Careers Centre Experience Works School of Maths 2011 Placement Fest

Careers Centre Introduction  Benefits  Finding Opportunities  Advertised  Hidden  Applying  Support Available  Erasmus Work Funding

Careers Centre Why? Develop skills in the workplace: Employers’ top 3 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  Put theory into practice  Develop employability skills  Experience an industry and its culture  Network  Learning about yourself  Financial Benefits  A job!!

Careers Centre What do Employers look for? The research…  Almost all of the UK’s leading graduate recruiters are offering work experience  Nearly two-thirds of recruiters warn that graduates who have no previous work experience at all are unlikely to be successful in the recruitment process  Irrespective of academic results it is very hard for an applicant to demonstrate the skills and competencies that employers look for if they have no prior work experience (High Fliers Research 2011)

Careers Centre Employers  The ‘big four’: Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC)  Other companies offer accountancy/ finance schemes too, eg: Tesco, BAE, Unilever, Co-operative  Public Sector: NHS, Universities, charities, local authorities…  SME’s (small companies) more research needed by you to find opportunities

Careers Centre Discovering Opportunities Advertised  Goldman Sachs: Finance year in industry (London; Dublin; Frankfurt; Paris; Zurich)  KPMG: Professional Service (various locations)  ASDA: Trading and Finance (Leeds)  Peugeot Citroen: Finance (West Midlands)  Nestle: (various locations)  Mercers: Retirement Analyst (Belfast)  Debenhams: Finance and Merchandising  Insight Days e.g. KPMG

Careers Centre Applying: important points to remember!  Apply early: many one year internships close December, January & WILL FILL EARLY so don’t leave to the week of the closing date!  RESEARCH: job role, organisation  Why do you want to work in this area?  Current issues (business press)  Enthusiasm for Finance  Use examples from a variety of experiences (part time work, society, volunteering, study, sports)…

Careers Centre Discovering Opportunities Hidden  Identify specific companies  Structured schemes (speculative approaches)  Careers Centre Faculty Resources   Network  Events  Where do Leeds graduates go?   Prospects (job profiles)   Yell 

Careers Centre Applying for Hidden Opportunities/ SME’s  Research  Make a named contact  What YOU can offer THEM  Be confident & professional– 1 st impressions count!  CV/ Interview? Get support from the Careers Centre  If you haven’t heard back – chase it up  Think creatively about where to find opportunities  Use contacts and networks – now is not the time to be shy!

Careers Centre Overseas Opportunities  Prospects Country Profile  Going Global  Erasmus database experience/erasmus-work/downloads.asp experience/erasmus-work/downloads.asp  Research companies with international offices

Careers Centre Exclusive University of Leeds Opportunities  Unilever, Seacroft  12 week paid internships in summer 2012  Various project roles including: Operations/ Engineering/ Logistics/ Supply Chain/ Quality/ Environment/ IT  Closing date Friday 2 nd December, but apply early  uid=69f2cb62-aaee-423a-a4fb-298f7dfc5a89 uid=69f2cb62-aaee-423a-a4fb-298f7dfc5a89

Careers Centre Support Available  Careers Centre   Drop in appointments Monday – Friday 9am-4pm  Career Consultants  Resource Room  Events  Department Tutors  Placement and Personal

Careers Centre ERASMUS Work Placements

Careers Centre What is Erasmus?  European Commission incentive scheme, to increase mobility of Higher Education Students around Europe  Two sections - Study and Work Placements  2012/13 is the last year! Isn’t this just for language students?  Aimed at everyone, not just language students!  Support given to help University students to undertake work experience in Europe, as a part of their course

Careers Centre What do I get from Erasmus Work?  1. A small, flat-rate ‘GRANT’ 2010/11: total of €378 per month (£330)  2. A Tuition Fee WAIVER 2011/12: worth £900  For a full year spent in Europe (at least total of 7 months),  Must be EU national & eligible for UK ‘Statutory Student Funding’ (ie Student Loans; dependent on residency criteria). Islands students NOT eligible for this.  3. From 2011/12 – EXTRA PAYMENTS for  Widening Participation (€500)  Priority Countries (€400).  4. Students also receive payment from job, usual Student Loan (and grant) & Leeds bursary (if applicable).

Careers Centre How do I qualify for Erasmus Work?  You are responsible for arranging your own placement.  Your School must approve it.  You need to be organised and get a placement arranged and approved in good time – start planning early!  You must be a student registered at the University on a normal degree course.  You must be registered before AND after the Placement (most students go away after the 2 nd year). Also,

Careers Centre Will my work placement qualify for Erasmus?  Your placement must be  a part of your degree (approved by dept & recognised by the University – NO summer jobs!).  in an EU country.  3 – 12 months long (but can do eg 3+6 or 4+5).  a full-time job.  timely (must fit into cycle, eg 1 Jun 2012 to 30 Oct 2013).  a job NOT working directly for the EC, or representations / public institutions of the UK ( eg embassies, consulates, national agencies, cultural institutes, schools)  British Council Language Assistants are eligible.

Careers Centre Erasmus Work If you are interested, or want to know more, please contact: Angie Willshaw Telephone (0113) Webpage (

Careers Centre Rebecca Evans Careers Centre 5-7 Cromer Terrace Telephone – –