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Graduate careers in Central London

Career city: London | Postgraduate study | Local graduate employers | Moving to London (central) | Graduate jobs London and south east

Central London and the City Central London is home to almost half of the capital’s businesses, with all 20 of the world’s largest international banks and financial services organisations in residence. As Vincent Keaveny, graduate recruitment partner at Baker McKenzie LLP says, “The City remains a tremendously exciting place to work, with clients of the highest quality putting together transactions of global importance.” It is the epicentre of London’s legal activity, as well as being the focal point for the city’s tourism, leisure and entertainment industries. Many graduate training schemes run in the area. The district of Soho is an active media and creative cluster that is chock full of small and large companies alike, including the local London Marketing Services and Future Publishing’s central headquarters.

East London – not to be confused with the East End – comprises, among others, the boroughs of Barking, Hackney and Tower Hamlets. With a waning criminal reputation this is a district with multicultural flavours and charms, particularly in areas such as Brick Lane. Although this historic area is famous for Tower Bridge and the London Dungeon, it is quite cosmopolitan and modern. East London is home to businesses such as Ernst & Young, JPMorgan and Teach First, and is a changing area ideal for recent graduates in search of affordable housing, as well as unique shopping and restaurants.

What’s now West London was once a series of villages, each with its own distinctive character. Despite the march of time, these communities have retained many of their idiosyncrasies and local flavours – just think of the famous market at Portobello Road, for example. That’s not to say that West London hasn’t embraced progress: in fact, it’s seen rapid development thanks to government and private investment, as well as the growth of small and technology-based businesses. It’s now home to Heathrow airport, Wembley Stadium, Park Royal (Europe’s largest industrial area), numerous modern business parks stretching into the Thames Valley and over 50,000 companies including Heinz, Diageo and the BBC.

North London contains a small proportion of the city’s industry, but many graduates choose to live here because of the relatively low rent prices and easy commutability. There are several local graduate employers, particularly in finance and social work, such as Barnet Council. It is easy to commute outside London, so Watford-based graduate recruiter Camelot is a popular choice, as are airlines, such as Easyjet who operate from Luton and Stansted. The retail industry is also significant, and many companies such as Marks & Spencer run highly regarded graduate recruitment schemes throughout London. London Zoo may employ researchers and offers ongoing work experience opportunities.

With excellent transport links such as the DLR and London Tramlink, and plenty of shops and cafés, South London is a haven for graduates seeking a livelier pace of life. Its busy atmosphere attracts a mix of cultures and nationalities. Many private sector businesses in areas including Southwark, Kingston, Sutton and Wandsworth operate in the sales and marketing, software and finance sectors. Large companies such as IBM and Morgan Stanley too have headquarters in South London. Due to the current economic climate, trainee recruitment consultants are in demand in many South London boroughs, while the public sector employs teachers, social workers and nurses to accommodate the district’s large population.

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Postgraduate study in and around London

Central London: The prestigious London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) scores top marks for law and economics, and ranks in the top ten for history, politics and business studies. It is also among the top four social science institutions in the world. The University of the Arts London has colleges spread out across central London and is the largest arts university in Europe. It offers postgraduate courses in art and design that rate in the top 20.

East London: The University of East London (UEL) is split between its Docklands and Stratford campuses. Its School of Architecture and the Visual Arts is highly rated and the sociology research conducted at UEL is regarded as world class. Each of the university’s eight schools offer postgraduate degree programmes, which encompass everything from art and design to finance and psychology. Queen Mary, which is part of the University of London and includes the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, is also located in Central London.

West London: Imperial College – based in South Kensington – is among the world’s leading universities. Specialising in science and technology, its postgraduate research is rated across the board. West London is also home to Brunel University, where high-quality work in economics, business and environmental science is ongoing. You’ll also find a wide range of postgraduate courses at nearby Royal Holloway, part of the University of London (in Staines), Kingston (in Kingston upon Thames), Roehampton (near Richmond) and Thames Valley (in Ealing) universities.

North London: City University is highly regarded for its postgraduate courses in nursing, midwifery, social research methods and music. London Metropolitan University is London’s largest unitary university, with over 34,000 students. With eight postgraduate centres, it offers further study in areas as diverse as biomedical science, marketing, management and jewellery design.

South London: London South Bank University is in the top ten for the highest graduate starting salaries in the UK and runs well regarded courses in heath, education and town and country planning. Similarly, Kingston University offers a range of vocational courses, scoring highly in student satisfaction surveys for English and engineering. Graduates wishing to pursue further study in education may find their niche at Roehampton University. Lewisham-based Goldsmiths College, University of London, attracts creative types with its recognised excellence in the arts.

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Graduate employers in London

Baker & McKenzie LLP, Blackfriars (Law)
Linklaters LLP, Moorgate (Law)
Civil Service, Whitehall (Public sector; Government; Research and statistics)
The Bank of England, Moorgate (Banking and finance)
HarperCollins, Kensington (Publishing)
EDF Energy, Victoria (Analysis; Technology; Finance; HR; Consulting)
Future Publishing, Westminster (Publishing)
Amnesty International, Whitehall (Not-for-profit; Charity work; Sales; Administration)
Metropolitan Police, London (Public sector)
Selfridges and Co, Bond Street (Retail; Management)
British Petroleum, Canary Wharf (Finance; Trading; IT)
HSBC Bank plc, Canary Wharf (Management; Financial services)
McGraw Hill, Canary Wharf (Publishing; Marketing; Administration)
Thomson Reuters, Canary Wharf (Journalism; Television)
Teach First, Canary Wharf (Teaching)
Accenture, City of London (Consulting; IT)
Ernst & Young, Lambeth (Accounting and finance)
J.P.Morgan, Canary Wharf (Financial services)
Atkins, Cheapside (Design; Engineering; Consultancy)
Metropolitan Housing Partnership, Southgate (Marketing; Social work; Finance; Law; HR)
Barnet Council, Barnet (Public sector; Government; IT; Social work; Education; HR)
Easyjet, Luton and Stansted (Travel and tourism; IT; Engineering)
Scholastic, Camden (Publishing)
Zoological Society of London, London Zoo, Regent’s Park (HR; Research; Maintenance)
National Council for Voluntary Organisations, Islington (Not-for-profit)
Marks & Spencer, throughout London (Retail; HR; IT; Design)
Mace Group, Camden (Construction)
IBM, South Bank (Engineering; Finance; IT; HR; Sales)
Morgan Stanley, Southwark (Banking and investment)
Penta Consulting, Wallington (Recruitment)
Wandsworth Council, Wandsworth (Public sector; Government)
Nationwide Building Society, throughout London (Financial services)
EA Worldwide Acquisitions, Southwark (Sales; Marketing)
South London and Maudsley NHS, Lewisham (Public sector; Healthcare)
Transport for London, throughout London (Transport; Logistics)
Battersea Arts Centre, Battersea (Arts; Event management)
Diageo, Park Royal (Manufacturing; Food technology; Retail; HR; Finance)
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Kensington (Public sector)
North West London Hospitals NHS Trust, throughout west London (Public sector; Healthcare)
Heinz, Hayes (Retail; Manufacturing; Food technology; Sales; Finance)
University of London, throughout London (Education)
Ealing Council, Ealing (Public sector)

(Note: these companies may not be currently recruiting. Their names have been provided as a guideline to the type of work available and what areas to look in.)

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