About Careers | University of Reading

The Careers team provide virtual support for students, alumni, employers and academic staff of the University.

We are open Monday to Friday 09:00AM - 17:00PM except Wednesdays when we are open 10:30AM - 17:00PM

Christmas vacation reception desk opening hours:
13-22 December - Monday – Friday, 9am - 2pm*
23 December-3 January – CLOSED
4-7 January – Monday – Friday, 9am - 2pm*

10 January onwards – back to term-time opening hours.

*Still available via telephone and email until 5pm

You can reach us by emailing careers@reading.ac.uk or calling 0118 378 8359.

All staff are working during their usual office hours; you can reach each staff member at their usual email and telephone number (all our phones are re-routed to our current home offices).

We are proud to have been awarded the AGCAS Membership Quality Standard for expert delivery in careers and employability services in Higher Education.

Read our team's statement of services.

Our Services

Services for students

Careers and placement appointments

We’re operating daily 1:1 careers and placement appointments. All appointments are delivered remotely, meaning you can access them wherever you are. In these appointments we can discuss any careers related topics you’re currently thinking about, including:

discussing job options with your degree, even if you are not sure what you want to do yet
get feedback on your CV, covering letter or an application that you are making
looking for remote internships and work experience
getting started with LinkedIn or improving your current profile
preparing for in-person or remote assessment centres and interviews
all placements related questions - for more information visit the Placements Work webpages.

You can book a careers or placements appointment via your My Jobs Online account, by giving us a call on 0118 378 8359 or emailing us: careers@reading.ac.uk

My Jobs Online

Find out how to make the most of My Jobs Online – from booking appointments, finding the latest vacancies to booking events and fairs.

Workshops and Events

We have an extensive central events programme which ranges from developmental workshops to career advice sessions and recruitment events. All our events are run as webinars and most are recorded so you can access them whenever and wherever you are on Careers24/7, our online Blackboard course. Make sure you book your place via your My Jobs Online account.

Career Engagement Programmes

To gain experience and develop skills required for the world of work, check out the following initiatives and opportunities.

We have adapted our careers programmes to enable remote access and participation wherever possible. For more information please visit the relevant programme’s page or contact careers@reading.ac.uk.

Students with disabilities

Please speak to us if you have questions and would like support with anything careers, jobs or application related. Our team are at hand to help you explore reasonable adjustments to recruitment processes. You can either email careers@reading.ac.uk, call central Careers on 0118 378 8359 or email Careers Consultant Emma Butler (e.l.butler@reading.ac.uk) who leads on our support for Disability and Inclusivity.

Need help with CVs and applications?

Compete Helpsheets | Career Options | Applications and Interviews | Making the most of MJO

Further information about careers support:

Finalist Career Support | International Career Support | PGT Career Support | Disability and Inclusivity

Services for alumni

Graduate support will continue as usual. You can book remote appointments, have general queries answered or find out more about Graduate Coaching by emailing Graduate Careers: graduatecareers@reading.ac.uk. You can book onto upcoming webinars. Additionally, you can call the Graduate Hotline every Monday evening from 6-9pm on 07989213973 . For all information on Graduate support, visit our alumni page.

Services for employers

Services for academic staff and academic Tutors

Careers are here to support you with:

placement queries
delivering employability initiatives remotely
embedding employability in the curriculum
helping you develop your tutee’s employability
data on your students’ careers engagement and your DLHE and Graduate Outcomes data
helping you support students with disabilities, and students from a widening participation background

Please contact careers@reading.ac.uk or placements@reading.ac.uk and we make sure the most appropriate member of staff comes back.

See current list of Careers Consultant by School of study.

Please also feel free to give us a call – all our phone numbers are switched to reach us in our remote working locations via MS Teams.

Student FAQs

Can I book a Telephone Careers appointment?

Yes, you can do this online - log into your My Jobs Online account with your student login details. Click on the Appointments tab and select ‘Telephone Careers Appointment’ and ‘View appointments’. This will show you a list of all our upcoming appointments, with the names of the consultants running them. If you need any adjustments made to access your appointment, please add them in the relevant box, call 0118 378 8359 or email careers@reading.ac.uk. Please note that these appointments can only be booked up to 7 days in advance, so more of them will become available in time.

If you have any difficulties booking your appointment or have further questions, please give us a call on 0118 378 8359 or email careers@reading.ac.uk.

If you find you are unable to attend the appointment please remember to cancel so you free up the slot for another student.

Are the careers appointments the same for Henley Business School students?

Students studying in the Henley Business School have dedicated provision through Henley Business School’s Careers service. The method of booking appointments through your My Jobs Online is the same. If you need any further information, please contact Henley Careers - henleycareers@henley.ac.uk.

Can I change/cancel an appointment?

You can cancel your appointment online - log into your My Jobs Online account with your student login details.

Do you have an interview coming up and need practice?

For students with an interview coming up, we run ‘mock interview’ appointments with our Careers Consultants to give you practice or help you prepare. Final year students will be able to book via My Jobs Online, all other students please call on 0118 378 8359 or email careers@reading.ac.uk

How to find and book an event?

Login to your My Jobs Online account with your student login details. Click on the Search bar, select Events and scroll through list of events coming up for the term. To book, click on the title to find out more, then click the blue ‘Book’ button.

How do I log into My Jobs Online?

Watch our compact tutorials for making the most of My Jobs Online including:

1. Getting started and updating your profile on MJO
2. Book and manage careers appointments on MJO
3. View, book and manage careers events on MJO
4. Search and apply for opportunities on MJO
5. Ask us a question via MJO

Thinking about a placement year?

For Undergraduate students in years 1 and 2 who would like to discuss their placement needs and support, book a placement appointment with a Placement Co-ordinator. Login to your My Jobs Online account and select ‘Placement Appointment’ this may include your course name.

If you have any difficulties booking your appointment or have further questions, please give us a call on 0118 378 8359 or email careers@reading.ac.uk.

I have a question about the Placement pathways...

If you are completing a placement year, Pathways, under Search bar in your My Jobs Online

I have a question about placements/internships/work experience...

If you are just starting to think about placements/internships/work experience, check out the Work Experience Framework. To discuss how it would tie-in to your career planning you can book a Telephone Careers Appointment/Placement appointment with one of our consultants. Login to your My Jobs Online account with your student login details, click on the Appointments tab and select the appointment type you wish to book. Or email careers@reading.ac.uk or placements@reading.ac.uk (if specific placement query).

Where can I find part-time jobs on campus/in Reading?
Visit the Gaining experience section of the Careers website to find out more about where to find part-time work. Campus Jobs advertises opportunities on the Reading campuses and My Jobs Online advertises part-time work in the local area.

What is the RED Award?

The Reading Experience and Development (RED) Award is the official University of Reading Employability Skills Certificate. It is here to help Reading students make the most of the extra-curricular activities and experiences on offer outside of the academic programme. Check out the Introduction to the RED Award.

How do I complete the RED Award?

All the information can be found on the Careers website: Completing the RED Award and attending one of the RED Award Introduction sessions which can be found under Events on My Jobs Online. If you have further questions please email them to red@reading.ac.uk.

Where can I find out about the RED Award Plus and Xcel?

Once you have completed the RED Award you can progress onto the RED Award Plus, which is made up of training and development and 2 new activities. You can then move on to the RED Award Xcel will focus on making sure you are Graduate ready.

If you have further questions please email them to red@reading.ac.uk.

Suggestions, compliments and complaints

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