Graduating and going back home? How to plan your career and start your job hunt abroad. Alison Zorraquin, Careers Adviser at Bournemouth University
Finding jobs abroad Bournemouth University has a subscription to GoinGlobal that you can only access through MyCareerHub. Make sure that you change your username and password when prompted if you are graduating from BU. GoinGlobal has information about the Job Market in different countries, along with information about how to apply (specifics of CVs, Letters of recommendations, visas etc.) Some useful websites: https://mycareerhub.bournemouth.ac.uk/studen ts/infopages/detail/36 https://targetjobs.co.uk/careersadvice/working-abroad
Many of you will be completing your studies and considering moving back home or perhaps you fancy working abroad. This is an exciting time but can also be stressful, especially if you have been in the UK for a few years. Not only will you be adapting back to your country’s culture and potentially being back with your family after a long period of independence, but you’ll need to learn about how the job market works in your country and have an idea of where to start. You will be able to access BU Careers Service for up to 3 years after you graduate, you can see a Careers Adviser via Skype and use MyCareerHub. Where to start? Find out about the job market in your country, speak to friends, family, friends of friends and you could try to connect with any BU Alumni who are back in your country too. You can do this by checking on LinkedIn and joining BU Alumni.
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-workexperience/working-abroad Jobs in China http://chinaportal.guccu.org/bournemouth Jobs in China, Canada, ASEAN, Gulf, Africa, India and Bangladesh http://www.gradlinkuk.com/ This is a graduate jobs website with jobs in each of these countries. Sell your UK Experience Whilst most employers will be impressed that you studied in the UK, they will still want you to show them the added value of your experience. Think about the differences between study in your country and in the UK. What are the advantages of your experience? In the UK, the educational system includes lots of group work but also significant unguided research. You may have also worked on live 1
cases with BU Business links. Her are some some examples of the skills you will have gained: • • • • • •
Improved your listening and spoken English Critical analysis of texts and questioning of colleagues and lecturers Great insight into British culture as understood expectations of British clients Worked with international team – overcoming communication issues Balanced workload with part time job Showed independence, determination and resilience as finding work as an international student was challenging
Step 2 Next explore what is important to you about a career – what kind of organisation? Large/ small?, Public Sector or Private, Voluntary sector? Is money your key driver or are you more interested in work life balance? Or an “ethical” career is more aligned to your values and what’s important to you? Again, there are some useful links for doing this on MCH https://mycareerhub.bournemouth.ac.uk/studen ts/abintegro?redirectURL=/Resources/CareerAss essments/?quizId=4 Step 3 Generating Career and job ideas
Not sure what you want to do? Don’t panic, here are some ideas for finding the career you want: Step 1 – Be clear about what you want! Have a good hard think about your strengths – what are the areas that you think you excel in? Think about your past experiences, extra-curricular, academic, part time jobs – what were the things you were good at? That you enjoyed? If you were giving yourself feedback, as a friend would, what feedback would you give?
Have a look at Career matching sites like https://www.prospects.ac.uk/planner– remember though these tests are really just to get you thinking. Look at different job descriptions – don’t worry if you can’t do it yet….what jumps out at you? What do you need to do to be able to do that job? Step 4 Richard Bolles’ What Colour is your Parachute has sold millions of copies and one of the gems from his work is his idea of getting your thoughts about key areas on one piece of paper. I’ve adapted his flower to “Career Bubbles” . By being able to get all these important points on one piece of paper, you can use it as an anchor when thinking about the potential of different jobs and career ideas.
If you need help doing this, there are some useful tools on MyCareerHub to help you with this, this may take a little time so sit down with a cup of tea for this! https://mycareerhub.bournemouth.ac.uk/studen ts/abintegro?redirectURL=/Resources/CareerAss essments/?quizId=30 2
into smaller, manageable actionable points. Think about what is realistic to your situation. If you need to get experience in a particular field, can you do some shadowing / get work experience or an internship?
Step 5 Start mind mapping If you are feeling confused and are trying to decide between different careers, it’s a great idea to get it all on paper. Put the career idea in the centre of a piece of paper and then put down everything you can think of related to that career area, thinking about the advantages and disadvantages. Maybe you’ll realize that actually you don’t know enough about it so need to do more research, to talk to people doing the job you are contemplating. Have a look at this article which might get you started! http://cultivitae.com/2017/04/10/mind-mapcareer/ You may find that you have a few mind maps around different career ideas. Stick them on the wall, walk away from them, come back and add more or cross things out. You’ll probably find that the process might make you focus and realize actually which career is getting you excited and which isn’t. Step 6 Set goals and make an action plan Looking for a career and a job can take time. Once you’ve decided what you want and what your goal is then you need to break it down
Make an action plan and add deadlines, make a note of your actions and their outcomes and be consistent! Of course, you may get distracted from the plan, but do your best to bring yourself back to the action plan and stay focussed on the small steps towards your ultimate goals! There are some useful videos and articles about goal setting and coaching yourself on MCH, you can also book an appointment with a Careers Adviser. https://mycareerhub.bournemouth.ac.uk/studen ts/abintegro?redirectURL=/resources/elearning/ Hub.aspx?redirect=/elearning/asset/gallery/path/156/23 Step 7 Start networking! In many countries networking is crucial. Find out if people generally use LinkedIn in your country, if not LinkedIn, find out if there is an equivalent professional networking site. Talk to people working in different jobs you might be interested in. Speak to friends, family, everybody and anybody to try to get contacts and you can also use LinkedIn to increase your network. Tap into the Bournemouth University Alumni section of LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/school/bournemouth -university/ you can narrow your search down by course name, company or role. This is a great way to reach out to people who have BU in common with you – hopefully that commonality will give them a warm glow and
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make them more likely to accept your invitation and have a chat! Send them an invite with a personalised message but don’t ask for a job straight away – you are trying to start a conversation. If they can’t give you a job they are less likely to respond to you if you ask directly for a job/work experience, but if you ask for tips about breaking into the industry then they might then make some useful suggestions of companies to approach etc. information about how to apply (specifics of CVs, Letters of recommendations, visas etc.) Further Study Further study is fantastic if you want to change career – you can even do a post graduate conversion course for some professions such as Psychology or Law in the UK. There are some specific jobs that require a Post graduate qualification, but ask yourself why you want to continue studying. Is it because you don’t know what else to do? If so, that might not be the best reason!
the department. It might help to get some work experience and then see what masters you really want to study – it doesn’t all have to be now! Get Started So grab a cuppa and start mind mapping, filling in your Career Bubbles, talking to people and make yourself a plan. Don’t forget to make use of the careers service, our team of Careers Advisers are here to help you make the right decision. We can also give you feedback your CVs, applications and LinkedIn Profiles. Bournemouth University Careers Service We offer support to ALL graduates for 3 years after graduation and you can email us on careers@bournemouth.ac.uk or book a Skype appointment with a Careers Adviser Remember, you’ll take some rejections, make some mistakes along the way but stay positive and ask for support – that’s what we are here for. Email: Careers@bournemouth.ac.uk
If you want to study because you are passionate about your subject, are considering a career in academia or in your country a Masters is essential, then of course, make sure you choose the right course for you. Look at where graduates of these courses go afterwards, what links does the university have? Try not to narrow your choice of course because you are used to your current university – make sure it really is the right course for you. Talk to Programme leaders to find out more and weigh up your options. A post grad is a big commitment of your time and money, so make sure it’s the course for you! If you are not sure which course you want to do, talk it over with a Careers Adviser, people who have done the course and to academics in 4