After Your Degree – What Next? Jenny Keaveney Careers and Employability Service

Introduction n Where Next? n Where to look for jobs n Making Applications n How the Careers & Employability Service can help

Where Next?

Opportunities with your degree n What do graduates in your subject do? n What careers will use your subject knowledge? BUT …. n There is more to you than your degree!

Think about yourself …. n Your interests n Your skills n Your values n Your personal circumstances n Any other factors

What are your opportunities? n One-third of advertised graduate jobs are open to graduates in any subject n For example: advertising, accountancy, banking, marketing, personnel, public sector management, n Plus all the unadvertised graduate jobs! n And there are even more opportunities after experience and training

Making career decisions.. Relate your skills, interests and values to careers and jobs by u sing computer guidance systems e.g. Prospects Planner n Look at job adverts and job descriptions n Talk to people about their work and how they got their jobs n Use careers websites and careers advisers n Get first-hand insight into careers of potential interest to you

Where to look for jobs n What are you looking for? –Graduate training schemes? –Other graduate jobs? –Internships? –Other temporary jobs? –Something different? –I’m not looking for a job!

Vacancy Sites – graduate jobs and training schemes n n n n

Vacancy Sites – graduate internships As above, plus: n The Graduate Talent Pool n Graduate STEP n Inspiring Interns

Are you looking for something different? The best way to find jobs may to use specialist resources e.g.: n Professional bodies n Magazines n Specialist directories n Specialist recruitment agencies

The Creative Career Search Network! n ask your friends n ask your relatives n ask your “network” n ask a past Kent graduate n ask a careers adviser Make applications on spec

CAREERS FAIRS Graduate Events The Summer Graduate Fair ExCel, London, 29 – 30 May TARGETjobs/The Careers Group The London Graduate Fair Business Design Centre, Islington 20 & 21 June For fairs elsewhere in the UK, see

Recruitment Agencies n The Graduate Recruitment Bureau n Reed Graduates n Brampton Stafford Recruitment recruitment-4-graduate-jobs.co.uk n The Graduate Recruitment Company n Job Centres n

How do I apply for jobs? n Different employers have different ways to apply –CV + covering letter –Online application form –Hard copy application form n See the Careers Advisory Service booklet or for guidelines on making good applications n Careers and employability advisers can check your applications and give individual help and advice

Employer’s Application Forms n Contents – up to employer n Often competency-based – see: n Common concerns (Degree class, A-level grades, alternative qualifications, nationality) n References n Submit online or download to complete

Further Information n Careers and Employability Service website n CES booklet “Making Applications” n Reference Books in Careers Service n DVDs “Your Job’s online” & “Looking Good on Paper” (available online at n and-cvs n

I’m not looking for a job! n Postgraduate study? – n Time out? – n Travel? –

The Careers & Employability Service n Where is the CES? n Who works there? n What does it do? n How can it help me?

Who works there? Careers and employability advisers Jenny Keaveney Kathryn Segal Bruce WoodcockNatalie Smith Amy Scamell Nicola Urquhart

Who works there? Support staff: Lara Cavill Sarah Farley Sue Perry

How can the CES help me? Careers advice: help with –choosing a career –Making applications –Preparing for interviews We offer this advice through ‘quick queries’ and longer careers guidance interviews n Careers information: including –online job vacancy database –Information on sources of specialised vacancies n Careers website

When can I use the Careers & Employability Service? n Open to all students at all stages of their studies – and after you graduate too! n Open 9-5, Monday to Friday n Open term-time and vacation n Our website is freely accessible on and off campus – you don’t need a Kent login

@kentunices for job vacancies, events, news and updates

Careers and Employability Service