Build practical experience you can talk about with employers
You don’t need to wait for an internship or graduate job to start building experience. Launchpad brings together flexible employer simulations, live challenges, projects and research opportunities that let you practise doing the work, build evidence of your skills and find out what kinds of work suit you.
Start with something flexible
Get a taste of the work without applying for the role
Through our partnership with Forage, King's College Students have access to free and flexible online experiences created by real employers. You'll work through realistic briefs and tasks in your own time, with guidance from people actually doing the job.
View the full range of Forage work experience projects(opens in new tab)
Complete one and you’ll have:
- practical experience to discuss in applications and interviews
- new skills to add to your CV and LinkedIn
- a better idea of whether that kind of work interests you
Take on a live challenge
Work on something real with other people
Launchpad challenges give you a short, focused opportunity to tackle a real problem, practise working with others and produce something tangible. They might involve an employer, community organisation, alumnus or another King’s partner.
Activities typically last for a day or half a day and completion will give you 15 points towards your Career Ready recognition
[COMING SOON] Adobe digital-making challenge
A hands-on challenge focused on creating and making with digital tools responding to creative asks from community partners. All level of skill and experience welcome!
[COMING SOON] Let Them Speak challenge
Explore questions around freedom of speech and how to create spaces where difficult conversations can happen well.
[COMING SOON] Citizens UK campaign challenge
Start with practical training, then work through a real campaign scenario with your group. You’ll role-play, problem-solve and develop a plan for making change.
We'll be adding challenges throughout the year. Sign up to be notified of new opportunities(opens in new tab)
Go deeper
Take on a longer project or research experience
If you want something more substantial, Launchpad will also point you towards longer-form opportunities where you can spend more time on a real problem, build stronger evidence of your skills and come away with something meaningful to talk about. These are more involved activities and will typically give you enough points in themselves to earn the Career Ready recognition.
Opportunities will involve a range of six-week flexible projects, in which you will work on a real brief over time, from understanding the problem through to producing an outcome in a format that flexes around your availability. They will also include a limited number of paid internships including the opportunity to work as a paid research fellow as part of the King's Undergraduate Research Fellowship
Sign up to be notified of new opportunities as they are listed.(opens in new tab)
Already doing something useful?
Launchpad is designed to help you find good opportunities, but your experience does not have to start here.
You might already be:
- volunteering
- working part-time
- leading a society
- doing freelance or creative work
- taking part in a community project
- completing an external virtual internship
- building something independently
Some of this activity may be eligible to count towards your Career Ready recognition - you just need to claim your points for them.