PREPARING FOR YOUR INTERNSHIP APPLICATION HELPING YOU SUCCEED KATH HOUSTON

WHAT THIS IS FOR To help you decide whether a UCLAN internship is right for you (12 weeks, 6 month or 12 month internships with UCLAN or external employers (12 to 48 weeks) – full time or part time hours) To help you be ready to make a good application To help you be focused on your future career.

WHAT IS A UCLAN GRADUATE INTERNSHIP? What is an internship? A specific project or defined activity, which provides a developmental opportunity for UCLan graduates. What is the purpose of internships? The purpose of internships is to enhance the employability of the intern by provision of meaningful work experience, whist contributing to school/service activity. The project aims to give graduates who might not necessarily have relevant work experience the opportunity to gain the skills and experience needed to progress onto graduate level roles elsewhere.

WHAT GRADUATE RECRUITERS SAY "Students who just focus on their degree studies without spending time in the workplace are unlikely to develop the skills and interests that graduate employers are looking for.’ So what if your work experience has been limited? Just a paper round? Lack of work experience – Catch 22 A chance to make up the gap – an internship.

WHY GRADUATES MIGHT BENEFIT FROM AN INTERNSHIP Can you guess? 350,000 graduates (2014) Graduate employers expect a lot. Work experience (relevant work experience) has been found to be the most convincing factor in persuading an employer to select a graduate.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU? The UCLAN internship programmes – past successes A chance to take stock, horizon scan, build skills set and confidence, be work ready. A chance to plan your future career based on your values, interests, skills, knowledge and personal qualities THE INTERNSHIP PACKAGE PAID WORK CAREER WORKSHOPS MENTORING Possible PG CERT Project Management

WHAT DO YOU WANT/ NEED FROM THE INTERNSHIP? You may have your own reasons. An ‘in the meanwhile’ experience Earn some money Develop skills and credibility Something else?

DEFINITIONS OF CAREER Career = Working lifetime Are you just ‘careering along’ ? Or just putting of the decision? FACTS – one in five unhappy in career – 11% get where they want in terms of career aspirations – Career happiness is the biggest contributor to life happiness, it seems (no surprise) 8 Finding the right direction

CAREER MANAGEMENT ‘This is a world in which people had better be doing whatever they do best, whatever they are really motivated to do, whatever most suits them temperamentally and whatever makes best use of such assets as they happen to have.’ Bridges, W Creating You and Co 1998:28

PLAYING YOUR CARDS, PLAYING TO STRENGTHS ‘Good careers are not the result of being dealt with terrific cards – only of playing well with whatever cards you are dealt.’ Bridges, W Creating You and Co 1998 So what are the cards in your hand?

WHAT CAN YOU OFFER? (CARDS IN YOUR HAND) Your ideas Try and see it from the employer’s viewpoint. NEXT - a VALUES check.

WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO YOU ABOUT YOUR CAREER? Recruiters refer to these as VALUES. What do you VALUE that your career must give you? Think of 5 VALUES. Put them in order of importance.

VALUES OR CAREER DRIVERS(KUMAR) Pick your top 3 StatusResponsibilityAutonomy Advancement Economic reward Social interaction Variety Work environment Security Work/life balance CreativityService

DATA EXERCISE (BRIDGES, W ‘JOBSHIFT’) D – Desire What do you really want to be doing in your work hours? (Dream) A – Abilities/Attributes What are your strongest abilities? (List them) T – Temperament What are your natural personality qualities? A – Assets What is unique about you? What is your USP?

DATA MODEL (BRIDGES) – A USEFUL PREPARATION FOR APPLICATIONS Doing this is a good way to collect some useful data about yourself which can be used on an application form for an internship and should be contained in your CV.

WHAT WILL MAKE THEM SHORTLIST YOUR APPLICATION? Your ideas You will need to show that you match the DESIRABLE and ESSENTIAL criteria (PERSON SPEC) You will need to show ENTHUSIASM, EMPLOYABILITY and EVIDENCE of your suitability You will need to write a PERSONAL STATEMENT section that shows line by line how you match the PERSON SPEC.

NEXT WEBINAR We will help you to be brilliant. Book for the next webinar – Applying for the UCLAN internship. How to complete a internship application so you get yourself shortlisted – see the recording on the website. Application deadline 26 October 2014