Transport and logistics career guide

This career guide is designed to help University of Portsmouth students and recent graduates explore job options, key employers, and entry routes into the Transport and Logistics sectors.

In this guide:

Potential Job Roles

Prospects has a useful list of job profiles, each containing relevant information about key responsibilities, skill requirements, starting salaries, entry requirements, career prospects with links to major employers and current graduate vacancies. Some roles include:

Visit the Prospects website

Professional Qualifications

Some jobs may require professional qualifications within the accounting, finance and economics sectors. These include:

Gaining Experience

Below are some examples of the different types of opportunities to gain experience while you study.

Placements are a great way to gain substantial experience, help you to build contacts and gain an understanding of an organisation.

On some degrees, work placements are part of the programme, whilst on others you can choose to complete a placement as one of your modules.

To learn more about completing a placement, you can contact the Placements team in the Careers and Employability Service.

Learn more about taking a placement

Many students choose to take a Self-Employed Placement. This allows you to work for yourself during your placement year and receive support from the University's Student Startup Team. You will have access to funding opportunities, networking events and workshops.

Learn more about Self-Employed Placements

Enhance your prospects with hands-on experience through volunteering. Whether you're uncertain about your career path or aiming for professional success, volunteering offers a chance to explore diverse roles.

You can also get involved in relevant university projects through the different groups and societies via the Student Union. This is a good way of demonstrating your motivation and interest in this area of work.

Learn more about Volunteering

Internships are usually for a fixed period and give you more hands-on experience. Many employers will treat interns in the same way as full-time employees, so when future job roles ask for 'at least one year's experience' you can include an internship in this type of experience.

Internships are offered by many transport and logistics firms, including:

Learn more about completing internships

Be proactive and try to gather inspiration and ideas from the world around you: join industry clusters and attend networking events. This is a great way to meet people working in the creative industries and will help you with your networking skills.

Sites such as Bright Network run sector specific networking events throughout the year.

L inkedIn is a useful platform to network with sector employers.

Visit our LinkedIn Guide

Where to find work experience opportunities

There are plenty of ways to find work experience in accounting, finance and economics. Some key online platforms include:

MyCareer

HigherIn

Bright Network

TargetJobs

Speculative applications

Speculative applications involve sending a CV and cover letter to an employer to ask if they have any vacancies, even if the company is not currently advertising for a role. They're a great way to access "hidden jobs" that go unadvertised.

Submitting a speculative application shows your interest in a specific company and your willingness to go above and beyond to develop your skills and understanding of the industry.

Learn how to send a speculative application

Finding a Graduate Job

Employers who recruit in these sectors

DHL

Morrisons

Maersk

Network Rail

Unilever

Tesco

Kerry Group

Mott Macdonald

Arup

MSC

Useful websites to help you start your job search

Jobs in Transport

Careers at Sea

Logistics Manager

TotalJobs - Careers in Logistics

Aviation Job Search

Recruitment agencies

Recruitment consultants work with individuals to help them find suitable work to match their skills. Agency Central is the UK's leading recruitment agency directory. An advanced search and filter system finds the agencies which match your needs.

Are you looking for a role in Hampshire? Our Graduate Recruitment Consultancy can help!

If you're in the final year of your degree, you can register for support from our Graduate Recruitment Consultancy. They work with over 3,000 employers in the local area to place our students into fantastic graduate careers.

Learn more about the Graduate Recruitment Consultancy

Start your own business

Freelancing is another popular career path for those in accounting, finance and economics. Many rely on their portfolio, self-promotion or networking to generate work. Our Student Startup team can offer further support with freelancing and starting your own business.

Get Student Startup support

Keep up-to-date with the industry

As part of your job-hunting strategy we recommend keeping up to date on developments in this sector and keep track of vacancies. Below are some key resources to help you research opportunities available: