Student Careers
Careers and Employability empowers UAL students and graduates to make a living doing what they love.
Our range of services can help you to build a successful career, whether you want to be an employee, freelancer, entrepreneur or creative practitioner.
We provide:
- Job opportunities
- Career resources
- One-to-one advice (email careers-support@arts.ac.uk)
- Awards, funding and mentoring
- Events and workshops
- Freelance and business support
- Opportunities to exhibit and sell your work
Support is free and accessible to all UAL students and graduates (up to 5 years after graduation).
We don't have a student-facing office, but you can email us anytime with any questions: careers-support@arts.ac.uk, or for graduates, you can email gradsupport@arts.ac.uk
Get Involved
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Illustration by Gracie Dahl
Apply for a mentor
A mentor/mentee relationship can support you in building your network, boost your confidence, and help you define a clearer path to achieving goals.
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Image by Yeshen Venema, Emma Shipley, Spring collection from not just a shop.
Competitions and live briefs
We have 2 opportunities live now with not just a shop.
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Lauren Vaughan, 2019 MA Fine Art, Camberwell College of Arts, UAL, Image courtesy of UAL
Creative Business Accelerator
UAL’s Creative Business Accelerator is a program for graduates with active businesses ready to grow. It offers workshops, tailored support from industry professionals, mentoring, peer coaching, and a participation bursary.
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Lauren Vaughan,
Creative Business Internships
The Creative Business Internships give you the opportunity to get valuable, hands-on work experience with a business started by a UAL graduate.
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Credit Illustration by Gracie Dahl
Join our Founders and Freelancers network
Work for yourself or want to in the future? Sign up to be part of our Founders and Freelancers group on The Dots!
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Mohammed Adel painting in the studio. Photo Alys Tomlinson
Support for visual artists
Artquest provides the professional information, advice and projects that visual artists need to understand the art world.
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Image by Dave George
Top Drawer: Design Trade Show
Apply for a discounted spot at the UK’s leading design-led trade show for gift and interior products.
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Catarina Morais, Image courtesy of UAL
UAL Career Toolkit
Access support and guidance through your Moodle account with UAL Career Toolkit.
Key resources
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Image by Gracie Dahl
Find a job
UAL can help you to find paid employment during or after your studies through Arts Temps and Creative Opportunities.
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Illustration by Gracie Dahl
Explore our career resources
Our range of online tools and learning guides are designed to help you with your portfolio, interview skills and more.
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Image by Tasia Graham
Opportunities for underrepresented students
Learn more about Creative Shift, our programme of opportunities and events designed to help you kick start your career.
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Networking by Catarina Fonseca Chaica
Come to our events
Our free events, training sessions and one-to-ones will help you to learn practical skills, gain advice and meet creative professionals.
Latest stories
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Image of fine artist in the studio, photographed by Alys Tomlinson Creative industry updates: The evolving job listings landscape
The baseline has moved. Creative hiring has quietly changed. Niche skills are becoming much more widely expected, and employers are redefining what 'creative talent' looks like.
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Frederick Hunt working with plaster in the studio Creative Opportunities Employers: Should you hire a freelancer or set up a PAYE employee?
In recent years, particularly since COVID-19, there has been an increase in freelance roles submitted by employers on Creative Opportunities. With an uncertain economy disrupting recruitment cycles, freelancers have become a practical solution for
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Graphic by Ivy Watts Designing for Impact - Class 13
When your message is difficult to hear, how you present it matters.
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Image of Thea Hyde, photographed by Elspeth Vincent Inside a Creative Business Internship – HYD Studio
Ready to explore what’s possible? Creative Business Internships give you the chance to gain real, hands-on experience with businesses built by UAL graduates. It’s your opportunity to learn directly from people who’ve turned their creative