Career Building with Durham’s Student Societies
Monday 02-02-2026 - 09:55
Career Building with Durham’s Student Societies
From Digital Content Creator, Sarah Crooks
For many students, university may be the first time you’ve started seriously thinking about your future career options. Taking your first steps on your professional journey can be intimidating, especially if you don’t have a clear goal in mind yet. If your career path seems like more of a jungle than a straight road, Durham’s student societies can provide a great starting point, giving you the experience and confidence to explore your career options throughout your time at university.
While any of our student societies can be a great addition to your CV – especially exec roles, designed to be manageable alongside your degree – we wanted to spotlight the variety of societies that we feel provide exceptional insight into the professional world, and the experience to step into it.
Academic Societies
Students often think of academic societies purely as academic support groups, focused on helping you pre-graduation, as you work towards completing your degree. While that’s certainly one of the many services they offer, our academic societies are also here to support you as you plan for your future beyond your time at Durham.
In addition to peer support, our academic societies can put you in touch with a network of alumni and industry insiders through panels, Q+As and lectures to help you shape your professional development.
The skills you’re building during your studies are applicable to much more than your course content. Your degree can often be a launchpad into a wide range of roles and fields, rather than a direct route into a specific career. Don’t hesitate to join an academic society that interests you, even if it’s different to what you’re studying!
Look for your academic society here
The 93% Club
Durham is home to highly achieving students from a diverse range of academic, social, and economic backgrounds. Although every student will arrive at university at a different stage in their career journey, every student can and should benefit from the opportunities Durham offers.
In the current job market, professional connections and networks are often seen as an easier route to employment and an important source of guidance and insight. State-educated students, particularly those from working-class backgrounds, may have had fewer opportunities for this kind of networking prior to university.
The 93% club was created by students to tackle these kinds of inequalities, working nationally with leading employers to spotlight job offers, grad programs and internships, as well as hosting panels and presentations with industry insiders to ensure your background doesn’t place a limit on your ambitions for the future.
Follow the 93% Club on Instagram or Facebook to stay up-to-date on upcoming opportunities.
Research Societies
With 90% of our universities’ research rated 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent' (According to the UK Research Excellence Framework 2021), getting involved in some of that research as an undergrad is a great way to stand out to employers.
Societies like Durham Think Tank, Economics Society, Sustainable Finance Society and the Asia-Pacific forum enable opportunities for student-led research to take place in collaboration with academic and industry insiders, allowing you to get involved in projects with real-world impact.
Most research societies also run journals or websites, giving you the opportunity to publish work you’re passionate about under your own name; a great way to develop a professional portfolio, even before entering the post-grad job market!
Law Societies
It’s no secret that law is one of the most popular career paths for our students post-Durham, and nowhere is this better reflected than in our diverse array of law-centred student societies.
On top of the Durham Law Society – just a few years away from its 200th anniversary, making it the oldest and one of the most established of our societies – we have over twenty-five law societies catering to prospective lawyers from every background, with ambitions across every field.
Whether you’re a non-law student considering a conversion, a passionate environmentalist wanting to use your degree make a difference, or an international student looking to build a career outside the UK, the SU has a law society that can connect you with peers, alumni and wider opportunities to support you above and beyond your degree.
Discover more of our law societies here.
Volunteering
Getting involved with our volunteering and charity-based societies isn’t only a great way to make a difference in and outside of the Durham community; it also looks great on your CV!
Whatever you’re passionate about, whether it’s human rights, sustainability, or sexual justice, health and education, our student societies can provide you with the opportunity to use your skills to create a positive legacy during your time at Durham.
While you look into our university-wide opportunities, remember to think closer to home. Your college’s JCR has a dedicated volunteering officer who will provide you with local volunteering opportunities throughout the academic year, so keep an eye on your colleges’ socials!
