Global Skills Award Managing your Career Careers and Employability Service Nicola Urquhart Careers Adviser

What we will cover: Choosing a career What are employers looking for? Using social media Break Where are the jobs? Making applications How the Careers and Employability Service can help you Action points

What is a career? Not necessarily a linear, planned sequence of events Career choice is not an event or occasion Career choice is a process

Why is choosing a career so difficult? ALL JOBS which match your goals, needs & values & require your skills, qualities & qualifications in the desired location where there are prospects for the future

What are the options? Employment with training Employment with study Academic study Vocational study Time out/travel

Employment option examples Advertising Armed Forces Arts Administration Broadcasting Central & Local Government Computing/IT Finance Fire Service Guidance/Counselling Info Management/Museums Journalism Law Marketing/Sales Management Consultancy NHS Management Personnel Police Production Management Public Relations Publishing Purchasing Retail Self-employment Social Work TEFL Teaching Tourism Transport

Jobs directly related to subject

Jobs that are not directly related to your subject Many employers value the skills you have gained more than the subject

What subject did they study at university?

How to make a career decision

Two alternative starting points Start from yourself and work out Start from your opportunities and work back Or, combine the two!

Activity 1 In your groups write down values and motivations which could affect your career choice.

Values and motivations To have autonomy and define your own priorities and schedules To be challenged and have new problems to solve To work in a role that supports your personal life To have power and influence To have security and predictability To be a catalyst for change To use creativity and self expression To be recognised as an expert To work in accordance with personal, spiritual or ethical ideas To have social status as a result of your job

Personality Energetic Resilient Creative Risk taking Relaxed hPersistent Co-operative Sensitive

How can you identify your skills/what you would enjoy in a job? Previous employment Work experience/shadowing Internships Insight days Study Extra-curricular activities Careers Employability Award Career questionnaires Talk to people about their jobs vacation/part-time work

Career Questionnaires (p13) Identify what you want out of a job; generate new job ideas and check out your existing ones. Find out what motivates you in a job; identify your skills and what you can offer to the job/employer. See how these match the jobs you are considering. Research your chosen jobs in more detail, compare your options and decide on the right choices for you

Researching Careers Prospects/Careers and Employability Service websites Overview of the sector Job descriptions Salary and conditions Entry requirements Training Career development Employers and vacancy sources Related jobs

So much information! How can you keep track of your research? MyFolio Kent Union Employability Toolkit Your own careers notebook/mindmap

advice/general-advice/start-your-career-hunt advice/general-advice/start-your-career-hunt

What if I’m still stuck? Make the most of opportunities (planned happenstance) Think about it little and often Make an appointment to speak to a careers adviser

Some tips on choosing a career (p.13) Get to know yourself, your employability skills, values, personal qualities etc Talk to others but make your own decision Do the research Keep an open mind - Stereotyped pictures of jobs are rarely accurate Use the Careers and Employability Service Start NOW!

Once career choice has been made Research employers/courses Make contacts Begin to plan

Global Skills Award What are employers looking for? Careers and Employability Service

What is Employability? ‘A set of attributes, skills and knowledge that all labour market participants should possess to ensure they have the capability of being effective in the workplace – to the benefit of themselves, their employer and the wider economy.’ (CBI, March 2009)

Changing world of work: Global economy More career changes Roles change New technology/social media Changes to graduate recruitment

Employers increasingly focusing on attributes in addition to traditional employability skills Successful candidates need to be able to demonstrate these attributes on their applications and articulate them at interview Your postgraduate qualification can help you to do this!

Activity 2 In your groups write down the common skills and attributes that employers ask for.

Skills and attributes that graduate recruiters are looking for? Communication Report writing Team working Leadership Planning and organisation Project management Enterprise Problem Solving Reflection Adaptability Energy Drive and resilience Integrity Reliability Enthusiasm/passion Self awareness Confidence Contextual/cultural awareness Capacity to develop Numeracy Positive attitude Business and customer awareness IT skills Adaptability Maturity

What skills and attributes do employers want? (p.9) Transferrable skills Communication (oral, written) Negotiation Team working Planning and organisation Time management Leadership Problem solving Attributes Integrity Adaptability Energy Drive and resilience Reliability Enthusiasm and passion Self awareness and confidence

Global Skills ‘Using Social Media’ Careers and Employability Service

Social media Social Media: “an umbrella term that defines the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos, and audio.” Enabling conversations Facilitating discussions

Why should you be using social media? Enables you to build links and to learn about an industry and potential employers (commercial awareness) Control what employers see when they ‘google’ you Some employers will expect you be using it e.g. the media, advertising, publishing and many more. Can provide you with an excellent platform to showcase your knowledge and interest in a career area Information comes to you Allows you to make an impression (good and bad)

What is ? Professional / business social networking site (launched 2003) Over 100 million users in over 200 countries Over 5 million users in the UK (March 2011) om/students/step-1/ om/students/step-1/ x2UhM&feature=relmfu x2UhM&feature=relmfu

Why use LinkedIn? Explore career ideas Find out about an employer and their competition Develop commercial awareness Professional networking Opportunity to join groups For self marketing and increasing your visibility Asking for advice Staying in touch/reconnecting

Your LinkedIn Profile Setting up a profile go to and enter your details. Be sure to include: Profile photo Profile summary/ Professional headline Education details Details of current and past job roles/volunteering/ internships etc “You are 40 times more likely to receive connections if your profile is 100% complete” Denise Taylor ‘How to Use LinkedIn to find a new job”

Useful information Training Videos:   step video to success New Users Starter Guide  Webinars: 

What is Twitter is a form of micro-blogging Twitter gives you 140 characters per ‘tweet’ to say what’s on your mind You can follow people/companies/ recruiters who interest you. Gather an audience

Twitter Twitter gives you 140 characters per ‘tweet’ to say what’s on your mind Twitter is a form of micro-blogging Follow people/companies/ recruiters who interest you. Make your posts relevant to companies who might be viewing your profile. Learn how to use # View, Master, Slide Master to change this text to the title of your presentationPage 39

Example Tweets

Ideas on who to follow: Companies/employers you are interested in working for Industry experts/bloggers Professional networks and industry/professional publications Job sites and job boards Recruiters / head-hunters / HR personnel who are hiring for the roles you're

What is Blogging? A personal diary, your memo to the world – a website you update on a regular basis Opportunity to ‘critique’ and to share a point of view on a variety of topic

Some platforms to consider Linkedin Increase your awareness of the sector, link with potential recruiters Discover career trajectories Twitter Follow recruiters Contribute to discussions Blogging Demonstrate your commitment, business knowledge and passion Showcase your talent

Facebook Look at your Facebook account, change your privacy settings if needed ‘Like’ organisations you are interested in working for, Civil Service Fast Stream, NHS Graduate Management Scheme for example Opportunity to ask recruiters questions

Break

Global Skills Award Where are the jobs ? Careers and Employability Service

What do postgraduates do? (p.3) “The vast majority of postgraduates enter employment at the end of their studies.” “Both doctoral and Masters degree graduates have a lower level of unemployment than Bachelors degree graduates and are more likely to be employed in a professional role”

Where to look for vacancies (p.15) Check job vacancies to find out about the types of roles being advertised Graduate directories Careers and Employability Fairs Employers brochures Specialist publications

Recruitment Agencies FASHION - George Ellis Recruitment MUSIC - Handle Recruitment ACCOUNTANCY - Hays Accountancy Personnel SECRETARIAL - Nice People Employment Bureau STOCKBROKING - Citifocus Ltd

Online sources Institute of Practitioners in Advertising Chartered Institute of Marketing Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development Guardian vacancies

Example graduate Scheme (Asda) Finance Human Resources IT Logistics Marketing Property Purchasing Retailing

Example Graduate scheme (Bloomberg ) Finance IT Media Sales

Example graduate scheme: DIFD Engineering Finance General Management IT Purchasing Research and Development

Others… European commission Loreal Lidl Mars Civil Service NHS Rolls-Royce Sainsbury’s Savills Sky Teach First National Audit Office MI5 Publicis UK IMG Media Ltd Vocus Accenture The Co-operative Redrow Smith & Williamson

GRADUATE SALARIES 2012  Arcadia – retail management £18,500 - £23,000  Boots - brand/buying/marketing grad scheme £24,000 + £1k welcome!  Barclays Bank - future leaders development programme £36k (+£8k bonus!)  Civil Service - up to £27,000  Explore Learning - education management £21,000  Exxon Mobil - graduate schemes £34,000  FiveTen Group - recruitment £20-£25k  GCHQ - defence research £25,000 (+ benefits)  IBM - range of schemes £27,000 - £32,000  Jaguar Land Rover - purchasing grad scheme £27k  John Lewis - buying/retail management/merchandising graduate schemes £25,000  L’Oreal - management training scheme £28,000  McDonald’s - trainee business manager £18,500-21,500  MI5 - £24,750 + benefits - varies by function!  Motability - £28,500 (+ joining bonus!)  Slaughter & May - training contract £38,000  Waitrose - retail management £25,000

Not all jobs are advertised : the hidden job market

Speculative applications Produce a professional, graduate level CV Identify companies/contacts to approach Prepare a suitable covering letter Make phone contacts to find out who to send your cv to and get their e mail address ALWAYS follow up Use a combination of approaches If producing a creative CV, get the content right before focusing on the design Be persistent!

Global Skills Award Making Applications Careers and Employability Service

What employers say… "Few students are able to articulate what they have gained from their experience in higher education." (Association of Graduate Recruiters, 1995)

What is the purpose of a CV? To inform the employer about your education, work experience, skills and interests To show how you meet the criteria so the employer can not deselect you To ‘sell’ your qualities and to persuade the employer to invite you to interview

Producing a CV

Matching up your CV with the position/company It is not ‘one size fits all’, you need to tailor your CV to each position you apply for. Research the organisation. Do they have a mission statement or core values? What will they be looking for in you? Who works there at the moment? What are they passionate about?

What makes an effective CV and covering letter Right format Well presented Proof read/consistent tenses You have included all the necessary information Your skills and abilities are clearly evidenced Conveyed your understanding and enthusiasm for the job Targeted it to the job

What does it need to contain? (p.18) Personal details Education and qualifications Work experience Skills Interests and additional information References

Activity 3 In your groups write down the types of headings you could include.

However don’t be constrained by headings. Languages Scholarships/Awards Voluntary work Relevant experience Positions of responsibility Publication/Presentations Conferences attended Research skills Additional skills

Hints on wording Avoid personal pronouns - No “I’s” Avoid producing a passive CV Start with verbs wherever possible Use short sentences & concise phrases Focus on accomplishments Refer to specific projects with quantifiable results Try to incorporate wording used in that sector

Make use of Action Verbs created instructed analysed produced negotiated designed calculated maintained administered controlled reviewed observed consolidated delivered founded increased studied invented supplied detected programmed recommended distributed developed solved prepared installed selected arranged formulated solved started

Global Skills Award How can the Careers and Employability Service help Careers and Employability Service

How the Careers and Employability Service can help you.

What we do Careers Talks and Workshops Careers Library: Employer Directories, Occupational Profiles, Books etc Comprehensive Web Pages Careers Employability Award (CEM) on Moodle Vacancy Database Alumni Careers Network Annual Careers and Recruitment Fair Drop In - Quick Query Careers Guidance Interviews

Careers and Employability Service Web Site:

Careers and Employability Service Web Pages I want to work in …. What can I do with my degree in … How to create a portfolio Interview Reports Interviews (includes assessment centres and psychometric tests etc.) Example CVs & Covering Letters Spelling and punctuation

Careers Employability Award  The module takes about 12 hours to complete  But this can be done at your own pace You do this by completing:  9 quizzes  3 short assignments  1 feedback form

“I liked the fact that the assignments relate to how you would fill in answers on a graduate job application step by step and provides examples of how to fill it in.” “I really enjoyed the quizzes. They effectively highlighted the gaps in my knowledge, as many of the answers surprised me. I also found the module on creating my own CV very useful, these skills will be invaluable for tailoring my CV to particular jobs.” “There is a wealth of information about everything; I especially liked the individual information about specific job types and the advice given about interview skills.” Comments from students who have completed the award.

Attend Careers Talks and Workshops. How to make effective presentations Commercial awareness Postgraduate study Summer Internships More information available

Employers visiting campus Examples this term include: MBDA Bloomberg RAF Teach First Majestic Wine NHS PriceWaterhouseCoopers

Vacancy Database All vacancies sent to the Careers and Employability Service by employers, whether for graduate jobs, sandwich placements or vacation work/internships are entered on this database which offers: alerts of new vacancies which may interest you Employers notifying vacancies are often specifically targeting Kent graduates, so competition for jobs is lower than on other vacancy sites

Kent Grads KentGrads - database of companies in Kent who employ graduates, and who may, from time to time, have vacancies. It is not a list of current vacancies, but a resource to help you find possible employers. The site can list all the companies in the database grouped in one of a number of ways: by location in Kent, by the criteria you specify or by keywords. For example: if you can remember the surname of a particular contact at a company, but are unsure of the company name.

Careers Network Helps current students gain an insight into careers through contact with alumni. Information and advice by letter/phone/ , work- shadowing. Visit the Careers Centre and ask to use the Careers Network.

Speak to an adviser: Quick query, drop in and speak to an adviser 10.30am pm and 2.00pm-4pm Monday to Friday. E and an adviser will respond to your query. You can also book a longer career guidance appointment over the phone or pop in.

Action points Spend time planning your career See career planning as a lifelong skill Start now – don’t leave it until the last minute! Google yourself Learn how to network Try to get some relevant experience Produce a professional CV Make use of the Careers and Employability Service

You can access a copy of these slides at: Careers and Employability Service Nicola Urquhart Careers Adviser