A better route into placements and internships, for students and employers.
First Light helps university students get discovered for real opportunities and helps UK employers hire from a curated shortlist using advanced AI semantic matching. Build one strong profile, stay visible, and see when there is genuine interest.
University students only for now. School student onboarding is not yet open publicly.
A calmer, clearer way to get found.
- Real opportunities, not application spamProfiles are matched to active employer briefs instead of thrown into a job-board black hole.
- You'll know when interest landsWhen an employer requests an intro, you see it. No uncertainty, no silence. Just a clear signal that someone is genuinely interested in you.
- Clear privacy and termsYou can review exactly how your information is used before you register.
Every other platform is built for volume. First Light is built for fit.
Most hiring platforms are built to maximise application volume. First Light is built to get both students and employers to the right match faster, without the noise.
- Hundreds of applicants to sort through
- £400+ job ad with uncertain ROI
- Applications that disappear with no response, not even a rejection
- A curated shortlist of students who actually fit.
- Post a role brief once. We handle the matching work.
- Intro requests signal real interest from both sides
Two active audiences. One smarter route into work.
First Light is currently open to university students and UK employers.
Placement years, internships, summer roles.
Build your profile once. Get matched to employers who need exactly what you bring. No silence, no void. See when there's real employer interest and know your profile was actually seen.
One great student, not a career fair.
Whether you run a 10-person startup or a 500-person business, if you want a curated shortlist instead of a pile of CVs, First Light is built for you. Your first 3 submitted roles are free — no card required.
Post a role. Get a shortlist that fits.
Designed for founders, hiring managers, and talent teams who want quality over volume.
Post your role
Share the brief, skills, salary type, and location preference. Takes about 10 minutes.
AI matching runs
Once your brief is live, our AI matches it against every student profile in the pool. Semantic matching goes beyond keywords, surfacing candidates whose skills, course content, and project experience genuinely fit what your role needs.
Request an intro
Choose the candidates you like. We broker the connection. No cold CV spam.
Build your profile once. Get found.
A clearer route into work for university students who want genuine opportunities, not a black hole.
Build your profile
Choose the university route, then add your skills, availability, and what you want from your next role.
Go live in the pool
Unlike screening tools that filter students out before a human ever sees them, First Light's AI works the other way, surfacing you to the right employers based on what you actually bring, not just keywords. Skills, course content, and project experience all count.
See real interest
Know the moment a real employer shows interest. No more sending applications into the void. No more wondering.
Different by design, not just in the marketing copy.
The model is intentionally different: AI-powered matching against roles, stronger intent signals, and a student experience that feels more trustworthy than a typical job board.
🎯 Curated shortlists, not piles
Employers get best AI fit candidates, not 500 applications and a sorting problem.
🤖 AI matching, not keyword guessing
Semantic matching understands what a role actually needs and what a student actually brings. A student who studied Python for data analysis surfaces for a data science role, even if they never wrote "data science" in their profile.
🔍 Pre-screened readiness
Students go live only once their profile is complete enough to be useful in hiring.
💬 Intro request flow
No cold apply loop. An intro request means real mutual intent; both sides are engaged.
🔒 Student-first trust signals
Clear privacy and terms pages, essential cookies only, and profile controls designed for real personal data.
12 role families across every major sector
From software and data to operations, construction, education, and commercial roles: 12 families covering the full spectrum of UK employer hiring.
Ready to get matched?
Whether you're hiring or hoping to be discovered, First Light is built to cut through the noise and get to a real match faster.
Students are always free. Employers get their first 3 submitted roles free. See pricing.