Personal Development

Lucy Cavendish College offers all its students the best facilities, support and advice from both the College and from the University central services, to plan their academic and personal development during their studies and research, and towards their future career.

The central Cambridge University Careers Service, based at Mill Lane, provides a wealth of careers information and guidance, many of it specifically aimed at graduate students. It also offers interview practice sessions, coaching and workshops throughout the year, and provides invaluable help with placement in jobs. Their services are still available to students after they leave, but it is strongly advisable to get in contact with them as early as possible.

Students also receive support from their personal tutor in College, who can also provide references if required, even after you leave. Lucy Cavendish College also arranges graduate programmes every term on topics related career planning, as requested by the student body.

During your time at Cambridge you will be given various opportunities both in your Department and in College, in your academic work and in other activities (e.g. University Societies etc.) to develop valuable skills that will be transferable to situations outside academic work and study. The University has a website on transferable skills for undergraduates, where you can also search in a more detailed way by transferable skills by individual subject. You are encouraged to identify and develop those skills that you might need for different aspects of your course or your career, and to keep a record of this using a Personal Development Plan.

Personal Development Plan:

A whole range of skills that many students already have, to some degree, and that can be further developed during their time at University, are often overlooked. There is increasing awareness of the advantages that ensue not only from honing these skills, but also from keeping a record of personal training and development and planning accordingly.

You are encouraged to download and use the Personal Development Plan provided by the College, and adapt it if necessary to better suit your individual circumstances. The advantages of doing so range from increased personal advancement and satisfaction, to better time management and academic results, to better CV’s and greatly improved ability to present one’s own abilities and potential to a prospective employer.

Lucy Cavendish College graduates go on to many different kinds of work after they graduate; some have studied topics here such as Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Law or Education, and move on to careers that build on those qualifications. Others use their degrees to combine with the skills and expertise they had before they came here, to get better jobs in the same field or to move into freelance work as consultants. Some go on to take higher degrees, either at the University of Cambridge or elsewhere, or continue academic research with (post-doctoral) positions in the UK or overseas. While others find sides to themselves during their time here that they never would have guessed and - with the help of careers advisers - they move into entirely new and exciting fields. All will be supported throughout their time at Lucy Cavendish College to best develop the skills and confidence they need to achieve their goals, whatever they may be.

Use the 'Useful resources' page to view further suggested links related to careers and personal development.