Pre-University

If you’re currently in Year 13, you can quickly register for our support by applying here and following the instructions at the top of the page. We will then contact you the month before you start university so you can complete your application. While upReach only support students from when they start at university, there is plenty you can do in the meantime. Talk to your Careers Adviser at school and do your own research online about careers that might interest you. Many firms in sectors such as law or accountancy offer work experience programmes for 16 to 18 year olds that you can apply for.

It is never too early to explore your career options, boost your CV and gain valuable work experience. Doing so before going to university gives you a headstart over others. When you get to university, many firms offer “Spring Week” work experience programmes for 1st years, often leading to “Internships” for 2nd years - these are much easier to get if you’ve had some work experience before and got involved in extra-curricular activities such as sport or societies (and taken leadership roles). Trying to get a graduate job without a Spring Week or Internship is much harder, so it’s important to start thinking about careers and improving your CV from your first term at university. A good degree on it’s own is not enough to secure a good graduate job!

 

University

Are you an eligible undergraduate? We provide a free, comprehensive professional development programme, tailored to your needs. This personalised support is delivered by a dedicated Programme Coordinator in partnership with top employers who offer exclusive opportunities. Through our support activities, we help students (called upReach Associates) into full time graduate employment. In 2016, the average salary of an Associate with a graduate job was £27,553, over £5,500 more than the average graduate. So far our Associates have secured internships or graduate jobs at 42 ‘Times Top 100’ firms.

Alfie, now a Senior Associate at KPMG

"Being an Associate helps you set out your career goals and builds your confidence to apply."

Kim, now a Tax Associate at Deloitte

"I couldn’t have got my offer at Deloitte without upReach and my mentor at the firm."

Emily, now an Analyst at Accenture

"I would not have had the confidence to even apply, never mind get the offer!"

Former Associate

"upReach have connected me with the UK's best minds and companies. They have also facilitated the development of my core skills."

Former Associate, now an Analyst

"upReach were the drivers of my success. They prepared me for my interviews, improved my CV, and helped me develop as a person."

Former Associate, now a Consultant

“upReach's wealth of knowledge and experience of what is needed to excel throughout the application process definitely helped me to set myself apart from the crowd."

What We Do

upReach deliver a comprehensive professional development programme to students from less-advantaged backgrounds.

Working with our partners, upReach help broaden career horizons, raise aspirations and enable our Associates to better understand different career pathways. Our professional development programme helps Associates develop the social and cultural capital necessary for success in the graduate labour market. From skills workshops on campus to daily live video forums and dedicated ongoing 1-to-1 support from a designated Programme Coordinator, upReach offer a personalised programme of support tailored to the needs of each Associate.

Associates gain professional exposure, through Insight Days and work experience programmes with our partner employers and access to an experienced mentor. Associates applying to our partner employers receive extensive support at every stage of the process to maximise their chances of success.

EXCLUSIVE EMPLOYER OPPORTUNITIES

upReach connects Associates to top employers, providing them with exclusive opportunities for professional exposure, insight days, work experience weeks, internships and mentors!

APPLICATION SUPPORT

We provide CV and written application reviews, mock interviews, assessment centre prep, online test support and more. Our exclusive online Career Courses help you build the technical knowledge and commercial awareness you need to succeed.

WORKSHOPS

The Career Academy days (held in London), Skills Workshops (held on campus) and Video Forums (held daily online) give you the chance to build essential skills you need to succeed, whilst meeting other Associates.

ASSOCIATE COMMUNITY

Be part of the upReach Associate community - a chance to meet hundreds of other students who can share their experiences, networks and skills with you.

 

Programmes

Rise is a three year programme of intensive support that aims to help students explore their career options and develop their employability skills throughout their time at university. It is available to students at our partner universities, or who participate in one of our sponsored programmes with Allen & Overy, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Slaughter and May or John Lyon’s Charity.

Aim, is a targeted professional support programme, available to all undergraduates looking to make applications to our partner employers.

On both programmes, Associates are matched with a dedicated Programme Coordinator who supports them through their Career Springboard. They are on hand to offer 1-to-1 support including CV reviews, application support, mock interviews and assessment centre preparation. All Associates have access to exclusive employer events, workshops and video forums, plus extensive online resources including career courses and practice online tests, and the opportunity to get a professional mentor.

Rise Associates benefit from extra support, including workshops on campus and in London, application support for any employer, access to a network of peers, and priority access to exclusive upReach employer events.

Don’t worry if you don’t know which programme you’re eligible for, we’ll work that out!

Career Springboard

upReach Springboard

Eight steps to success:
  1. Submit your CV for review
  2. Complete two online tests
  3. Complete an online upReach Career Course
  4. Attend an Employer Insight Day
  5. Participate in three online Video Forums
  6. Submit an application or Cover Letter for review
  7. Attend a Skills Workshop or Careers Academy
  8. Pass a Mock Interview

Career Sectors

  • Banking and Finance
  • Charity and Social Impact
  • Consulting
  • Creative Industries
  • Exploring (for those unsure what to do next)
  • Government and Public Sector
  • Law
  • Professional Services
  • Retail and Consumer Goods
  • Technology

upReach’s unique Career Springboards are the foundation of our programmes and comprise of eight key steps that aim to equip upReach Associates with the skills, experience and knowledge that will help them achieve their career goals and to thrive in the world of work. They have been developed in conjunction with top employers and based on our extensive experience supporting over 1000 students in five years. We expect every student joining upReach to complete a Springboard in at least one career sector within three months of joining. We personally recommend those Associates who complete a Springboard on LinkedIn and to our partner employers. These comprehensive, specialised learning programmes have been developed with the support of Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

upReach have created a Springboard in each of ten career sectors. Students can choose their preferred sector when they apply, with the option to change once an Associate.

The next steps are:

  1. Apply now.
  2. You’ll be invited to complete a 10-15 minute survey - take your time, and answer honestly - The answers are used to generate a tailored Personal Employability Report that outlines your strengths and weaknesses. You’ll receive this by email regardless of whether you ultimately join upReach.
  3. Confirm your eligibility, then we’ll be in touch to invite you to interview. These usually take place via phone, Skype or on campus.

Who We Support

We currently support students from over 53 different universities.

In order to be an upReach Associate, you must

  • Have a household income below £42,620
  • Have attended UK state schools only (or since age 14 if you were educated abroad before then)
  • Have achieved (or have a REALrating* equivalent to) at least BBB in your top 3 A-Levels or an equivalent qualification (including Access to Higher Education courses)
  • Have achieved at least a C in GCSE Maths and English
  • Be over 18
  • Currently be an undergraduate that is in full-time study at a UK university.**
  • Not to be studying social work, nursing, dentistry or medicine.

*Your REALrating gives you a better indication of your academic capabilities, taking into account factors such as schooling that can affect grades. To find out more, please visit realrating.co.uk

**If you have completed your undergraduate course of study, or have graduated as of July 2018, then you are not eligible to apply

Not at University yet? Please register your interest in the Programme here and we'll be in touch after results day!

getEmployable

As part of the application process, you will be invited to complete a questionnaire that identifies your employability strengths and weaknesses. Whether or not you become an Associate, you will be sent a Personal Employability Report. This has been created based on our Graduate Employability Framework, developed in conjunction with our partner employers and universities.

For more information, visit www.getemployable.org

REALrating - Contextualise your grades!

REALrating enables students to find out how their academic potential compares to their peers. It gives employers a fairer measure of your academic achievements than A-Levels alone.

When universities assess academic potential using A-Level grades, many take into account socio-economic background, making lower offers where it has affected attainment. There is evidence that shows such students go on to outperform students from private schools with higher grades. Increasingly, employers are flexing (or even waiving) their fixed minimum A-Level requirements, to ensure high potential students from disadvantaged backgrounds don’t miss out. We have created the REALrating to enable employers that use A-Level grades as a filter to ensure they don't miss out on top talent.

For more information, visit www.realrating.co.uk

my.upReach Login

my.upReach is the gateway for Associates, allowing them to access the full range of upReach resources:

- Sign up for video forums, skills workshops and Insight Events
- Book a mock interview or 1-to-1
- Register for a mentor
- Update us on their application
- Practise online tests
- Research careers and employers
- Watch video workshops
- Contact their Programme Coordinator
- Understand their employability
- Build employability skills