Graduate careers in Edinburgh
Scotland's capital city is most famous for its arts scene, hosting the Edinburgh Festival and the more anarchic Edinburgh Fringe Festival every August, which mean that the city is full to bursting and buzzing during the summer months.
As well as these events, the infamous Hogmanay brings in the New Year with a huge street party on Princes Street and, on the sporting side, Edinburgh is home to Murrayfield (the national rugby stadium), Europe's largest dry ski slope, the Commonwealth pool, Meadowbank stadium and the National Hockey Centre. In a recent survey, 95 per cent of people said they were happy living in Edinburgh, making it the third happiest place in the country!
As the sixth largest fund management centre in Europe, Edinburgh offers a dynamic and exciting environment for those wanting to start a career in banking, investment, IT or accountancy. However, these are by no means the only career paths available. Engineering and law firms offer graduate placements and will support new recruits through the necessary professional exams. Opportunities that arise in Glasgow, Dundee, St Andrews and Stirling should not be ignored either as there are good, efficient transport links by train or bus, which make for an easy commute.
In and around Edinburgh | Drink at... | Dance at... | Eat at... | Shop at... | The cost of living in Edinburgh | Getting work in the Edinburgh area
In and around Edinburgh
Edinburgh is surrounded by countryside so escape from city life is less than an hour away. There are clubs and societies for climbing, hill walking, fell running, skiing and other outdoor pursuits. Edinburgh JMCS and Edinburgh Ski Club are good starting points if you want to get involved.
Edinburgh also caters well for its students and graduates. Murrayfield has student tickets for the rugby from £5 and the main theatres offer student tickets from as little as £9, making otherwise expensive luxuries much more affordable. However, Edinburgh can be an expensive city if you don't know where to look, so here are a few suggestions for the quirky, fun and inexpensive places to head to.
Drink at...
- Candy Bar: Classy, lively George Street bar, popular with young professionals. Fairly pricey but two-for-one drinks on weekday evenings make it more affordable.
- The Links Bar: Cheap drinks deals, big screens for sports and loads of outside seating make it the perfect place for lazy summer days and nights out on the lash!
- Brass Monkeys: Shows films daily at 3.00 pm in the back room, which is covered with a huge mattress. A cosy retreat to escape the Edinburgh winter.
Dance at...
- Massa: Student night is on Wednesday - £4.00 entry and 50p drinks make it well worth a visit. Right in the middle of town next to Waverley station, this club has regular themed nights and is incredibly popular with the university sports teams. Trevor Nelson guest DJs.
- Lulus: Five shots for £5 on student nights make this usually expensive George Street club more affordable and a cut above the usual student haunts.
- Caberet Voltaire: Different club nights every day of the week mean that there's something to suit all musical tastes. Favourites are SPLIT on Tuesdays (drum and bass), We are electric on Wednesdays (electronic) and I fly spitfires (live indie) on the last Sunday of the month.
Eat at...
- Bar Napoli: Reasonable prices, generous portions and, with a bit of luck, you can get drinks vouchers for the bar upstairs.
- Sheep's Heid: On the other side of Arthur's Seat in the sleepy village of Duddingston, this pub does a fantastic Sunday roast and is renowned for its real ale.
- Mosque Kitchen: Delicious authentic curries at really good value mean that this place is always buzzing at lunchtime with students.
Shop at...
- Princes Street/George Street: The main shopping area includes all the high street shops and a load of souvenir shops blasting bagpipe music onto the street.
- Bruntsfield: Famous for its speciality food shops and delis, this is the perfect place to treat yourself.
- South Clerk Street: Lined with charity and vintage shops, there is nowhere better for picking up bargains and fancy dress outfits!
The cost of living in Edinburgh
House prices have soared in Edinburgh over the last decade and are expected to continue to rise in the near future. As the majority of student housing is in the centre, students and graduates almost always live in flats. The average cost for a five bedroom flat has risen to £300,000, which makes renting the most viable option. Rents on average are around £300 a month. This is pricey compared to student areas in other parts of the country but you do have the advantage of being very close to the city centre and its amenities.
Student and graduate housing is concentrated in two main areas. One is on three sides of the Meadows: Bruntsfield, Marchmont and Newington - popular due to its proximity to university campuses. The other area is New Town behind Princes Street and the business district. This is considered the more upmarket area, although this is not reflected in rental prices. Leases usually start on 1 July to coincide with students moving out of halls.
There are loads of websites dedicated to finding accommodation with both letting agents and private owners advertising. www.citylets.co.uk, www.lettingweb.com, or www.s1rental.co.uk are good starting points. ELS, Cullen Property and Grant Management are the main letting agents and have recently gained accreditation from the council, having improved on their previously flaky service.
Getting work in Edinburgh
Edinburgh has the reputation of being a European financial capital creating an exciting, dynamic environment for work in this sector. The other main sectors are tourism, education, engineering and law.
The University of Edinburgh Careers Service and the Edinburgh Evening News provide constantly updated information about graduate placements and new vacancies. The websites www.careers-scotland.org.uk and www.scotlandistheplace.com should be consulted for more inside information about living and working in Edinburgh.
Below is listed a brief suggestion of some of the graduate recruiters that are accessible from Edinburgh. (Note: these companies may not be currently recruiting. Their names have been provided as a guideline to the type of work available and areas to look in.)
- Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS): (banking, Edinburgh)
RBS are the leading provider of corporate banking services and are the area market leader in the provision of retail banking, wealth management, consumer finance and insurance. They run 15 graduate programmes in areas including HR, retail, IT and corporate banking. Tel: +44 (0)131 5568555. Royal Bank of Scotland, P.O. Box 51, 36 St. Andrews Square, Edinburgh EH2 2YB
- KPMG: (business advisers, Edinburgh)
Specialising in audit, tax and advisory services, KPMG were named in the top three of the Sunday Times Best Big Company To Work For list. They were also finalists in the finance and professional services sector at the TARGETjobs Graduate Recruitment Awards 2007. Tel: +44 (0)131 2222000. KPMG, Level 3 Saltire Court, 20 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2EG
- Edwards Jones: (investment, HR, marketing, Edinburgh)
Multinational, client-focused investment company with careers available across the spectrum. This company prides itself on offering support, mentoring and industry-leading training. Recruitment is ongoing. Tel: +44 (0)131 6722625. Edward Jones, 147 Liberton Brae, Edinburgh EH16 6LD
- DLA Piper: (law, Edinburgh)
One of the world's largest full-service commercial law firms. Ranked tenth in the 50 Best Workplaces in the UK survey. Tel: +44 (0)8700 111 111. DLA Piper Scotland LLP, Rutland Square, Edinburgh EH1 2AA
- NG Bailey: (engineering, Edinburgh)
NG Bailey is especially interested in graduates with engineering degrees who want to manage projects instead of designing them. Recruitment is ongoing and graduates are supported to gain Chartered Engineer status, as well as take a postgraduate diploma in management. Tel: +44 (0)131 3164443. NG Bailey & Co. Ltd, 5 South Gyle Crescent Lane, Edinburgh EH12 9EG
- City of Edinburgh Council: (teaching, Edinburgh)
Regularly advertises vacancies on its website for all sorts of teaching positions from working with children who have disabilities to nursery nurses and primary school teachers. Tel: +44 (0)131 2002323. The City of Edinburgh Council, City Chambers, High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1YJ
Do you want to write about living and working in your local area? If you've got good local knowledge, you can get yourself published and get paid! Simply contact us at editorial and if we like your suggestion we'll get back to you with a brief.