Are you graduating in the summer of 2026? Do you have your next move lined up, or are you currently applying for jobs or courses?

In this special episode of Careersphere, Jisc's Labour Market Analyst Charlie Ball sits down for a chat with Careers Consultants Rish, Lauren and Emily, covering the reality of the graduate jobs market in 2026. In part 2:

• What is the picture in the Scottish job market?
• Can I really have a career as a freelancer?
• SMEs - the jobs that you don't always see
• Is AI going to stop me from getting a graduate job?

Dr Charlie Ball is a public-facing expert on UK graduate employment, who has contributed to papers, presentations and policy documents relating to the UK jobs market, with a specific focus on outcomes for UK university students and graduates.

A big thank you to Charlie for sharing his time and expertise. In case you missed it, Part 1 of this discussion is already in your podcast feeds.

You can find out more information and updates by visiting our pages on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠. Students and graduates can log into ⁠⁠TARGETconnect⁠⁠ to access careers resources, view vacancies and events, and get inspiration for your next steps.

Please note that any advertisements that you hear are likely to be based on your own preferences, and are not controlled or endorsed by the Careers Service or the University of Stirling.

Are you graduating in the summer of 2026? Do you have your next move lined up, or are you currently applying for jobs or courses?

In this special episode of Careersphere, Jisc's Labour Market Analyst Charlie Ball sits down for a chat with Careers Consultants Rish, Lauren and Emily, covering the reality of the graduate jobs market in 2026. In part 1:

• Is it all doom and gloom?
• Are job prospects better for graduates?
• Where can I find jobs in the current market?
• What is the situation for international graduates?

Dr Charlie Ball is a public-facing expert on UK graduate employment, who has contributed to papers, presentations and policy documents relating to the UK jobs market, with a specific focus on outcomes for UK university students and graduates.

A big thank you to Charlie for sharing his time and expertise. Part 2 of this discussion will be in your podcast feeds adjacent to this episode.

You can find out more information and updates by visiting our pages on Instagram and LinkedIn. Students and graduates can log into ⁠TARGETconnect⁠ to access careers resources, view vacancies and events, and get inspiration for your next steps.

Please note that any advertisements that you hear are likely to be based on your own preferences, and are not controlled or endorsed by the Careers Service or the University of Stirling.

Welcome to Careersphere, the podcast by the University of Stirling Careers Team!

Our final episode of this series covers some of the key themes and messages from our first seven Careersphere guests:

• Hear about why your degree subject does not necessarily determine your future
• How your part-time job and voluntary experience can open up career possibilities
• Get expert tips on career choice, going for interviews, and how recruitment processes work

A massive thank you to all of our guests this series: Rachel, Arian, Brianna, Dez, Armani, Emily, Megan, Lesley and Jamie. Thank YOU also for listening!

You can find out more information and updates by visiting @stirunicareers on Instagram or look up 'University of Stirling Careers Service' on LinkedIn. If you are a current student, do log into TARGETconnect to book appointments, view vacancies and events, and find out more about My Stirling Award.

Please note that any advertisements that you hear are likely to be based on your own preferences, and are not controlled or endorsed by the Careers Service or the University of Stirling.

Welcome to Careersphere, the podcast by the University of Stirling Careers Team!

This month's guest is Jamie Betts, the Founder of Neurosight, who provide specialist recruitment tools for many employers in the UK. Jamie shares:

• His vision when starting the business
• Why employers use psychometric tests and online recruitment tools
• Whether it is a good thing to use Generative AI as part of your application.

We also hear Jamie's top tips for choosing your future career, and making strong applications.

Big thanks to Jamie for joining us. You can find out more information and updates by visiting @stirunicareers on Instagram, and if you are a current student, do log into TARGETconnect to book appointments, view vacancies and events, and find out more about My Stirling Award.

Please note that any advertisements that you hear are likely to be based on your own preferences, and are not controlled or endorsed by the Careers Service or the University of Stirling.

Welcome to Careersphere, the podcast by the University of Stirling Careers Team!

This month's guest is Lesley Dugan, who works as a Recruitment Analyst in the Charity Sector. Lesley tells us about changing her degree subject, how her part-time job at University became the start of her career, and also about how important values are in her work. We also hear Lesley's top tips to avoid career panic and ensure that you are well-equipped to handle what the future may throw at you.

Big thanks to Lesley for joining us. You can find out more information and updates by visiting @stirunicareers on Instagram, and if you are a current student, do log into TARGETconnect to book appointments, view vacancies and events, and find out more about My Stirling Award.

Please note that any advertisements that you hear are likely to be based on your own preferences, and are not controlled or endorsed by the Careers Service or the University of Stirling.

Welcome to Careersphere, the podcast by the University of Stirling Careers Team!

This month's guest is Megan McDonald, who works as Careers and Outreach Officer for the Law Society of Scotland. Megan discusses how she studied Law, but decided against becoming a solicitor, and how getting her job offer made her heart sing. She also talks about law-specific and transferable skills that make this podcast essential listening for LLB, BA Law, and any student considering the relationship between their degree and their future career.

Big thanks to Megan for joining us. You can find out more information and updates by visiting @stirunicareers on Instagram, and if you are a current student, do log into TARGETconnect to book appointments, view vacancies and events, and find out more about My Stirling Award.

Please note that any advertisements that you hear are likely to be based on your own preferences, and are not controlled or endorsed by the Careers Service or the University of Stirling.

Welcome to Careersphere, the podcast by the University of Stirling Careers Team!

This month's guest is our very own Emily Sandwell, International Careers Consultant. In this episode Emily shares how she decided what to do after university, and also her top tips for students starting their studies this month - whether you are a home, UK or international student, how can you make the most of your time at the University of Stirling?

Big thanks to Emily for joining us this month. You can find out more information and updates by visiting @stirunicareers on Instagram, and if you are a current student, do log into TARGETconnect to book appointments, view vacancies and events, and find out more about My Stirling Award.

Do stay tuned, as each month, we will bring you new insights and interviews, brought to you by experts and alumni linked to the University of Stirling.

Please note that any advertisements that you hear are likely to be based on your own preferences, and are not controlled or endorsed by the Careers Service or the University of Stirling.

Welcome to Careersphere, the podcast by the University of Stirling Careers Team! Each month, we bring you new insights and interviews, brought to you by experts and alumni linked to the University of Stirling.

This month, as we get closer to the Christmas break, we have a slightly different type of podcast, speaking with Dez, Brianna and Armani, three Stirling students who also work as interns with Careers, Work-Based Learning and Enterprise.

In this podcast we ask our interns what their dream jobs were when they were kids, and if they know what they want to do after university. We also have a chat about the joys and difficulties of working whilst studying, and their top tips for making the most of your time at university.

Big thanks to Dez, Brianna and Armani for giving up their time to join the podcast. You can find out more information and updates by visiting @stirunicareers on Instagram, and if you are a current student, do log into TARGETconnect to book appointments, view vacancies and events, and find out more about My Stirling Award.

Please note that any advertisements that you hear are likely to be based on your own preferences, and are not controlled or endorsed by the Careers Service or the University of Stirling.

Welcome to Careersphere, the new podcast by the University of Stirling Careers Team! Each month, we bring you new insights and interviews, brought to you by experts and alumni linked to the University of Stirling.

This month's guest is Arian Zare, one of our own colleagues who works as our Careers Co-ordinator. Arian takes care of a variety of tasks including marketing and communications, systems and administration in support of a small but busy Careers Service.

In this podcast Arian shares his story about coming to the UK as an international student, and how he made the most of his time at university, including internships and part-time work in a variety of departments. He then tells us about his current job and ambitions for the future, before sharing his top tips for current students.

Big thanks to Arian for giving up his time to join the podcast. You can find out more information and updates by visiting @stirunicareers on Instagram, and if you are a current student, do log into TARGETconnect to book appointments, view vacancies and events, and find out more about My Stirling Award.

Please note that any advertisements that you hear are likely to be based on your own preferences, and are not controlled or endorsed by the Careers Service or the University of Stirling.

Welcome to Careersphere, the new podcast by the University of Stirling Careers Team! Each month, we bring you new insights and interviews, brought to you by experts and alumni linked to the University of Stirling.

Our first guest is Rachel Peck, who works as the Head of Entry and Progression Routes for the Fast Stream and Emerging Talent at the Cabinet Office - essentially Rachel's job is to recruit people to work in a number of departments in the machinery of UK government.

The Civil Service is one of the most popular graduate recruiters in the UK, and Rachel shares her tips for succeeding in job application processes, as well as how she went from being a BSc Marine Biology student at Stirling, to graduating into a recession, and now working in a senior role for the Civil Service.

Big thanks to Rachel for giving up her time to join the podcast. You can find out more information and updates by visiting @stirunicareers on Instagram, and if you are a current student, do log into TARGETconnect to book appointments, view vacancies and events, and find out more about My Stirling Award.

Please note that any advertisements that you hear are likely to be based on your own preferences, and are not controlled or endorsed by the Careers Service or the University of Stirling.

Welcome to Series 2 of Careersphere, the podcast by the University of Stirling Careers Team!

This month's guest is Matt Turpin, who combines working as a lecturer at a further education college, with his roles as an editor of a 'hyperlocal' magazine, and as a journalist and writer.

Careers Consultant Rish Baruah speaks to Matt about how he combines multiple occupations and hobbies into a single 'portfolio' career, and how passion combined with entrepreneurial thinking can open up career opportunities. Matt also shares his top tips for anyone thinking about working in the creative industries, or who wants to make a career out of something that they enjoy.

Big thanks to Matt for joining us. You can find out more information and updates by visiting our pages on Instagram and LinkedIn. Students and graduates can log into ⁠TARGETconnect⁠ to access careers resources, view vacancies and events, and get inspiration for your next steps.

Please note that any advertisements that you hear are likely to be based on your own preferences, and are not controlled or endorsed by the Careers Service or the University of Stirling.

Welcome to Series 2 of Careersphere, the podcast by the University of Stirling Careers Team!

This month's guest is Arundati Dandapani, a multi-certified, multi-award-winning leader and the Founder and CEO of Generation1.ca, a social enterprise and nonprofit professional community association advancing immigrant inclusion and empowerment powered by data-driven innovation and storytelling across North America.

Careers Consultant Rish Baruah speaks to Arundati about the power of storytelling, and how that not only brought her to Stirling for her MLitt Publishing degree, but also provides a 'Golden Thread' connecting her various roles as a Founder, CEO, Professor, speaker and author.

• Connect with Arundati on LinkedIn
• Follow Generation1.ca
• Sign up for Culturally Significant, Arundati's monthly newsletter

Big thanks to Arundati for joining us. You can find out more information and updates by visiting our pages on Instagram and LinkedIn. Students and graduates can log into TARGETconnect to access careers resources, view vacancies and events, and get inspiration for your next steps.

Please note that any advertisements that you hear are likely to be based on your own preferences, and are not controlled or endorsed by the Careers Service or the University of Stirling.

Welcome to Series 2 of Careersphere, the podcast by the University of Stirling Careers Team!

This month we are doing things slightly differently, with a two-part discussion for all students who are completing their studies in the Summer of 2026. We bring you the lowdown on some of the key issues facing finalists and postgraduate students right now:

• What is it really like looking for a job in 2026? We are hearing a lot about a slow economy and how there aren't any jobs to apply for, so we take a look at the available evidence
• Is AI destroying my chances of getting a job? Are graduate jobs really being taken by AI, and are LLMs making applications easier or harder? We attempt to separate the fact from fiction
• What happens if I graduate without having a job to go to, and is the situation worse if I am an international student? What are the options available to me after I graduate, and what exactly is a 'graduate level job'? Most importantly, what is your purpose?

This discussion is brought to you by your Careers Consultants Rish Baruah, Lauren Ferguson and Emily Sandwell, looking at the latest evidence and research.

This is a BIG discussion, so we have split it into two parts for you; part 1 is available alongside this episode.

You can find out more information and updates by visiting our pages on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠. Students and graduates can log into ⁠TARGETconnect⁠ to access careers resources, view vacancies and events, and find out more about My Stirling Award.

Please note that any advertisements that you hear are likely to be based on your own preferences, and are not controlled or endorsed by the Careers Service or the University of Stirling.

Welcome to Series 2 of Careersphere, the podcast by the University of Stirling Careers Team!

This month we are doing things slightly differently, with a two-part discussion for all students who are completing their studies in the Summer of 2026. We bring you the lowdown on some of the key issues facing finalists and postgraduate students right now:

• What is it really like looking for a job in 2026? We are hearing a lot about a slow economy and how there aren't any jobs to apply for, so we take a look at the available evidence
• Is AI destroying my chances of getting a job? Are graduate jobs really being taken by AI, and are LLMs making applications easier or harder? We attempt to separate the fact from fiction
• What happens if I graduate without having a job to go to, and is the situation worse if I am an international student? What are the options available to me after I graduate, and what exactly is a 'graduate level job'? Most importantly, what is your purpose?

This discussion is brought to you by your Careers Consultants Rish Baruah, Lauren Ferguson and Emily Sandwell, looking at the latest evidence and research.

This is a BIG discussion, so we have split it into two parts for you; part two will be available alongside this episode.

You can find out more information and updates by visiting our pages on Instagram and LinkedIn. Students and graduates can log into TARGETconnect to access careers resources, view vacancies and events, and find out more about My Stirling Award.

Please note that any advertisements that you hear are likely to be based on your own preferences, and are not controlled or endorsed by the Careers Service or the University of Stirling.

Welcome to Series 2 of Careersphere, the podcast by the University of Stirling Careers Team!

This month's guest is our very own Anne Cumming, Employer Engagement Manager within Student Skills and Employability at the University of Stirling.

Anne talks to Careers Consultant Rish Baruah about what 'work-based learning' actually means for students at the university, and how her background as a Stirling alumna inspired her to create partnerships with local and national employers.

Anne also shares news of a couple of events that are coming up in January and February 2026, that will be useful to students who are thinking about part-time jobs, internships or graduate opportunities.

Big thanks to Anne for joining us. You can find out more information and updates by visiting our pages on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠. Students and graduates can log into ⁠⁠⁠TARGETconnect⁠⁠⁠ to access careers resources, view vacancies and events, and find out more about My Stirling Award.

Please note that any advertisements that you hear are likely to be based on your own preferences, and are not controlled or endorsed by the Careers Service or the University of Stirling.

Welcome to Series 2 of Careersphere, the podcast by the University of Stirling Careers Team!

This month's guest is Ekaterina Petrova, a recent graduate of BSc Management at the University of Stirling, who is now working in Digital Transformation as part of the NatWest graduate programme.

Ekaterina talks to Careers Consultant Rish Baruah about the benefits of a graduate scheme, and how she got her place. She also talks about the activities she did at university, including a placement, part-time work and volunteering.

Finally, find out if Ekaterina's childhood dream of becoming a film actor helped her to achieve her current ambitions.

Big thanks to Ekaterina for joining us. You can find out more information and updates by visiting our pages on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠. Students and graduates can log into ⁠⁠TARGETconnect⁠⁠ to access careers resources, view vacancies and events, and find out more about My Stirling Award.

Please note that any advertisements that you hear are likely to be based on your own preferences, and are not controlled or endorsed by the Careers Service or the University of Stirling.

Welcome to Series 2 of Careersphere, the podcast by the University of Stirling Careers Team!

This month's guest is Dr Vicky Mileva, a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Stirling who is also a prominent voice in the use of AI in academia, work and life.

Vicky joins Careers Consultant Rish Baruah to discuss how she became a lecturer and balances her specialism in psychology with her interests in AI. We also hear Vicky's thoughts on how to critically use the technology and the impact it can have on both our lives and our planet. Finally, Vicky shares her top tips.

Big thanks to Vicky for joining us. You can find out more information and updates by visiting our pages on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠. Students and graduates can log into ⁠TARGETconnect⁠ to access careers resources, view vacancies and events, and find out more about My Stirling Award.

Please note that any advertisements that you hear are likely to be based on your own preferences, and are not controlled or endorsed by the Careers Service or the University of Stirling.

Welcome to Series 2 of Careersphere, the podcast by the University of Stirling Careers Team!

This month's guest is Dr Sam Lynch, Founder of "Work Smarter", an advisory practice that accelerates ambitions for individuals and organisations, and delivers career coaching, innovation consultancy and business coaching.

Sam joins Careers Consultant Rish Baruah to discuss the "golden threads" that have permeated her career so far, the importance of personal brand, and supporting women in their professional ambitions. Finally, Sam shares her top tips for you, to support you with your own personal career journey.

Useful resources referred to in this episode:

• Dr Sam Lynch: Work Smarter
• Follow Sam on LinkedIn and Instagram
• Video explainer of Jeff Olson's Slight Edge theory

Big thanks to Dr Sam Lynch for joining us. You can find out more information and updates by visiting our pages on Instagram and LinkedIn. Students and graduates can log into TARGETconnect to access careers resources, view vacancies and events, and find out more about My Stirling Award.

Please note that any advertisements that you hear are likely to be based on your own preferences, and are not controlled or endorsed by the Careers Service or the University of Stirling.