1. Career Planning and Work Experience
Diana Omololu
Careers Adviser

2. Learning outcomes BTEOTWYWBAT: review current career plan/options
understand processes for action plan
consider relevant work experience options
identify potential sources of vacancies
How the Careers Service Can Help

3. Starting point – Veterinary S or M
Work - UK / Abroad
Postgraduate study
Self employment
Time out / Travel
Voluntary Work
What ever your plans – you need to ensure that you have the right experience
Experience – Skills competences, knowledge,
Position yourself
Why is this important – Employers say so
Lets start by looking at LMI

4. Working with Veterinary (S or M) Degree
Employment prospects FAIR! – Competitive
Changes - technology, role, world economics and politics.
Medical or pharmaceutical laboratories
scientific analysis / technical support roles
Public Sector (Hospitals/Health Protection Agency/National Blood Services etc..)
Government Departments (Forensic Sci. Ser)
Universities and specialist research institutes funded by charities

5. Destination Stats Veterinary Science / Medicine?
Full-Time Paid Work - 86% % 81%
Work & Study - 5% %
Further Study - 3% % 8%
Assumed unemployed - 2% % 6%
Not available - 2% % 5%
Other % %

6. Where…… zoos animal hospitals animal welfare societies
Health Protection Agency (Conservation)
National Blood Service
Medical Research Council
NHS Trust
Government Departments (DEFRA)
Labs
Other specialist (utilities)
Many graduates are also employed by universities, schools and colleges, and specialist

7. What…. Research Assistant Surgeon Vet Assistant Lab Technician
Animal Technician
Animal Care Assistant
Zoo Assistant
Graduate Researcher
Surgeon
Lab Technician
Psychologist
Nutritionist
Nurse
Research officer
Inspector
Customer Marketing Executive,
Business
Media
Sales
Teacher

8. Other science options Biomedical Scientist Clinical Biochemists
Clinical Cytogeneticist
Clinical Research Associate (CRA)
Forensic Scientist
Life Science Research Scientist
Medical Sales Representatives
Others

9. Growing Trend
Growing opportunities in specialist supporting organisations offering clinical and scientific services:
toxicological analysis
analytical and testing laboratories
clinical trials
statistical and consultancy services

10. Private Sector Healthcare Industry Pharmaceutical companies
Development & Manufacture
animal care product
healthcare products
prescription medicines (ethical drugs)
over the counter (OTC) medicines
biotechnology
diagnostic products

11. Shortages Bioinformatics
Demand for chemists, in particular for HPLC analysts and organic synthesis chemists, in industry.
NHS Bioengineers.
Maths and science Teachers (£4,000 'golden hello‘ and £6,000 training bursary,)

12. Skills sought by employers
General intelligence, academic achievement and potential e.g capacity for original thought.
Practicality e.g ability to get things done, nature of deadlines, conscientiousness, attention to detail.
Judgment and decision making.
Analytical skills e.g logical reasoning ability, handling complex data.
Communication skills - oral and written, ability to be cogent, persuasive and investigative, use of English

13. Skills sought by employers
Commerciality - understanding of the business world, commercial aims and objectives
Loyalty - give as good as you get.
Resilience e.g persistence
Team work i.e playing your part
Organisational skills
fun!

14. Skills sought by employers (% finding short supply of each skill, source AGR, Association of Graduate Recruiters)
business awareness (67%)
communication skills )(64%)
leadership (33%)
ability to work in a team (33%)
problem- solving (32%)
conceptual ability (21%)
knowledge and competence in discipline (19%)
foreign languages (19%)
numeracy (19%)
good general education (15%)
computer literacy (6%)

15. Assessing your current situation
What have you got to offer?

16. SWOT Analyses Take 5 mins to jot down for yourselves your SWOT
What to do with information

17. Career management skills
1. Self assessment
skills, interests
values & motivation
work style/personality
2. Opportunities
4. Action exploring and
Job hunting creating
and applications
interviews
3. Matching
choosing opportunities setting goals
Once learned, these are skills for life

18. Skills of Veterinary practitioners
Animal handling
Communication skills
Capacity for self direction
Analytical skills
Dealing with information
Ability to accept supervision
Supervisory / teaching skills
Team work skills
Cross-cultural skills
Perseverance
Subject-specific skills e.g.. languages, computing
Business awareness

19. Value of work experience
“All work experience is of value and, if those going into it are sufficiently well advised, much can be gained from even apparently mundane jobs”.
(ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATE RECRUITERS)

20. Why
Money
Experience (including voluntary)
Insight into careers, employers and industries
May be directly relevant to future jobs
Could make useful contacts
References for future applications
Show and develop transferable skills (competencies) required by all future employers.
team work, flexibility, organising, confidence, social, liaising, communicating, pressure, customer contact, responsibilities etc.

21. Types of work experience
Formal work placements/internships
Subject-related research schemes
Advertised positions
Non-advertised positions
Voluntary positions

22. Where to find work experience?
Farms
Stables
Kennels
Vacation opportunities booklets
Work window/employment file
National/Local Press
Agencies
Speculative applications

23. Occupational Information
Prospects.ac.uk
Sector information
job description and activities
salary and conditions
entry requirements
training
career development
typical employers/vacancy sources
related jobs
case study
contacts and resources
Hobsons.ac.uk
Doctorjob.com

24. Specialist
Veterinary Record -
Vetweb -
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) -
Defence Animal Centre – Royal Army Veterinary Corps
The Blue Cross

25. Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) - www.vmd.gov.uk
Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons
Veterinary Laboratories Agency -
Veterinary Field Service (VFS) -
Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) -

26. Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) www. foodstandards. gov
Meat Hygiene Service (MHS)
Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA)
Online Directory of postgraduate courses in the UK
 UK Government information service

27. Others National Centre for work experience www.work-experience.org.uk
VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas)
International scene - Oneworld.net
National Centre for work experience
Civil Service Jobs
Window

28. Careers Service Generating career ideas
Prospects Planner, help-sheets, information on what other Vet.. graduates have done, talk to a careers adviser
Researching occupations and employers
- files, reference books, take-away information, employer talks and events
Investigating postgraduate study and funding
Directories, prospectuses and funding guides

29. Careers Service Finding work (full & part-time and vacation)
Vacancy files, newspapers and graduate careers directories (Alert; Jobonline; JobShop)
Helping with CVs, covering letters and application forms (Personal statements)
take-away information, lunchtime workshops and quick queries
Preparing for interviews and psychometric tests
take-away information, lunchtime workshops and practice interviews, reference books, sample papers and practice tests
GradClub - continue to use services after graduation
Give out Geography departmental handouts when mention helpsheets for generating careers ideas.
Talk to a careers adviser:
10/15 minute quick query Mondays to Thursdays 11am-12pm and 2-4pm.
Sign-up list goes out half an hour before time slot begins.
Longer careers discussions available on referral from quick query.

30. The specialist Institutions Careers Centre
Address: 4th Floor, ULU Building, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HY
Quick Queries
Monday – Thursday 2:00pm - 4:30pm
Appointments
Monday – Thursday 10:00 - 5:00 (Friday 1:30pm - 5:00pm)
Information Resources and IT Facilities
Monday – Friday 9:30 – 5:00
Thank alumni again.
Thank students for coming and for all their questions. Hope it has inspired them.