The University of Kent Careers & Employability Service Careers with a School of English Postgraduate Degree You can download a copy of this presentation at

Sutton Trust Report The proportion of people of working age in Britain with a postgraduate qualification has climbed rapidly: from 4% in 1996 to 11% in 2012 The study found that a postgraduate degree remained linked to higher earnings: worth on average £5,500 per year more than someone with only an undergraduate degree. Is postgraduate study worthwhile?

Further Postgraduate Study 23% of English grads do PG study after graduation Research MA/MPhil 1 to 2 years – often part-time PhD – 3 years. Must do an MA first. Arts and Humanities Research Council bursaries See

Study Abroad Many postgraduate courses are now taught in English, especially in the Netherlands and Scandinavia No course fees in Sweden and about £1,000 in Germany and Denmark See

Help for postgraduates Career Planning Guide for postgraduates Work in Universities

Skills gained with an English Degree: sell these in your applications! ability to write well in a variety of styles. to convey meaning precisely. to summarise, argue and debate. to plan, organise and meet tight deadlines. to research, select, analyse, organise and present information. to think clearly and logically and solve problems. To gather, assess, interpret and critically evaluate. EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNICATION! “Would you say their are any skill shortages in the UK for actuary's ie their enough out their, is their a shortfall of any kind of actuary?” In an from an HR manager to me!

What do Employers look for in Postgraduate applicants? On appointment: 1.Honesty & integrity 2.Ability to listen to others 3.Can integrate quickly into team 4.Ability to present ideas clearly (verbally & in writing) 5.Good time management After one year: 1.Ability to identify areas for change or improvement 2.Can be asked to undertake independent research 3.Negotiation skills 4.Capable of learning new IT systems quickly 5.Attention to detail & thoroughness

What skills do Postgraduates have? Postgraduate Skills

Destinations MA Creative Writing PhD Poetry Text - University of Kent Communications Intern - School Creative Writer - Self employed Teaching Assistant - High School The Contemporary Novel - University of Kent Univ. of KentLibrary Ass't Run Wild MediaEditorial Ass't UCL - Evening Courses Admin Ass't Christ Church Univ. - PGCE 7-14 English Univ. of Kent - Library Ass't Grammar School - Teaching Ass't Concord International - EFL Tutor Univ. of Kent - Lecturer PhD English Assistant Lecturer - University of Kent Lecturer in English – Mid-Kent College Chief Program Officer - Champions for Kids MA English & American Literature Teacher of English Literature - Self employed PGCE/M.Ed English & Drama – Cambridge PGCE - Christ Church University English Literature Tutor - Open Book Project PhD in English - University of Kent (2) Sky - Ass't Producer Time Products UK Ltd. - Field Sales Manager BBC Etzella Ettelbruck - Basketball Player Canterbury Christ Church Univ. - PGCE English Canterbury Christ Church Univ. - PGCE Primary Univ. College London - Admissions Ass't Westcliff High School – Teacher Zenjiang Univ., China - TEFL Teacher MA Dickens & Victorian Culture School - English Teacher College of Law - General Diploma in Law Univ. of Kent - M.Phil. English Institute of Education - PGCE English

What can I do with a degree in English? What graduates in English did after leaving Kent Jobs related to your subject Employers and vacancy sources

Teacher Training PGCE (teacher training) 1 year: about 6% of grads Schools Direct and Teach First routes as well Teaching in Colleges

VACANCIES University of Kent Vacancy Database Other talks

Applications and Interviews English Postgrad CV must be targeted at the job! Media CV Covering Letters Practice Interviews: journalism, teaching, marketing, HR, postgrad study etc. Application, interview and selection centre videos

Location of the Careers Service

School of English Careers Employability Award on Moodle + 40 employability points

Moodle Careers Employability Award 14 Quizzes: need 75% to pass but allowed unlimited attempts Complete 3 of the following seven assignments Employability skills quiz Employability skills quiz: drag & drop How to develop the skills employers want? Test your spelling and grammar! What makes you happy at work? How commercially aware are you? Special interests topic lesson Interview preparation Practice interview What are the most common interview questions? Aptitude tests and assessment centres CV quiz CVs and covering letters: drag & drop quiz Career planning drag and drop quiz Analyse your skills and learn how to make top quality applications Do you want to live to work or work to live? Researching careers Choosing a career Submit a CV Social media Action planning

Comments from students who have completed the award You get a really nice certificate! It was so easy, quick and I learned a lot. Without realising, you have finished the course and have already put together a very good CV and covering letter. It really blew my mind with some ideas I’ve never known before, such as portfolio working and working from home. I never thought about obtaining happiness from my work before. It would be mad to apply for a job or attend an interview without doing it! Before the course I had only a vague idea of my career path and opportunities. Now I am applying for summer internships and know how to effectively sell my skills to a prospective employer and have a much more focused plan for my future. The module is very, very useful! I really love how it makes you to think about your personality and helps you to identify your strengths and weaknesses. I found the module to be highly thought-provoking as it really encouraged me to consider how my degree will benefit my future and what I can be doing now to improve my graduate employment prospects. I enjoyed the depth of the module. It went far beyond some general tips on how to write a good CV and prepare for an interview. Rather it went in to detail about the whole process of graduate job search from the beginning to the end. It was very instructive. The amount of time put into this is astounding! I actually spoke to friends from other universities who said they wished they had something like this. It has made me feel a lot more confident when it comes to applications and interviews and has also made me think about skills that I didn't think I had before. I recently had a very successful interview largely because I put the advice on the module into practice.

BRUCE WOODCOCK A Duty Careers Adviser is available for short (15 minute) consultations: MORNINGS (10.30 am pm) and AFTERNOONS (2 to 4 pm). Don’t need to book an appointment just ask at reception in the Careers Service (Keynes College Driveway) If you need longer ring our reception on to make an appointment for interview with me.

Other Points Check you campus s regularly as I will send you s most Mondays! We are open in the vacations We will support you for 3 years after graduation

The University of Kent Careers & Employability Service You can download a copy of this presentation at

Get actively involved in university life … Graduate Application Form Questions Describe a challenging situation which required your persuasive skills and your ability to organise other people in order to reach a successful resolution. Describe how your personal planning and organisation resulted in a successful achievement of a personal or group task. Describe a situation where you had to work effectively as a member of a team. What were the team’s aims? How was the team selected? What was your role?