Regional opportunities: Stay local, go far!
Sheffield, the surrounding areas, and neighbouring big cities are seeing a rapidly growing reputation and economic development in numerous sectors. When looking for job opportunities, be it during your studies or after graduation, staying local could take you further than you may think.
If you plan to stay in or around Sheffield and you’re curious about the job opportunities available in the region, or up to an hour away from Sheffield, here’s what you need to know.
Job opportunities in the region
Thanks to the well-developed public transport networks linking Sheffield to other cities in the region, getting to a workplace outside of the city may be easier than you might think – even without a car.
You can easily commute by train to places like Rotherham (11-minute trip), Barnsley (20 minutes) or Doncaster (25minutes). Sheffield and the region have a concentration of public sector jobs, as well as being a recognised hub for advanced manufacturing and engineering. Other key sectors include digital, health and wellbeing, professional services, logistics, energy, rail, and aerospace.
North of Sheffield, there are plenty of organisations specialising in life sciences, the health-tech industry, and net-zero and the green economy, in cities including Leeds (40 minutes away) and Wakefield (24 minutes).
In the East Midlands, Chesterfield (15 minutes away), Derby (27 minutes) and Nottingham (54 minutes) offer opportunities in a wide range of sectors. Similarly, in about 51 minutes by train, you can easily reach Manchester, which offers opportunities across a wide variety of sectors.
Since returning to the UK in 2010, I have worked in both steel and renewable energy in Sheffield, using my experience in sales and my language skills to successfully manage hundreds of accounts in Europe and gain new business. Despite not having any engineering qualifications, through experience and hard work, I have gained deep insight into both the specialist steel industry, machined components for a number of different sectors and green hydrogen - all of which are thriving in Sheffield and the South Yorkshire area.
BA French and German Studies graduate, living in Barnsley
Major employers in Sheffield and the region
For more detailed information on the key employers in Sheffield and the region, go to Working in Sheffield. This covers:
- Public sector employers
- Private sector employers
- Not-for-profit/third sector employers
To look further into employers in the region:
- Search through Organisations on Career Connect and filter by region and occupational area. Employers on our Career Connect system are there because they have advertised a vacancy with us at some point in the past. As well as South Yorkshire, you may want to include East Midlands, West Yorkshire, and North West England in your search. Be aware that this will include some locations with more than an hour's travel time from Sheffield.
- LinkedIn is also a good way to find organisations - search companies by location, using keywords relevant to your area of interest.
Many of the organisations in Sheffield and the region are small and medium-sized employers (SMEs). If you are considering working for an SME, it is likely that you will be thinking about making speculative applications. Find out more about what it’s like to work for an SME.
I loved my time at Sheffield and continue to live here ten years after I first moved. I appreciate the convenience of living in a city that is centrally located in the country, as well as being close to the Peak District, which allows for spontaneous trips to the countryside!
MSc Psychological Research Methods with Advanced Statistics graduate, living in Sheffield
Finding job opportunities
Depending on the type of job you are looking for, you may be interested in:
- Finding graduate vacancies
- Finding placements (students only)
- Finding internships (students only)
Find live vacancies in the region
Upcoming workshops and events
Finding employers and jobs in Sheffield and the local region (online event)
Monday 2nd March, 2.00-2:45 pm
If you are interested in placements or graduate jobs in the local region that you can get to while living in Sheffield, join this session to find out about:
- Which sectors are seeing growth in the region;
- The big employers in the area and how to find small and medium organisations;
- Where to find vacancies and access the hidden opportunities market.
More upcoming workshops you may be interested in:
- Finding jobs, placements and internships - 11 March
- Using LinkedIn Effectively - 18 March
- Working in the UK after studies: Visa options for International Students - 18 March
- How to succeed at interviews - 23 March
- Disclosing a Disability or Neurodivergence to employers - 26 March
See more workshops and register
Common myths you may have heard
- “Other big cities in the region are too far away and difficult to get to without a car if I live in Sheffield”
Thanks to the well-developed public transport networks linking Sheffield to other cities in the region, getting to a workplace outside of the city may be easier than you might think – even without a car.
You can easily commute by train to places like Rotherham (11-minute trip), Barnsley (20 minutes) or Doncaster (25minutes). Sheffield and the region have a concentration of public sector jobs, as well as being a recognised hub for advanced manufacturing and engineering. Other key sectors include digital, health and wellbeing, professional services, logistics, energy, rail, and aerospace.
North of Sheffield, there are plenty of organisations specialising in life sciences, the health-tech industry, and net-zero and the green economy, in cities including Leeds (40 minutes away) and Wakefield (24 minutes).
In the East Midlands, Chesterfield (15 minutes away), Derby (27 minutes) and Nottingham (54 minutes) offer opportunities in a wide range of sectors. Similarly, in about 51 minutes by train, you can easily reach Manchester, which offers opportunities across a wide variety of sectors.
- “All the good jobs are in London, I can’t work in my industry locally”
Job opportunities in London are often the most competitive in the country, and with a much higher cost of living than in the North of England, it is a reasonable choice to explore the numerous local opportunities in the region. There are many big employers in the South Yorkshire region, and in Sheffield itself.
While it is true that certain highly specific career paths might lead you further afield (working as a marine biologist in Sheffield could naturally be a bit tricky!), the idea that you need to head down south to find a "good" job is a misconception. With South Yorkshire’s thriving regional growth sectors and hubs, it might come as a surprise that there are actually countless career opportunities right here.
It is also worth remembering not to limit your search to Sheffield alone. With major hubs like Manchester, Leeds, and Nottingham well within a commutable distance, and many big employers now offering hybrid working as a standard, your accessible local industry network is much larger than you might think.
- “To get a good graduate job, I need to work for a big graduate employer, and if no big graduate employers are recruiting, it means there are no jobs out there”
Did you know that there are over 5 million SMEs in the UK, making up over 99% of all businesses? It is a common misconception that only big graduate employers offer good graduate jobs, but small and medium-sized enterprises have so many advantages for graduates: broader exposure to a variety of responsibilities, more personal relationships, impactful roles, a sense of ownership, and greater influence in decision-making, just to name a few. Have a look at what it’s like actually working for an SME in our short case studies.
Looking for jobs in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Sheffield can be different to typical big employers’ application processes. You can look for roles in the usual places, like vacancy lists on Career Connect, but there are plenty of alternative resources, and tools such as the Made in Sheffield or Sheffield Digital websites, which feature businesses in the region, are a great starting point for your research.
Social media and company websites are also places to go. SMEs often use LinkedIn and/or Instagram to advertise roles, so consider following the accounts of the organisations you’re interested in. If you would like to work for a small business, consider proactively reaching out to them even if they do not have any current vacancies advertised. Draft a well-written cover letter and reach out via email or LinkedIn - SMEs sometimes create roles for individuals who show initiative! Find out more about speculative applications.
- “There are no good graduate jobs in Sheffield”
Did you know that many big employers have offices in Sheffield? From the public sector, advanced manufacturing and engineering, to professional, legal and financial services, there are plenty of organisations with roles suitable for most disciplines and areas of interest.
There are plenty of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the region – over 13,000 in Sheffield alone – offering internships, placements, and graduate jobs. Working for an SME can often allow you to have more responsibility earlier on in your career and make a significant impact in your organisation.
If you look a little further than Sheffield, for instance, considering Doncaster, Wakefield, Manchester or Leeds, all commutable within less than an hour via train or car, your pool of opportunities grows. Travelling to a workplace outside of the city could be comparable to the average commute within the city for someone living in London.
- “Sheffield doesn’t have enough support for starting my own business”
On top of the supportive and growing regional ecosystem of enterprises available in Sheffield and within the region, the University offers an amazing community of support for those thinking of starting their own business.
Emerge: Be Enterprising is a hub of support and opportunities for students, staff and graduates looking to develop business ideas, build skills, and launch their own ventures. They offer a range of skill-building workshops, events and talks featuring business leaders, group sessions, an expert team, and a welcoming community of those looking to become more enterprising.
Take a look at the Emerge Awards Showcase and the Regional Tech Ecosystem map for inspiration and to learn about some of the amazing businesses that started right here at the University of Sheffield.