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Graduate recruitment

Find out about graduate programmes, internships, and job opportunities.

Each year, the University works with employers who are hiring graduating students.

Graduate programmes

Some organisations offer graduate programmes for new employees. They typically run for one or two years, and during this time you may be paired with a mentor, spend time working in different areas of the business, and attend several training and professional development sessions.

Internships

In contrast to graduate programmes, internships are short and usually for penultimate year students. They are typically one to four months in length and may have a singular focus, like a project.

Internships can be a pathway into long-term employment in an organisation. It depends on the employer. Check the organisation’s website for details.

Other job opportunities

Not every organisation runs a graduate recruitment programme. There are many roles available aimed at early-career professionals. The key difference is these positions will usually be for an immediate start.

The recruitment process

Each organisation has a different recruitment process. Here’s an example of a graduate recruitment programme recruitment process:

  1. online application
  2. cognitive testing
  3. one-way video introduction
  4. written exercise
  5. half day assessment centre, which culminates in a competency-based interview
  6. offers made to successful candidates.

This process could take up to two months.

Start looking for graduate recruitment opportunities in February

The graduate recruitment season starts in February for both internships and graduate roles. Some employers recruit graduating students at this time to start in February the following year.

From February, and throughout the year, there are many on campus or online events you can attend to find out practical information for applying for jobs, meet your potential future employer, and connect with professionals in your field.

These opportunities are highly competitive. You need to be pro-active and well prepared for multiple steps, such as psychometric testing, assessment centres and office visits.

Prepare for graduate recruitment

Graduate recruitment activities happen from the beginning of and throughout the academic year. Even if you are not in your final year of study, you can:

Wellington Careers and Employment jobs

Find student and graduate opportunities from top employers all in one handy place. Features of your job search engine:

NZUni Talent

Search opportunities from employers advertising directly to New Zealand university students and graduates. These opportunities have come via your careers service so have been checked for relevance and include graduate roles, programmes, internships, part-time student roles and volunteering. NZUni Talent jobs will always be listed at the top of your search.

Get help with your career

You can get help with your applications from the University’s Careers and Employment service. They are experts in graduate recruitment.

We recommend you do your research and think about the most suitable pathway for you and your career goals and use the services of Careers and Employment  to help you find your fit.

You can find out about graduate programmes by checking the University’s CareerHub regularly for events and opportunities, and researching online:

  1. Top 100 Graduate Employers
  2. LinkedIn
  3. organisations you’re interested in working for.

You can book an appointment with a career consultant, attend a workshop, or use some of our online tools like the CV checker.