Oxford Careers Adviser Recognised with the John Roberts Memorial Prize at the 2026 Graduate Futures Awards
Continuous learning is an important part of professional growth, and Careers Adviser Chris Jeffs has demonstrated the value of investing in professional development throughout a career.
Alongside his work at the Oxford University Careers Service, Chris successfully completed a Postgraduate Certificate and was awarded the John Roberts Memorial Prize at the 2026 Graduate Futures Awards (the GRAFTAs) in recognition of the outstanding quality of his work.
Organised by The Graduate Futures Institute, a community of careers and employability professionals from more than 150 universities across the UK and Ireland, the Graduate Futures Awards celebrate excellence in graduate careers and employability.
Reflecting on the experience, Chris said:
I was absolutely chuffed to receive this award. Completing the PG Certificate alongside my work has enabled me to engage deeply with current career theories and best practice, and directly apply this to enhance my own work and support that of the wider Careers Service. A particularly rewarding focus was enhancing the design and delivery of careers workshops and presentations, ensuring they are engaging and impactful so we can best support our students’ and researchers’ career goals. The shared enthusiasm and culture of peer learning amongst my Careers colleagues continues to be a source of joy and is central to how we keep improving our work.
The award was collected on Chris's behalf by fellow Careers Adviser Callum Buchanan and presented by Dr Tania Lyden of the University of Warwick.
Also at the awards
The Careers Service's Making a Difference programme has been shortlisted for the External Partnerships Award, while the Summer Internship Programme has been shortlisted for the Excellence in Work-Based Learning Award.
Both programmes provide University of Oxford students with valuable opportunities to develop skills through practical experience with real organisations, whether through projects with charities and social enterprises or internships with organisations in the UK and around the world.
