More LUMS graduates than ever before are gaining graduate jobs despite the recession.

Latest figures show that 83% of last year’s graduates were in graduate employment or postgraduate study, a rise of 5% on the previous year.

LUMS' award-winning Careers, Alumni and Employer Relations Team provides a key link with employers for not only graduates but also current and prospective students.

The LUMS team made it to the final four last year in the National Placement and Internship Awards, in a competition which attracted 30 entries for the title of Best University Placement/Careers Service.

The LUMS submission was praised for the percentage of students undertaking placements and internships, the embedding of the employability agenda throughout LUMS and evidence of innovative and forward-thinking initiatives.

Services targeted at LUMS students include:

• One-to-one careers advice including researching job opportunities and further study
• 100 careers events including attracting top employers to campus and off-site visits
• Work experience fairs – internships, placements and volunteering
• Employer drop-in days
• Speed networking with top graduate employers

The Head of Careers said: “Supporting the career development of our students and alumni is a key priority for LUMS, and we also have a calendar of careers provision to support international students with their global career aspirations.”

Recent events included Focus Asia for over a hundred students, designed to help Asian students explore careers opportunities in Asia and the UK. Careers staff helped introduce students to the range of careers and employability support available to international students at Lancaster, to give them an edge in the competitive global labour market.

These include: leveraging international alumni community networks, 500+ links to direct company recruitment sites overseas, international country profile and industry insights and specially prepared digital video content. Students were invited to prepare their personal global career strategy, identifying key resources they could access to help them make a smoother transition beyond Lancaster.

Another forthcoming initiative is a seminar in Athens aimed at Lancaster University offer holders for October 2013 entry, teaching them how to apply for future vacancies before starting their course and about the UK job market.