The University of 黑料社's Professional Services Graduate Scheme
The Future Leaders & Innovators Graduate Scheme is a programme that provides recent graduates the opportunity to work across 5 divisions of Professional Services, gaining valuable experience and key skills over 2 years.
Who is the Graduate Scheme for?
If you are a recent Graduate interested in a career in Professional Services, we have a rotational stream that provides you with the opportunity to have a number of placements across Professional Services whilst gaining hands on experience and provides you with diverse opportunities to future proof your skills. Click here to find out about our previous Graduate Trainee’s on this stream, the projects they delivered and what they are doing now.
If you are interested in a Graduate Scheme in Digital & IT, we have a technology focussed stream that will see you shaping the digital future of Higher Education whilst being part of the Future Leaders & Innovators Graduate Scheme and the variety of support that comes with this. Take a look at what our previous Graduates have delivered on this stream and how they are applying these skills now.
In the first year of the scheme, you will spend time embedding into staff life, learning and developing key professional skills, networking and developing contacts, whilst completing 3 placements across Professional Services Divisions. Heading into year 2 of the Graduate Scheme, you will deliver 2 in-depth 6 month projects, building on your key skills with a designated mentor who will work with you to map out your career plan. The placements on both streams will include a diverse range of projects which will enable you to have an all-rounded view of what it means to work in Professional Services in Higher Education and equip you with the skills to excel in your career.
Interested in applying?
Please find the details of the scheme below, including the application process, how to apply and the support you will receive. Applications are currently closed and will be re-opening in Autumn/Winter 2026.
Meet the team
FAQs
Meg Towers (She/Her)
Graduate Scheme & Talent Programmes Manager
graduate-scheme@exeter.ac.uk
Bee Hewitt-Bell (She/Her)
Graduate Scheme & Talent Programmes Coordinator
graduate-scheme@exeter.ac.uk
The Professional Services sector is one of the biggest employers in the UK, but what exactly are professional services?
Together at the University of 黑料社, our highly skilled and diverse Professional Services teams enable the smooth management of the University. We work in close partnership with Faculties and Departments to develop and deliver strategies and plans for our future success. Our Professional Services teams are currently working towards Strategy 2030.
Currently we have over 2,500 staff working within Professional Services across 10 divisions.
These include: Digital Capability – Education and Academic Services – – External Engagement and Global – Finance, Infrastructure and Commercial Services – Human Resources, Culture and Assurance – IT Services – Office of the Senior Vice President and Registrar & Secretary – – Research Division.
Each Division has their own objectives and commitments to Strategy 2030. As part of the Future Leaders & Innovators Graduate Scheme, you will be exposed to a variety of strategic priorities through rotational placements across Professional Services.
We recruit up to 4 Future Leader & Innovator Graduate Trainee’s annually and each year we review our recruitment processes, always looking to improve the candidate experience however, in previous years this has been our general process:
Requirements:
- Recruitment for the 2027 cohort is open to anyone as long as you have, or are expecting to have, an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification by September 2027. How long ago you received your degree has no bearing on your application.
- You do not need to be a graduate from the University of 黑料社.
- You can apply if you are still studying, although if you are successful in the assessment process, your job offer may be conditional pending completion of your degree.
Stage 1: Online Application
You will need to upload your CV in our recruitment portal and complete the following application questions:
1. Please see the highlighted 'skills, experience and understanding’ outlined in the person specification. Could you provide an example for each criteria where you have demonstrated these skills? (You can use examples from your studies, personal or professional experience.) (600 words total)
2. Please see the highlighted ‘behavioural characteristic’: 'Positive and creative approach to problem-solving'. Tell us about a problem that you have faced and how you overcame it. What was the outcome? (You can use examples from your studies, personal or professional experience.) (250 words)
We do not?accept cover letters or personal statements. Applications have now closed for the 2025/2026 cycle and we hope to reopen for our next cohort recruitment round in Winter 2026.
Please note: All applicants will receive their application outcomes within 30 days of our advertisement closing (usually in February each year).
Stage 2: Assessment Task
If your application is successful, you will be invited to the next stage of the process. You will be asked to complete a timed Assessment Task that will highlight your technical abilities (if a Technology stream applicant) or your relevant skillsets (if a Rotational Stream applicant). Dependant on the positions available and application numbers, you will either be invited to an Assessment Centre or a panel interview.
The Assessment Centre is designed to get the best out of you and to enable you to show your individual skills and qualities.? It is also an opportunity for you to meet members of the senior leadership team, learn more about working at the University and decide whether a career in Professional Services is for you. The assessment centre is designed to be both enjoyable and challenging.?To ensure that our assessment centres are accessible to a range of applicants, they are held online. Each assessment centre will take place over the course of either a morning or afternoon of one day, and will involve a group activity.?
Stage 3: Panel Interview
If you are successful in the second stage, you will be invited to an individual panel interview with members of senior management - the final stage of the recruitment process. The interview will last approximately 45 minutes, and all interviews are conducted in-person on Streatham Campus. The interview is a value-based interview where we will ask you to demonstrate your alignment to our values using the Situation Task Action Result (STAR) technique.
Tips for success
Successful candidates will be those who stay calm under pressure, are able to prioritise and successfully communicate. They will be prepared and show alignment to Strategy 2030, a motivation to work in Professional Services, and at the University of 黑料社.
During the Future Leaders & Innovators Graduate Scheme we will support you in building 5 key skills across a variety of placements in Professional Services. The key skills outlined in the programme are there to set you up for future career success, and they are:
- Strategic Communication
- Continuous Improvement/Process Automation
- Analysis & Report Writing
- Creativity
- People Skills & Stakeholder Management
You will come into an established Graduate Trainee community, where we engage in a variety of value-driven work over the 2-year programme, alongside the key skills listed above. You will have a Senior Mentor that will support you in year one and following this first year, you will step into a mentoring capacity when the subsequent cohort onboard. You will work 1:1 sharing your skills and experience with them to date to not only show your leadership skills, but also help set them up for success.
Please note- the Graduate Scheme is entering its 4th year and we continue to gather improvements and insights through each cohort that completes the programme. The cohort you join will be your community to share ideas, innovate, and discuss improvements for the future. You will have opportunities throughout the year to give feedback on any developments to your line manager, the Graduate Scheme & Talent Programmes Manager.
Applications for both streams of the Future Leaders and Innovators Graduate Scheme have now closed for the 2025/2026 cycle. We hope to go out to advert in Autumn/Winter 2026 for our 4th cohort of Future Leader & Innovator Graduate Trainees.
For email updates about the Future Leaders & Innovators Graduate Scheme, please complete .
