Careers Centre Developing your USP - how students add value through work experience Gill Barber and Annabelle Cross Senior Careers Consultants 7 th January

Careers Centre We aim to give:  An understanding of why employers want students with work experience  Benefits of work experience to students  An introduction to the range of work experience options open to students and some examples of successful initiatives at the UoL  Barriers for students to engage with work experience  Knowledge of how the Careers Centre can support students seeking placements and academic departments supporting those opportunities

Careers Centre Did you know?  Organisations are looking for more than a degree.  43% of employers convert > 40% of interns to graduate recruits (10% convert > 80%) Source: 2008 Association of Graduate Recruiters Survey  Competition is increasing with the average number of graduates chasing every job on offer this year rising to 48 per vacancy (FMCG being 250 per vacancy!) Source: July 2009 Association of Graduate Recruiters Survey

Careers Centre When recruiting, employers look for evidence of the following skills:  Effective communication  Ability to follow instruction  Understanding customer needs  Ability to learn  Showing initiative  Team working skills  Experience of a commercial environment beyond the lecture theatre  Evidence of motivation and determination -Source: July 2009 Association of Graduate Recruiters Survey

Careers Centre Employers’ believe there are 3 main ways to improve skills (in order of effectiveness):  Completing an internship or industrial placement  Taking on a leadership position in a student society  Gaining very people-focussed work experience Source: 2008 Association of Graduate Recruiters Survey

Careers Centre Benefits of Work Experience to students  INCREASE knowledge of the world of work  DEVELOP self-confidence  ENHANCE coursework  AID career planning  IMPROVE transferable skills  IMPRESSIVE addition to their CV  EMPLOYER contacts/NETWORKING  BETTER motivated  BOOST finances

Careers Centre Work Experience on a student’s CV/Application shows that:  They can transfer academic learning to the workplace  Provides supplementary evidence that they have the skills & qualities employers look for  Sets them apart from the crowd (approx 500k per year!)  Makes them a safer recruit

Careers Centre Range of work experience options  Placement Year  Summer internships / Vacation work  Project based work (course/self generated)  Work shadowing  Work simulations / case studies  Voluntary work  Part time casual work  Self employment

Careers Centre UoL initiatives  Unilever  Mars  Leeds City Council and POLIS  Clinical Psychology with IPS  Opera North  Graduate Internships  Research Internships  CSER 8000….

Careers Centre CSER 8000 – Work Placement Year Option  This module is aimed at Level 2 students, who would like to take their third year as a work placement year WHEN THEIR PARENT DEPARTMENT DOES NOT OFFER THIS OPTION  This effectively extends a 3 year degree programme to a 4 year one, consequently, the title of their degree is altered so that their existing named degree becomes a BA / BSc xxx (Industry) or BA / BSc xxx (Industrial Placement).  Currently 11 students on placement from Music, Joint Honours, History & POLIS

Careers Centre Barriers to Obtaining Work Experience  Lack of confidence  Lack of awareness  Lack of support  ‘Head in the Sand’ approach  Removal from year/peer group (for 12 month placements)  Time

Careers Centre How can the Careers Centre support students? Advice & Guidance on ALL aspects of work experience such as:  Deciding and planning what they want to do  Helping them in their placement search  Applying and Competing (CVs, Application forms, Interviews etc)  Reviewing, reflecting and transferring their experience/skills

Careers Centre How can the Careers Centre support faculties?  Generic talks/workshops  Faculty specific talks/workshops  Liaison with Employers and linking to departments  CSER 8000  …Anything else?

Careers Centre Not forgetting…..  Leeds for Life -  Helps tutors support students to engage with opportunities  Helps students to reflect, review and evidence their experience

Careers Centre Final Thought……….. ‘Ability is what you’re capable of doing; Motivation determines what you do; Attitude determines how well you do it’ Lou Holtz

Careers Centre QUESTIONS