Equality and employment

There are no rules in relation to disclosure, and you do not have to tell an employer about your disability or long-term health condition(s); it’s your personal choice as detailed in the Equality Act 2010.

When deciding whether or not to disclose, you should consider whether your disability could raise any health and safety concerns (e.g. epilepsy causing seizures at work) and whether you may require any reasonable adjustments during the application process and/or day-to-day work. Remember, you can use the Student Adjustments Planner to help you think about what support you may need during a job application and when you start work.

Things to think about during the application process

• Look for disability-confident employers, but also consider all opportunities on their merits.
• Research an employer’s stance on equality, diversity and inclusion e.g. Take a look at a company’s equality, diversity and inclusion policy, which should be available on their website.
• Market yourself positively: If choosing to disclose, always present your disability in a positive way relevant to the job. 
• If you choose to be open about your disability, only discuss your disability in terms of its relevance to your performance in the job. Focus on emphasising how your disability may have enhanced your skills and abilities. Explore resources to help you do this.
• Familiarise yourself with the job description and person specification – think about how to positively position your skills, experience and achievements tailored to the job and covey your enthusiasm for the role to employers.
• Check out Solent Careers’ article for top tips on creating an effective CV and job application and interview preparation advice.
• Don't assume the employer will have a negative attitude - your experiences and skills may give you the edge over other candidates.   
• If you decide to disclose, here is an example of how to approach being open about your disability in a cover letter.

Researching employers 

Employers are increasingly committed to building diverse and inclusive workplaces by recruiting people with disabilities and long-term health conditions. 

Some organisations offer dedicated recruitment schemes for disabled students and graduates, while others promote inclusive opportunities through both mainstream and specialist platforms such as EmployAbility.

When researching employers, it is helpful to look for recognised commitments, such as accreditation through schemes like Mindful Employer and Disability Confident, which demonstrate support for disabled employees and positive approaches to mental health and workplace inclusion.

Top tip! Work shadowing can be a useful way to research and experience the work environment for yourself and understand if equality, diversity and inclusion is embedded into the daily work culture.

Useful links

Change 100: A programme of paid summer internships, professional development and mentoring that matches talented university students and recent graduates with any disability or long-term condition with progressive employers.

Disability Confident employers: A scheme that helps identify employers committed to recruiting, retaining and developing disabled staff.

ABL Foundation: Offers paid internship opportunities for talented disabled students and recent graduates.

Vercida.com: This site only displays jobs from employers who understand the value of building a diverse workforce. 

Blind in Business: Provides employment support and advertises job opportunities for blind and partially sighted students and graduates.

EmployAbility: A not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting, advising and advocating on behalf of talented neurodivergent and disabled university students and graduates to remove barriers in employment.

MyPLUS Students' Club: Provides a wealth of information, advice and case studies as well as job adverts from a range of major organisations to help students and graduates with disabilities land their dream role. 

Bright Network: Provides access to paid internships, graduate opportunities, networking events and career development resources.

You can also explore our job searching portal page for more job websites and employers. 

Many employers recognise that certain groups are underrepresented in their workforce and are taking positive action to address this. 

According to the Equality Act 2010 you must not be discriminated against because of your race. Race, as a protected characteristic, is defined broadly to include colour, nationality (including citizenship) and ethnic or national origins. 

You may notice in job adverts the inclusion of an ‘Equality, Diversity and Inclusion’ statement; these can help provide an insight into the company’s approach and commitment to inclusive recruitment.

Remember these tips to support with identifying equity-minded and inclusive employers

• Research an employer’s stance on equality, diversity and inclusion e.g. Take a look at a company’s equality, diversity and inclusion policy, which should be available on their website.
• Does the employer offer any ‘positive action’ initiatives, or have they embedded practices that demonstrate they are equity-led (proactively inclusive).
• Work shadowing can be a useful way to research and experience the work environment for yourself and understand if equality, diversity and inclusion is embedded into the daily work culture.

Things to think about during the application process

• You do not need to include your race, ethnicity or nationality in your CV. 
• Familiarise yourself with the job description and person specification – think about how to positively position your skills, experience and achievements tailored to the job and covey your enthusiasm for the role to employers.
• If you speak other languages, be sure to emphasise these on your CV.
• If you are happy to, don’t forget to mention anything you have done that will help highlight your transferable skills, such as teaching at a local mosque or organising events to promote equality.
• Check out our CV and application guide for top tips on creating an effective CV and job application and explore our interview preparation advice.

Useful links

10,000 Black Interns: Matches successful Black or of Black heritage (including mixed heritage) students into paid summer internships.

The Taylor Bennett Foundation: An award-winning, work-based PR training programme.

Creative Access: Provides access to paid internships and job opportunities in the creative economy for people from under-represented groups.

Diversity Jobsite: Diversity Jobsite helps connect employers with underrepresented talent.

Ethnic Jobsite: Ethnic Jobsite helps employers reach ethnic minority professionals.

The Windsor Fellowship: The Windsor Fellowship (WF) is a unique charitable organisation. They design and deliver innovative personal development and leadership programmes, which enables talent from diverse communities to be realised. 

Target Jobs: Within their career advice section, they have a range of useful information related to equality and diversity. 

Explore our job searching portal page for links to job websites and employers.  

The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful to discriminate against employees, job seekers and trainees because of age. Age discrimination can happen to people at any age.

Top tips for your CV

• It is not necessary to include your date of birth on your CV.
• Familiarise yourself with the job description and person specification – think about how to positively position your skills, experience and achievements tailored to the job and covey your enthusiasm for the role to employers.
• Produce a concise CV that clearly outlines all relevant experience.
• Always try to equate any unfamiliar qualifications to A-levels or GCSEs, just so the employer has a rough idea of their level.
• Be sure to include all work experience, whether paid or unpaid. Employers are more interested in the skills gained than whether you got a salary.
• If you don’t have any work experience, focus on skills, knowledge and experience you’ve gained through your education and any extra-curricular activities that highlight relevant skills.
• If you have had a lot of varied short-term jobs, make sure you don't leave any chronological gaps. You can summarise some of the less recent and less relevant jobs e.g. ‘1995-2002 a variety of temporary admin jobs in the Hampshire area’.
• Check out our CV and application guide for top tips on creating an effective CV and job application and explore our interview preparation advice.

Things to think about during the application process

• Research an employer’s stance on equality, diversity and inclusion e.g. Take a look at a company’s equality, diversity and inclusion policy, which should be available on their website.
• If you can, use your network of contacts from previous jobs as well as friends and family to help identify any opportunities.
• Use positive language in applications and at interviews. Never apologise for your age.
• Identify the skills you’ve developed from previous work, studies, and life experiences, such as teamwork, communication, reliability and adaptability.
• Give examples to employers; demonstrate your experience and the relevant skills, knowledge and capabilities you’ve gained and how they can be effectively transferred into your next role.
• If relevant, highlight your ability to hit the ground running – you may know all about working for a living and could positively position this to an employer.
• Demonstrate if you have successfully worked and/or led, collaborated and communicated with multi-generational teams.  
• Work shadowing can be a useful way to research and experience the work environment for yourself and understand if equality, diversity and inclusion is embedded into the daily work culture.

Useful links 

Vercida.com: This site only displays jobs from employers who understand the value of building a diverse workforce.

Target Jobs: In their careers advice section they have a range of useful information related to equality and diversity.

Explore our job searching portal page for links to job websites and employers. 

Disclosing your sexual orientation to any prospective or current employer is an entirely personal decision. You are not legally obliged to say anything. It is unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation in employment (Equality Act 2010)

Many employers actively promote the fact that they support LGBTQ+ applicants and employees and are responsive to their needs. Inclusive employers endeavour to attract the best and talented candidates, irrespective of their sexual orientation. 

Things to think about during the application process

• Research an employer’s stance on equality, diversity and inclusion e.g. Take a look at a company’s equality, diversity and inclusion policy, which should be available on their website.
• Is the employer part of any inclusive employer programmes such as Proud Employers or do they have LGBTQ+ staff networks or visible allies? Have they embedded practices that demonstrate they are equity-led (proactively inclusive)?
• Familiarise yourself with the job description and person specification – think about how to positively position your skills, experience and achievements tailored to the job and covey your enthusiasm for the role to employers.
• If you are happy to, don’t forget to mention anything you have done that will help highlight your transferable skills, such as any involvement in LGBTQ+ initiatives.
• Check out our CV and application guide for top tips on creating an effective CV and job application and explore our interview preparation advice.
• Work shadowing can be a useful way to research and experience the work environment for yourself and understand if equality, diversity and inclusion is embedded into the daily work culture.
• If you choose to share your sexual orientation, be clear on your rights. All employers should take steps to try to make sure sexual orientation discrimination does not happen at work.

Useful links

Proud Employers: A place for job seekers to find roles with LGBTQ+ inclusive employers.

Vercida.com: This site only displays jobs from employers who understand the value of building a diverse workforce. 

Stonewall: Stonewall is part of a vibrant, growing and global movement advocating for LGBTQ+ rights.

Target Jobs: In their careers advice section they have a range of useful information related to equality and diversity.

Explore our job searching portal page for links to job websites and employers. 

Telling an employer about your conviction depends on whether it’s ‘spent’ or ‘unspent’, and the type of job you’re applying for. If the role involves working with children, vulnerable adults, or in positions of public trust, the employer must carry out a standard or enhanced DBS check. Both spent and unspent convictions may show from these checks. 

The Ministry of Justice (gov.uk) advises “In this case, you should consider telling the employer about any spent convictions so the information you give them matches what they’ll see on your DBS certificate”.

Consult this flowchart - 'Legally, need to disclose?' 

Find out more about ‘Disclosing your criminal record’.

When applying for a job, you will often be asked to submit a CV and cover letter. Your CV is an opportunity to highlight your experience, skills and knowledge, demonstrating why you are the best candidate for the role.

Things to think about during the application process

• Keep your CV up to date. Don’t mention convictions on your CV, save this for your cover letter or application. 
• Familiarise yourself with the job description and person specification – think about how to positively position your skills, experience and achievements tailored to the job and covey your enthusiasm for the role to employers.
• If you spent time in prison, this gap in employment on your CV could be simply presented as ‘unavailable for work’. You will need to be prepared to answer questions about this in an interview. 
• When asked any questions, it is crucial that you are honest but also try to be as positive as possible. 
• Check out our CV and application guide for top tips on creating an effective CV and job application and explore our interview preparation advice.
• It is advisable to put everything in writing, so you have evidence that you disclosed your criminal record. Find out more about  ‘How do I disclose?’ and disclosure statements.
• Don't assume the employer will have a negative attitude, but they may need reassuring that you do not present a risk to yourself or others.
• As part of your wider job search, you may also want to take a look at employers identified as having a positive attitude towards people with convictions.

Useful links

Nacro: A charity which provides advice, training and support. 

gov.uk: Check if you need to tell someone about your criminal record.

gov.uk: Disclosing your criminal record.

Unlock: A charity to support and advocate for people with criminal records.

Target Jobs: In their careers advice section they have a range of useful information related to equality and diversity.

Explore our job searching portal page for links to job websites and employers.