Schools HirEd - Summer 2013

contents Editor’s letter p3 Identity protection vs professional networking p4-5 Internship... but you’re not getting paid? p6-7 Planning ahead p8-9 Quizzing the Committee p10 It's not too late to apply p12-13 Networking p14-15 Planning your summer? Do it with purpose p16-17 A day on campus p18-19 The Review Room p20 Company Profiles p11: Tesco p21: PwC

Miguel Angel Ruiz 2

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Life is like dancing. If we have a big floor, many people will dance. Some will get angry when the rhythm changes. But life is changing all the time.

editor's letter As it’s our summer edition of the ezine we thought we would inspire you with some tips to planning how to make the most of it. There are also tips to considering the pros and cons to unpaid internships, whilst other articles help you understand the importance of starting to plan your career and skills development early.

Identity protection is a really important thing, especially with you being registered with a multitude of social media networks, so make sure your online presence isn’t tarnishing your reputation and you are looking into other platforms to help enhance your professional network, liked LinkedIn. We also have an article from one of our university presidents who talks about well, talking, to everyone! By letting your tongue run wild (in a professional manner) you can help open up doors you never dreamed of ever seeing never mind walking through.

Alevel results will be out on Thursday 15th August (6th if you’re in Scotland) so it will be a tense time for many of you. Check out our UCAS University Clearing article to help you understand what’s it’s all about, who it’s for and how you can do it.

On top of all of that we have feature articles from top employers PwC and Tesco, along with a Q&A from two top students from our very first Bright Futures School Society.

So go on, have a flick through and enjoy the read!

But also have yourself a fantastic summer and if you’re heading to uni we will look forward to seeing you at Fresher’s Fair signing up to the Bright Futures Society!

Jackie www.brightfutures.co.uk Telephone: 01242 236415

*If you don’t have a society at your school then set up your own!

Contact Ruth Thomas at ruth.thomas@brightfutures.co.uk and we can get you started right away!

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££££££££££ Internship...

Day #2 of my unpaid summer internship and I would be lying if I was to say I hadn’t experienced questioning surrounding the topic of MONEY. Of course money plays an important role in the motivation to essentially go out and get a job, but is this really what life is all about? As they say ‘money makes the world go round’, but should it also be the driving force behind you as a person and your future prospects?

can honestly say that if I could to get involved with more of t available to me particularly aft would be probably mean that placement, I’d have much of t one without the need for taki drive up my experiences first.

Although I may be biased (due Life as an unpaid intern has made me particularly open with the internship I am curre to the controversy surrounding carrying out unpaid work. articles such as ‘Two Cent Tho In a funny way I have almost become a target for the

by Erin Depew @ Pixel Perfec controversial views and opinions from my peers regarding Do Not Have To Work For Free why it is that I have agreed to fulfil such a position, from Forbes.com are well wor and for free. Personally I was unaware of any reason to controversial subject at the m question the turning down of an internship that would of advice I can give is to make provide me with the necessary skills needed to further my unpaid internship is worthwh progression on my course of study. As we are constantly Have they given you a list of p reminded experience cannot be questioned! Whereas a helping you to achieve your d summer spent getting a tan can (unfortunately). meeting their own objectives? to come to the end of the inte I can definitely say that I have learnt the hard way when and knowledge than when yo talking about being proactive and filling spare time how to make an award winnin with valuable activities. In fact, I may even be slightly hypocritical, having turned my nose up at the chance to carry out unpaid work on many occasions during my teenage years. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I

££££££££££ 4

£££££££££££ but you’re not getting paid?

d turn back time in order the opportunities made fter A-Levels, I would. It t now, on the hunt for a paid the skills I need to secure ing on unpaid positions to .

e to my true satisfaction ently working at), conflicting oughts: Unpaid Internships’ ct and “Note to Gen-Y - You e” by Victoria Pynchon rth a read. It’s a hugely moment and the biggest bit e sure that your time on an hile. Are they training you? projects to work on? Are they development needs as well as ? Do you think you are going ernship with more expertise ou started (and I don’t mean ng cup of tea).

So, what actually is it about an internship (paid or unpaid) that is so great?

Developing qualities that you currently possess or even establishing new skills that are essential in the working world immediately makes you more employable to future employers or even universities! Carrying out a period of work without the incentive of money and purely for the experience will undoubtedly look more appealing on your CV. Not to mention that the determination and commitment you will have demonstrated from carrying out an internship will prove you are a hard working individual that is willing to learn.

Improving the skills you possess as person shouldn’t focus around money. Your A Levels are over and it is time to figure out where you are heading in life. What better way to ease into this than carrying out work through your own choice and determination? I can’t stress enough the importance of considering a summer internship and would highly recommend that if you ever find yourself sitting there deciding whether or not to take that last minute holiday to Spain, you are well aware of all the internships that are on offer for you first.

The longer you wait for the future the shorter it will be!

£££££££££££ Written by Alice Chamberlain | Events Management |University of Gloucestershire

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identity protection

vs

profession

With over 1.11 billion users on Facebook, it is currently the most popular of all the social media platforms out there. But Facebook is far from professional. So many of us share our lives and bear our souls on Facebook, resulting in big issues around identity protection and profile management at forefront of the conversation.

When it comes to employability and standing out from the crowd, how do you maximize your professional network whilst protecting your personal privacy?

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nal networking I recommend making the most of Right now, check your privacy settings on Facebook and make sure your online presence is not being tarnished by innocent fun or controversial topics, log out and search for yourself – what do you see? Then turn to LinkedIn and develop your super-professional alter-ego.

In a nutshell, LinkedIn is a business-orientated social networking site founded in 2002.

It strengthens and extends your existing network of trusted contacts; it can drive your career by discovering inside connections; and provide you with a powerful platform of industry experts to share advice and best practice.

LinkedIn has proved a huge success within the business sector, with 77% of all job openings posted on LinkedIn, 48% of recruiters posing jobs on LinkedIn and nowhere else on social media, and a whopping 97% of all HR and staffing professionals using LinkedIn in their recruiting efforts. Yet only 31% of 18-34 year olds are heading to the social network when looking for a job.

Three words: GET ON IT! The earlier you start using it, the bigger you can build your network and make your profile career ready!

Quick LinkedIn Tips: - get a professional photo on your profile - engage in active groups of interest - include some key words to get you noticed - thoroughly check for spelling and grammatical mistakes - use the summary to state your interests and experience, plus what you’re looking for - pick up tips from other people’s profiles as you go.

Then connect, connect, connect!

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Planning

ahead

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Being prepared is about knowing how to effectively tackle what lies ahead of you

While it will not surprise you that in the world of employability employers are seeking bright and successful individuals, the status of an outstanding graduate can only be deserved by years of hard work which extends far beyond having a high achievement on the degree.

If you’re off to university, you may think it’s a long way to go before you graduate and start thinking about your career, but now is the time to start planning your future. Now is especially the time if you are considering an apprenticeship or school leaver programme as there is less time to explore your options.

There is no doubt that the development of a variety of skills beneficial to your future career will be happen naturally as you trudge through life.

However, having the ability to demonstrate the extra effort in the form of valuable and relevant work experience on your CV is something that provides a differentiating advantage for a candidate, making him or her instantly stand out from the sea of others. Moreover, employers perceive candidates that have involved into a lot of activities as proactive, result-driven and hardworking people, which are certainly the most positive qualities sought by employers and will be priceless when you start doing your first job applications.

Again, if university is your option, the need for professional employment is closer than it seems – the end of the first year at the university inevitably leads to the 2nd year’s 1st semester talks regarding the placement year.

Although placements are optional across the UK, doing a placement is highly advantageous since it hugely increases the chances of finding a graduate job.

A timely involvement into internships, part-time jobs, and volunteering is significant in increasing your chances of getting a placement. Because getting a placement necessitates professional preparation and previous valuable experience, it can never be too early to start working on your professional side.

And if university isn’t your first choice, there is no reason why you can’t put yourself out there and still look into doing a few internships and working a couple of part time jobs to boost your experiences and grow your own understanding of yourself, your skills and strengths, as well as your career interests.

So what are you waiting for? Start working on your professional development now to secure yourself your dream job!

Written by Anya Bulgakova 2nd Year Marketing, Advertising and Communications Student at the University of Gloucestershire

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Quizzing the committee

The Castle School in Thornbury is our founding Bright Futures Society and they have been working very hard this year to put on great events for their peers and help prepare them for the world of work, as well as making big decisions about their future. We caught up with two of them, Rachel and James, and asked them a few questions about student life and their thoughts about going to university.

RACHEL: Q) I’m looking forward to summer because....

A) I can spend the holidays relaxing after a busy and hectic school year, and have a good look round the universities.

Q) I can’t wait to go to university because...

A) I can deepen my knowledge about my chosen career subject, meet a lot of new people and I look forward to becoming more independent.

Q) The biggest challenge school students’ face is...

A) Deciding which career path to follow that combines the subjects they enjoy with what they’re good at, and making sure you choose the right one. It can be so easy to choose a course and then regret it later on life.

JAMES: Q) If you were an inanimate object, what would you be?

A) I’d be a pen, because without a good BIC biro I wouldn’t know where to begin.

Q) The biggest challenge school students’ face is...

A) Knowing what you should do to get you where you want to be, the person that can find a plan to their life ahead is a very lucky person.

Q) I can’t wait to go to university because...

A) The experience will be memorable, for the right or wrong reasons. Making friends for life is an awesome thought and I’m looking forward to that opportunity.

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Join us and you’ll learn how to analyse performance, create forecasts, manage large budgets, work with product, and drive profitability as you manage stock through the stages of the critical

path of production from manufacturer to our customers.

What do you need?

We’re looking for applicants who have the potential to successfully lead our teams in the future. You will need to demonstrate that you have a good understanding of our business, our customers and the industries in which we compete.

• 240 UCAS points, including GCSE Maths and English at Grade C or above (for more information on other qualifications and UCAS points, please check the UCAS point’s tariff) • A numerical and analytical mind

company profile

We have opportunities for talented, ambitious individuals who wish to pursue a career within buying or merchandising in our Head offices in Welwyn Garden City / Cheshunt.

This development programme is for A Level (or equivalent) leavers, who have chosen not to go to university, and are hungry to develop their commercial and business awareness at the start of their career. You will build a fantastic career in merchandising / buying fields of our Clothing, General Merchandise or Food categories.

Tesco

Commercial Development Programme: an opportunity for talented young people with high ambitions to succeed… without going to university!

• Strong communication and negotiation skills • Great commercial awareness • The desire to work in an office retail environment • Intermediate computer skills including Word and Excel • The ability to work effectively as part of a team and on your own • A desire to drive your own career and the aspiration to be one of our stars of the future.

And in return for your hard work, loyalty and passion we offer a starting salary of £18,000 per annum, plenty of personal and professional development and excellent additional benefits.

To find out more and apply, please visit our website :

www.tesco-careers.com/Commercial-Development-Programme 11

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netwo The main skill is NETWORKING! I repeat NETWORKING! It’s about meeting the people you NEED to meet.

It’s not WHAT you know, but WHO you know.

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”

I joined and became President of my Bright Futures Society to teach peers and students the fundamental skills which employers are looking for and the skills students need to succeed.

..is more than workshop and inspirational talks, we’re a community

”

orking In my first year of University I’ve managed to secure two internships one at Velti in Waterloo and the other at Barclays Corporate Canary Wharf age 19.

How did I get these you ask? NETWORKING. Did you know? In this day and age companies pay a bonus to employees who can introduce a new member of staff. Companies prefer to do this because they can save on expensive advertising and agency fees.

Forget being a Single Pringle and mingle with the right people!

I’ve made many great contacts by being proactive and: • attending networking events even if I didn’t know anyone there.

• going along to company Insight Days.

• connecting with people on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

• talking to people in the lift, toilet, on the bus, at the rugby or literally bumping into people in a corridor.

Drop fear, drop self, take your headphones out and talk!

Six degrees of separation by Frigyes Karinthy is the theory that everyone and everything is six or fewer steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person in the world. Students – there is power in the tongue!

Feel free to connect with me to find out other ways I built up my network.

Written by Osheane Chambers

President of Kent Bright Futures Society 2013-14

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There are LOADS of different things you can do over the summer months, from simply monging out on your parent’s sofa, to working in the local pub, or embarking on a fun filled volunteering excursion to the Galapagos Islands. The only thing we recommend is whatever you decided to do, do it with purpose, and do it with your future in mind.

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Why not try: • Securing an Internship can be one of the most valuable moves for your career. It can set you up with a whole host of transferable skills and give you the experience of working in structured and formal setting. Many companies run internships, which can be a few weeks to a few months. Plus, the intern to hire rate is very high, so it’s likely they’ll offer you a job if you prove yourself enough.

• Getting a part-time job will help you raise some well deserved cash to splash on doing the things you love or even taking a life-changing holiday! But this isn’t the most important thing, a part-time job will help you build key skills needed for the real world of work and explore different opportunities which you can display on your CV and talk about in interviews.

• Travelling is a popular choice for many school and university students. The call of summer sun, sea and sand can be too good to pass up on. Travelling can be a fantastic way to gain valuable life skills and personal development. It can be pricey though so do your research and make sure you are getting value for money, if it’s a package trip check that they are an approved provider and that you have adequate travel insurance.

• Working abroad is all the great stuff travelling can offer and more! With the chance to earn money and develop key skills, build a great professional network (as well as a social one), and experience different cultures from within rather that from an outsiders perspective. Check out Visa requirements first before you book your trip!

• Voluntary work, such as a local community project, can help demonstrate your enthusiasm and commitment towards trying something new and challenging. It is also a great way to build your network and prove that you are motivated by more than just money.

• Take up a new interest such as playing a new sport, learning a language or joining a club which shows you are a positive and outgoing person who seeks out new experiences and opportunities to learn.

• Work shadowing for a couple of days so you can observe different roles within an organisation and ask questions about the different entry routes into a job. Your parents might even have some contacts to tap into to give you somewhere to start.

• Summer schools are typically high quality and intensive academic programmes open to students from around the world. Most courses do not require previous knowledge of the subject which provides the opportunity to study out of personal interest or to develop academic knowledge of a new subject.

Whatever you decide to do this summer ...do it with purpose.

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‘A Day On Campus’

Strathclyde Bright Futures event with Bishopbriggs Academy

On Friday 7th June, over 150 pupils from Bishopbriggs Academy descended on the University of Strathclyde campus in Glasgow. Armed with only 5 students, a PowerPoint presentation and a whole load of enthusiasm, the Bright Futures Society at Strathclyde led these students through a whole day event; preparing the group for their final year at school and beyond.

The whole aim of the day was to give the new 6th Year cohort an introduction to Bright Futures and how they, at their school can get involved. It was also aimed at giving those students who were interested in, or set on going to university a chance to see what being on campus and in lecture theatres is like and give them some hints on the transition to university and beyond.

The day began with a short, interactive, introductory presentation where the group were asked to write 3 things that described them, plus 3 things that described the person next to them. They were then set the task of turning a scribble on the page into a picture of their choice. This got the creativity in the room going and set the tone for the rest of the day.

Next, we split into team, the pupils were all assigned a team number and a Bright Futures member was given the task of supporting 4 groups each through a business game which took about an hour. The game was designed to give the groups a taste of what being part of a Bright Futures Society is like and to get them thinking about employability, skills, workshops and fundraising ideas. The teams motored through the task, which tested their abilities to work effectively together, to budget, to make difficult decisions, to think outside of the box and to manage their time well.

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Three members from each team then presented to their whole year group – they blew us away! The confidence, articulation of ideas and the organisation behind all of the presentations was really impressive and it was a great note to end on before lunch.

Typically a focal point of any student day, lunch didn’t disappoint. Despite the sun splitting the Glasgow sky, we had over half of the pupils volunteer their sunbathing time to take the opportunity for campus tours. The group touring with Declan Bryans, one of our Bright Futures Volunteers and 2012 ‘Undergraduate of the Year’ winner, even got a chance to pick themselves up a list of all the great Clubs & Societies available at Strathclyde and more generally the opportunities all universities have to offer!

After lunch, the group returned to the biggest lecture theatre on campus where they heard three really informative, engaging and most of all really relatable presentations from some members of our Bright Futures Committee for 2013/14.

Laura Carr, final year Accounting & Finance Student and Vice President of Business & Social Sciences at Bright Futures Strathclyde, kicked us off by providing a motivating firsthand account which demonstrated how getting involved in extra-curricular activity at school can help shape what you go on to do further on in life. Laura was voted ‘MD of the Year’ by Young Enterprise in her final year at school and puts a lot of emphasis on this being one of her drivers to go on and study business. Hearing about Laura’s experience really helped emphasise how great an opportunity getting involved with Bright Futures School Society is and was really warmly received by the group.

Next up we had Tom, an Engineering student who is taking on the role of President of University Activity at Bright Futures Strathclyde this year to help increase the profile of the society to both employers and to students. Tom spent some time speaking about how to go about choosing the right degree and then about making sure your UCAS form is as good as possible when applying to University. This presentation gives the group an insight very early on in their final year and provides them with information while they have plenty of time to think before choosing and applying.

We’ll be providing a copy of Tom’s UCAS application for the school to use in their workshop classes throughout the year.

To finish in a natural progression, we had Cheryl Carrigan who spoke about University life and opportunities while studying. Cheryl was the School Captain at Bishopbriggs in the 2008/09 and studies Chemistry at Strathclyde, taking this last year of her degree to work in industry with the National Nuclear Laboratory. The presentation was very succinct, it covered everything from practical work through to research and Cheryl really sold the extracurricular

benefits that come with university life. By seeing alumni of their own school having achieved so much, the group from Bishopbriggs could really relate to and engage in the presentation.

The final session of the day was a short prize giving where we gave out six awards; 3 for the teams and 3 individual. We gave certificates to those who shone out from the crowd throughout the day and ended on a high with Mr Pearce, the Head of 5th Year exclaiming that it had been ‘the easiest day of his professional life.’

We delivered this on no budget, with limited resources and the school are extremely keen to make sure that they, as the first Bright Futures School Society in Scotland, really make the most of the opportunity.

We’ll be aiming to run events like this throughout the year with Bishgopbriggs as our pioneering flagship!

Written by Chris Milborrow Strathclyde Bright Futures Founding President

If you want to run and event like this at your school please don’t hesitate to contact us on hello@brightfutures.co.uk and we will connect you with your local university society to collaborate and get the ball rolling!

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iTunes U

Lumosity

LinkedIn

Platforms: Apple

Platforms: Apple, Android

Platforms: iPhone, Android, Blackberry,

Windows Phone

This app provides access to complete courses from leading universities and schools aided by the world’s largest catalog of free education content. Direct to your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch, iTunes U gives you the opportunity to learn from a wide array of subjects and to then test this knowledge with assignments. Additional features include the ability to highlight text in iBooks, the option for audio and video lectures and educational resources on thousands of subjects from Algebra to Zoology. Whether you’re majoring in chemical engineering at university, taking French in secondary school, or just interested in European history, this app is a useful tool that eases learning wherever you are.

Designed by neuroscientists to enhance memory, attention and overall brain performance, this app is the latest in scientific brain workout technology. The overall aim is to help achieve set goals made by you through a Personalized Training Program. With an endless list of recommendations for the app, Luminosity games have improved working core cognitive abilities in several research studies.

This app is essential for young professionals (current or aspiring). LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking site. It is highly recommended for both current and aspiring young professionals. It aims to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful. If you are wondering what your favourite companies or businesses are up to or maybe even wanting to create a relationship with them, LinkedIn is essential for you. In particular if you are currently seeking work or trying to build up a network of contacts LinkedIn can provide you with the means to do so.

Price: FREE Website: www.apple.com/uk/apps/itunes-u/

Price: FREE Website: itunes.apple.com/gb/app/lumosity-mobile/

Price: FREE Website: www.linkedin.com/mobile

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PwC

Higher Apprenticeship opportunities with PwC - starting Autumn 2013

Our offer to you...

Earn while you learn

• To be part of the world’s leading professional services network and enjoy the benefits that come with that.

• Work directly with big name clients where you’ll get to grips with the value they’re looking for by getting into the detail.

• Provide an environment where you’ll be able to explore new opportunities, to help you grow and find your niche.

• Give you access to be best learning and development around. Enjoy a structured career programme, with many career paths involving study towards a professional qualification.

Make the most of your good A-Levels, or equivalent academic achievement, by starting work straight away. On one of our Higher Apprenticeships in Assurance, Consulting, Financial Advisory or Tax, you’ll earn a competitive salary while you study towards a professional qualification. You’ll be part of a team, working on client projects, which means you’ll be learning on the job, building the in-depth business knowledge you’ll need to progress through our business.

You can find out more information about our apprenticeship opportunities for school and college leavers and more about the firm by

company profile

If you want to work in business, we’re the best place to start your career.

As we know that your career is just that. Yours. You choose it. You live it.

You make it happen. To get the best from it, you need the best opportunities. And opportunities are at the heart of what we do.

attending one of our Career Information Days. We’ll be running them all year at our offices UK-wide. Find out more at: www.pwc.com/uk/schools What you need to bring to us Your intellect, willingness to learn, ability to build relationships, put yourself in others’ shoes, while always making a positive impact with our clients and each other.

• A UCAS tariff of at least 280 (or equivalent) to join Assurance, Consulting or Financial Advisory • Or a UCAS tariff of at least 240 (or equivalent) to join Tax.

Apply now to join us in Autumn 2013. Take the opportunity of a lifetime.

www.pwc.com/uk/schools www.facebook.com/PwCCareersUK 21