build your experience, such as one-off volunteering with Hallam Union. If you have moved schools or jobs several times, due to your living situation, have a chat with our employment advisers, about how best to present this on your CV. Remember that additional responsibilities such as assisting foster carers or looking after siblings are evidence of your character that can make you stand out to employers if you choose to share this. 

Do you have a network of professional contacts? 

If not, take advantage of our Mentor Link Programme, an online structured programme designed to help students gain the skills needed to create and develop successful mentoring relationships with experts in industries of interest. Having a mentor can help you to gain experience in a particular occupation, and an insight into the knowledge and skills you need to enter into and succeed within that occupation. 

Do you have people to encourage and support you with your career?

Life can be hectic sometimes and it might feel like you have lots of challenges to juggle. One graduate care leaver said "I had too much going on to access careers support," and it's easy for other things to take priority over planning your future. Our careers team is here to support you and can discuss careers advice, events and programmes that would be helpful to you.

What next after graduation? 

You can continue to have support from the Careers and Employability team, even after you have graduated. You can access one-to-one appointments, including via Skype or telephone if you are away from Sheffield, and you can view job vacancies and events via Handshake. You'll also still be able to access all of the career development tools on our Career Centre 360 platform. We can offer advice on funding for further study and refer you to appropriate help if you have questions about claiming benefits or securing accommodation. Remember that if you decide to continue in education or training, your Local Authority has a legal responsibility to support you, if requested, until the age of 25.

Want support with other aspects of university life? 

Sheffield Hallam can support you with all aspects of university life, e.g. funding, accommodation, study skills, and support for a disability. Book an appointment with the Inclusive Support team via telephone 0114 225 2679 or email inclusivesupport@shu.ac.uk.