Careers after Heriot-Watt

Heriot-Watt University is a life changing, intellectually challenging, career boosting experience.

Your career starts at Heriot-Watt

Your academic and social experience is unlikely to be equalled and, along with the vast majority of your colleagues, you will be able to transfer smoothly into the career of your choice at the end of your studies.  

We have created an environment in which to make lasting friendships and enjoy everything that one of the world’s greatest cities has to offer. The positive learning experience, superb teaching and research facilities, effective links with business and industry, will arm you for success in your chosen career.

Heriot-Watt is firmly focused on your future. Employers actively seek out our graduates, meaning that each year most of them are able to move seamlessly into long-term, full time employment very soon after leaving the University.

Employers say...

“Students from Heriot-Watt University are good at demonstrating the skills and competencies we look for in our applications.”
Philippe Guijarro,
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

The Careers Advisory Service

To help you capitalise on the vocational excellence of Heriot-Watt's courses, the University provides one of the most extensive and comprehensive careers education and professional development programmes of any higher education institution in the UK.

The Careers Advisory Service provides impartial and confidential careers advice and guidance to students and graduates. Their role is to help you to identify career goals and to develop the skills required to find employment through providing:

• A dedicated website providing details of career options, postgraduate study and job-hunting techniques
• A comprehensive careers information library and programme of talks and workshops
• Mock interviews and CV application form checks
• Individual career guidance consultations with professionally qualified staff 
• A Jobshop advertising part-time and vacation work
• An annual Careers Fair attracting some of the leading UK and international companies.

In addition, we provide an online vacancy service giving details of part-time, vacation and graduate jobs as well as information on company presentations taking place on campus or nearby.

The Careers Service’s Information Room and websites offer comprehensive information on topics such as job hunting, occupational profiles, aptitude tests and recruitment.  

Post-Study Work scheme

All non-European students who graduate from Heriot-Watt University with an undergraduate or postgraduate degree can now take up employment anywhere in the UK for up to two years after completing their studies.

Over 6000 international graduates have taken up this outstanding opportunity (previously known as the Fresh Talent Initiative) to develop their graduate career whilst working in Scotland. Under the UK's new immigration system, international students who graduated from a UK institution with a recognised qualification can apply to stay on in the country as Post-Study Workers. You do not need to have a specific job offer, but you will need to pass a points-based assessment to be eligible to apply. Successful applicants will be granted permission to work in the UK for up to two years without a work permit.

Once your two years with Post-Study have finished, you may be allowed you to stay and work longer in Scotland if you have been with the same employer for six months and you pass a further point-based assessment.

When to apply

You can apply for Post-Study up to one year after you have completed your studies. You can apply: 

• After you have received your academic award from the UK, and before your current permission to stay in the UK expires
• From your home country if you return home

For further details see the Post Study Workers page of the Home Office website.

Global alumni network

When you graduate from Heriot-Watt University you’ve gained a first-rate education and made friends and professional contacts that will last a lifetime. The Watt club, a social and professional network, keeps you in touch with over 62,000 alumni and the University.

The Watt club recently celebrated its 150th Anniversary, making it the oldest graduate association in the UK. Membership of the Watt club is automatic on graduation and free.

Famous alumni include Irvine Welsh, writer and author of ‘Trainspotting’; Audrey Baxter, chief Executive of Baxters Food Group; Richard Tate, creator of ‘Cranium’ and Dame Muriel Spark, author of ‘The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie’