1. General Course Students Career Presentation
Viki Chinn
LSE Careers

2. Agenda: Using the Careers Service
The UK job market-what do employers want?
Internships
UK CV protocol
Explaining the ‘General Course’ to employers
Questions

3. Using the Careers Service-What we can and can’t do
Help you identify your dream job
Reality check – Labour market knowledge
Suggest stepping stones to the dream job
Help you articulate your employability skills to employers
Help you with your careers research
We can’t…
create jobs / internships in competitive sectors
Write your CV/ application for you
Proofread
Change the world

4. LSE’S Best Kept Secret

6. What do Employers Look For?
Consistently good academic performance
Awards, achievements
Some work experience
Extra-curricular activities
Voluntary/community work
People who can communicate, analyse information, problem-solve, work with others and learn on an ongoing basis

7. Re-active and proactive job hunting in the UK
Proactive markets
Majority of recruiters have one or at most two vacancies
Don’t recruit every year
No skills shortage
Reactive markets
Lots of big players with 60 – 1000 vacancies
Recruit every year
Skill shortage

8. Internships? Common in: Less common in Management Finance & Banking
Consultancy??
Law
Marketing, advertising, PR
Less common in
Media
NGOs/development
Think tanks
'Niche' or specialist areas

9. Not advertised- Speculative Applications
Pros:
Competition limited, maybe nil
You seem
well motivated
full of initiative
Cheaper for employer
Can be immediate start
Cons:
More work for you
How do you find the opportunities?
You must know
what you want
what you have to offer

10. Networking and Informational interviewing
Typical questions:
What is it like to work in this industry?
Who are the key players?
Which skills are most relevant?
How did they get their current job?
Any advice they can offer?
Best person to contact re work experience?

11. Internship issues
Dates you are available – most internships run for the whole of July and August
Locally focused recruitment – internships are used to talent spot, so some organisations are only interested in those who will be available to work in the region on graduation.
Don’t forget home universities recruitment
Network for flexible experience

12. CV vs Resume Length Include high school grades
Include extra curricular activities and hobbies / interests
Careers profile / career aim x

13. Explaining the ‘General Course’ to employers
Include in the ‘education’ of your CV
Use the LSE ‘brand’ to talk positively about employers and opportunities
Use the General Course to demonstrate a range of skills including:
International focus
Ability to thrive in a diverse environment and interact with a wide range of people
Independence and maturity
Wider network and (potentially) language skills
Academic ability

14. Making the most of your time in London
Gather evidence of employability skills by:
Getting involved with student societies
Volunteering – Volunteer centre in Careers Service
Part time term time work

15. Questions?