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Graduate careers in Glasgow

Photograph of Glasgow

Glasgow is built along the River Clyde and owes its existence to the hugely important steel and shipbuilding industries. It is Scotland's largest city and some would say the best, leading to much rivalry with nearby Edinburgh.

Although it has a reputation as quite a rough-and-ready city, Glasgow has made a massive effort to improve its reputation in recent years. Among its accolades are European Capital of Culture 1990 and European City of Architecture and Design 1999. There are also regular festivals to rival those in Edinburgh. The city centre has been cleaned up, and not only does it have some impressive buildings, it is now regarded as one of the best cities in the UK for shopping - even beating London in some polls.

There are still some rough areas but, as with any city, these can be avoided and there is certainly plenty to do and some great career opportunities available. Edinburgh is also around 50 miles away, which makes it commutable. Useful when you consider the fact that many people live and work predominately in one city but may find themselves working in the other city from time to time, especially those working in the financial services sector.

In and around Glasgow | Drink at... | Dance at... | Eat at... | Shop at... | The cost of living in Glasgow | Getting work in the Glasgow area

In and around Glasgow

Glasgow has plenty to offer its younger residents. With a thriving nightlife, wonderful museums and galleries and the fantastic Scottish countryside only a short trip away, you'll never be short of something to do.

The Kelvingrove art gallery and museum in the west end recently reopened after a refurbishment and is well worth strolling around one Sunday afternoon, as are many of the city's free museums. The year-round diary of festivals and entertainment leave the west end and city centre thronged with people sampling whisky, listening to jazz, watching an outdoor showing of Shakespeare in the Botanical Gardens, or listening to the World Pipe Band Championships held every summer on Glasgow Green. There's always something going on. Shopping in Glasgow is also hard to beat. The city centre is on a grid system making it easy to navigate and snakes like a z along three main shopping streets - Sauchiehall Street, Buchanan Street, and Argyle Street.

Glasgow is well placed for exploring the Loch Lomond area and the many islands on Scotland's west coast, which is great for those interested in pursuing sailing or climbing in their spare time. Ashton Lane, with its pubs and unique cinema is also well worth a visit, as is the whole west end and university area. However, as most young professionals will be going out near their work, this section concentrates on city centre venues.

Drink at...

  • Waxy O'Connors: Ok, it's an Irish pub but the hidden caverns inside and the number of bars available for private hire, along with great live music make this venue a must visit.
  • Social: A very popular after work drinks venue in the heart of the city, right next to the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA).
  • November: A really good bar at the top of the Princes Square shopping centre on Buchanan Street. Great house wine and after work offers, although it does get very hot in the summer months.

Dance at...

  • Cube: Right in the city centre, this is a popular venue for when the after work drinks go on a little later than you'd intended.
  • Garage: No mention of Glasgow clubs can leave out this student institution with its sticky floors and various levels of music for all tastes. Tacky but oh-so-good!
  • Shed: Many young professionals now live in the south side, which means that this venue just gets more and more popular.

Eat at...

  • 78 St Vincent: This city centre restaurant has great atmosphere, has won many awards and has a great Scottish menu.
  • Oran Mor: At the top of the Byres Road in the west end, this converted church provides a wonderful venue for a night out.
  • Cafe India: An award winning Indian restaurant where you might just spot a celebrity, but certainly the food is so good you won't mind if you don't.

Shop at...

  • Buchanan Galleries: The premier shopping centre, located at the top of Buchanan Street. Includes all the high street classics in a modern shopping complex - ideal for keeping dry!
  • Princes Square: This upmarket shopping centre on the lower end of Buchanan Street has some lovely bars and restaurants to relax in once you've spent all your hard-earned money.
  • House of Fraser: Located in a lovely old building in the city centre, it includes all your favourite shops under one roof.

The cost of living in Glasgow

There are certainly some areas to avoid in Glasgow, most notably the east end (especially if you are from south of the border) although graduates working in the Glasgow Royal Infirmary or Merchant City area might find areas like Dennistoun suitable. There are also some really lovely developments in the city centre if you would like the convenience and have a bit more money to spend. Aside from that, most graduates will live in the south side or the west end, which are busy student area. The once notorious tenements now make very good accommodation with some flats big enough to have six or seven bedrooms.

Transport in Glasgow is great, with some areas like Partick being serviced by the underground, overland and low-level trains, as well as great bus services. In the south side, the Shawlands is a popular, up-and-coming area and slightly cheaper than the city centre and west end.

One bedroom flats can be bought in the cheaper areas for less than £100,000, although you will need to get to grips with the Scottish system of 'offers over'. Renting should'nt pose a problem for graduates as there is plenty available and prices are from around £300 a month if sharing. Check the quality first though and do check the area. Some tenement flats can still be a bit grotty so, depending on your priorities, it might be worth paying that little bit extra for a nicer area or flat.

Here are some pointers for finding affordable accommodation in the Glasgow area:

  • www.s1homes.com is probably the best website for property in Glasgow
  • If you are new to the area, your employer should be able to give you some advice as to where to start looking. They may even be able to put you in contact with other new starters who you could share with.

Getting work in the Glasgow area

Glasgow is the biggest city in Scotland and the central belt between Glasgow and Edinburgh is where most graduate jobs can be found - aside from jobs in the oil industry, which are based largely in the Aberdeen area. Glasgow itself is the largest centre of jobs and economic activity in Scotland. Major employers in the region include the National Australia Group, Royal Bank of Scotland, Bank of Scotland, Abbey, Lloyds TSB, Scottish Power and various retail companies.

It's worth bearing in mind that Scottish law is different to English and Irish law, so an English or Irish law degree will need to be converted. Financial services and accounting jobs are prominent here, although you may find that many of the financial services roes are call centre/telephone sales positions rather than graduate level.

Below is a list of employers in and around Glasgow, which have advertised for graduates in the past. (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.)

  • PricewaterhouseCoopers: (banking and finance, business and management, Glasgow)
  • Scottish Power: (engineering, business transformation, commercial, Glasgow)
  • Dundas & Wilson: (law, Glasgow)
  • North Lanarkshire Council: (teaching, public sector, Glasgow)
  • Abbey: (banking, Glasgow)
  • HBOS: (business and sales management, Glasgow)
  • BBC: (media, Glasgow)
  • Marks & Spencer: (retail, Glasgow)

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