BIOLOGY, ZOOLOGY, ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR & FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

career planning guide

BIOLOGY, ZOOLOGY, ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR & FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY

PRODUCED BY THE LJMU CAREERS TEAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LJMU SCHOOL/FACULTY STAFF

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

LOOK TO THE FUTURE WITH POSTGRADUATE STUDY The practical experience and knowledge I am gaining here should give me exactly what I need to get the job I want.

Mario Artukovic, Strength and Conditioning MSc

For more information, go to: ljmu.ac.uk/postgraduate CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

WHAT’S IN THIS GUIDE

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What’s in this guide ...

CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE Animal Behaviour Biology Zoology Forensic Anthropology Spotlight on a career as a vet Work experience and other career options

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SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES AT LJMU Get support on your doorstep in our campus Careers Zones Connect with employers Careers website Careers Zone 24/7: Online careers tools CareerSmart: Explore, Experience and Engage How to make the most of your university time Move up to Masters: The benefits of postgraduate study Professional and personal development opportunities abroad Get great work experience with your Students’ Union Placement Learning Support Unit

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TACTICS AND CHOICES Planning your career Thinking about postgraduate study Finding graduate level jobs Thinking of starting your own business The importance of relevant work experience

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GETTING THE JOB How to write a winning CV and covering letter How to write effective application forms How to succeed at interviews Psychometric tests and assessment centres

Introduction

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Programmes in the School of Natural Sciences and Psychology provide a wide range of diverse career opportunities, all of which are challenging, personally rewarding and socially beneficial. Career opportunities for graduates of the psychology programmes exist in a range of psychology professions, for Geography and Wildlife Conservation graduates in a wide range of geography, conservation and environmental agencies, and for graduates from the bioscience programmes (Animal Behaviour, Biology and Zoology) in a wide range of biology, zoology and conservation related professions. All programmes equip graduates with a range of skills that enable them to develop careers in other professional areas in addition to the subject-specific professional areas. The School’s programmes, in conjunction with the Careers Team, will assist you in fulfilling your potential to develop your career planning and prepare yourself for work. This guide, in conjunction with School and Careers Team staff, will support you in pursuing work placements, study visits and other practice-based experience, all designed to assist you in gaining the best opportunities to succeed in your chosen career path.

PROFESSOR ANDY TATTERSALL DIRECTOR, SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES & PSYCHOLOGY

PRODUCED BY: LJMU Careers Team || Tel: 0151 231 2048/3719 || Email: careers@ljmu.ac.uk || Website: www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

Please contact us if you would like this document in an alternate format, e.g. large print.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

BIOLOGY, ZOOLOGY, ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR AND FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY STUDENTS HAVE A RANGE OF CAREER OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO THEM. CAREERS ADVISER HAYLEY FALLON LOOKS AT SOME OPTIONS TO GET YOU STARTED.

Animal Behaviour Animal behaviour is a specialist area of zoology and a degree in Animal Behaviour will not only develop your subject-specific knowledge but it will also open the door to a diverse range of animal-related careers and postgraduate study options.

Careers are available to you within zoos/ aquaria/wildlife parks, conservation and environmental agencies, the agricultural industry, animal welfare organisations, animal assistance or service organisations, wildlife education, scientific research, museums or animal nutrition companies.

You may choose to become self-employed as a behaviour consultant after some additional training. Animal behaviour graduates can also find work in the education sector or move into other jobs such as management, marketing, sales or scientific journalism.

A number of animal behaviour graduates have gone on to successfully complete postgraduate courses and additional work experience with the aim of gaining certification from the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB) to become a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CCAB) and work with

behavioural disorders of individual animals.

Others have completed a Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma in Education (PGCE/PGDE) for an educational role in a wildlife organisation or both primary and secondary school teaching.

Animal behaviour graduates have also progressed to a variety of exciting taught Masters (MSc) programmes; these include MSc programmes in Applied Animal Behaviour & Animal Welfare, Clinical Animal Behaviour, Zoo Conservation Biology, Conservation & Biodiversity and Evolutionary & Behavioural Ecology at a variety of universities across the country.

During your time at LJMU, particularly during your final year research project, you may have been switched on to the idea of a career in research. Some of our graduates have gone on to successfully complete Masters of Research (MRes) programmes in areas such as Animal Behaviour, Conservation Biology, Genetics, Animal Health & Welfare or PhDs in areas such as primate social behaviour and animal learning.

Your Careers Adviser: Hayley Fallon

I have been working in Higher Education (HE) since 2005 with experience in both human resources and the graduate employability field. Prior to working in HE I worked in the private sector supporting staff training initiatives alongside spending a year working in Australia before undertaking my postgraduate qualifications.

In addition to providing one-to-one careers guidance to students, I assist with the delivery of a range of careers modules, deliver career talks and sessions on a range of employability-related topics, produce bespoke careers information to help you with your career planning and work closely with staff and employers to organise career and alumni events. The information over the following pages will provide an introduction to the wide variety of career opportunities available to you.

To book an appointment, call into the Careers Zone in Byrom Street or phone 0151 231 2048. You can also follow me on Twitter where I post relevant job opportunities and sector news - @ Hayley_Fallon

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www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

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Graduate Case Study ISABELLE SZOTT IS AN ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR AND MPHIL PRIMATE COGNITION AND WELFARE GRADUATE WHO IS NOW COMPLETING A PHD IN BEHAVIOURAL ECOLOGY AT LJMU Tell us about your postgraduate career to date?

I graduated in 2014 and worked fulltime during the summer to earn enough money in order to cover my tuition fees for the MPhil. From October 2014 to 2015 I did my MPhil working with captive Rhesus macaques. During my MPhil, Dr Nicola Koyama approached me about the possibility of applying for a scholarship which would allow me to carry out research for my PhD. The application was successful and I am currently in Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa, studying the behaviour and welfare of wild African elephants, Loxodonta Africana.

Why did you decide to pursue postgrad study?

During my BSc I realised I was most interested in cognition and welfare of wild animals, and elephants are simply amazing. In order to be able to contribute to their conservation and to improve conditions under which they are kept worldwide, research is the strongest and best way forward, changing legislation and public opinion. The PhD gives me the chance to pursue this career as well as to develop my skills and knowledge under the guidance of successful researchers and leading figures in this area.

Three things I love about it: ❙❙ I live in the middle of the bush, the elephants and other wildlife are on my doorstep. ❙❙ Carrying out sound research means there is a chance to make a real difference to these animals’ future welfare. ❙❙ I get to meet interesting people all over the world who are just as obsessed with elephants as I am.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

Can you briefly outline what the selection process involved and how you prepared?

My director of studies went through the scholarship application with me after having found a host at a university in South Africa who had a suitable project location for my research.

Once the application was successful and I received the scholarship, I then applied for the ‘Matched Funding’ scholarship from LJMU and again, was successful. The registration process was easy and straightforward: I came up with a short project proposal of what exactly I wanted to research and with that, was accepted as a PhD candidate!

What relevant work experience/skills/ volunteering did you refer to during the selection process?

My BSc provided me with the basic skills of statistical analysis, field work, how to design a study and how to carry out research. My MPhil was very ‘hands on’ and provided me with a lot of experience in terms of working with wild animals in captivity and how to not only design a study, but also deal with problems and hurdles along the way. Additionally, I was a volunteer at a local shelter and, before starting university, did volunteer work with wild animals in South Africa and Central America. This provided me with experiences as to what it’s like to live in the bush and how to approach new cultures.

What advice would you give to other Zoology/Animal Behaviour students to improve their employability?

Don’t be afraid to approach lecturers and ask them about possible placements or jobs. If I hadn’t bugged everyone about how much I want to work with elephants, it probably wouldn’t have been on Nicola’s radar when the possibility for a PhD scholarship arose. I also worked as a student advocate throughout university (and will again once I finish my fieldwork). It’s a great job and super flexible with great pay. They are always looking for postgrad students so keep this in mind if you’re looking for a job!

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Graduate Case Study BRACKEN STURGESS GRADUATED IN 2015 WITH AN ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR DEGREE AND NOW WORKS AS A TRAINEE TEACHER - PGCE Why did you decide to go into teaching as a career?

I loved my previous job, but I wanted to contribute to something more actively. As I am very ambitious and career progression in my previous job was limited, I made the extremely difficult decision to leave. When I went to a school for a day to observe, I felt like I was where I needed to be. The rest is history.

What are you enjoying most about your teacher training?

I love getting to know the personalities of different pupils and how they each bring something different to the learning environment.

There is no better feeling than seeing a child gain confidence in themselves and their abilities. Teaching isn’t just about a curriculum, it’s about developing children into well-rounded, resilient, successful adults who can make a positive contribution to our society.

Anything you are not so keen on/challenges: It involves a large amount of admin work such as lesson planning, marking and assessments, but you can learn ways to reduce this and it also takes less time when you gain confidence in your subject knowledge. It is difficult to start with, but it does get easier.

What did the application / selection process involve for the PGCE and how did you prepare?

In preparation for the application, I needed to complete 10 days’ observation and experience in a school setting. I chose to spend one day in a primary setting, and nine days in secondary at three different

schools that have very different student bodies. I needed to undertake a subject knowledge enhancement course in Physics, which you do in your own time. I applied for the School Direct option, so I was interviewed by the director of the teaching school and a member of staff from Edge Hill University. The interview also involved a micro teaching sessions based on a topic in my subject area. I finally had to pass professional skills tests in numeracy and literacy.

What work experience / skills / volunteering did you do?

I completed work experience at a vets, Blackpool Zoo, a boarding kennels/cattery and an animal rescue centre. Whilst employed at Guide Dogs, I was a My Guide, where I volunteered to help blind/ partially-sighted people to get out and gain independence. I was also part of focus groups aimed at morale and team building, which has been essential in helping me to work as part of a team.

What advice would you give to other students studying Animal Behaviour to improve their employability?

Take all possible opportunities to volunteer and discover different career options. I think if I hadn’t done all the work experience, I wouldn’t have been confident making the decision to train as a teacher. I know people who have also trained as teachers, and others work as ecologists, estate agents, kennel assistants, animal trainers, vet nurses, zookeepers and a range of other roles. Figure out where you excel and go for it!

Graduate Case Study HAYLEY WORSFOLD IS AN ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR GRADUATE WHO NOW WORKS AS AN ADVANCED PRACTITIONER IN ANIMAL MANAGEMENT AT REASEHEATH COLLEGE How did you get to where you are today?

During my time with LJMU I undertook a sandwich placement as a ‘Student researcher’ based at Living Coasts, Devon. The practical animal husbandry and behavioural research skills gained during this 9 month placement along with the knowledge acquired during my degree have benefited me in every role I’ve obtained since. In fact, all job roles I have obtained can be traced back to the industry contacts and skills I gained during my placement year.

What does your current job involve?

Since first joining Reaseheath College in 2012 I have been supported in completing my Professional Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) alongside teaching post-16 students on a range of modules that have included Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Environmental Interpretation and Zoo Animal Health and Husbandry, amongst many others. As well as the day to day teaching responsibilities I am a ‘Course Manager’ making me responsible for closely monitoring and supporting a specific tutorial group, helping the students to achieve their potential. With my current role as an ‘Advanced Practitioner’ I lead on a range of additional projects that include developing students’ Maths and English abilities, listening and implementing the learner’s voice along with working closely with industry to deliver courses such as the Level 3 Award in Education and training for those wishing to pursue a career in education within the animal sector.

Key points in my career development to date:

My sandwich placement at Living Coasts, Devon. PGCE – University of Wolverhampton. Founding member of Reaseheath College Teaching and Learning Knowledge (TALK) Group – a group designed to show case best practise and help deliver CPD to cross-college staff.

What was the application process like?

For my position at Reaseheath College I had to submit a written application along with my CV which was graded on my ability to link CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

my previous experience to ‘competencies’ the college valued as important e.g. accountability, honesty and integrity. Once shortlisted I attended an assessment centre which involved a panel interview, a written task, a group activity and delivering a micro teaching session. This was a full day of activities, which provided a valuable opportunity to demonstrate the range of skills I possessed relevant to the job. In order to prepare I undertook research into the college’s history/provision, the awarding body for the courses they delivered and also the subject on which I was to develop my micro teach. This combined with speaking to staff I knew that already worked at the college enabled me to gain an insight into their roles and ultimately identify examples from my own experience that would benefit the college were I to obtain the position.

Did the Careers Team at LJMU help you in any way?

During my final year at LJMU I benefitted greatly from the staff working in the Careers Team. They helped me to review my skill set and identify the skills I had developed during my degree programme and placement year. This proved valuable when putting together a skills-based CV for job applications.

What advice would you give to other students studying at LJMU to improve their employability?

Seek additional work experience – even if it’s only the odd day here and there. Utilise the expertise of staff members. Establish which elements of your course really interest you – this will help you identify your career aspirations/options. Most importantly don’t just sit back and wait for opportunities to come your way – they won’t!

Tips or advice for those looking for jobs in your sector:

Consider completing the Level 3 Award in Education and Training/PGCE. Contact individuals working in the sector and speak to them about how they got into the role/what their day-to-day is like. Attend conferences – meet like-minded individuals and form valuable connections. www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

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Biology A degree in biology can lead to a diverse range of employment and postgraduate study opportunities. You will gain skills that you can use no matter which career path you choose, both in and out of science. They are highly valued by employers and will look great on your CV or application. Some example careers using biology include research scientists, clinical scientists (NHS Clinical Scientists Training Programme), medical/pharmaceutical sales, bioinformatics, policy related careers (e.g. Public Sector, Civil Service), environmental roles (consultancy, education, management), teaching careers and communication roles (journalism, publishing, museums/science).

Many of these biology related careers would involve working in organisations such as the pharmaceutical industry, microbiology laboratories, national parks, environmental agencies and not forgetting the NHS. A number of biology graduates have also gone on to successfully complete postgraduate courses with the aim of gaining qualifications for a specific career. These courses include the Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Radiotherapy, and the Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma in Education (PGCE/PGDE) for both primary and secondary school teaching. Biology graduates have also progressed on to a variety of taught Masters (MSc) programmes in areas such as:

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Industrial Biotechnology Virology Human Nutrition Molecular Medicine Human Molecular Genetics Reproductive Medicine

During your time at LJMU, particularly during your final year research project, you may be switched on to the idea of a career in research. Many of our graduates have gone on to successfully complete PhDs or Masters of Research (MRes) programmes in a variety of areas, including Translational Oncology and Post Genomic Science.

Graduate Case Study LOWRI JONES GRADUATED WITH A BIOLOGY DEGREE AND IS NOW A STUDENT THERAPEUTIC RADIOGRAPHER What does your current job involve?

Therapeutic radiographers have the specialist role of using advanced technology to administer radiotherapy treatment to cancer patients.

Radiotherapy is the use of ionising radiation to target and destroy cancer cells and it is a treatment modality for a large proportion of cancer patients. Therapeutic radiographers also play a vital role in creating treatment plans for patients as well as working within an oncology multidisciplinary team to provide patients with care, support and advice on how to manage radiotherapy treatment side effects.

Three things that I like about my Job:

I find my job extremely rewarding as the treatment, care and support that we provide to patients makes a difference to their lives. I thoroughly enjoy the patient care and communication involved and the professionalpatient relationships that develop while a patient is on treatment. Also, I enjoy the teamwork involved, as therapeutic radiographers always work in teams of at least two and this is an important part of the role in ensuring that patients receive the best standard of care. It is also a very innovative career where technology is always evolving and therefore I will never stop learning throughout my career.

Three things I’m not so keen on:

There are aspects of the role that require significant emotional resilience. I find it challenging treating patients who are very ill or in pain as well as patients that are nearing the end of their life. I also find it can be challenging treating young children.

Tell us about the postgraduate programme you are completing?

I am currently a first-year student on the Postgraduate Diploma Radiotherapy programme at the University of Liverpool. This is a twoyear full-time programme comprised of academic teaching coupled with clinical placement within a radiotherapy department. Upon completion of this programme, I will be able to register with the Health www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and work as a fully-qualified therapeutic radiographer.

What did the application/selection process involve and how did you prepare?

The entry requirements for the PGDip Radiotherapy programme at the University of Liverpool are a 2:1 honours degree in a relevant science subject, a half-day clinical visit to a radiotherapy department and a personal statement. As a successful applicant, I was invited to a selection day at the university, which involved an interview with academic staff and a teamwork exercise using the virtual environment for radiotherapy training (VERT) technology. To prepare for this, I visited the Careers Zone at LJMU, and the advisers offered advice and guidance on writing my personal statement and also helped me to prepare for the interview process.

What work experience did you refer to during the selection process?

I referred to my voluntary work at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.

I volunteered on the tea trolley in the radiotherapy department and I found that this was highly beneficial in helping improve my communication skills, empathy and confidence, and it allowed me to develop a greater understanding of radiotherapy treatment from a patient’s perspective.

What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability?

Try and arrange some work experience in a radiotherapy department or another healthcare environment to help them to develop their communication skills when talking to patients. In addition, I highly recommend that other students use the support provided by the advisers in the Careers Zone at LJMU, as they were very important in helping me gain a place on this programme.

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Graduate Case Study MARCUS STARR GRADUATED WITH A BSC IN BIOLOGY AND AN MSC IN FORENSIC BIOSCIENCE AND NOW WORKS AS A HEALTHCARE SCIENTIST PRACTITIONER What does your current job involve?

I am involved in researching the efficacy of Meningitis vaccinations using a Serum Bactericidal Activity (SBA) assay. To successfully carry out the SBA assay, I follow a validated Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on a daily basis. My role requires high attention to detail, the ability to follow complex instructions and good laboratory practice.

Tell us about how you got to where you are today?

I got to the position I am in today by working extremely hard during both my undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Achieving a 1st class honours in Biology caught the attention of my current employers and I was later told I was offered the job due to the strong grades I achieved.

In addition, my motivation to apply for roles based within biological sciences and being willing to accept lower paid positions has been a key factor. Between my undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, I worked as a Quality Control Laboratory Assistant for a molecular DNA diagnostics company. Despite being quite low paid for a graduate role, I gained invaluable laboratory experience that has benefited me massively in my current role as a Healthcare Scientist Practitioner.

Three things that I like about my Job: ❙❙ How my job challenges me on a daily basis. ❙❙ The work I am carrying out could potentially lead to the production of a new Meningitis vaccine that could save lives.

❙❙ Working with like-minded individuals who have a passion for scientific research.

What did the application/selection process involve and how did you prepare?

The application process involved a series of questions related to my skill set and how I could apply my skills to the role of Healthcare Scientist Practitioner. Nine other candidates were selected for the interview, and we were required to complete a Maths and English test as the first task. I passed both exams and was invited back for an interview that afternoon. I prepared for the interview by researching the composition of a vaccine, how vaccines are tested in a clinical trial setting and reading up on Public Health England. I looked at the organisation and the projects they had participated in over the last few years.

What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability?

Do not get disheartened and lose motivation when unsuccessful in applying for graduate roles after university - there is no time limit in finding the perfect graduate job. Try to get laboratory experience any way possible, this will make your CV stand out from the crowd when applying lab-based roles. When interviewing for a graduate role, do your research on the company beforehand and come across as a confident individual, as confidence in your work is critical when working in a laboratory environment.

Graduate Case Study MARK SMITH IS A BIOLOGY GRADUATE WHO NOW WORKS FOR EUROFINS FORENSICS SERVICES AS A FORENSIC DNA ANALYST What do you do in your work?

My role involves carrying out DNA profiling of samples taken under the PACE Act, covering all stages from sample delivery to genotyping of analytical results. We then report the profiling results for submission to the National DNA Database®.

Three things that I like about my Job: ❙❙ The part we play in the Criminal Justice

system. I wanted a career where I would have the opportunity to make a difference and what we do matters every day. That’s a great motivator and helps to keep me motivated and continue learning. ❙❙ The team effort at Eurofins - it’s great to work with like-minded people who are also passionate about what they do. ❙❙ The career development opportunities at Eurofins. Further development is actively encouraged and new ideas are always welcome. I have the freedom to set up my own project or research study and involve others in a collaborative effort to try and solve a problem or improve a current process.

What did the application and selection process involve?

The first step was sending my CV and cover letter in response to the role advertised on

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their website. I was then asked to attend an assessment centre, followed by an interview. In preparation, I revised and looked over lecture notes from the Forensic & Anthropological Genetics module to refresh my memory of the PCR process. That module, and the support given throughout my third year from the module leader, was invaluable in preparing me for the interview and the role.

I also used the LJMU Careers Guide a lot! It contained example interview questions that I could use when preparing. I also studied the Eurofins website where they gave great advice regarding the interview, even mentioning the STAR style for answering interview questions which I had only heard about previously from the Careers Team. This was all excellent advice that I could put to use on the day!

What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability?

Get experience! I selected modules throughout my degree that gave me the maximum amount of time working within a laboratory.

Try and work out what you want to do after you graduate, and then try and get as much experience as possible. Be proactive. Constantly check careers pages of websites for who you would like to work for and make contact with them. I emailed Eurofins Forensic Services in my second year to enquire about volunteering but

due to the sensitive nature of the work, this wasn’t possible.

I then mentioned this at interview to show my commitment to that role and the company.

Organisations like ours sometimes offer work based learning and professional development years for students so if you can get something like this, then do not hesitate. I currently work with students who are on a yearlong placement from LJMU and they are a pleasure to work with. They are actively engaged in development projects and will genuinely be missed when they go back to university.

Work experience is valuable even if it is not relevant. My previous job roles have been in a museum, book shop and sales. A world away from a forensic scientist! However, skills such as communication, working in a team, organisation, planning and the ability to multitask were all developed during these roles that I could then talk about and give examples of during my interview. So don’t worry if you can’t get relevant experience. It also should go without saying that you should aim for your highest grade possible and stay focused from first year. The things you study, especially statistics, research methods and using SPSS for data manipulation, were essential and an excellent foundation to then build upon.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

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Graduate Case Study LAUREN WALLACE IS A TRAINEE CLINICAL EMBRYOLOGIST AT THE HEWITT FERTILITY CENTRE, LIVERPOOL WOMEN’S HOSPITAL What do you do in your work?

The unit is comprised of doctors, nurses and scientists providing cutting edge treatment for patients with all aspects of infertility.

Following diagnosis, patients who are likely to only achieve a pregnancy through assisted conception will start on a course of medication which will prepare their body for in vitro fertilisation (IVF).

Stimulation encourages the ovaries to produce and grow multiple follicles containing oocytes which are used for treatment. When the follicles are mature the patient attends the unit for oocyte collection. On the day of the oocyte collection, the male will produce a semen sample which is processed and brought together with the oocytes later that day. The oocytes are checked for signs of fertilisation, and the embryos are cultured for 3-5 days before transferring one back to the patient.

The development of new time-lapse technologies in recent years has allowed us to learn more about embryo development.

Cameras fitted inside of the incubators take photographs every 10 minutes providing us with a video of each embryo, allowing us to identify those with the best pattern of development and those displaying any abnormalities.

What do you enjoy about your job?

Everything! There is no better feeling than going to work and knowing that I am going to potentially change someone’s life. Embryology is a specialised area and takes years of studying and intensive training. There is no room for

error which makes the lab a very high pressure environment to work in, but seeing the photos of the babies we created makes all the hard work worth it.

How have your skills and experiences acquired from LJMU helped you in your role?

Basic scientific skills picked up in practical assessments, such as using Neubauer chambers and staining slides using Diff-Quik gave me a head start in my training, and are practices I use every single day. Getting to know new people and working with different groups of people on each project at university helped develop communication skills and was a good introduction on how to quickly get to know, and work with others. It has also given me the confidence to approach colleagues about potential research projects, discuss different ideas, and submit abstracts and present at National Fertility Conferences.

What the application / selection process involve and how did you prepare?

At the time of my application the training programme was different to the scheme currently in place. At present, training is provided through the Scientist Training Programme (STP), an annual national recruitment process through Modernising Scientific Careers (MSC). For more information about the Scientist Training Programme: http:// www.nshcs.hee.nhs.uk/ Recruitment is very competitive and involves an application and online exam, after which successful candidates are shortlisted for

interview. Training consists of a 3 year fixed-term training contract and rotations through different disciplines.

What relevant work experience / skills did you refer to during the selection process?

Whilst studying at LJMU I volunteered weekly at the Hewitt Fertility Centre which led to getting an honorary contract at the unit. I was involved with the day-to-day running of the lab, such as stock, paperwork, witnessing and being an extra pair of hands, helping out wherever I could.

During the year I spent at the unit, I got to know the Embryology staff well, and was able to discuss the possibility of carrying out some research. I was lucky enough to get involved with the implementation of a new embryo grading scheme, which I based my final year honours project on.

What advice would you give to other students interested in pursuing a career in this field?

When it came to applying for a position in embryology, having practical, first-hand experience working in the lab was invaluable.

I was already familiar with most of the staff and the running of the unit, and had picked up some skills during my experience which gave me a head start compared with other applicants. All recruitment processes are very competitive, and anything you can do to make yourself stand out from the crowd and show your passion and dedication will go a long way.

Postgraduate Case Study SHAHANA BHASKARAN IS A BIOLOGY GRADUATE WHO IS NOW COMPLETING AN MSC PUBLIC HEALTH AND CLINICAL NUTRITION AT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON (UCL) Why did you decide to pursue postgrad study?

I decided that I loved studying the health and disease module at LJMU and wanted to learn more about the topic. I have always had a passion for nutrition and fitness and wanted to pursue this more so that I can potentially become a nutritionist.

What do you enjoy most about the course?

I love that we get to go on clinical visits and ward rounds at the UCLH Hospital. We get to visit patients on the intestinal failure ward and see those who are having parenteral or enteral nutrition. We also get to sit in during live bariatric surgery procedures which is fascinating! I would like to work as a nutritionist where I can help people develop their personal wellbeing and livelihood to make a difference in their lives.

Helping people with intolerances, such as coeliac, with guidance on nutritional meal plans is also an area that interests me.

What did the application process involve and how did you prepare?

For UCL I had to write a personal statement and CV and then submit it directly to the university. I was lucky as I didn’t have to do an interview

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

however some people on my course did have to have an interview. I had done some previous work experience at a GP surgery observing healthy eating clinics. I had also volunteered at an orphanage in Nepal a few years ago. In addition to this, I highlighted the importance of nutrition in my personal life and my passion and interest for nutrition.

Did LJMU help you in any way?

Yes definitely! Dr Elaine Hemers had been an amazing help and without her confidence in me and my ability, I would never have thought I was good enough to apply. The Careers Team were great with looking over my CV and personal statements which helped a lot.

Any general advice for those looking to do postgrad study Postgraduate study is a lot of work! If you’re half-hearted about the course, then maybe think again before applying and explore your options. However, if it’s a subject that you love, you will have an amazing time during postgraduate study and it’s a great way to enhance your employability whilst doing so!

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Zoology Zoology encompasses a broad range of animal-related study, so a degree in Zoology will not only develop your subject-specific knowledge but it will also open the door to a range of employment and postgraduate study opportunities.

Zoology graduates are qualified for a variety of careers both in biological fields, and in careers where specific scientific knowledge may not be required. Employers may include universities and government research institutions; the National Health Service and medical research establishments; water authorities; zoos; wildlife trusts and environmental protection agencies. There are opportunities in the private sector as consultants or in technical and research roles with veterinary, agricultural, fisheries and biotechnology organisations, and with other employers such as chemical, pharmaceutical, and petroleum companies. Zoology graduates can also find work in the education sector, with museums or other cultural organisations, or move into other jobs such as management, marketing, sales or scientific journalism.

A number of Zoology graduates have successfully gained graduate places for veterinary science and others complete post-graduate courses with the aim of gaining qualifications for a specific career e.g. the Post-Graduate Certificate or Diploma in Education (PGCE/ PGDE) for an educational role in a wildlife organisation or school teaching. Zoology graduates have also progressed to a variety of taught masters (MSc) programmes including MSc programmes in Veterinary Epidemiology, Animal Breeding & Genetics, Conservation & Biodiversity, Nutritional Sciences, Marine Biology and Evolutionary & Behavioural Ecology. During your time at LJMU, particularly during your final year research project, you may be switched on to the idea of a career in research. Some of our graduates have a gone on to successfully complete Masters of Research (MRes) programmes in areas such as Animal Behaviour, Conservation Biology, Genetics, Animal Health & Welfare or PhDs in areas including impacts of climate change on wildlife populations, vaccine for liver fluke, human cellular genetics and disease in coral.

Postgraduate Case Study HARRIET THATCHER IS A ZOOLOGY GRADUATE WHO IS NOW COMPLETING A PHD FUNDED BY AESOP AND THE LJMU MATCHED FUNDING SCHEME. THE AESOP SCHOLARSHIP IS A COLLABORATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL IN SOUTH AFRICA Tell us about your postgraduate career to date?

In my final year I looked into Masters courses but none seemed to cover what I wanted as I really just wanted to be collecting data! I approached Dr Emily Bethell after seeing her advert for a placement student wondering if she could offer anything similar to gain field experience. As a result I agreed to a six months internship shadowing her postdoc.

This then led onto my masters focusing on primate behaviour and welfare. Towards the end of my masters Dr Nicola Koyama spoke to me about funding opportunities for a PhD and now I am in South Africa researching Vervet monkeys!

Why did you decide to pursue postgrad study?

My interest has always been primates. To develop my skills I partook in a variety of volunteer positions both in husbandry and research, though I enjoyed both I enjoyed the research aspect more. After conducting my placement year and being able to intern for an NGO in Tanzania I came back to my

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final year more determined than ever to succeed and continue onto a postgraduate route.

Three things I love about it: ❚❚ ❚❚

❚❚

The independence of planning my own research around my interests.

I enjoy the people you meet who are also determined and committed to their field; they are full of helpful tips and always willing to lend a hand.

I enjoy the challenge, I enjoy structure and self-motivation. I have never been as tired since starting my research but I still wake up every morning with energy for what the day in the field may bring.

What relevant work experience/ volunteering did you refer to during the selection process?

I took the option of the placement year which I feel benefitted me in the application process.

I conducted six months as a research assistant for an NGO in Tanzania and six months working as a husbandry and research assistant at Manor House Wildlife Park in Wales. In these placements I learnt the most applicable skills

to my postgrad career. However I have also worked at a farm park centre since I was 16, volunteered at Chester Zoo through my three years at LJMU and volunteered at a monkey rehabilitation centre in my summer. I believe work experience is key no matter how irrelevant you may think it is to the position. There are always skills to learn, whether it be team skills, presentations or numeracy. Also volunteering shows commitment, which is always a good quality to show in applications.

What advice would you give to other Zoology/Animal Behaviour students to improve their employability?

The best way to make yourself employable is to gain work experience. Gaining experience in different fields also helps you to decide what your next step should be and what is the most suitable course for you. If you are interested in a topic speak to the specific lecturer or ask your tutor for advice.

Lecturers are always happy to chat about their work and that is how opportunities arise and you get your name known.

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Graduate Case Study LAURA JERVIS IS A ZOOLOGY GRADUATE WHO NOW WORKS AS A SENIOR SCIENTIST FOR APEM LTD.

What does your current job involve?

I work in the ornithology team of an environmental consultancy which specialises in the aquatic environment. I act as project manager for high resolution digital aerial surveys on behalf of clients such as renewable energy companies and statutory nature conservation bodies. I ensure the surveys are undertaken as per the specification required by the client and that all information is provided by the deadline.

Three things that I like about my Job:

❙❙ The interesting nature of the work. ❙❙ Diversity of the work – project-based environments usually present new challenges. ❙❙ The career progression and new skills I have learnt.

Things I’m not so keen on: ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙

Pressurised deadlines – the environment of a consultancy is often fast-paced and dynamic with priorities changing on a daily basis.

Coping with multiple, competing deadlines.

Completing a timesheet – all my time has to be accounted for so that project managers can monitor the progress and budget.

Tell us about how you got to where you are today?

After being hired as a Graduate Scientist, I completed a part-time Masters degree in Conservation Biology whilst working full-time by attending evening lectures twice a week over the course of two years.

I applied for an internal vacancy for a Consultant Scientist and was successful; a couple of years later I was promoted to my current position of Senior Scientist. The postgraduate study allowed me to develop an understanding of the R statistical programme, which was one of the key reasons for my career progression.

What did the application/selection process involve and how did you prepare?

For my placement year, the interview included a bird identification test to ensure that I knew common UK species. For my current role, the interview included a written test which required interpretation of the spatial distribution of a seabird following a pollution incident.

The interview also included questions about key areas of the job. I prepared by studying facts about key seabirds and general information about the relevant statistics used for spatial modelling. I think it is fairly commonplace for interviews to have some sort of competency-based test nowadays.

What work experience / skills / volunteering did you refer to during the selection process?

I had previously completed a sandwich placement in the GIS office at

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a conservation charity and also volunteered at a local children’s zoo every Sunday for a year during my second year of university. Those experiences allowed me to have an understanding of working outside in all types of weather and also in an office environment and with a wide variety of people.

I continue to be a desk-based volunteer for charities when I can as I really enjoy it and it fits easily around my job. There are so many more opportunities for desk-based volunteering nowadays.

What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability?

I had an employment record since starting college through working in various establishments: clothes stores, camping stores, coffee shops, and care homes. I think having an early history of employment shows that you have a strong work ethic. Throughout university I continued to work in various care homes on a part-time basis. I have had employers mention to me that they respected people who work in a care-orientated environment as it shows that you can work with different types of people. If you’re applying for a job in a new career, I wouldn’t underestimate the value of your experience even if you don’t think it is relevant.

I decided to complete a placement year because it would provide me with essential work-based skills. The placement gave me a lot of great skills, notably an understanding of GIS, and I made some great friends too. I was able to use my mentor as a reference for all my job applications after university. I still keep in touch with people from my placement now.

After graduating from university, I continued to work in care and applied to job adverts all over the UK and Europe. It took me over a year to get offered a job that was relevant to my degree. I think I must have applied to over a hundred jobs that year. For most of them, I didn’t receive any news about my applications even to inform me I was unsuccessful. It was really disheartening after working so hard at university. I realised one day that it wasn’t necessarily my experience, but also the experience of other people who were applying that mattered. Changing my perspective on the situation allowed me to not take the process personally and to keep applying. I was offered two interviews that year, and I was successful for one of them. I have now been with the same company for almost seven years. Your experience of applying for your first job after university might be a lot easier than it was for me. If you find yourself in a similar situation though, just remember to keep applying and try not to let it affect your confidence.

In the meantime, stay relevant by volunteering, read around your subject, or join a society. Eventually you will find a job which fits your experience perfectly and you will be the preferred candidate.

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Graduate Case Study EVALIN CASSON IS A ZOOLOGY GRADUATE WHO IS NOW WORKS AS A WILDLIFE CONSULTANT & AVIAN BIOLOGIST FOR SAFESKYS (AN AIR PARTNER COMPANY)

What work experience/ volunteering did you do during your undergraduate studies?

I got involved in a wide range of work experience and volunteering opportunities during my undergraduate course, including an RSPCA rehoming centre, Smithills Open Farm (and dairy farm), Turbary Woods Bird of Prey sanctuary, WWT Martin Mere, and Matchmoor Riding School.

What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability?

What does your job involve?

❙❙ Conducting wildlife surveys and creating the subsequent reports. ❙❙ Mitigation of wildlife strikes. ❙❙ Creating innovative ideas to avoid lethal action taken against wildlife on airfields. This makes us different from many others in the industry that do not value wildlife. We try to avoid any unnecessary harm to the wildlife.

Three things that I like about my Job:

❙❙ It is very different from my previous jobs; I have a lot more freedom and ability to progress. ❙❙ It pays better than most animal-related jobs, and there is more potential to grow and further my career than in a zoo environment. ❙❙ Visiting airfields: RAF bases are incredibly interesting, and part of my job involves visiting aerodromes, including several RAF bases we hold contracts with.

Things I’m not so keen on: ❙❙

❙❙

I miss working closely with birds like I used to as a zookeeper. In particular, I miss the hand rearing and breeding season (lots of cute fluffies).

The inevitability of wildlife strikes.

❙❙ Tailor your hobbies to your chosen career: I completed my PADI diving certificates and I am a BTO C permit bird ringer. It shows prospective employers that you are interested in your chosen field and further developed relevant skills outside of work settings. ❙❙ Do your research before accepting a job. ❙❙ Take time to improve your CV and cover letter and tailor it specifically for each job you apply for. ❙❙ Useful websites I used to find previous jobs include https://www. environmentjob.co.uk/jobs and http://zoowork.blogspot.co.uk/ (this website is managed by Zoo news digest, which also has a Facebook page where they posts jobs as well as insightful posts).

How did you get to where you are today?

Completing a year-long unpaid internship at Chester Zoo opened career opportunities in the zoo environment for me, and as a result I secured further zookeeper roles, including at Birdworld in Surrey.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of zoo politics which I did not enjoy, and it is also really difficult to live on a zookeeper’s wage, especially when living near London.

Fortunately, I found my current job, which still lets me work with animals. I get to study birds, their intelligence and behaviour on a daily basis along with their environment, so it is incredibly interesting.

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Graduate Case Study ELLA MCNULTY IS A ZOOLOGY (WITH PLACEMENT YEAR) GRADUATE WHO IS CURRENTLY WORKING AS AN INSTRUCTOR AT DOGS FOR GOOD

What does your current job involve?

Dogs for Good provide assistance dogs to adults and children with physical disabilities, as well as children with Autism. I work specifically for the physical disability service.

Dogs are given their basic assistance dog training at the centre in Banbury, and then they come to our centre in the North. It is my job to look at the dog’s needs, capabilities and personalities, and match them to someone on the client list. If the dog needs any additional training, I provide that, and then take the dog to the client, and teach them how to work together and develop their relationship.

Three things that I like about my Job: ❙❙ Making a difference to people’s lives. Lots of my clients have not been able to leave their house independently until their dog came along. It’s so rewarding. ❙❙ Daily dog contact! All our dogs have to have a minimum of 2 x 40 minutes sessions of exercise per day, whether that’s a lead walk, off lead run, or a training session. ❙❙ Everyone is so lovely! All the Dogs for Good staff and volunteers are so passionate about what we do.

What did the application/selection process involve and how did you prepare?

I saw the vacancy on the Dogs for Good website a few months before my graduation (I was checking all Assistance dog charities regularly!), the application form was pretty standard. I took my cover letter to the Careers Zone and they helped a lot.

I then had two interviews. The first involved a formal sit down interview with two senior members of staff, and then a section where they gave me one of their dogs in training. I had 10 minutes to ‘assess’ the dog, and then I had to feedback what I thought about the dog’s personality and potential. The second interview was more in-depth - I had to teach a dog to go to its bed, explaining my thinking to a manager as I went along. I then had someone pretending to be a client and I had to teach them how to teach their dog to go to its bed.

Following this I had to give a 30 minute presentation to a panel, about The 5 Freedoms and Animal Welfare, in relation to Assistance Dogs.

Prior to this interview I was told what I’d be doing, so I was able to practise training and my course leader helped me with ideas for my presentation.

What work experience/ volunteering did you refer to during the selection process?

I can’t stress enough how crucial my placement year was to me getting this job! Being able to go into my interviews and say that I had a list of work experience and had already spent 6 months working at an assistance dog charity was a huge benefit. I also spoke about my experience at the RSPCA (where I spent the other half of my placement year), and about the many trips to Chester Zoo and hands on practical’s I had done during my degree.

Did the Careers Team at LJMU help you in anyway?

I accessed the Careers Team A LOT. I didn’t actually realise how much they could do to help until I went to ask about help with my CV. They were great at giving me feedback and I used their CV guides to help improve mine. I also booked a mock interview which was brilliant – lots of the questions they asked came up in my real interview so I felt much more confident.

What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability?

Get as much experience as possible. Ideally in a specific area you’re interested in, but if that’s not possible, any relevant experience is good as you’d be surprised how many skills you will gain. There are many people with degrees nowadays so you need to have done something different. Work experience also shows you have initiative and a proactive attitude, which is very appealing to employers. Doing work experience can help you to decide what you do (or don’t!) want to do. I’ve done placements at the RSPCA and at vet practises, and these showed me that I did not want to work in those areas, which I think is just as important! If possible, get your volunteering opportunity during university, either as a placement year, or alongside your course.

It will be really difficult to commit decent amounts of time to volunteer after university when you’ve got bills to pay and a job to maintain.

Remember it’s also always worth asking. Many organisations don’t publically advertise volunteering opportunities, but if you can pop in or give them a phone call, many will be grateful of the help. Try to do a dissertation relevant to the job you’d like. Not only does this mean that you’ll be more interested in it and therefore more motivated, but it will also help you be more informed during interviews.

Top tips from Lisa Holmes, who graduated with a degree in Zoology, and is now a Behaviour & Welfare Scientist at Chester Zoo

“

Tell us about how you got to where you are today?

When I started my degree I wanted to work in animal behaviour in some way, but I wasn’t sure how. It was doing my placement year that gave me the idea of working with assistance dogs, as I spent 6 months at Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and loved it. Being a dog trainer employed by an organisation instead of being a self-employed behaviour counsellor really appealed to me. I was very lucky that in the final 6 months of my degree, a job at Dogs for Good came up, and here I am!

Jobs in this industry can be quite scarce but the opportunities are slowly growing in number as the emphasis on zoo research increases. My advice would be to volunteer at conservation organisations such as local wildlife groups, nature reserves and keep checking the zoo and safari park websites for fixed-term opportunities that would give you relevant and valuable experience. Make sure you get as much practical animal experience as you can and don’t limit yourself to working with favoured species - often the animals you might think aren’t that exciting tend to be the most interesting species to work with.

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Graduate Case Study LINDSAY DODGSON IS A ZOOLOGY GRADUATE WHO NOW WORKS FOR PROGRESSIVE MEDIA AS A SCIENCE JOURNALIST (ENERGY FEATURES WRITER) What does your job involve?

I start by checking emails! I have a list of features to write every month, so I am always sending out emails to people and companies to try and get interviews. I will then either start working on a feature if I have a deadline, or transcribe an interview that I’ve recorded, or do some research for a future piece. I’m an energy writer, so I tend to cover things like renewable energy technology, the oil and gas sector, climate change and anything under that bracket really. I also write about the mining industry.

Three things I like about my job:

The flexibility of my day, I need to hit my deadlines but around this I manage my time as I please. I also love to talk to interesting people like scientists and researchers. They often enjoy explaining their work, and are pleased when someone takes an interest. I also get to go to lots of events, such as ones put on by renewable energy agencies and mining companies. This gets me out of the office and provides great opportunities for networking.

Three things I’m not so keen on:

I have PRs calling and emailing me all day, which can get a bit annoying, but they’re only doing their job! I work in a huge media company too which I’m not so keen on, as it can make you feel a little insignificant. It’s my first job out of university though, so I’m taking it as a first step rather than somewhere I’ll be forever.

Tell us a little bit about how you got to where you are today?

I studied Zoology at LJMU because Biology was my best subject at school and animals and nature always fascinated me. I didn’t go into the degree with any idea of where I wanted to take it.

I originally thought I might do an MSc and then a PhD as I particularly enjoyed the health and disease side of the course. After speaking with a family friends in the field, I realised that talking to people was the part I enjoyed most. I also did English at A level, and I found out that I could combine the two skills if I went into writing.

That’s how I came across the Science Journalism course at City University London. This was in my second year at LJMU so I quickly started researching where I could gain experience, as I had no journalistic background at all. I started writing for a couple of student magazines, and my community quickly grew. I took on a role at one called The Student Journals where I helped out with admin and sending out the newsletter, and then I became the science editor for another magazine Kettlemag.

Getting onto the MA opened so many more doors, and I did a few internships. I went to The Independent, the Observer and others over my year at City, which was invaluable experience.

After graduation, I applied for a lot of jobs, and interviewed for three before getting my role at Progressive, where I write for MINE Magazine, Future Power Technology Magazine and Offshore Technology Focus. It’s a great step on my journalism ladder, and doing the MA really

set me up well for the industry. I also now freelance on the side for a science website LiveScience, which means I can still write about the things that I find interesting like animals and health.

What tips and advice would you give to students wanting to pursue this career route?

Start now, and write, write, write. It doesn’t matter who for, or whether it will even get read by anyone, but the only way you know if you’re good at something or not is to try it.

Set up a blog and get involved in a university publication if you have one. If not, there are plenty of amazing opportunities for students on online magazines, so get involved wherever you can. Also, don’t tell yourself it’s too late for a career change. You can make up for lost time with your enthusiasm, so don’t give up! If you’re thinking of going into journalism, get your CV onto one page.

It’s hard but often people won’t read past the first page anyway. So condense it and make it snappy. I’ve also added a bit of subtle colour to mine to make it stand out. I’ve been complimented on it in the past, so don’t be afraid to make yours a little less bland.

Placement Case Study CONSIDERING A PLACEMENT YEAR? WE SPOKE TO ZOOLOGY STUDENT KIM MARKLEW WHO SPENT A YEAR WORKING AT BLACKPOOL ZOO AS A RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ASSISTANT Tell us a little bit about your placement? How long was it and why did you want to do it?

It was a full year long placement from September until September at Blackpool Zoo. I was interested in the placement after speaking to a family friend about it. I was unsure exactly what field I wanted to work in so wanted to do a placement to give me more direction. I found out about it from a family friend who works at the zoo, I then found the application form on the website and it all went from there.

What did you enjoy most?

As a result of the placement I have found that I am passionate about teaching others about animals. This includes the public and school children, which I never had an interest in before so this was the most enjoyable part!

How do you feel that the placement has benefitted you?

The placement has benefited me more than I could have imagined. It has allowed me to work towards a career path and provided me with all the experience I will need for a job within zoo education. I have had

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endless opportunities from the zoo and cannot express how great the education department have been to me. I will struggle to fit everything I have done onto my CV! My general confidence has also increased hugely as I have been talking with the public every day. I have also learnt how to talk in front of large crowds of people, something which I would have really struggled with prior to the placement. The research aspect of the placement has also taught me how to effectively carry out field work in the real world where things go wrong, and then how to deal with that.

What advice would you give other students to improve their employability?

I would encourage any student to do a placement, even if they find they do not enjoy it at least that is one career that they will avoid at the end of their degree! I am very lucky in the fact that I loved my placement, but any experience is worthwhile. If I was a first year student again I would try and fit even more work experience in!

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Internship Case Study ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR GRADUATE ASHLEIGH WINDROW COMPLETED AN INTERNSHIP AT KNOWSLEY SAFARI PARK. SHE TELLS US ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE ... observing veterinary procedures, doing bat catch ups, taking part in animal moves etc.

Where did you find out about the internship/placement?

I carried out my own research when looking for my placement. I searched the internship page of many zoological collections and decided Knowsley Safari Park was best for me as I unfortunately couldn’t move house during my placement and Knowsley Safari Park was local enough for me to get to without a car.

What did you enjoy most?

The part I enjoyed the most was, of course, the connection with the animals. Particularly when training Rigsby the giraffe and feeding

Tell us a little bit about your placement how long was it and why did you want to do it?

My internship was at Knowsley Safari Park. I started my internship in October 2016 and ended in August 2017. I wanted to complete a sandwich year as an animal keeper to increase my employability after graduation and to give me an insight into the job role to ensure it was the right career for me.

I worked on the foot safari with a wide array of different animals, from elephants and giraffes to meerkats, bats and reptiles.

I carried out the daily husbandry cleaning routines, prepared food and medications and also participated in training regimes with elephants and giraffes. Many other opportunities presented themselves during my time at Knowsley Safari Park, such as

asked a few interview questions. A few months later again I received an email to say I had got the internship. During the interviews I made sure to be confident and worked hard during the working interview. My goal was to try and impress them with my work ethic and I was not afraid to ask questions, as it shows your interest.

How do you feel your placement has benefitted you?

The placement gave me the necessary skills and required experience to be considered for future animal keeper jobs. I also secured my current job at a farm based on my experience at Knowsley Safari Park. I also developed some amazing relationships and have some amazing memories that I will never forget.

Has the placement helped you with your long-term career plans?

Before going on placement I had a much narrower mind set of my future career and purely wanted to work with large carnivores.

However, after working with the mix of animals I now would be delighted to get a career working with reptiles, ungulates or small mammals too.

the Equatorial Trail (sitatunga antelopes, capybaras and tapirs). Doing any sort of enrichment with the animals was also amazing as I got to watch the animals find enjoyment out of items I made for them.

Summer jobs were also very enjoyable - such as applying fly cream to tapirs. I also had an amazing opportunity to go to a recording studio to talk for the Knowsley Safari App, meaning my voice can be heard telling the public facts about the animals.

Also, all animal keeper jobs I have looked at required at least one year work experience in the zoo industry, which I can now happily say I worked hard to get, already putting me ahead of the competition in future job applications.

What did the application/selection process involve? How did you prepare?

I started by completing an application form in December 2015. A few months later I was invited to a group interview with six other applicants. I was then taken to the African Lion House and had a working interview.

This was to see how well I worked with the team and how I tackled the heavy duty jobs.

I then had a formal interview where I was

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Placement Case Study ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR STUDENT SANDI DANIELLE MONGER COMPLETED TWO

PLACEMENTS; AS A RESEARCH ASSISTANT AT THE PRIMATE AND PREDATOR

PROJECT IN SOUTH AFRICA AND AS AN ANIMAL TECHNICIAN AT EASTON & OTLEY COLLEGE ANIMAL CARE UNIT

What did the application/ selection process involve?

For the Primate and Predator Project placement, I attended a lecture on the project during my first year and then sent in my CV and covering letter. I secured my placement at Easton & Otley College after sending them an email. For the Africa Alive experience, I emailed them to express my interest in completing work experience and then attended an interview.

How do you feel that the placement has benefitted you?

Tell us a little bit about your placements how long were they and why did you want to do them?

I spent eleven months on placement, with five months in South Africa (Primate and Predator Project) and five months in the UK (Easton & Otley College). For a month I also chose to gain some zookeeper experience at my local zoo (Africa Alive in Suffolk). I would encourage all students to consider a placement year; when people finish university, they often talk about taking a gap year, and a placement year is essentially that. I never wanted to do just one placement because I was not 100% sure about my career plans, so I thought that completing a few placements would help me to eliminate some options. I loved the college I went to (due to having reptiles, companion and farm animals), so that’s why I went back there for my second placement. Also, I am highly interested in research, so that’s why I picked my first placement in South Africa.

Where did you find out about the placements?

I attended a talk within the university about

the Primate and Predator Project. I started looking for placements during semester two of my first year at university by sending emails to organisations asking if they took on placement students and sending them a CV and cover letter.

They have benefited me in many ways.

Having undertaken relevant experience, I can now say that I would not like to work as a zookeeper or within an animal care unit housing companion animals. I know for certain that I would like to go into research, mainly on endangered predator species, but I also like birds and reptiles, so possibly would enjoy research into them as well. The placement has given me experience of research already, so I have an understanding of what to expect as well as relevant skills to offer to prospective employers.

Has the placement helped you with your long term career plans?

Yes, without the placements I could only imagine what these job roles would involve, but having done them, I know for certain what I do and do not like. To get into research careers, I know that I need lots of experience, which I have already started to develop, so I am now one step closer to achieving my plans.

What did you enjoy most?

I enjoyed the placement in South Africa the most. My placement within the UK was good, but it wasn’t challenging. The work was very similar to experience I had gained at college before university, so I knew what I was doing, and there was no variation.

I was lucky with my placement in South Africa as they have two sides to the project (primate and predator). I initially worked on the primate team collecting behavioural data from dawn to dusk, but I changed to the predator team after about six weeks. This involved hiking to and from camera traps (walks of between 5 and 13 miles), identifying African animal species and leopards, and sorting out metadata files. There were always other activities to get involved in, such as the earth watch groups, scat washing and boma building. Collecting data for research on endangered species was amazing, let alone doing it in another country.

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A conversation with ... Dr Leah Williams Behaviour Officer at Chester Zoo Gouldian finches. After graduating with a PhD I worked as a Conservation Scientist for RSPB, I worked on a number of projects mostly focussing on seabirds. I joined Chester Zoo in 2015 as Scientific Officer before changing roles to Behaviour Officer in March 2017.

What work experience and volunteering did you do to help you get to where you are today?

I volunteered for RSPB Conwy nature reserve every summer during my undergraduate degree which helped me get experience and contacts. I also still volunteer regularly for the BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) as a volunteer bird ringer and surveyor.

What does your job involve? Typical day: I am lucky that my job is very varied. I usually spend some time in the zoo conducting behavioural observations on any number of different species. Sometimes we use different technologies to collect behavioural information, such as camera traps and video cameras, so some of my time will be spent analysing videos and photos. Part of my day may then involve data analysis and report writing for the animal managers at the zoo.

I also supervise a number of University students conducting projects at the zoo, from one-year Industrial Placements to Masters and PhD students, I meet with them on a regular basis to help them with their research. Occasionally I deliver lectures and talks to local universities on animal behaviour and welfare. Like any job, the rest of my time will be spent answering emails and doing administrative tasks.

Three things I like about my job: ❙❙ I like how varied my job is, I am often

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working on a number of different projects at once. ❙❙ I get to work at Chester Zoo- the top Zoo in the UK! ❙❙ I work within a great team, the Applied Science team, we all have different jobs but we are all passionate about animal welfare and conservation.

What advice would you give to students wanting to pursue this career route?

Make the most of your degree course, especially data analysis training (often the least favourite part). Take advantage of volunteering opportunities, they provide

Three things I’m not so keen on: ❙❙ My job is very busy, sometimes I wish there were more hours in the day! ❙❙ Working in a zoo can be challenging, sometimes changes happen part way through a project (like an animal move), but there is usually a way to account for it. ❙❙ Conducting scientific research within a zoo can be logistically difficult due to the small sample sizes and lack of controls.

How did you get to where you are today?

I studied for a degree in Zoology with Evolutionary Psychology at the University of Liverpool, for my dissertation I studied play behaviour in lion-tailed and Sulawesi macaques at Chester Zoo. After I graduated I worked for an RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) nature reserve for two years as a Public Engagement Officer running various public events. I went on to study for a Master of Research at the University of Leeds in Biodiversity and Conservation where I conducted two research projects, the first of which investigated the impact of avian malaria on the immune response and flocking behaviour of yellowhammers. The second project focused on the impacts of selective logging on understorey bird diversity in Malaysian Borneo. After I completed my MRes I came to LJMU to study for a PhD working with Dr Claudia Mettke-Hofmann on personality and leadership behaviour in

you with work experience and you can make valuable contacts for future jobs.

Any tops tips for the recruitment process?

Be explicit in your job application about how you meet the job specification - make it easy for the reader to see that you are the best person for the job. I also recommend practicing your interview skills, the more interviews you go to, the easier it gets!

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Forensic Anthropology A degree in Forensic Anthropology will help you develop skills and expertise which will support you in a career as a forensic anthropologist working in the wake of natural disasters or conflicts, international aid and within logistical organisations. You may feel equally equipped to work in forensic laboratories, museums, police departments, teaching or research (e.g. in universities and museums), industry and government laboratories.

If you decide not to pursue a career in forensic anthropology, you could also use your skills within the medical or health sector where training in human anatomy and biology is highly valued. There are, for example, job opportunities within the NHS for trainee anatomical pathology technicians which Forensic Anthropology graduates may apply for. Anatomical pathology technicians provide assistance to pathologists in conducting post mortems. Some Forensic Anthropology graduates may also consider a career as a pathologist, although as this is a branch of medicine further training would be needed.

Postgraduate Case Study SAMUEL RENNIE IS A FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY GRADUATE WHO IS NOW A PHD RESEARCHER IN BIOLOGICAL/PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY AT LJMU Since graduating from LJMU, briefly tell us about your postraduate career to date

I have just finished my PhD in Biological/Physical Anthropology at LJMU. I’m now looking for a post-doctoral research position to continue doing research.

Why did you decide to pursue postgrad study?

I am eager to learn and to be part of current research in the field of biological/forensic anthropology.

What do you enjoy about it? ❙❙ Opportunities to travel

❙❙ Independent study ❙❙ The chance to meet like-minded people

What did the application process involve and how did you prepare?

Firstly, I had to find a potential PhD supervisor(s) and develop a viable PhD project that they were willing to oversee. From there, I had to write a small research proposal as part of the application form with how the project would be funded.

What relevant work experience / volunteering did you refer to during the selection process?

I had two years of archaeological fieldwork experience whilst doing my undergraduate degree. This helped me to understand the cost of travelling for research and highlighting potential ideas for research by discussing current problems in relation to skeletal analysis with site managers and colleagues.

What advice would you give to other students studying at LJMU to improve their employability?

Take every opportunity to travel and to network. The people you meet might be your next employer or collaborator for a research project. If you want to do a PhD then enjoy your subject/research question - it is going to be a minimum of three years of your life so you need to enjoy it! Be driven and self-motivated.

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A conversation with … Dr Carla Burrell, Osteoarchaeologist and Post-doctoral Researcher which now forms my postdoctoral research area.

What does your job involve?

As an osteoarchaeologist, I study the bones of past populations.

Currently I am researching the Medieval Norton Priory Collection in Cheshire providing a detailed study of the human skeletons to provide a biological profile (age, sex and stature) of the collection for the museum to use in their gallery displays. My job allows me to review all the skeletal elements and teeth, review bone morphology and function as well as disease and pathology.

Three things I like about my job: ❙❙ Having the opportunity to work with human skeletal remains is truly amazing. I have had the chance to work with collections from across the world dating from the Roman period through to Georgian/Victorian era. My favourite was working with the Egyptian mummies at the University of Liverpool. ❙❙ I love research, as an independent researcher I can pursue my own research interests to tell the story of past populations. This information is not only valuable to the academic field but also to share with the public as people love to learn about people. ❙❙ Sharing our research with the public is something I really enjoy.

At Norton Priory, I teach children and local school groups human osteology and teach them the methods I use to do my job. I also incorporate my research and any results from it into the classes, so they can learn directly about the collection.

Tell us about how you got to where you are today?

My background is not archaeology based. I was on route to teach fine art and mixed media but had a change of heart. I applied for the Forensic Anthropology Undergraduate Degree at LJMU which started my career path. It’s a very practical based course and the staff are very enthusiastic which suited my background. I became particularly interested in the field of anthropology. Here, I could review the bones of past populations and develop a biological profile of the person. Not only could I learn more about a single person’s life, but when you collectively review a population, you start to learn more about the demographics of the site, discuss their lifeways and the manner of death and burial. It was at this point that I realised research was for me… delving deep into books to find information and discover published research is quite fun!

What work experience and volunteering did you do to help you get to where you are today?

I took the opportunity to volunteer and gain any experience throughout my degree including applying for work placements to develop the skills needed for this field. I started off volunteering within the laboratories at LJMU assisting with cleaning and sorting of archaeological material and later assisted with the curation of the human skeletal collections. I completed a 4 week archaeological investigation in Bulgaria and successfully applied for a 3 week internship at St Mary’s University. It was during this internship that I had the opportunity to work alongside leading experts and assisted in autopsies, crime scene investigations, forensic bone cases, odontology, forensic photography, ballistics and forensic facial reconstruction. I also completed a 10 week work based learning module at Poulton Chapel which led to a permanent position at the site as their head osteologist. Today, I now volunteer at Norton Priory Museum and Gardens and do contract work with them working on their human skeletal collection and facilitating educational sessions to disseminate osteological research to the public. All this experience has allowed me to develop the knowledge, skills and experience needed to continue my research routes.

What advice would you give to students wanting to pursue this career route?

I recommend that you explore various volunteering opportunities including public engagement activities, this is valuable experience and is often required on your CV and in research proposals. Try your local museum and/or galleries, they are always keen to take on new faces and this will get you the experience. When volunteering on osteological collections and at archaeological sites, offer to clean, record and categorise bones, even the fragmentary ones. Some may find this boring but it is a crucial step in research to be able to identify fragmented remains, so it will be beneficial to your personal development. If you can, consider publishing work, whether manuscripts, newsletters or articles, practice your writing skills and get your name out there. With this, attend local conferences and events and share your research, networking leads to opportunity.

I graduated in 2012 with a first class honours and continued to pursue my research career and applied for an MPhil with transfer to PhD at LJMU focusing my research on the Poulton and Gloucester human skeletal collections. To expand my research I signed up to volunteer on the Norton Priory Collections and met with the Senior Keeper to discuss my background with human skeletal remains which led to the inclusion of this collection in my PhD. This progressed to the preparation of osteological reports for Norton and exploring Paget’s Disease of Bone in their human skeletal collection

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

A conversation with … Dr Julie Roberts, Scientific Lead and Team Leader at Cellmark Forensic Services What does your job involve?

My typical day varies depending on what requests come into the laboratory. I may be called out to a possible crime scene where some human remains have been discovered and asked to assist with their recovery, ensuring that all of the body is present and providing information on how long the remains have been there and who the deceased might be. I may be involved in a search for a missing person believed to have been murdered and disposed of, and / or I may be asked to go to a post-mortem examination to examine the decomposed, burnt or dismembered remains of somebody who is no longer recognisable. A lot of documentation needs to be completed during and following this, and back in the laboratory quite a lot of my time is spent writing witness statements for the police and peer reviewing the statements of my colleagues. I may be asked to present my findings in court as an expert witness.

Occasionally I will be asked to write a specialist report for a non-police related investigation.

During the day I might also be working in the laboratory, examining skeletal remains. This may be prior to them being sent for radiocarbon dating or DNA analysis, or it may involve microscopy of bones showing evidence of possible traumatic injury. If I am not involved in crime scene, mortuary or laboratory work I may be teaching students, police officers or military personnel and I have a number of research projects that I am engaged in too.

Sometimes the above activities are planned, so my day can be scheduled, but often it is a case of just coming into the laboratory in the morning and trying to prioritise the huge number of tasks in front of me. I can have a great plan for the day or the week but then a phone call can change everything!

Three things I like about my job: ❙❙ Being able to piece back together the story of what has happened to the deceased and to give them back their identity. ❙❙ Helping the families of the deceased achieve some kind of closure particularly when they have been waiting for a long time to hear what has happened to their loved one. ❙❙ The variety of my work and the people that I work with. It is a challenging environment and I am constantly learning new things.

orthopaedic nursing. I worked in orthopaedics for a short while and then decided to go travelling (Greek Island hopping) as I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue with nursing. After travelling I decided I wanted to get a degree and decided to study Archaeology and Ancient History at Manchester University and then went on to do a Master of Science degree in Osteology, Palaeopathology and Funerary Archaeology at the Universities of Bradford and Sheffield.

During and between my two degrees I was able to work as an agency nurse to support myself. I often worked night shifts in A&E, on orthopaedic wards and in care homes. During my undergraduate degree I had a regular job at a local plastic surgery clinic. I also went on as many training excavations as I could! After I graduated from my MSc I moved to Scotland and worked as a freelance osteologist and agency nurse. I moved to Scotland because there seemed to be more opportunities in osteoarchaeology than in England. I was doing lots of self-employed osteology /archaeology consultancy work for Glasgow University Archaeology Research Department (GUARD) and after a few years they offered me a permanent job Whilst working in Glasgow I examined many large assemblages of cremated and unburnt bone from cemeteries dating from the prehistoric to the post-medieval periods. As a result of the expertise I developed in the analysis of burnt and fragmented remains, the pathologists from the Department of Forensic Medicine and Science started asking for my assistance in homicide cases. As my involvement in this type of work increased, myself and a colleague set up a forensic unit within the department. A defining moment for me was being asked to go to Kosovo to help gather evidence for the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia. This involved excavating and examining the remains of hundreds of victims of war crimes. During this time I also worked on my first case for the military in Iraq and started a part time PhD relating to my war crimes work.

Three things I’m not so keen on: ❙❙ The administrative duties! ❙❙ Not being able to follow up research questions which have been generated by casework. I can do this to an extent, but only as far as time allows. ❙❙ Some of the work can be emotionally demanding, particularly in such things as mass fatality incidents and where there has been deliberate cruelty and violence.

In 2005 I was at work when I received a phone call from the Head of HR for a private forensic laboratory in Oxford (Forensic Alliance, later taken over by LGC) inviting me for an interview for the post of forensic anthropologist / archaeologist and Team Leader for a group of environmental scientists. I stayed at LGC for 5 years and gained valuable experience as a forensic anthropologist in homicide cases, terrorist incidents (including the London bombings) and military deployments to places such as Afghanistan, Lebanon and Kuwait. In 2010 I received an offer to join Cellmark to start a Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology Service and I have remained at Cellmark since.

How did you get to where you are today?

I left school and didn’t really know what I wanted to do so I trained as a Nurse and worked on a general surgical ward and then specialised in

Stand out moments in my career as a Forensic Anthropologist include: ❙❙ Taking the lead role for anthropology in the London bombings

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❙❙ My war crimes work in Kosovo

❙❙ Deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq ❙❙ Completion of my PhD after far too long! ❙❙ The work that I did following the Shoreham

air-crash in 2015, in particular repatriation and reconstruction of the victims for the benefit of their families ❙❙ The role that I played in the successful conviction of Mark Bridger (who abducted and murdered April Jones) ❙❙ The role that I played in the National Cremation Investigation in 2015, which led to a change in legislation surrounding the cremation of pre-term and new born babies and infants What kinds of work experience and volunteering did you do to help you get to where you are today?

I worked very, very hard looking at lots of skeletal remains often in my own time. All the excavations that I went on as an undergraduate and MSc student were voluntary and on an expenses only basis. I accepted every selfemployed job that I was offered, even if it wasn’t very good, and once I obtained a job at the university I worked above and beyond the hours that I was contracted to do examining archaeological skeletal remains and writing reports.

What general tips and advice would you give to any undergraduate students wanting to pursue this career route? ❙❙ Get lots of practical experience in looking at skeletal remains, preferably burnt and fragmented ones. It doesn’t matter if the remains are archaeological in fact that is better for learning skeletal anatomy. ❙❙ Find a good mentor. Someone that you can ask for advice and who will help you find opportunities for practical experience, for e.g. good field schools, training excavations, internships with NGOs ❙❙ Go to relevant conferences, meet and talk to people who are working in Forensic anthropology. Make yourself known. ❙❙ It helps if you have more than one skill set, e.g. anthropology and archaeology.

Transferable skills and knowledge in other areas such as languages, engineering, statistics or database skills can also make you more employable. ❙❙ Be prepared to move to find work. ❙❙ Work hard and keep an open mind. Don’t be too blinkered and focussed only on a career in forensic anthropology. If you see a job in a related subject, try for that. You might really enjoy it and want to stay there, or you might be able to use it as a stepping stone into forensic anthropology. ❙❙ Ignore people who tell you there is no point pursuing a career in anthropology as there are no job opportunities at the end of it or that you have to have forensic experience to get a job in forensic anthropology .

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A conversation with ... Dr Laurance Donnelly, Forensic Geologist and Police Search Adviser, and Chair International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) Initiative on Forensic Geology (IFG) DRAFT

Possible Photos

A conversation with…… Dr Laurance Donnelly, Forensic Geologist and Police Search Adviser, and Chair International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) Initiative on Forensic Geology (IFG) My working day as a/job title:

Geologist Forensic Geologist & Police Search Adviser Engineering Geologists & Geohazards Mineral Exploration & Mining

Tell us about how you got to where you are today?

From an early age it was my ambition to work as a professional geologist. Obtaining a first class degree in Applied Geology and PhD in Geology, then working with the British Geological Survey, provided a firm foundation for a prolonged and successful career in geology. Following on from my time at BGS I was seconded into consultancy, which provided commercial, financial and enhanced skills to continue developing as a professional geologist.

What does your job involve?

I work as a Consultant Geologist and my job involves the provision of geological expertise to a variety of clients such as police officers, lawyers, mining engineers, civil and geotechnical engineers, planners, accountants, finance experts, investors, the public, media and sometimes politicians.

For approximately 23 years, I have adopted geological strategies and applied these to policing and law enforcement. As such, this has given some of the most satisfying moments in my career and the opportunities to apply geology to criminal investigations.

This enabled me to pioneer and develop new search strategies now used by the Police in the UK and internationally. This involves designing, implementing and managing ground searches for graves, missing persons and other burials and advising on the geological (trace) evidence in cases related to homicide, terrorism and organised crime.

My areas of work principally include:

❙❙ Mineral exploration and mining for resources

❙❙ The evaluation and investigation

of geological hazards for disaster management for new infrastructure ❙❙ Searching the ground for burials related to homicide, serious organised crime and counter terrorism and the provision of geological trace evidence.

In 2002, I was invited to the Houses of Parliament, to deliver a presentation

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on Forensic Geology and the search of Saddleworth Moor for the last remaining Moors Murders victim. I subsequently spoke on BBC Radio, then set up the Forensic Geoscience Group of the Geological Society of London where I served as its first Chair.

What tips and advice would you give to any undergraduate students wanting to pursue this career route?

Working as a geologist is reasonably well paid, rewarding and there are likely to be career opportunities in the years ahead, especially in mineral exploration, mining geology, engineering geology, geotechnical engineering, geohazards and hydrogeology.

There will be limited opportunities to work as a forensic geologist immediately following graduation, however, a BSc degree with post graduate training (e.g. MSc or PhD) in forensic science may help. Identify niche skills or a capability that may be of value to law enforcement, for example I focussed on the application of mineral exploration and ground investigating techniques to search the ground for burials.

Develop links with professional and/or amateur organisations whilst you are an undergraduate.

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Spotlight on a career as a vet

CAREERS ADVISER LAURA ALDRIDGE LOOKS AT WHAT YOU WOULD NEED TO DO TO GAIN ENTRY TO THIS COMPETITIVE CAREER AREA.

What is a career as a vet like?

Vets who work in general practice are involved in the medical and surgical treatment of a variety of animals, including domestic, zoo and farm animals. Vets can also work for a range of other organisations such as animal charities, the army and other government agencies.

What are the options for graduates who wish to train as a veterinary surgeon?

There are a small number of universities (such as Edinburgh and The Royal Veterinary College, London) who offer a four year accelerated route into veterinary medicine for science graduates.

Otherwise, there is the option of applying for the five year course, run by a variety of universities.

The University of Cambridge veterinary medicine course runs for 6 years. You can obtain a full list of which universities currently veterinary medicine degrees on the UCAS website.

What do you need to apply to a veterinary medicine course?

For the majority of courses, you need to be predicted a 2:1 or above in a Science degree.

Some universities require a specific science degree subject and this will usually be listed underneath their entry requirements. Some (though not all) of the universities also consider your A-level results and may ask for certain subjects at A-level. It is also important to check out GCSE requirements, as well. One of the universities (Cambridge) also asks candidates to sit the BMAT test. Academic entry requirements can vary considerably so make sure that you check these carefully with each university.

Do you need work experience?

Yes! Although the amount of work experience which different universities request varies, all require some related work experience.

Remember as well that you will need to give evidence on your personal statement of your motivation to study veterinary medicine. Clearly it is useful to spend some time in a veterinary practice but other types of experience can be useful as well. For example, you could try and gain some experience in settings such as a farm, stable yard, kennels or animal rescue centre.

There are also veterinary charities such as PDSA (The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals) and The Blue Cross who may have volunteering opportunities.

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What else would help your chances of making a successful application to a veterinary medicine degree?

Make sure that you apply early (as the deadline for applying to veterinary science courses is 15th October). You should also spend time on your UCAS personal statement as this will be looked at closely by admissions tutors of universities.

Make sure as well that you do as much research as possible into the veterinary profession, to prepare for possible future interviews.

What about funding veterinary science as a second degree?

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to fund a veterinary medicine course as a second degree course. It may be possible to apply for maintenance loans but currently it is not possible to apply for student loans to fund a veterinary medicine course as a second degree. This therefore means that it may be worth looking at other ways to fund the course.

Some universities may offer a small number of scholarships or bursaries which you can apply for. There are also charities which you can write to who may be able to offer a small contribution towards funding the course. You can find a list of such charities in books such as The Grants Register (The Complete Guide to Postgraduate Funding Worldwide) which is available in the university library.

The Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC) offer a bursary for the last three years of veterinary training and this can be accessed via the Army Undergraduate Cadetship scheme. However those who receive this army bursary are committed to a minimum six years of service in the army.

What are my other options if I am not able to pursue a career as a vet?

Other careers which may also involve working in a veterinary setting include veterinary physiotherapist and veterinary nurse. There are also a range of other careers which involve working with animals – see the career options section for details.

Universities which currently offer veterinary medicine courses: ❚❚ University of Bristol ❚❚ University of Cambridge ❚❚ University of Dublin

❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚

University of Edinburgh University of Glasgow University of Liverpool University of Nottingham Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in London University of Surrey

Please also check www.UCAS.com for the most up-to-date list of courses.

Useful Websites ❚❚ British Veterinary Association: www.bva.co.uk

❚❚ Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy: www.acpat.org

❚❚ PDSA: www.pdsa.org.uk ❚❚ The Blue Cross: www.bluecross.org.uk

❚❚ The Royal Army Veterinary Corps: www.

army.mod.uk/medical-services/ veterinary.aspx ❚❚ Student Finance: www.gov.uk/studentfinance-register-login ❚❚ Veterinary Schools Council: www.vetschoolscouncil.ac.uk/ All facts in this article were correct at the time of going to print.

Some information can be subject to change, however, so please double check any facts for (for example regarding academic entry requirements or funding) before applying to courses.

Facts and Figures 1300+ - The number of applications the Royal Veterinary College London receives each 200 places for approximately 200 places 1300 - Approximate amount of applications which the University of Liverpool usually have for 160 places on their Veterinary Medicine course each year.

38 - Minimum amount of weeks hands-on training which students have to complete as part of their degree course.

(Source: Prospects website) £30,000 - Average starting salary for a newly qualified vet.

(Source: Prospects website)

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Veterinary Medicine Case Study ZOE VEYSEY GRADUATED WITH A ZOOLOGY DEGREE FROM LJMU IN 2013. SHE IS NOW IN HER FINAL YEAR OF THE BVSC VETERINARY SCIENCE COURSE AT BRISTOL UNIVERSITY Why did you decide to pursue a career in Veterinary Medicine?

It was something I had always wanted to do, however I never had the confidence to apply and pursue it until I had completed my Zoology degree and then felt as though I had developed academically.

How did you decide which course to apply to and why did you choose Bristol?

Although the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) sets the criteria and guidance for each vet school on what they expect students to learn, there is some variation among each of the courses offered. I chose Bristol as this is where I received an offer, which is something you will hear many vets say. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else now and love not only the university and course but the community feel we have.

Similar to the course at Liverpool University, we spend our first 3 years in the city at the Southwell Campus where we learn ‘what is normal’. Back to basics - Anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology etc. However, unlike at Liverpool University we spend an increasing amount of time in the first 3 years at the Langford campus for lectures and practicals.

We then spend the last 2 years of the course at the Langford Campus (within the beautiful Somerset countryside) initially in lectures before spending our final year in clinics at the Langford Veterinary Hospital. The year I started at Bristol a new curriculum was introduced, which has placed emphasis on incorporating clinical teaching from the first year and learning in a systems based approach. We have a large amount of practical teaching the whole way through the course and are provided with a student barn at Southwell street to practise our animal handling and clinical skills laboratories at both our campuses to practice clinical practice.

(From 2020 Bristol University are introducing a 4 year graduate entry veterinary program which aims to utilise the skills and knowledge graduates can bring to an entirely different style of teaching - so some of this may not be the same).

Three things you love about the course: ❙❙ The practical elements of the course and how they are taught. We are given plenty of opportunity to work through these and the clinical skills labs can be useful to practice. They have a whole team of people helping to create newer and more realistic models to ensure we can get the most out of it (including a robotic haptic cow to practice reproduction). ❙❙ I’m really glad our course is split between both the City (Bristol) and Countryside (Langford campus). It means you can have a bit of fun in the first few years while also enjoying the university experience and everything Bristol has to offer. ❙❙ The lecturers / clinicians are amazing too. We have some excellent teaching here at Bristol and are very lucky to have exceptional veterinarians who really help and encourage us while on clinics and in lectures.

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Anything you are not so keen on/challenges: I was never a big fan of chemistry, so I didn’t enjoy the biochemistry side of the course. I couldn’t get around this though and when I struggled with it in first year the University provided me with a tutor to help. I actually began to enjoy it eventually and it did help my understanding later in the course. The final years can be quite challenging as the pressure seems to intensify going from 4th into 5th year.

What work experience and volunteering did you do to increase your chances?

Admittedly, a lot! I managed to secure a job as an animal care assistant at a local veterinary practice for a number of years before my application. I completed a National Diploma in Animal Management prior to my Zoology degree which required weekly animal handling sessions. I also made sure I had a varied selection of animal husbandry work experience placements, from dairy and sheep farms to catteries, specialised dog training facilities, zoo placements – you name it!

What advice would you give to other students studying Animal Behaviour and Zoology to increase their chances of getting into Veterinary Medicine?

All of the above really it will show you know the industry and you know what you’re getting yourself into. Impress them, everyone has the grades and the basic work experience requirements so what makes you stand out.

You need to show you are committed and enthusiastic, as it is a long haul. I am in my final weeks of my course now, I wouldn’t want to change the last 5 years, it hasn’t been easy… but it’s definitely worth it.

Funding is a major concern for students who want to study Veterinary Medicine as a second degree, how have you funded your route? Any advice/tips?

I wish I had some secret advice or special tip about funding. Unfortunately, as many people will find, there isn’t really anything out there. There are some charities who can possibly help such as the Wellcome Trust, but I had no luck in gaining funding from anywhere. I was lucky that with the lowered fees (down to £9,000 a year from £19,000) my family were able to save between them and help to pay my tuition fees. Unfortunately this seems to be the case for many of the graduates in my year, in some cases parents alone can pay or anyone in the extended family coming together to help pay fee’s. You are however entitled to maintenance grants towards living costs and there is an ‘Assistance to Living Fund’ you can apply to for assistance with living (this cannot be used for tuition though). I have also continued to work part-time in various jobs throughout my degree, however the frequency of work has varied with workload. You must remember that outside of term time you are required to complete a number of weeks of Extramural Studies (EMS) - 12 weeks in the first 2 years and 26 weeks in the final 3 years.

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Veterinary Medicine Case Study GENEVIEVE HAND GRADUATED FROM LJMU WITH A DEGREE IN ZOOLOGY IN 2014. SHE IS NOW STUDYING FOE A BVSC VETERINARY MEDICINE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL How did you decide which course to apply to and why did you choose Liverpool University?

I have always wanted to be a vet in order to help animals and I have always been interested in a medical career. There are only a few universities in the UK which offer the veterinary science/ medicine degree. I based my choice on the type of teaching of the course (I avoided courses offering a lot of problem-based learning and focused on practical based teaching), the location of the university (as 5 years is a long time to live somewhere for) and like most graduates choosing a veterinary science course, the price of tuition fees.

through UCAS like other undergraduate degrees. In order to be considered for interview a minimum amount of work experience is required (check each individual

What work experience / volunteering did you do to increase your chances?

I made sure that I had volunteered at a variety of different types of veterinary practices and farms.

What advice would you give to other students studying Animal Behaviour and Zoology at LJMU to increase their chances of getting into Veterinary Medicine?

Things you love about the course:

I love most aspects of the course. I love learning new things and getting the opportunity to put the theory I’ve learnt into practice in the clinical skills lab, on placements and, during the later years, within the university’s teaching hospitals has been brilliant. I also enjoy seeing and experiencing the different aspects of the veterinary profession through placements, teaching and the different events hosted by various British veterinary societies.

Anything you are not so keen on:

The quantity of information that we have to retain is tough so I don’t particularly enjoy the long hours spent studying in the library but keeping the end goal in sight helps!

What did the application / selection process involve and how did you prepare?

The application processes involves applying

Look for

At interview various skills were assessed to identify my understanding of what type of person I am and the veterinary profession and its structure. I found this very relaxed and not as intimidating as I had previously thought it would be. It is a good idea to keep up to date with good veterinary journals/ newspapers.

university’s prospectus) which for me meant undertaking voluntary placements at a variety of types of veterinary practices, farms, laboratories and an abattoir during the holidays whilst I studied zoology.

Do not underestimate how much time you need to spend doing work experience in the related fields (not just veterinary practices) and how important these experiences will be when being taught about the industry later on in the course. You will also have to undertake EMS (Extramural Studies) placements during the course so having those farming/ veterinary practice contacts will make finding EMS placements easy! Also make sure you have some hobbies. I was asked about my hobbies and how I like to relax away from studying at interview. It is really important that you know how to relax and have other interests too when embarking upon such an intense, and at times very stressful course.

jobs and internships from around the world

GoinGlobal Database INCLUDES: ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙

Jobs search with 16 million+ listings Internship search Country career guides Global city guides USA city career guides Employer directory

AVAILABLE VIA THE CAREERS WEBSITE:

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

25

Looking For Work Experience If you wish to work within some of the above fields, then it is essential to gain relevant work experience during your degree course as this is likely to be a key factor when you come to look for employment after you graduate.

If you are interested in work experience with an environmental consultancy, you may wish to consult the ENDS directory (https:// www.endsdirectory.com/) which provides a list of consultancies across the UK.

If you wish to work with animals, then there are a number of animal sanctuaries who may be looking for volunteers – check websites such as http://www.do-it.org.uk/ or http://greenvolunteers.com/ to find out more. Local zoos and wildlife parks may offer voluntary work experience so make sure that you check their websites directly for more details. Some National Trust organisations may also offer voluntary work opportunities within conservation. Other opportunities for animal-related work experience exist with the Police (mounted sections or dog units), RSPCA, kennels, catteries, livery/racing yards and falconry centres.

Some research organisations and pharmaceutical or consumer goods companies also offer summer or year-long placements in both scientific and non-scientific roles. Examples of such companies include AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, P&G, the Wellcome Trust and Cancer Research UK. Check their websites for details and closing dates. Research placements such as through the Nuffield Foundation (http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/nuffieldresearch-placements) can also be a useful way to test your skills in a work-based environment and to find out whether a career in research is for you. Many undergraduate students also secure work experience through a more ‘speculative’ or ‘creative’ approach, i.e. after contacting organisations directly through networking events, via email or through LinkedIn.

If you are looking for paid placements within conservation or countryside management, then make sure that you check council websites in particular - https://www.yourcounciljobs. co.uk/

Working For The NHS If you are pursuing a career within the healthcare sector, you are more than likely going to work within the National Health Service. However, there are other major employers such as the Health Protection Agency or other private healthcare providers.

There are accelerated courses available to Science graduates which can enable you to train to work in the health field, e.g. two-year Masters courses which are available in career areas such as dietetics, radiography, physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy. These courses are usually available to those who are studying a Science degree. Make sure that you check the entry requirements with individual universities though before applying. You may need to apply for some of these courses

early in your final year. There are also fouryear accelerated courses which are available in Dentistry or Medicine. A list of which universities offer these four-year courses is available on www.ucas.com. Make sure you attend the ‘Applying to Graduate Courses in Dentistry and Medicine’ workshop which takes place every term.

If you wish to work in a laboratory setting within the NHS (in healthcare science), then you may be interested in the Scientist Training Programme (STP). The STP is a graduate-entry programme leading to more senior scientist roles. You will be employed by an NHS trust for the duration of your training. To find out more about it, please refer to www.nhscareers.nhs.uk

Options In The Business Sector You are by no means restricted to these career areas, however, and could use your skills, interests and work experience to enter careers in a variety of other sectors, including research, teaching, marketing, retail, consultancy, or finance and accountancy. There are a vast number of graduate training and management schemes available to graduates from any degree course including those offered by the Civil Service and by major retailers.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

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SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES AT LJMU

Get support on your doorstep in our campus

Careers Zones

WHETHER YOU WANT TO EXPLORE YOUR CAREER OPTIONS, GET YOUR CV AND APPLICATION FORM CHECKED, FIND A WORK PLACEMENT,

IMPRESS AT INTERVIEW OR MEET AND NETWORK WITH EMPLOYERS, WE CAN HELP IN A VARIETY OF WAYS VIA OUR CAMPUS CAREERS ZONES.

LJMU’s Careers Team provides tailored careers support to all LJMU students during their studies through delivery of careers education, information, advice and guidance from our three campus-based Careers Zones. The Careers Zones are located in Aldham Robarts Library, Byrom Street and IM Marsh Library. Call in to find out how we can help you.

Alternatively phone us on 0151 231 2048/3719 if you can’t make it into a Careers Zone.

What support can I get in the Careers Zones?

Support from your Careers Adviser

Support from Employability Advisers

❚❚

Bookable appointments with Careers and Employability Advisers to provide you with individual, tailored support

❚❚

Drop ins (no appointment required) to speak to an adviser and access help with quick careers and employabilityrelated questions

In the School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, you have your own dedicated Careers Adviser, Hayley Fallon.

You are likely to meet Hayley at some point during your programme of study.

She is available for:

Our Employability Advisers Anja Heid, Jenny Hammond, Nicola Davenport, Gwyneth Tyrer, Sally Beyer and Karen Forman work across the university Careers Zones providing professional, personalised advice on:

❚❚

Expert job sector advice and information tailored to your needs

❚❚

❚❚

Careers guidance interviews to discuss career options with your degree, including finding jobs/ postgraduate options and gaining relevant work experience

❚❚ ❚❚

Signposting to useful resources and information

❚❚

Signposting to careers events, workshops and fairs

❚❚

Access to a range of employers who regularly visit the Zones

❚❚

Help to access our online careers tools via ‘Careers Zone 24/7’

❚❚

Help to access our job search websites including GoinGlobal

{

❚❚

Looking for jobs and the application process Tailoring your CV & covering letters Writing applications and personal statements for work experience, jobs, postgraduate study and PhDs Preparing for interviews

INTERVIEW PRACTICE SESSIONS We offer individual interview practice sessions to help build your confidence by experiencing a one-to-one ‘mock’ interview with a trained assessor who will give you detailed feedback and advice. Whether you want to practise your interview technique or are preparing for a real life interview, you can book in to use this service.

A student says ...

{

“

❚❚

I booked an appointment at the Careers Zone to speak to an Employability Adviser. She recommended several improvements to my CV and new opportunities I should consider including going to local networking events. I met my future manager at the very first event I went to. The Employability Adviser has kept in touch for a long time after the appointment to help me with my LinkedIn account and my formal interview with the manager later. Overall, the recommendations from staff from the Careers Zones were close to real businesses’ expectations, which was extremely helpful.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES AT LJMU

27

Connect with

employers

THERE ARE NUMEROUS WAYS YOU CAN CONNECT WITH

EMPLOYERS WHILE YOU STUDY, ALLOWING YOU TO NETWORK, DISCUSS OPPORTUNITIES, GET THEIR ADVICE AND FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEIR CAREER JOURNEY.

01.

EMPLOYER VISITS TO CAREERS ZONES

02.

RECRUITMENT FAIRS & FESTIVALS

03.

SPECIALIST WORKSHOPS

Employers regularly visit the three Careers Zones at LJMU to discuss their opportunities and to meet and network with students. See below for more information about who has visited the Zones.

LJMU run a range of large-scale careers fairs, where you can meet and talk with employers about career options, and recruitment fairs, which feature graduate employers and recruitment agencies with jobs to recruit. Go to careers.ljmu.ac.uk to see what is coming up. Other large-scale fairs run around the country so check local listings at https://www.prospects.ac.uk/events

Each year we run a series of specialist workshops for students that fall outside of the regular yearround careers and employability workshops. In the last academic year for instance we ran workshops about graduate schemes, gaining work experience, and applying to graduate courses in dentistry and medicine.

04.

GUEST SPEAKERS

05.

EMPLOYER PRESENTATIONS

Guest speakers are usually featured as part of the curriculum but we also arrange for speakers to come into LJMU to talk about their job role and industry. Sometimes this will be part of an industry event, such as the ‘A Career in Clinical Psychology ’ event we arranged last year.

Employers visit the university to highlight job and placement opportunities for students and graduates. Often these will be bigger employers who are advertising graduate schemes or industrial placements. Last year Aldi, the British Council and Teach First all spoke at LJMU.

Employers in the Careers Zones ...

Employers visit the Careers Zones each week offering real jobs, internships and other career opportunities.

Check with staff in the Careers Zone to find out who’s coming in and don’t miss these great opportunities to meet and network with employers from a range of sectors.

Organisations who have visited the Zones include:

❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚

Liverpool Universities Officer Training Corps Civil Service Fast Stream Careers in Teaching Hire STEM Women CRISIS Smaller Earth Brook Barclays Digital Eagles Enterprise Rent-a-Car NCS Challenge

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚

All Wales Public Service Graduate Programme Camp Counsellors USA Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service Liverpool FC Foundation The Right Legal Group VMM International Catch 22 Chatteris Education Foundation Shropshire Wildlife Trust Hays Construction

❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚

Everton in the Community Decathlon Reed Digital Service Cover Hays Recruitment Anthony Nolan/Marrow QVC Reed Scientific Camp America HMRC

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

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SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES AT LJMU

Careers website THE CAREERS WEBSITE IS THE FIRST PORT OF CALL TO FIND OUT ABOUT CAREERS SERVICES, TO ACCESS ONLINE CAREERS TOOLS AND TO DOWNLOAD ANY OF OUR GUIDES AND RESOURCES

01.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDES

02.

CAREER INSIGHTS

Each year, working alongside academic colleagues, the Careers Team produces school-specific Career Planning Guides, which give information about career options related to your degree as well as a range of articles about careers topics including CVs, applications forms, interviews, finding graduate level jobs and more.

These handy guides provide a more in-depth overview of career options with your degree and signpost you to useful links to get your research into future careers and employers under way.

03.

MINI GUIDES

04.

CAREERS ZONE 24/7

05.

BOOK A WEBINAR

06.

SEARCH FOR JOB OPPORTUNITIES

The Careers Team have distilled their wisdom on career planning, CVs, applications and interviews into a series of short guides. Also use our mini guides for further information on postgraduate study, including teacher training, and subject-specific advice, e.g. for Science, Arts and Nursing students.

We have a range of digital careers tools available to enable you to work on vitally important employability skills at your own pace, in your own time, either on or off campus. The 24/7 tools suite includes CV Builder, Interview Simulator, Careers Newsroom, CV and Interview Learning Zone, Job Search websites, GoinGlobal and more.

A webinar is an online class which you can attend from anywhere on any device with an internet or WiFi connection. Sessions include Finding Hidden Jobs, Effective Applications, Introduction to LinkedIn - the ‘Facebook’ for Professionals, Winning CVs, Interview Success and more. To book go to: https://careers.ljmu.ac.uk

Search for part-time jobs, volunteering opportunities, work placements, internships or graduate roles.

Our job search websites are free to all students and graduates and list opportunities with both regional, national and international employers. Go to Careers Zone 24/7 on the Careers website to access the sites.

To visit the Careers website go to:

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES AT LJMU

29

Careers Zone 24/7

online careers tools

WE HAVE A RANGE OF DIGITAL CAREERS TOOLS AVAILABLE VIA THE CAREERS TEAM WEBSITE TO ENABLE YOU TO WORK ON VITALLY IMPORTANT EMPLOYABILITY AND TRANSITION SKILLS AT YOUR OWN PACE, IN YOUR OWN TIME, BOTH ON OR OFF CAMPUS

01.

CV AND COVER LETTER BUILDER

02.

INTERVIEW SIMULATOR

CV builder and cover letter builder allow you to create an expert CV and covering letter within minutes and download into multiple templates.

Watch videos of employers discussing what they need to see in each section of your CV and covering letter. This tool is ideal for students looking to write their first CV or cover letter.

The interview simulator allows you to take a mock interview and test yourself with interactive questions and best practice answers from experienced professionals to build up your confidence and competence.

03.

CAREERS NEWSROOM

04.

CAREER ASSESSMENTS

05.

PRACTICE PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS

Features thousands of articles on careers and employability from leading global publications, updated every week with a newsletter function built in.

Each assessment provides a report for each student with tailored recommendations. Assessments include: personality insights, temperament, strengths, learning styles, sound decision-making, assertiveness, customer focus, emotional control, management skills, stress management and more.

Practice aptitude tests including numerical, verbal, inductive, diagrammatic, logical, situational judgement, critical thinking, error checking and e-tray exercises and a wealth of other assessment tools used by graduate employers via Careers Zone 24/7. See p.54 for further details.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

06.

GOINGLOBAL DATABASE

07.

INDEED JOB SEARCH

The database allows you to search for jobs and internships around the world. It contains country career guides, information on visas and local culture, employer directories and much more.

Access GoinGlobal via Careers Zone 24/7 or visit: http://online.goinglobal.com/default.aspx

Allows you to search millions of jobs, in over 50 countries, from thousands of job sites, newspapers, recruiters and company career sites.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

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SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES AT LJMU

CareerSmart:

Explore, Experience and Engage FIND OUT MORE ABOUT LJMU’S CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND EMPLOYABILITY PROGRAMME AND HOW IT CAN HELP YOU WHILST STUDYING AT LJMU

All students in their first year of study will have an opportunity to engage with the first stage of the ‘CareerSmart’ programme as an integral part of a core module of study.

The ‘CareerSmart: Explore’ e-learning tool will introduce you to the steps involved in making informed choices about your career. It enables you to consider your strengths and development areas, career motivators, the options available to you and the necessary steps to take to achieve your career goals.

You will then have the opportunity to complete the next stage of the programme, ‘CareerSmart: Experience’. Here, you will learn about the value of work-related learning by finding out about the range of opportunities available, eg Work-Based Learning, part-time work, internships, volunteering, work shadowing and international opportunities. You will also learn about the benefits of these experiences including skill development, networking and sector insight. This stage also includes resources on how to find work experience and making the most of the opportunity.

The third stage of the programme, ‘CareerSmart: Engage’ is employer-informed and you will find out what graduate recruiters are looking for in successful candidates. The resource will support you through each stage of the graduate recruitment process, including the job search, application process, and selection methods – interviews, psychometric tests, assessment centres.

The CareerSmart programme complements the wide range of career-related provision and services available to LJMU students to support your development throughout your studies, including the one-to-one careers information, advice and guidance delivered in the campus Careers Zones.

CareerSmart: Explore e-learning assessment For students starting a programme of study in 2018, the CareerSmart: Explore e-learning resource will be completed as an assessment of one of your first-year modules. The resource will take you through steps to help you to set some goals for your first year, which can help you on your career development journey. The steps include an exploration of the following areas:

❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚

Where am I now?

Reflecting on your current skills, interests and experience Where do I want to be?

Discovering your career options with your degree How do I get there?

Understanding the steps to take to achieve your career plans

A Careers Adviser says ...

“

Competition for professional jobs is tough but LJMU are confident that our enhanced career development and employability programme will enable you to compete against the best candidates and win.

There are many options open to you after you finish university. However, whilst it is great to know that there are so many options open to you, at the same time it can feel confusing and overwhelming to have so many choices.

The first thing to remember is that uncertainty about your future career plan is normal and that many students feel this way! Although it may appear as if everyone around you has ‘a plan’ and that your fellow students all know what job they want to do in the future, this may not necessarily be the case.

It is important not to panic if you are undecided about which career path you want to take. Nevertheless, it is vital to address this uncertainty and to develop a plan of the steps which you need to take to move yourself forward.

Remember that the process of career planning can take time as you need to do some reflection about your own suitability in relation to career choice, and you also need time to thoroughly research your options. Therefore try and start the process of thinking about future careers as early as you can, ideally from your first year of university.

Student feedback about CareerSmart: ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙

❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

“Gave me a great starting block for planning my future career.”

“It helped me feel more confident about my future and what I need to do to get there.”

“It got me actively thinking about my future in advance. I think it is very important to think ahead before you graduate to give yourself time to be certain of what career you want to pursue, so you can start applying for placements and internships to enhance your chances of being successful.

And I think that the assignment really helped me with that.”

“It helped me realise how many roles are available and how much our university can help.”

“I found it really helpful and it gave me some ideas of how to make the most of my university experience.”

“I feel I am now able to start doing the right things, like getting involved more, to help me become more prepared for a job at the end of my course.”

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

Be the one who inspires SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES AT LJMU

31

#GetintoTeaching

USE YOUR DEGREE TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON STEM EDUCATION

The national shortage of STEM teachers means graduates with a degree in a science, maths or technology-related area are in great demand.

We welcome applicants from a variety of different degree backgrounds, not just those who hold a degree in the specific subject areas.

There are sector scholarships and generous government bursaries of up to £32,000* to help you start your career in teaching, plus great opportunities for career progression.

You’ll also be inspiring young minds and helping to shape the future of STEM education.

If you have the potential and passion to teach, call the Faculty Admissions Team for an informal chat. The team can answer your questions and will guide you through the options available, including information about Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses and subject-specific A Level requirements.

For a fulfilling career helping young people to achieve their dreams *subject and qualification dependent. For the latest bursary information, visit getintoteaching.education.gov.uk

START YOUR TEACHING JOURNEY TODAY www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

CALL: 0151 231 5340 VISIT: www.ljmu.ac.uk/education

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

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SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES AT LJMU

How to make the most of your

university time

THE MAJORITY OF STUDENTS GO TO UNIVERSITY TO ULTIMATELY SECURE A JOB WITH GREAT PROSPECTS. EMPLOYABILITY ADVISER NICOLA DAVENPORT LOOKS AT SOME IDEAS TO IMPROVE YOUR EMPLOYABILITY IN EACH YEAR OF STUDY.

{

So you’ve got your place at university, you’re fulfilling all of your course commitments and enjoying yourself, but are you really making the most of your time?

In addition to your academic qualifications, employers look for people who can show motivation, enthusiasm, proactivity and commitment. You can demonstrate all of these things through your extracurricular activities and employment.

Work experience is key and you can find this in many forms: placements, part-time work, work shadowing, volunteering and internships. Before you look for experience, evaluate your existing skill set and analyse the labour market to find out what you may need in the future - can you find a role that will help you develop these skills now? There are a number of ways the Careers Team can help you improve your employability, so come along and see us.

DID YOU KNOW? Nearly a fifth of LJMU graduates of the class of 2017 did some voluntary work whilst at university, and over 70% of graduates had a paid, parttime job alongside their studies. In addition to looking great on your CV, research suggests that getting involved in voluntary work can also boost your self-esteem and improve your mental health.

{

What can I do?

In addition to gaining relevant work experience, there are many other ways that you can show motivation and enthusiasm whilst also developing skills. You could: ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚

Chair or set up a society, or become a course representative Writing, presenting or other work with a student newspaper or radio station Put on an event – music, charity…

Volunteer or fundraise with a charity Complete a sponsored activity/ challenge, such as a run, climbing a mountain Learn a language Do you have a business idea?

Get in touch with the Centre for Entrepreneurship!

Learn a new skill – cooking, music, sport Enter competitions – writing, business, finance, student, enterprise….

Take up mentoring opportunities

As well as being a great way to get to know people and enjoy yourself, all of these things can help your employability and look great on your CV.

Looking for greater insight about career options related to your degree?

Download our course-specific Career Insights from:

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

YOUR CAREER JOURNEY SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES AT LJMU

33

FIRST YEAR: EXPLORE Meet

Join

your Careers Team at a Careers Zone or visit the Careers website www2.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

clubs or societies or become a course representative via the Students’ Union

Explore

LJMU and all its opportunities and support and research voluntary opportunities

Plan

start to think about your career ideas and begin planning

START UNIVERSITY

Go global

take a look at the opportunities abroad via LJMU or an external provider

SECOND YEAR: EXPERIENCE Research

your chosen career path/ options

Experience

Get involved

get relevant paid work, volunteer or work shadow

Get advice

seek out opportunities to enhance your university experience

from your Careers Team (advice and guidance, CVs, interview help)

Find

get relevant experience via a placement or internship

FINAL YEAR: ENGAGE Utilise

your Careers Team and their expert knowledge to look for and get your dream job

Reflect

on your experiences and how you can evidence these to employers

Engage

with your career sector and/ or organisation

Apply

for graduate schemes and graduate level jobs or consider further study

Graduate Outcomes is a national survey which gathers information about the activities and viewpoints of graduates 15 months after they’ve finished their studies. For graduating students GRADUATION your response to this survey is very important as it will provide future students with insight into their potential career destinations, enable LJMU’s Careers Team to offer tailored careers advice which you can continue to access for life as a LJMU graduate, provide higher education institutions, policy makers, researchers and others with data to understand current trends within the graduate jobs market and contribute to the University’s positioning in league tables. Anyone who graduates after 1 August 2017 will be asked to complete the Graduate Outcomes survey. The Graduate Outcomes survey is a statutory process for all higher education providers and is coordinated by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). The operations and data collection element of the Graduate Outcomes survey will be undertaken by a third-party survey contractor who will work in collaboration with HESA, Funding Bodies and UK Higher Education Providers. To help LJMU, all you need to do before you leave University is ensure you keep your contact details up to date via LJMU Connect (https://ljmuconnect.com) and complete the survey when you are contacted approximately 15 months after completing your course. www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

34

SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES AT LJMU

Move up to Masters

The benefits of postgraduate study As you plan your next step after graduation, don’t forget that a Masters could give you the opportunity to assess your aspirations, enhance your career prospects, enjoy further study in your chosen subject or allow you to change direction. Postgraduate study at LJMU is an increasingly popular choice and one that can make you stand out from the crowd in the jobs market.

Fit your studies around your life

Many of our taught masters programmes are only a year long and, if you want to work whilst you study, some are available on a parttime basis. We even offer distance learning and evening taught programmes. In essence, there’s something for everyone in our choice of over 140 courses.

deliver the knowledge, skills and experience you need to achieve your professional ambitions.

What a Masters says about you

Can I afford it?

Our programmes are delivered by academics actively involved in innovative research or consultancy. It is this combination of academic expertise and ‘real world’ experience that ensures our offerings are up-to-date, accredited by key professional bodies and

On top of the recently introduced postgraduate loans, there are Professional Career Development loans, employer sponsorships and bursaries available for higher-level study. And what’s best of all, as a continuing LJMU student, you may be eligible for a massive 20% off your postgraduate tuition fees or a scholarship for international students (see terms and conditions at ljmu.ac.uk).

What next?

“

Postgraduate study itself demonstrates your ability to learn independently, to apply yourself to real research and to venture into unchartered waters. It also opens new doors, giving you the opportunity to study in areas you may not have considered and explore different career paths.

To find out more about postgraduate options at LJMU, take a look at our web pages: ljmu.ac.uk/postgraduate

My postgraduate experience ...

WITH A FIRST DEGREE IN WILDLIFE CONSERVATION, MOLLY FROST DECIDED TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP AND STUDY FOR HER MASTERS IN WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND UAV TECHNOLOGY. “My first degree made me realise that I wanted to be a researcher and lecturer so postgraduate study was a natural progression. The great thing about being a postgraduate student is that your tutors see you as someone qualified in your field and that really helps with your confidence. Yes, it can be challenging at times but as your lecturers believe in you, you find a way through.

“There have been many highlights on my programme such as flying a drone and learning about the applications of technology in conservation. What really stood out for me, however, was our field trip to Tanzania. I chose to undertake a drone study whilst I was there and was able to apply my learning in a real life situation.

I saw wild chimpanzees, baboons and red-tailed monkeys. It is something I will never forget.

“The lecturers on my programme are excellent – I really can’t fault them. If they see you are a good student and work hard, they will do everything in their power to help. They want you to succeed and they want the University to succeed and you can’t buy that kind of support. It is important to be confident in what you do and to speak out if things aren’t working for you. Education is a lifelong adventure and you need to take from it whatever you can.”

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES AT LJMU

35

Professional and personal development

opportunities abroad

EMPLOYERS ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING EXTRA ON YOUR CV. CONSIDER ADDING SOME INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE TO YOURS BY COMPLETING A TRIP ABROAD Pursuing a degree at university can be a daunting experience, especially if you choose to live away from home. However, once you have taken that initial leap, you may find that the path to further experiences becomes a lot clearer as your confidence grows.

Whether you wish to study, intern or volunteer abroad, you may be surprised at the range of opportunities available to you via multiple funding routes. The best news is, you don’t have to limit yourself to just one either.

{

01.

GET IN TOUCH

Study Abroad

LJMU have a number of Erasmus+ partners in Europe and partner universities in the USA where you can study abroad for one semester during your second year of study or for a whole year, in between your second and third year at LJMU. LJMU students are entitled to Erasmus+ grants or the LJMU travel bursary if studying in the US, helping you to afford your placement. Talk to the International Mobility Coordinator in your School about potential placements to suit your course needs and follow @LJMUGlobalOpps on Twitter and Instagram for more information when applications are open.

03.

Go Global

LJMU offer students the chance to bid for up to £1,500 (£750 for postgraduate students)* to help fund the adventure of a lifetime.

You can find an experience anywhere in the world that will help you develop both personally and professionally, and LJMU will help you to achieve it.

This could involve working with animal conservation teams in Africa, building houses in developing communities, being a camp counsellor, taking part in sports development programmes or anything else you set your mind to. For further information, visit www.ljmu.ac.uk/ students/go-abroad/ where you can find out more details on the many opportunities available, including the organisations LJMU work with to offer these opportunities to students, such as Smaller Earth ljmu.smallerearth.com. *Funding limit is subject to change

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For more information about international opportunities: Email: goabroadteam@ljmu.ac.uk Follow: @LJMUGlobalOpps Visit: ljmu.ac.uk/students/go-abroad

Erasmus+ Traineeship (work placement)

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Putting your knowledge to good use in a work environment is great for your CV, but working abroad will certainly make your CV stand out from the crowd. With Erasmus+ traineeships, you can work in Europe for two to 12 months and get funding with the Erasmus+ grant to help you with your expenses. You can complete your traineeship at almost any organisation in Europe, whether that be one of the organisations LJMU has an existing relationship with, or whether it be a traineeship you have sourced yourself. Talk to your tutor to find out what options they can recommend to you.

CRCC Asia Internship

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LJMU have partnered up with CRCC Asia to offer Liverpool John Moores students the opportunity to complete a two-month summer internship in Asia in sectors including business, IT, law, media, tourism, marketing, not-for-profit and green technology. Students have previously worked in Shanghai, Tokyo and Ho Chi Minh City, with more international opportunities available each year.

The programme is funded, including flights, accommodation, visas and insurance, and students have the chance to immerse themselves in a new culture, learn a new language and expand their global network. Look out for more information by following @LJMUGlobalOpps on Twitter and Instagram.

International Summer Schools

Each summer, LJMU students have the opportunity to attend one of several LJMU International Summer Schools. In 2018, students visited Shanghai, Changshu and Jiaxing in China, Lima, Sharjah and Zaragoza, where they completed one-to-two week programmes at our partner universities, as well as exploring new cultures, learning new languages and making new friends. These opportunities are funded by LJMU, including flights, accommodation, visas and insurance, and the university plans to expand the opportunities even further across the globe.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

36

SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES AT LJMU

work experience with your Students’ Union

Get great

DID YOU KNOW THAT BY GETTING INVOLVED WITH JMSU YOU COULD HUGELY INCREASE YOUR SKILLS AND

EMPLOYABILITY, ENHANCE YOUR CV AND IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF FINDING A JOB ONCE YOU LEAVE UNIVERSITY? Iya! We’re JMSU. Like the name says - we are here for LJMU students. Every single one of you. We represent you, we support you, and we make sure you have an absolutely boss time at Uni. We offer loads of opportunities for you to gain valuable (and fun) work experience whilst you’re studying at LJMU.

❙❙ We offer full-time, year round, paid jobs … in our four Student Officer positions. ❙❙ You can volunteer with us ... As the Captain, President or Committee Member of a sports club or society, or as a Course or Faculty Rep.

❙❙ Or join our student staff team in flexible, paid positions ... We have a variety of roles, from promoting our events and campaigns across campus, to working in our Creative Content team, to working with our Reception Team.

Hear from students who have worked and volunteered with us: Karl Kinson, UG Computer Science ... volunteers as a Course Rep.

I have been a key person that connects students in class to the staff that run the course. I do this by collecting feedback from students and then presenting this to the appropriate people in either the Faculty or the SU. It’s the best feeling ever knowing that you aren’t just attending university but you are helping improve the experience here, no matter how small that change is.

This role gives you so much confidence and I cannot wait to continue next year.

Daisy Clack, MA Human Resource Management ... has worked as student staff, currently works as a Student Staff Supervisor and has completed work experience with the HR department.

I have worked as a member of student staff for over 3 years, which has majorly developed my confidence and communication skills. Becoming a Supervisor of the student staff team has given me an amazing skillset which I can reference in job applications when planning for my future career. I have been able to do this role while studying full time.

I have also completed work experience with the HR manager, which has given me so much valuable knowledge in my specific area of interest, meaning I can now transfer theory from my Master’s Degree in to the workplace.

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU You can find us across campus, so it doesn’t matter where you study, we’re always close by. Our main base is at the John Foster Building on Mount Pleasant, where our reception, Advice Centre and offices are, but we’re also in the social spaces at Byrom Street, Tithebarn Street, Redmonds Building and IM Marsh.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

Jess Beresford, Sport Coaching student ...

Worked as a Welcome Rep, Outreach staff, volunteered as a Course Rep, President of Women’s Rugby Union and founder and President of Sport Coaching Society.

After being a member of Women’s Rugby Union for two years I was voted President in my final year, which has given me experience in management, organisation and funding; all of which are important in the sporting industry. I decided to challenge myself more and set up my own society (Sports Coaching society).

This valuable experience allowed me to network with a range of people and be recognised for my achievements. It put me in a perfect position for post-graduation.

The community-based roles at the Students’ Union increased my confidence by engaging with people from a range of backgrounds. This helped to enhance my employability and interpersonal skills whilst working in an enjoyable environment.

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CONNECT WITH US You can email us at: studentsunion@ljmu.ac.uk Phone: 0151 231 4900

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www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

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SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES AT LJMU

Placement Learning Support Unit BIOSCIENCES STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO A PLACEMENT LEARNING SUPPORT UNIT. HERE IS WHAT THEY DO AND HOW THEY CAN ASSIST YOU.

We recognise that sometimes it can be difficult being a student, and you won’t feel satisfied or successful. Coaching is a way of helping you to improve, develop, learn new skills, find personal success, achieve aims and to manage life change and personal challenges. We know sometimes you just need someone on your side to ask the right questions. Coaching in this respect is a learning relationship which will benefit you particularly if you don’t feel you are managing your development.

How it works in practice You can make an appointment and discuss different aspects of your personal development, such as:

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What students say ...

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Graduate skills e.g. managing your time, working in groups.

Experiences, e.g. finding a placement, writing a CV or cover letter for a placement.

Professional identity e.g. fitness to practice.

Degree subject e.g. understanding how you learn best.

Emotional intelligence e.g. motivation, managing stress.

These areas are crucial to you managing as a student. We want to equip you with the tools that will help you get where you want to be in life.

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CONTACT DETAILS:

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The team is managed by Jamie Fearn (Placement Support Unit Manager), along with Work Based Learning Officers and administrative support. We are located in room 904 James Parsons, Byrom Street. You can email us on scienceplsu@ljmu.ac.uk, call 0151 231 2079 or visit www2.ljmu.ac.uk/scs and click on Placement Learning Support Unit.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

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In the Faculty of Science we feel the purpose of your time here is for you to be equipped with a set of skills, knowledge, understanding and personal attributes that make you more likely to make choices and behave in ways which mean you can be satisfied and successful both now and in future.

When asked what they most enjoyed about their appointment students across the Faculty have said…

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The team “made it very clear what was required to give in our feedback and the benefits of engaging in the process. It has really helped me to learn to break down my work and highlight my skills developed.”

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“That it was a very informal meeting, where I could ask all the questions that I had…”

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“Very helpful and useful.”

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“It was really beneficial and the members of staff in the office are so helpful and very friendly. Lovely atmosphere!”

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“It was greatly beneficial to me as I was given very helpful advice in how to pursue potential placement providers and was followed up with an interview detailing all that was discussed.”

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

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TACTICS AND CHOICES

Planning your career

NOT SURE WHERE TO START WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR NEXT MOVE? DON’T WORRY, MOST PEOPLE FEEL THAT WAY, BUT WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU TO NAVIGATE YOUR WAY THROUGH YOUR OPTIONS.

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Questions to ask yourself when exploring your career options

1. Do you have any ideas at all about careers which interest you, however vague these are?

If so, make a note of these ideas and explore them further.

2. Do you wish to use the knowledge you have gained or will gain from your degree in your future career? If so, are there certain modules of your degree which you have enjoyed more than others? Try to explore job areas which could relate to these subjects.

3. Have you completed any work experience at all (even if this is unrelated to your degree subject)? Think about what you liked about this work experience and about skills which you enjoyed using.

4. Are there any jobs you have done which you didn’t enjoy? If so, why was this?

6. Think about the feedback you have received from others (for example from tutors or from friends or family) about skills you excel in. Are there particular skills which you are naturally strong in?

7. Do you have any interests outside of university which are unrelated to your studies? For example, do you have any creative interests or do you do any voluntary work? It may be worth exploring career options which relate to these interests.

8. Are you willing to undertake further study if this is required by the type of career you want to go into?

9. What kind of environment would you like to work in? For example, do you see yourself working in an office, in a laboratory or outdoors?

10. Are there any other special circumstances which may affect the type of job you can go into? For example, are you only able to work certain hours or in a certain location?

Help and support available to you..

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BOOK AN APPOINTMENT WITH A CAREERS ADVISER If you are unsure about your career options, you are advised to book an appointment with a Careers Adviser to give your search a focus. An employer can easily spot applications from students just looking for any job, as your heart won’t be in it. To book an appointment, call into a Careers Zone or alternatively phone us on 0151 231 3719/2048.

CAREERS INSIGHTS AND MINI GUIDES Check out our Careers Mini Guides available via the Careers website. Titles include Career Planning for Mature Students, Planning your Career and Graduate Schemes to help you decide which direction to take.

The Career Insight for your programme highlights options available to you with your degree.

MEET EMPLOYERS & ATTEND A CAREERS EVENT/FAIR We arrange careers fairs, employer presentations, guest speakers, specialist workshops and regular employer visits to the Careers Zones where you can also meet and network with employers and find out about career opportunities and discuss career routes.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

“

{ { DID YOU KNOW?

Data from our Career Readiness Survey for 2017/18 showed that only 30% of final-year students had a specific career in mind at the beginning of the academic year. Starting to plan your career right from the start of your degree ensures that you can make applications for graduate jobs or postgraduate courses in your final year and get your career under way.

5. Were there any career ideas you had when you were at school or college? If so, is it worth revisiting or reviewing these ideas?

A Careers Adviser says ...

There are many options open to you after you finish your degree but at the same time it can feel confusing and overwhelming to have so many choices. Any uncertainty about your future career plan is normal and many students feel this way! However, it is important to address this uncertainty and to at least develop a plan of the steps you need to take to move yourself forward.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

TACTICS AND CHOICES

39

Thinking about

postgraduate study?

ARE YOU CONSIDERING

POSTGRADUATE STUDY AS A NEXT STEP? CAREERS ADVISER STEVE BURBAGE LOOKS AT THE REASONS FOR AND AGAINST FURTHER STUDY.

A postgraduate qualification may ‘help you to stand out from the crowd’ but make sure you do your research first as, although it may enhance your career prospects in some cases, in other cases relevant work experience will be more valuable. Many students also opt to undertake postgraduate study to further develop subject knowledge or to convert to a new career area such as law, medicine, education or IT. If you are unsure about what to do next and feel that studying a postgraduate course will give you more time to help you decide, think about whether this is the best strategy. Postgraduate study is time-consuming and can be very costly so you should be reasonably clear about your career goals/aims before starting a course. You can always meet with a Careers Adviser to discuss postgraduate options in more detail by calling into your nearest Careers Zone to make an appointment.

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DISCUSS POSTGRADUATE OPTIONS WITH A CAREERS ADVISER

New postgraduate loans are available for students on Masters courses at universities across the UK. Students under 60 who ordinarily live in England can apply for a loan of up to £10,609; visit https://www.gov.uk/fundingfor-postgraduate-study for more details. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are running their own schemes.

For further information on eligibility and available funding, check https:// www.findamasters.com/funding/ guides/masters-loans.aspx. A separate loan system for PhD study will also be available from 2018/19. Additional postgraduate funding options include Professional Career Development Loans, employer sponsorship, bursaries/ scholarships or charitable trusts and foundations. Check https://www. prospects.ac.uk/postgraduate-study/ funding-postgraduate-study for further details.

It’s easy to get bewildered by the wide range of postgraduate courses on offer.

Discussing your career objectives and postgraduate study ideas with a Careers Adviser can help to focus your search for the course that’s right for you. Call into a Careers Zone or phone us on 0151 231 2048/3719 to book an appointment.

How and when to apply

DID YOU KNOW? The UK has one of the largest and most diversified postgraduate sectors in the world with almost 21,000 postgraduate course/research options on offer, which can make choosing the right course quite challenging.

Therefore it is important that you research each course you are interested in and consider if it would help you achieve your career ambitions.

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Funding

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GET HELP WITH YOUR POSTGRADUATE APPLICATION FORM Our Employability Advisers provide tailored feedback and advice on personal statements for postgraduate applications to help you effectively demonstrate your motivation and suitability for your chosen course to admissions tutors. To book an appointment, drop into a Careers Zone or call 0151 231 2048/3719.

DOWNLOAD OUR CAREER MINI GUIDE For further information about different course and funding options, head to our Careers website www. ljmu.ac.uk/careers/ and download our handy guides on postgraduate study, applications and PhDs.

20% DISCOUNT OFF POSTGRADUATE STUDY

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

LJMU graduates undertaking postgraduate study at LJMU are entitled to a 20% discount - see terms and conditions at ljmu.ac.uk

The majority of applications are made directly to the institutions concerned; however, some vocational courses such as teaching, law and social work require applications to be made via a central admissions service, which will restrict the amount of courses you can apply to and will usually stipulate a particular closing date. Not all courses have a closing date; however, it is still highly recommended that you do your research well in advance as some courses fill up very quickly and may have particular entry requirements i.e. relevant work experience. Applications (or enquiries) regarding PhDs/ Masters by research should ideally be made around Christmas time; the earlier your application, the more likely it is to attract funding.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

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TACTICS AND CHOICES

Finding

graduate level jobs YOUR DEGREE WILL OPEN UP A HUGE RANGE OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU. KNOWING YOUR OPTIONS IN THE GRADUATE LABOUR MARKET IS THE FIRST STEP TO YOUR DREAM JOB.

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Graduate opportunities exist across all sectors and with employers of all sizes, but there are significant differences in the recruitment process and focus of the roles. Much depends on the size of the company. For example, most large private sector companies and multinationals recruit and train a number of graduates via a graduate scheme every year, whereas many public sector employers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) advertise graduate roles on a more ad-hoc basis. Most graduate schemes involve training in different business areas or working on a range of projects, and around half of all the schemes with large companies are open to graduates from any degree subject. The application process for these programmes can be lengthy, with closing dates as early as Christmas in your final year, followed by online tests, telephone/video interviews and assessment centres. Many companies of all sizes also use recruitment agencies to fill temporary vacancies. These can be a great way to enhance your CV and may lead to additional opportunities within the same company.

DID YOU KNOW? We advertise thousands of vacancies each year via the job search facility on our Careers Zone 24/7 platform; this includes graduate jobs, placements/internships, voluntary roles as well as part-time work. You can also search for overseas jobs and internships on our GoinGlobal database, which is also available via the platform. Go to the Careers website and follow the links for Careers Zone 24/7 - www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

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Help and support available to you..

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ONE TO ONE SUPPORT IN THE CAREERS ZONE If you are unsure of your options after you graduate, you can speak to a Careers Adviser to discuss which sectors and opportunities may best suit you, and our Employability Advisers can help you ace your applications for a range of graduate positions. To book an appointment, call into a Careers Zone or phone us on 0151 231 2048/3719.

WORKSHOPS/WEBINARS

Throughout the academic year, we run a number of events to help you understand your job options in the graduate labour market, from our workshops and webinars on graduate schemes and the hidden job market to a range of employer talks and fairs. Keep an eye on our events website https://careers.ljmu.ac.uk and get networking!

CAREER MINI GUIDE Head to our Careers website www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers/ and download our guides on graduate schemes and the hidden job market for further information.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

The hidden job market Organisations are under no legal obligation to advertise their jobs externally, so you will only be able to search a fraction of the job market online. What you don’t see are hundreds of roles offered and accepted through other means and never advertised to the general public. This is often referred to as the ‘hidden job market’.

Networking is the key to opening the door to the hidden job market, and it is easier than you think:

Get out there!

Each year the Careers Team invites employers of all sizes and sectors onto campus for a range of events, talks, fairs and careers presentations. This gives you the chance to network with employers to talk about potential opportunities and learn more about the sectors that interest you.

Get online

Use social media to follow organisations and interact with individuals who may be able to offer you advice, support and even job opportunities in the future. You may also learn about sector-specific networking events you could attend to meet future employers.

Get LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the leading professional network and your profile acts as a CV. You can connect with individuals and organisations to increase your network, gain insight into your industry and also search for jobs - https://university. linkedin.com/linkedin-for-students

You have to speculate to accumulate

You can also contact prospective employers through a speculative application, i.e. sending a CV and covering letter to organisations of interest to you when they do not currently advertise suitable vacancies. If your application impresses them, they may contact you to discuss possible upcoming positions.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

TACTICS AND CHOICES

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Thinking of starting

your own business?

LJMU’S CENTRE FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP CAN HELP STUDENTS WHO WANT TO DEVELOP A NEW BUSINESS IDEA, WORK AS A FREELANCER, LAUNCH A PRODUCT OR SERVICE OR GROW AN EXISTING BUSINESS. The Centre for Entrepreneurship will help you to build your business concept alongside your studies, connect with the local business community and develop your enterprise skills. We offer:

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Try It Out Awards – a £250 quick response fund to test your idea

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Idealab – a summer school to develop technology-driven business ideas

Start-up fund – up to £2000 to start your new venture

Year Out - £3000 to support a venture started as part of a sandwich year placement

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CONTACT US @LJMU_Enterprise

www2.ljmu.ac.uk/startup/

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Graduate Case Study ANGELA CLUCAS GRADUATED IN 2016 WITH AN MSC IN SPORTS NUTRITION AND NOW RUNS HER OWN BUSINESS CALLED NEXT LEVEL NUTRITION Please tell us more about the business, which you have set up, and your job role within this?

I am the owner and performance nutritionist at Next Level Nutrition (www.nextleveliom. com). The company has been running for two years now, as it was set up immediately after my MSc in Sports Nutrition at LJMU. I work with a variety of clients from elite athletes to ‘weekend warriors’ (i.e. those who only exercise at weekends). I also work with busy parents, and everyone in between. The MSc at LJMU really gave me the confidence in my own ability to go and start a business and take what I had learnt in the classroom out into the real world.

A big contributor to this was the placement I did and the opportunity to work in elite sport whilst still studying was invaluable.

What do you enjoy about your work? ❙❙ I enjoy helping my clients; seeing them

reach their personal bests, or just having more energy and zest for life. ❙❙ I like being my own boss. Travel is a big part of my life and being able to work from anywhere and not having limited holidays mean I can take Next Level wherever I go. It is the perfect balance for me. ❙❙ I like meeting new people. Being a business owner has led to some interesting opportunities such as being asked to talk at corporate events on both nutrition and setting up a business. I love having the opportunity to try to inspire others to make a change.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

What help and support did you access from the Centre for Entrepreneurship?

I took part in their three-day training programme after which we were invited to pitch our business idea for funding. I was awarded £1600 which allowed me to invest in vital equipment and technology needed to get set up. As a student just finishing my MSc, this was a fantastic boost and prevented me from having to take a bank loan.

Please tell us about your past work experience or employment history, prior to setting up your own business?

After finishing my undergraduate course, and before starting my MSc, I worked in various IT and finance companies where I learnt valuable customer service, administration and marketing skills. These skills have proved invaluable now I am working for myself, as I know both how to and how not to run a business!

Do you have any advice for students who may be considering the possibility of setting up a business?

Go for it! You can always start small, set it up on the side while working and then build it up. If it doesn’t work out, you can always get a job to raise more cash and try again. Don’t be put off by the people who say ‘what if it doesn’t work?’

My response to this is; ‘but what if it does?’ Avoid getting into debt with any big

investments and take things one day at a time.

Would you do anything differently if you were a first-year student again?

If I was a first-year student again I would take every opportunity available to me. I would advise current students to volunteer for everything, to network with others, to ask questions and listen more. The connections you can make at LJMU will serve you for a lifetime if you take the time to network sincerely.

Which aspects of your degree or MSc were particularly useful and relevant to the work that you now do?

The chance to take a placement in elite sport, in my case with Huddersfield Giants Rugby League, was an invaluable learning experience.

It enhanced my understanding of what is required of a performance nutritionist in the field. The ‘real world experience’ of my lecturers was invaluable. I knew that what I was learning was being applied in the real world, not just in a lecture theatre. This gave me the confidence to know I could hit the ground running with my business, as I knew that I was prepared for what was happening today in the field of nutrition.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

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TACTICS AND CHOICES

The importance of relevant

work experience

WORK EXPERIENCE CAN OFTEN BE THE DECISIVE FACTOR IN SECURING THE JOB YOU WANT; HERE WE LOOK AT WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT AND

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THE DIFFERENT WAYS YOU CAN GET EXPERIENCE UNDER YOUR BELT.

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DID YOU KNOW? According to a 2018 survey of large employers (carried out by High Fliers Research), more than a third of the employers taking part in the research warned that graduates who have had no previous work experience are unlikely to be successful during the selection process for the top employers’ graduate programmes. This means that by having no experience you are immediately restricting the opportunities available to you.

Types of work experience

Work experience has become a general term which incorporates a wide range of opportunities and experience. The best way for employers to recruit a future graduate can be to see them in the workplace and how they perform on a daily basis. The following types of work experience can therefore be a way of securing a future graduate position at an organisation.

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Year-long placements – This type of placement is also known as an industrial or sandwich placement. They can be a compulsory part of a university course but students on other courses may also have the option to take a year out from their studies and undertake a placement. This usually takes place between the second and third year of your course.

Summer placements – Increasingly the term internship is being used to describe placements that take place over the summer holidays usually for between eight and 12 weeks. They can be well-paid and, depending on the organisation, may only be available to students who have completed at least two years of their degree course.

Work shadowing – These opportunities are usually short term and unpaid as you will not be undertaking a specific role in an organisation. The main activities include observing staff and getting an insight into a particular job role and organisation.

They can be extremely useful in building up contacts.

Part-time work – These types of positions tend to be ongoing and you may be working for one or two days per week even during term time. They may not necessarily be linked to your future career but they are still a great way to gain skills, develop your organisational awareness and build up your CV. Internships - This term is increasingly used but is just another name for a placement and can range from two weeks to a year in duration. Find out more about paid undergraduate LJMU internships on the opposite page.

A Careers Adviser says ...

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Put yourself in an employer’s position. Even if you do well at interview, if you have no work experience, and no employment references and another candidate does, they are more likely to appoint the person who has ‘proof’ of their abilities in the workplace. It is important to get hands-on experience in possible future job roles. This helps to build up your CV and provides examples to use in applications and interviews. It is also a great way to make contacts, build confidence and develop a range of skills that, even if not entirely related to your future graduate role, show that you are a motivated person who wants to develop.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

The voluntary sector Many people may not consider volunteering as it is unpaid, but it isn’t important to future employers whether your work experience is paid or unpaid. In fact, volunteering looks fantastic on your CV, as it says something about you as a person that you are prepared to work on an unpaid basis to support a community, for example, and develop personally. As with other work experience opportunities, it is a great way to improve your organisational and cultural awareness and build up contacts. There are many ways to find volunteering opportunities. You can search websites such as https://do-it.org/ for a wide variety of roles or go directly to the charity or organisation you want to support to ask about volunteering opportunities.

LJMU also runs volunteering projects in schools and colleges for students to get involved with. For other opportunities outside of a school/college environment, there is a service for students called Volunteering Liverpool. LJMU is a part of the partnership running this service along with John Moores Students’ Union, Liverpool Guild of Students, Liverpool Hope University, The City of Liverpool College, and Volunteer Centre Liverpool.

The Volunteering Liverpool website offers volunteering opportunities for all students in Liverpool across a variety of areas. Visit www.liverpoolguild.org/main-menu/ volunteer to search for opportunities in areas such as arts, health, environment, sport and many more.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

TACTICS AND CHOICES

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MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR VACATIONS A number of working holiday providers such as Camp America, Camp Leaders, Ski Canada, CCUSA and JET visit LJMU each year to promote their summer and year-long placement programmes. These programmes are a great way to travel, meet new people, experience different cultures and gain skills and experiences that will look great on your CV. Keep an eye on our events website (https:// careers.ljmu.ac.uk) for details of talks, which usually take place during the autumn term each year.

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Help and support available to you..

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LJMU VOLUNTEERING If you would like to arrange some volunteering or get more information you can email volunteer@ljmu.ac.uk, follow @volunteer_LJMU on Twitter or call the volunteering manager Chris Prescott on 0151 904 6356.

WORKSHOPS/WEBINARS AND EMPLOYER EVENTS

The Careers Team runs a number of workshops/webinars and events throughout the academic year, including employer presentations and visits to the Careers Zones, where you can find out about work experience and volunteering opportunities. Check our events website https://careers.ljmu.ac.uk regularly, and also look out for placement fairs organised by your faculty.

DOWNLOAD OUR CAREER MINI GUIDES For further advice, download our mini guides on part-time jobs and work experience from the Careers website at www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers/

LJMU CareerSmart Internship Programme

[

A fixed number of 20 day funded internships are available every summer to level 5 and 6 students. In a range of disciplines, the internships will be with a local employer, usually starting in early June.

For more information, visit:

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers/ plan-your-future/ljmu-internships

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

44

GETTING THE JOB

How to write a winning

CV and covering letter

DID YOU KNOW THAT EMPLOYERS TYPICALLY SPEND UNDER TEN SECONDS INITIALLY REVIEWING A CV? EMPLOYABILITY ADVISER JENNY HAMMOND OFFERS SOME ADVICE TO MAKE SURE YOURS MAKES THE CUT.

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Top CV tips

Different styles of CV CHRONOLOGICAL CV

Always tailor the CV for each job and organisation you apply to! If you have a person specification, make sure you address the points in this using examples and evidence.

Use key words from the job advert and the employer’s website to customise your CV to show the employer that you speak ‘their language’ and would fit in well at the company.

Structure the CV to make the most of your relevant skills and experience. If you have previously carried out a similar role or worked on a project using applicable skills, list these on the front page.

Highlight and quantify both professional and personal achievements where you can.

Make sure the CV is no longer than two sides of A4 and use a clear, concise writing style. Put your name at the top of the document (never use the title ‘CV’ as this is selfevident!).

Add a link to your LinkedIn page, blog, online portfolio and perhaps your Twitter handle if you tweet about your industry.

Consider using bold font, sub-headings and bullet points to break up information.

Always check through your CV for spelling and grammatical mistakes or get someone to check through it for you – employers often discard applications containing spelling and grammatical errors.

Help and support available to you..

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ONE TO ONE SUPPORT IN THE CAREERS ZONE

If you are unsure about the content and structure of your CV or would like some advice on tailoring your CV to a particular role or sector, our Employability Advisers can give you professional feedback. Call into a Careers Zone or phone us on 0151 231 2048/3719 to book an appointment.

WORKSHOPS/WEBINARS

Find out how to write a winning CV by attending one of our workshops or webinars. For dates of upcoming sessions, check our event website https://careers.ljmu.ac.uk

CV BUILDER & COVERING LETTER BUILDER

These tools allow you to create a CV and covering from scratch and includes tips and advice from employers on each section of your CV and covering letter. This tool is ideal for students looking to write their first CV/ covering letter.

DOWNLOAD OUR CAREER MINI GUIDE

Our handy mini guide on CVs and covering letters provides lots more advice on what to include in each section of your CV and how to write effective covering letters.

Visit our Careers website www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers/ to download your copy.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

If you have plenty of relevant work experience you should use the chronological or traditional CV format, as this style draws attention to your relevant experience, which you list on the first page. Within this section you should provide an overview of key responsibilities but more importantly you should highlight any achievements.

For example, did you take on extra responsibilities or gain a promotion?

Did you meet or exceed targets? Did you find an effective solution to a problem? Can you demonstrate how you offered excellent customer service and gained good feedback? Highlight the skills developed in these roles as well, especially those required for the post you’re applying for.

SKILLS CV

If your experience is lacking or you are changing career path, you may want to use a skills-based CV. Within the ‘skills profile’ on the first page, you should outline relevant skills required for the role. By drawing on examples from work, university and extra-curricular activities you can demonstrate that you have what the employer is looking for. You still include employment information, but can list this more briefly, perhaps on the second page.

HYBRID CV

If you have some experience but this is fairly limited, a combination of the two styles may work best to enable you to highlight experience and skills in separate sections.

{ { MATURE STUDENTS

If you are a mature applicant, a career changer, or if you have fragmented work experience, employers will be interested in reading a brief overview of your background but make the most of your experience by using positive language, highlighting what you have gained from previous experience such as commercial awareness and responsibility and skills such as teamwork and communication.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

GETTING THE JOB

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Skills-based CV for laboratory applications ^ĂŵŝƌĂ ŚŵĞĚ

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ϲϱ ƵĐŬůĂŶĚ ǀĞŶƵĞ͕ ƌŽƐďLJ͕ >Ϯϯ ϵ', Ϭϳϳϴϴ ϵϴϳ ϵϴϳ͕ ƐĂŵŝƌĂͺĂŚŵĞĚΛŐŵĂŝů͘ĐŽŵ

WĞƌƐŽŶĂů WƌŽĨŝůĞ <ŶŽǁůĞĚŐĞĂďůĞ ĂŶĚ ĞŶƚŚƵƐŝĂƐƚŝĐ ƐĞĐŽŶĚͲLJĞĂƌ ŝŽůŽŐLJ ƵŶĚĞƌŐƌĂĚƵĂƚĞ ůŽŽŬŝŶŐ ƚŽ ƚĂŬĞ ƚŚĞ ĨŝƌƐƚ ƐƚĞƉ ƚŽǁĂƌĚƐ ƉƵƌƐƵŝŶŐ Ă ůŽŶŐͲƚĞƌŵ ĐĂƌĞĞƌ ŝŶ Ă ůĂďŽƌĂƚŽƌLJ ƐĞƚƚŝŶŐ͘ dŚƌŽƵŐŚ ŵLJ ĚĞŐƌĞĞ ƐƚƵĚŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ ŝŶĚĞƉĞŶĚĞŶƚ ƌĞĂĚŝŶŐ͕ / ŚĂǀĞ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ Ă ƐƚƌŽŶŐ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ŝŶ DŝĐƌŽďŝŽůŽŐLJ ĂŶĚ Ăŵ ŬĞĞŶ ƚŽ ŐĂŝŶ ƐŽŵĞ ƌĞůĞǀĂŶƚ ǁŽƌŬ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ ƚŚŝƐ ĨŝĞůĚ͘ / ƉŽƐƐĞƐƐ ƌĞůĞǀĂŶƚ ůĂďŽƌĂƚŽƌLJ ƐŬŝůůƐ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ƐƚƌŽŶŐ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚŝŽŶ͕ ƚĞĂŵǁŽƌŬ ĂŶĚ ƚŝŵĞ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ƐŬŝůůƐ͘

ĚƵĐĂƚŝŽŶ ĂŶĚ YƵĂůŝĨŝĐĂƚŝŽŶƐ ϮϬϭϳ – ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚ >ŝǀĞƌƉŽŽů :ŽŚŶ DŽŽƌĞƐ hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ

^Đ ;,ŽŶƐͿ ŝŽůŽŐLJ ;ĨŝƌƐƚͲLJĞĂƌ ĂǀĞƌĂŐĞ͗ ϲϳйͿ  ĨƚĞƌ ƐƚƵĚLJŝŶŐ Ă ďƌŽĂĚ ƌĂŶŐĞ ŽĨ ŵŽĚƵůĞƐ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ŵLJ ĨŝƌƐƚ LJĞĂƌ͕ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ 'ĞŶĞƚŝĐƐ ĂŶĚ ǀŽůƵƚŝŽŶ͕ &ƵŶĚĂŵĞŶƚĂůƐ ŽĨ ^ĐŝĞŶƚŝĨŝĐ ZĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ͕ ĂŶĚ DŝĐƌŽďŝŽůŽŐLJ͕ / ŚĂǀĞ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ Ă ƐƚƌŽŶŐ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ŝŶ DŝĐƌŽďŝŽůŽŐLJ͘ / ŚĂǀĞ ĐŚŽƐĞŶ ĂŶ ŽƉƚŝŽŶĂů ŵŽĚƵůĞ ŽŶ /ŵŵƵŶŽůŽŐLJ ĂŶĚ /ŶĨĞĐƚŝŽŶ ĨŽƌ ŵLJ ƐĞĐŽŶĚ LJĞĂƌ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ǁŝůů ĞdžƉĂŶĚ ŵLJ ƵŶĚĞƌƐƚĂŶĚŝŶŐ ŽĨ ƉĂƚŚŽŐĞŶƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ďŝŽůŽŐŝĐĂů ƉƌŽĐĞƐƐĞƐ ƚŚĂƚ ƐŚĂƉĞ ŝŵŵƵŶĞ ƌĞƐƉŽŶƐĞƐ͘  dĞĂĐŚŝŶŐ ŝƐ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌĞĚ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ Ă ĐŽŵďŝŶĂƚŝŽŶ ŽĨ ůĞĐƚƵƌĞƐ͕ ŐƌŽƵƉ ǁŽƌŬƐŚŽƉƐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌĂĐƚŝĐĂů ĚĞŵŽŶƐƚƌĂƚŝŽŶƐ͕ ďƵƚ / ƉĂƌƚŝĐƵůĂƌůLJ ĞŶũŽLJ ƉĂƌƚŝĐŝƉĂƚŝŶŐ ŝŶ ůĂďŽƌĂƚŽƌLJ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ŚĂǀĞ ĂůƌĞĂĚLJ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ Ă ƌĂŶŐĞ ŽĨ ƌĞůĞǀĂŶƚ ƐŬŝůůƐ ĂŶĚ ƚĞĐŚŶŝƋƵĞƐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ŵŝĐƌŽďŝŽůŽŐLJ ƐĞƚƚŝŶŐ͘

ϮϬϭϬ – ϮϬϭϳ ƌŽƐďLJ ,ŝŐŚ ^ĐŚŽŽů ĂŶĚ ^ŝdžƚŚ &Žƌŵ  Ͳ>ĞǀĞůƐ͗ ŝŽůŽŐLJ ; Ϳ͕ ŚĞŵŝƐƚƌLJ ; Ϳ͖ ^Ͳ>ĞǀĞů͗ ŶŐůŝƐŚ ; Ϳ  ϵ ' ^ Ɛ ;Ăƚ ŐƌĂĚĞ Žƌ ĂďŽǀĞͿ͕ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ŶŐůŝƐŚ ; Ϳ͕ DĂƚŚƐ ; Ϳ ĂŶĚ ŽƵďůĞ ^ĐŝĞŶĐĞ ; Ϳ

^ŬŝůůƐ ƉƌŽĨŝůĞ

>ĂďŽƌĂƚŽƌLJ ĂŶĚ dĞĐŚŶŝĐĂů ^ŬŝůůƐ  ŽŵƉůĞƚŝŶŐ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂů ĂŶĚ ŐƌŽƵƉͲďĂƐĞĚ ǁŽƌŬ ŝŶ Ă ůĂďŽƌĂƚŽƌLJ ƐĞƚƚŝŶŐ ŚĂƐ ŚĞůƉĞĚ ŵĞ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉ ĂŶĚ ƉƌĂĐƚŝƐĞ Ă ƌĂŶŐĞ ŽĨ ƐĐŝĞŶƚŝĨŝĐ ƐŬŝůůƐ ƌĞůĞǀĂŶƚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ŵŝĐƌŽďŝŽůŽŐLJ ƐĞƚƚŝŶŐ͕ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ĂƐĞƉƚŝĐ ƚĞĐŚŶŝƋƵĞƐ ;Ğ͘Ő͘ ƉŝƉĞƚƚĞ ƚƌĂŶƐĨĞƌ͕ ƐƚƌĞĂŬ ƉůĂƚŝŶŐͿ͕ ƐůŝĚĞ ƉƌĞƉĂƌĂƚŝŽŶ͕ ĞŶƵŵĞƌĂƚŝŽŶ ĂŶĚ ŝĚĞŶƚŝĨŝĐĂƚŝŽŶ ŽĨ ďĂĐƚĞƌŝĂ͕ ƐĞƌŽƚLJƉŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ŐƌŽǁŝŶŐ ŵŝĐƌŽďŝĂů ĐƵůƚƵƌĞƐ͘  ŽŵƉĞƚĞŶƚ ŝŶ ƵƐŝŶŐ Ă ƌĂŶŐĞ ŽĨ ĞƋƵŝƉŵĞŶƚ ƐĂĨĞůLJ ĂŶĚ ĂƉƉƌŽƉƌŝĂƚĞůLJ͕ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ĐĞŶƚƌŝĨƵŐĞƐ͕ ,W> ŵĂĐŚŝŶĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƐĐĂŶŶŝŶŐ ĞůĞĐƚƌŽŶ ŵŝĐƌŽƐĐŽƉĞƐ͘ &ĞĞĚďĂĐŬ ĨƌŽŵ ŵLJ ƐƵƉĞƌǀŝƐŽƌƐ ŚĂƐ ŚŝŐŚůŝŐŚƚĞĚ ŵLJ ŐŽŽĚ ŚĂŶĚͬĞLJĞ ĐŽͲŽƌĚŝŶĂƚŝŽŶ͕ ĂƚƚĞŶƚŝŽŶ ƚŽ ĚĞƚĂŝů ĂŶĚ ĂďŝůŝƚLJ ƚŽ ƵƐĞ ĞƋƵŝƉŵĞŶƚ ƐĂĨĞůLJ͘ / ŚĂǀĞ ďĞĞŶ ƚƌĂŝŶĞĚ ŝŶ ŚĞĂůƚŚ ĂŶĚ ƐĂĨĞƚLJ ƉƌŽĐĞĚƵƌĞƐ͕ ^KWƐ ĂŶĚ K^,, ĨŽƌ ůĂďŽƌĂƚŽƌLJ ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚƐ͘  ŽŶĨŝĚĞŶƚ ƵƐĞƌ ŽĨ D^ KĨĨŝĐĞ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƚŝŽŶƐ͕ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ tŽƌĚ͕ džĐĞů͕ WŽǁĞƌWŽŝŶƚ ĂŶĚ KƵƚůŽŽŬ͘

ŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚŝŽŶ ^ŬŝůůƐ  džĐĞůůĞŶƚ ǁƌŝƚŝŶŐ ƐŬŝůůƐ ĚĞŵŽŶƐƚƌĂƚĞĚ ďLJ ƐƵĐĐĞƐƐĨƵůůLJ ĐŽŵƉůĞƚŝŶŐ Ă ŶƵŵďĞƌ ŽĨ ĂƐƐŝŐŶŵĞŶƚƐ ĨŽƌ ŵLJ ƵŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ͕ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ĞƐƐĂLJƐ͕ ůĂď ƌĞƉŽƌƚƐ ĂŶĚ ůĂď ŬƐ͘ / ĂĐŚŝĞǀĞĚ ŚŝŐŚ ŵĂƌŬƐ ŝŶ Ăůů ǁƌŝƚƚĞŶ ĐŽƵƌƐĞǁŽƌŬ ƚŚĂŶŬƐ ƚŽ ŵLJ ĐŽŶĐŝƐĞ ǁƌŝƚŝŶŐ ƐƚLJůĞ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŶĨŝĚĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ ƵƐŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ĂƉƉƌŽƉƌŝĂƚĞ ƐĐŝĞŶƚŝĨŝĐ ƚĞƌŵŝŶŽůŽŐLJ͘

9

List contact details for two references, ideally an academic referee and your current/most recent employer (or a contact from a voluntary position). If you have run out of space, state “References available on request” instead.

Additional information to include In addition to your personal details, education details, employment details, and skills you may want to include other information to make your CV stand out. ❚❚ Achievements: Employers like to see achievements and whether you have held positions of responsibility so include this kind of information too. Did you lead the university football team to victory this year? Have you been awarded a scholarship? Have you successfully raised money for a charity and participated in a sponsored event? Have you started a new society? ❚❚ Positions of responsibility: Have you chaired a committee?

Acted as treasurer of a society? Been a course rep? Taken on the captain position of a sports team? Positions like these help you to demonstrate that you can make decisions and take on responsibility. ❚❚ Interests: To demonstrate further skills, to get your personality across a bit, or to just add something else to make your CV stand out, include some information about your interests. If you have interests relating to the job, definitely mention these but avoid clichés about activities such as socialising and reading.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

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Keep your personal details compact so they do not take up too much space.

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If you include a personal profile, try to make this tailored to the role. Briefly highlight any relevant interests, knowledge, experience and skills.

3

List entries in this section in reverse chronological order, i.e. most recent experience first.

4

Emphasise relevant content from your degree. This could include relevant modules you have studied and knowledge gained from these, and attendance at guest lectures or site visits. For any lab-based positions, highlight your practical skills.

5

Keep the overview of your secondary school qualifications brief.

6

Evidence your suitability for the post by including a list of relevant skills (check these against the requirements mentioned on the job advert) alongside clear examples of when you have demonstrated or developed these in your studies, work, volunteering or extracurricular activities.

7

Provide a brief overview of previous work and/or volunteering experience.

8

If you have any interests relating to the role, prioritise these over your other hobbies and activities.

/ ƌĞĐĞŶƚůLJ ƉĂƌƚŝĐŝƉĂƚĞĚ ŝŶ Ă ŐƌŽƵƉ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĂƚŝŽŶ ĂƐ ƉĂƌƚ ŽĨ Ă ƚĞĂŵ ŽĨ ĨŝǀĞ͘ dŚŝƐ ƐƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶĞĚ ŵLJ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĂƚŝŽŶ ƐŬŝůůƐ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŶĨŝĚĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ ƉƵďůŝĐ ƐƉĞĂŬŝŶŐ͕ ĂŶĚ / ƌĞĐĞŝǀĞĚ ĞŶĐŽƵƌĂŐŝŶŐ ĨĞĞĚďĂĐŬ ĨƌŽŵ ŵLJ ůĞĐƚƵƌĞƌ ĂďŽƵƚ ŵLJ ĞŶŐĂŐŝŶŐ ƐƚLJůĞ ŽĨ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĂƚŝŽŶ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŵƉĞƚĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ ĂŶƐǁĞƌŝŶŐ ĂŶLJ ƋƵĞƐƚŝŽŶƐ͘

dŝŵĞ DĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ĂŶĚ KƌŐĂŶŝƐĂƚŝŽŶ ^ŬŝůůƐ  tŽƌŬŝŶŐ ŝŶ Ă ďƵƐLJ ĨĂƐŚŝŽŶ ƌĞƚĂŝůĞƌ ŚĂƐ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ ŵLJ ƚŝŵĞ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŝŽƌŝƚŝƐĂƚŝŽŶ ƐŬŝůůƐ͕ ĂƐ / Ăŵ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞĚ ƚŽ ĐŽŵďŝŶĞ ƌŽƵƚŝŶĞ ƚĂƐŬƐ ƐƵĐŚ ĂƐ ƐƚŽĐŬ ĐŚĞĐŬƐ ǁŝƚŚ ƐĞƌǀŝŶŐ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌƐ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƐŚŽƉ ĨůŽŽƌ͕ ƐƚĂĨĨŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ĐŚĞĐŬ ŽƵƚƐ ĂŶĚ ŝŵƉůĞŵĞŶƚŝŶŐ ƉƌŽŵŽƚŝŽŶƐ͘ DLJ ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĂƚŝŽŶ ƐŬŝůůƐ ĂŶĚ ĂďŝůŝƚLJ ƚŽ ǁŽƌŬ ĞĨĨĞĐƚŝǀĞůLJ ƵŶĚĞƌ ƉƌĞƐƐƵƌĞ ĞŶƐƵƌĞƐ ƚŚĂƚ / ĐŽŵƉůĞƚĞ Ăůů ƚĂƐŬƐ ƚŽ Ă ŚŝŐŚ ƐƚĂŶĚĂƌĚ͘  / ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚůLJ ďĂůĂŶĐĞ ĨƵůůͲƚŝŵĞ ƐƚƵĚLJ ǁŝƚŚ ƉĂƌƚͲƚŝŵĞ ǁŽƌŬ ĂŶĚ ǀŽůƵŶƚĞĞƌŝŶŐ͘ hƐŝŶŐ Ă ĚŝĂƌLJ ĂŶĚ ĂĐĂĚĞŵŝĐ ƉůĂŶŶĞƌ ĞŶĂďůĞƐ ŵĞ ƚŽ ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĞ ŵLJ ƚŝŵĞ ĞĨĨĞĐƚŝǀĞůLJ͕ ĂƐ / ƌĞĐŽƌĚ ƐŚŝĨƚƐ ŝŶ ǁŽƌŬ ĂŶĚ ŵLJ ǀŽůƵŶƚĞĞƌŝŶŐ ĐŽŵŵŝƚŵĞŶƚƐ ĂůŽŶŐƐŝĚĞ ĂŶLJ ĂƐƐŝŐŶŵĞŶƚ ĚĞĂĚůŝŶĞƐ͘ dŚŝƐ ĞŶƐƵƌĞƐ ƚŚĂƚ / ĐĂŶ ĐŽŵƉůĞƚĞ ŵLJ ĂĐĂĚĞŵŝĐ ǁŽƌŬ ŽŶ ƚŝŵĞ ĂŶĚ ƚŽ Ă ŚŝŐŚ ƐƚĂŶĚĂƌĚ ǁŝƚŚŽƵƚ ĂĨĨĞĐƚŝŶŐ ŵLJ ĂƚƚĞŶĚĂŶĐĞ Ăƚ ǁŽƌŬ͘ DLJ ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĂƚŝŽŶ ƐŬŝůůƐ ŚĂǀĞ ĂůƐŽ ďĞĞŶ ĞƐƐĞŶƚŝĂů ƚŽ ǁŽƌŬ ŽŶ Ă ŶƵŵďĞƌ ŽĨ ĚŝĨĨĞƌĞŶƚ ůĂď ƉƌŽũĞĐƚƐ ƐŝŵƵůƚĂŶĞŽƵƐůLJ͘

dĞĂŵǁŽƌŬ ^ŬŝůůƐ  džƚĞŶƐŝǀĞ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ŽĨ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ĂƐ ƉĂƌƚ ŽĨ Ă ƚĞĂŵ ŐĂŝŶĞĚ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ ƉĂƌƚͲƚŝŵĞ ĞŵƉůŽLJŵĞŶƚ͘ / ŚĂǀĞ ďĞĞŶ ĂďůĞ ƚŽ ƚƌĂŶƐĨĞƌ ƚŚĞƐĞ ƐŬŝůůƐ ĞĨĨĞĐƚŝǀĞůLJ ŝŶƚŽ Ă ůĂďŽƌĂƚŽƌLJ ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚ͕ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ĂƐ ƉĂƌƚ ŽĨ Ă ƚĞĂŵ ĨŽƌ ůĂď ƉƌŽũĞĐƚƐ Ăƚ >:Dh͘ ^ŚĂƌŝŶŐ ƚĂƐŬƐ ŽƵƚ ďĂƐĞĚ ŽŶ ƚĞĂŵ ŵĞŵďĞƌs’ strengths ĂŶĚ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚŝŶŐ ĞĂĐŚ ŽƚŚĞƌ ĞŶƐƵƌĞĚ ƚŚĂƚ / ĂĐŚŝĞǀĞĚ Ă Ϯ͗ϭ Žƌ ĂďŽǀĞ ŝŶ Ăůů ŐƌŽƵƉ ĂƐƐŝŐŶŵĞŶƚƐ ŝŶ ŵLJ ĨŝƌƐƚ LJĞĂƌ͘

ŵƉůŽLJŵĞŶƚ ,ŝƐƚŽƌLJ

ϮϬϭϲ – ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚ ,ΘD͕ >ŝǀĞƌƉŽŽů – ZĞƚĂŝů ƐƐŝƐƚĂŶƚ DLJ ĚƵƚŝĞƐ ŝŶĐůƵĚĞ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƐŚŽƉ ĨůŽŽƌ͕ ĚĞĂůŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌ ĞŶƋƵŝƌŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŵƉůĂŝŶƚƐ͕ ƐƚĂĨĨŝŶŐ ĐŚĞĐŬŽƵƚƐ͕ ƉƌŽĐĞƐƐŝŶŐ ƌĞƚƵƌŶƐ ĂŶĚ ĂƐƐŝƐƚŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ŝŵƉůĞŵĞŶƚŝŶŐ ƐĂůĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽŵŽƚŝŽŶƐ ŝŶ ƐƚŽƌĞ͘ / ĨŽĐƵƐ ŽŶ ŬĞĞƉŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ƐƚŽƌĞ ƚŝĚLJ ĂŶĚ ĞŶũŽLJ ƐƉĞĂŬŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌƐ ƚŽ ŚĞůƉ ŽĨĨĞƌ Ă ƉŽƐŝƚŝǀĞ ƐŚŽƉƉŝŶŐ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ͘

ĚĚŝƚŝŽŶĂů /ŶĨŽƌŵĂƚŝŽŶ

 sŽůƵŶƚĞĞƌŝŶŐ͗ / ŚĂǀĞ ďĞĞŶ ǀŽůƵŶƚĞĞƌŝŶŐ ŝŶ ĂŶ KdžĨĂŵ ĐŚĂƌŝƚLJ ƐŚŽƉ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĐĞŶƚƌĞ ŽĨ >ŝǀĞƌƉŽŽů ƐŝŶĐĞ ϮϬϭϳ͘  /ŶƚĞƌĞƐƚƐ͗ / ĞŶũŽLJ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŝŶŐ ŵLJ ƵŶĚĞƌƐƚĂŶĚŝŶŐ ŽĨ ƐĐŝĞŶĐĞ ďLJ ƌĞĂĚŝŶŐ ƉƵďůŝĐĂƚŝŽŶƐ ůŝŬĞ ƚŚĞ EĞǁ ^ĐŝĞŶƚŝƐƚ ƌĞŐƵůĂƌůLJ͘ DLJ ŽƚŚĞƌ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚƐ ŝŶĐůƵĚĞ ƌƵŶŶŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ƚƌĂǀĞůůŝŶŐ͕ ĂŶĚ / ŚĂǀĞ ƌĞĐĞŶƚůLJ ũŽŝŶĞĚ ƚŚĞ >:Dh ^ǁŝŵ dĞĂŵ ƚŽ ŚĞůƉ ŵĞ ŬĞĞƉ Ĩŝƚ ĂŶĚ ŵĞĞƚ ŽƚŚĞƌ >:Dh ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ĨƌŽŵ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ ƚŚĞ ƵŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ͘

ZĞĨĞƌĞŶĐĞƐ

 ƌ ^ƚĞǀĞ DŝůůĞƌ͕ ^ĞŶŝŽƌ >ĞĐƚƵƌĞƌ Ăƚ >:Dh͕ Ϭϭϱϭ Ϯϯϭ Ϯϯϰϱ͕ Ɛ͘ŵŝůůĞƌϴϵϴΛůũŵƵ͘ĂĐ͘ƵŬ  DŝĐŚĂĞů ƌĞĞŶ͕ >ŝŶĞ DĂŶĂŐĞƌ Ăƚ ,ΘD͕ Ϭϭϱϭ ϵϴϳ ϱϰϮϯ͕ ŵ͘ďƌĞĞŶϭϮΛŚĂŶĚŵ͘ĐŽŵ

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

46

GETTING THE JOB

Applying for Laboratory Work Experience and Graduate Roles If applying for work experience or graduate jobs within a laboratory setting, it is important to tailor the information on your CV to this context. This includes highlighting any relevant scientific knowledge you have gained through your academic studies, practical coursework and (where applicable) relevant work experience. Showing an understanding of what is required to work effectively in a laboratory setting is also essential.

This could include an understanding of working safely in a laboratory environment, e.g. knowledge of relevant health and safety policies, safe use of equipment, appropriate disposal of hazardous substances or tissue samples etc.

If you have gained relevant work experience alongside your degree or during the summer break, ensure that this is featured prominently on your CV. Not only does this demonstrate to prospective employers that you have been proactive to build up relevant work experience outside of an academic setting, but it also illustrates that you are able to operate effectively in a commercial/NHS laboratory. Provide a brief outline of your duties and highlight relevant laboratory and transferable (e.g. teamwork, communication, time management, problem-solving) skills gained. Were you trained in techniques or the use of equipment you were unfamiliar

with? Working in a specialist laboratory or science setting usually requires you to learn a range of new skills on the job, so having demonstrated your ability to do this effectively in previous work experience will strengthen your application.

Ensure that the laboratory skills you outline on your CV match the particular requirements of the role. Give emphasis to the instrumentation and laboratory techniques you can use and mention specific practical projects, e.g. your dissertation, if relevant. Your laboratory skills can be included within the education and relevant experience sections on your

CV, or alternatively you could include a dedicated ‘laboratory skills’ section on your CV. If you have no or very little work experience in a relevant setting, opting for a skills-based approach to your CV allows you to illustrate your suitability for the role. This involves including a detailed ‘skills profile’ on your CV, which outlines the skills you can offer to a prospective employer and provides evidence for where and when you have developed and demonstrated these. Your laboratory skills should be featured prominently within this section, so make this the first entry in your skills profile. Give prominence to the laboratory skills which are listed as essential on the job advert. Ensure that the skills outlined on your CV (both laboratory skills and transferable skills) match those required for the specific vacancy, so always check this against the job advert and amend your CV to suit each vacancy.

For further information, take a look at the skills-based CV example in the ‘Laboratory Work Experience’ mini guide which you can download from the ‘Careers Guides and Resources’ page on www.ljmu.ac.uk/ careers.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

GETTING THE JOB

47

CV for postgraduate study/research applications WĞƚĞƌ :ĞŶƐĞŶ

ϴϵ KĂŬ ǀĞŶƵĞ͕ >ŝǀĞƌƉŽŽů͕ >ϭϳ ϵ<> Ϭϳϳϭϭ ϮϮϯϯϰϰ͕ ƉĞƚĞƌ͘ũĞŶƐĞŶΛŽƵƚůŽŽŬ͘ĐŽŵ &Ƶůů͕ ĐůĞĂŶ ĚƌŝǀŝŶŐ ůŝĐĞŶƐĞ

2

3 4

5

7

Highlight any personal interests that relate to the role.

8

For applications for postgraduate study, you are usually required to provide contact details for two academic references.

An Employability Adviser says ...

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1

ŚŝŐŚͲĂĐŚŝĞǀŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ĂŵďŝƚŝŽƵƐ ĨŝŶĂůͲLJĞĂƌ ŽŽůŽŐLJ ƵŶĚĞƌŐƌĂĚƵĂƚĞ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ƐƚƌŽŶŐ ŵŽƚŝǀĂƚŝŽŶ ƚŽ ƉƵƌƐƵĞ Ă ĐĂƌĞĞƌ ŝŶ njŽŽůŽŐŝĐĂů ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ͘ DLJ ĚĞŐƌĞĞ ƐƚƵĚŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ ǁŽƌŬ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ŚĂǀĞ ŚĞůƉĞĚ ŵĞ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉ ĂŶ ŝŶƐŝŐŚƚ ŝŶƚŽ ƉĂƚƚĞƌŶƐ ŽĨ ĂŶŝŵĂů ďĞŚĂǀŝŽƵƌ͕ ĞĐŽƐLJƐƚĞŵƐ ĂŶĚ ĞĐŽůŽŐLJ͕ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ĐŽŶĨŝĚĞŶƚ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ͕ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚŝŽŶ ĂŶĚ ƚŝŵĞ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ƐŬŝůůƐ͘ / ŚĂǀĞ ĂĐŚŝĞǀĞĚ ĐŽŶƐŝƐƚĞŶƚůLJ ŚŝŐŚ ŐƌĂĚĞƐ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚŽƵƚ Ăůů ƚŚƌĞĞ LJĞĂƌƐ ŽĨ ŵLJ ƵŶĚĞƌŐƌĂĚƵĂƚĞ ƐƚƵĚŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ ĞdžƉĞĐƚ ƚŽ ŐƌĂĚƵĂƚĞ ǁŝƚŚ Ă &ŝƌƐƚ ůĂƐƐ ĚĞŐƌĞĞ͘ DLJ ŵĂŝŶ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚƐ ůŝĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŵŝŐƌĂƚŽƌLJ ďĞŚĂǀŝŽƵƌ ŽĨ ďŝƌĚƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ŝŵƉĂĐƚ ŽĨ ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚĂů ĨĂĐƚŽƌƐ ŽŶ ŵŝŐƌĂƚŝŽŶ ƌŽƵƚĞƐ͕ ĂŶĚ / Ăŵ ŶŽǁ ĂƐƉŝƌŝŶŐ ƚŽ ƉƵƌƐƵĞ Ă WŚ ŝŶ ƚŚŝƐ ĨŝĞůĚ͘

h d/KE

ϮϬϭϲ – WƌĞƐĞŶƚ >ŝǀĞƌƉŽŽů :ŽŚŶ DŽŽƌĞƐ hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ ^Đ ;,ŽŶƐͿ ŝŶ ŽŽůŽŐLJ ;ĞdžƉĞĐƚĞĚ ĚĞŐƌĞĞ ĐůĂƐƐŝĨŝĐĂƚŝŽŶ͗ &ŝƌƐƚ ůĂƐƐͿ ZĞůĞǀĂŶƚ ŵŽĚƵůĞƐ ŝŶĐůƵĚĞ͗  ŶŝŵĂů ĞŚĂǀŝŽƵƌ͗ dŚŝƐ ŵŽĚƵůĞ ŝŶƚƌŽĚƵĐĞĚ ŵĞ ƚŽ ƉĂƚƚĞƌŶƐ ŽĨ ĂŶŝŵĂů ďĞŚĂǀŝŽƵƌ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ Ă ǀĂƌŝĞƚLJ ŽĨ ƐƉĞĐŝĞƐ͕ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ǀŝƐƵĂů ƐŝŐŶĂůůŝŶŐ͕ ĐŚĞŵŝĐĂů ĂŶĚ ŽůĨĂĐƚŽƌLJ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚŝŽŶ͘ / ŐĂŝŶĞĚ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ŽĨ ĚĞĨŝŶŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ĂƐƐĞƐƐŝŶŐ ďĞŚĂǀŝŽƵƌ in relation to an individual’s maturity and social status͘  ĐŽůŽŐLJ &ŝĞůĚ ^ŬŝůůƐ͗ ,ĞƌĞ / ĐŽŶĚƵĐƚĞĚ Ă ƌĂŶŐĞ ŽĨ ĂŶŝŵĂů͕ ƉůĂŶƚ ĂŶĚ ŚĂďŝƚĂƚ ƐƵƌǀĞLJƐ ĂŶĚ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ ĐŽŶĨŝĚĞŶƚ ƉůĂŶƚ ĂŶĚ ĂŶŝŵĂů ŝĚĞŶƚŝĨŝĐĂƚŝŽŶ ƐŬŝůůƐ͘ / ƌĞĐĞŝǀĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŚŝŐŚĞƐƚ ŵĂƌŬ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ĞĐŽůŽŐŝĐĂů ƌĞƉŽƌƚ ĂƐƐŝŐŶŵĞŶƚ͕ ŐĂŝŶĞĚ '/^ ƐŬŝůůƐ ĂŶĚ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞĚ ŚĂďŝƚĂƚƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ h< ĂŶĚ ŽǀĞƌƐĞĂƐ ŽŶ ǀĂƌŝŽƵƐ ĨŝĞůĚ ƚƌŝƉƐ͘  &ƵŶĚĂŵĞŶƚĂůƐ ŽĨ ^ĐŝĞŶƚŝĨŝĐ ZĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ͗ dŚŝƐ ŵŽĚƵůĞ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ ŵLJ ƐĐŝĞŶƚŝĨŝĐ ƌĞƉŽƌƚ ǁƌŝƚŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ĚĂƚĂ ĂŶĂůLJƐŝƐ ƐŬŝůůƐ͕ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ƐƚĂƚŝƐƚŝĐĂů ĂŶĂůLJƐŝƐ ĂŶĚ ĚĞƐĐƌŝƉƚŝǀĞ ƐƚĂƚŝƐƚŝĐƐ͘  ZĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ WƌŽũĞĐƚ͗ DLJ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŝŐĂƚĞƐ ƚŚĞ ĨŽƌĂŐŝŶŐ ďĞŚĂǀŝŽƵƌ ŽĨ ƉŝŶŬͲĨŽŽƚĞĚ ŐĞĞƐĞ ; ŶƐĞƌ ďƌĂĐŚLJƌŚLJŶĐŚƵƐͿ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ŝŶǀŽůǀĞƐ ĐŽůůĞĐƚŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ĂŶĂůLJƐŝŶŐ ĨŝĞůĚ ĚĂƚĂ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽĚƵĐŝŶŐ Ă ǁƌŝƚƚĞŶ ƌĞƉŽƌƚ͘

ϮϬϬϵ – ϮϬϭϲ ^ŽƵƚŚ >ŝǀĞƌƉŽŽů ĐĂĚĞŵLJ ĂŶĚ ^ŝdžƚŚ &Žƌŵ  Ͳ>ĞǀĞůƐ͗ ŝŽůŽŐLJ ; Ϳ͕ ŚĞŵŝƐƚƌLJ ; Ϳ͕ 'ĞŽŐƌĂƉŚLJ ; Ϳ͕ ^Ͳ>ĞǀĞů͗ WƐLJĐŚŽůŽŐLJ ; Ϳ  ϭϬ ' ^ Ɛ ;ŐƌĂĚĞ Ͳ Ϳ͕ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ŶŐůŝƐŚ ; Ϳ͕ DĂƚŚĞŵĂƚŝĐƐ ; Ϳ͕ ŚĞŵŝƐƚƌLJ ; Ϳ ĂŶĚ ŝŽůŽŐLJ ; Ϳ͘

Z > s Ed yW Z/ E

ϮϬϭϳ – ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚ sŽůƵŶƚĂƌLJ ĐŽŶƐĞƌǀĂƚŝŽŶ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚƐ͕ >:Dh tŝůĚůŝĨĞ ŽŶƐĞƌǀĂƚŝŽŶ ^ŽĐŝĞƚLJ / ŚĂǀĞ ďĞĞŶ Ă ŵĞŵďĞƌ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ >:Dh tŝůĚůŝĨĞ ŽŶƐĞƌǀĂƚŝŽŶ ^ŽĐŝĞƚLJ ƐŝŶĐĞ ƚŚĞ ďĞŐŝŶŶŝŶŐ ŽĨ ŵLJ ƐĞĐŽŶĚ LJĞĂƌ Ăƚ ƵŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ͘ ƐƐŝƐƚŝŶŐ ŽŶ Ă ƌĂŶŐĞ ŽĨ ůŽĐĂů ĐŽŶƐĞƌǀĂƚŝŽŶ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚƐ ŽŶ Ă ǁĞĞŬůLJ ďĂƐŝƐ͕ / ŚĂǀĞ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ Ă ŶƵŵďĞƌ ŽĨ ƉƌĂĐƚŝĐĂů ƐŬŝůůƐ͕ Ğ͘Ő͘ ƚƌĞĞ ƉůĂŶƚŝŶŐ͕ ĐŽĂƐƚĂů ĐůĞĂŶŝŶŐ͕ ďĂƐŝĐ ĚƌLJ ƐƚŽŶĞ ǁĂůůŝŶŐ͕ ĂŶĚ ŚĞĚŐĞ ůĂLJŝŶŐ͘ tŽƌŬŝŶŐ ŽƵƚĚŽŽƌƐ ŝŶ Ăůů ǁĞĂƚŚĞƌƐ ĚĞŵŽŶƐƚƌĂƚĞƐ ŵLJ ŵŽƚŝǀĂƚŝŽŶ ĂŶĚ ƉŽƐŝƚŝǀĞ ĂƚƚŝƚƵĚĞ͘

ϮϬϭϲ – ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚ sŽůƵŶƚĞĞƌ͕ Z^W ͕ >ŝǀĞƌƉŽŽů 'ƌŽƵƉ Ɛ ĂŶ ĂĐƚŝǀĞ ŵĞŵďĞƌ ŽĨ ŵLJ ůŽĐĂů Z^W ŐƌŽƵƉ͕ / ĂƚƚĞŶĚ ďŽƚŚ ŵŽŶƚŚůLJ ŵĞĞƚŝŶŐƐ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ŽƵƚĚŽŽƌ ƚƌŝƉƐ ƚŽ ǀĂƌŝŽƵƐ ďŝƌĚ ƐŝƚĞƐ͘ / ŚĂǀĞ ĂůƐŽ ďĞĞŶ ŝŶǀŽůǀĞĚ ŝŶ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚŝŶŐ ĞǀĞŶƚƐ ůŝŬĞ DŝŐƌĂƚŝŽŶ tĂƚĐŚ ĂŶĚ ĨƵŶĚͲƌĂŝƐŝŶŐ ĂĐƚŝǀŝƚŝĞƐ ĨŽƌ ďŽƚŚ ƚŚĞ Z^W ĂŶĚ ůŽĐĂů ĐŽŶƐĞƌǀĂƚŝŽŶ ĐŚĂƌŝƚŝĞƐ͕ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ DĂƌƚŝŶ DĞƌĞ tĞƚůĂŶĚ ĞŶƚƌĞ͘

^</>>^

ZĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ ĂŶĚ ĂŶĂůLJƚŝĐĂů ƐŬŝůůƐ  ŽŵƉůĞƚŝŶŐ ƌĞůĞǀĂŶƚ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ ŵŽĚƵůĞƐ ĨŽƌ ŵLJ ƵŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ ŚĂƐ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ ŵLJ ƵŶĚĞƌƐƚĂŶĚŝŶŐ ŽĨ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ ŵĞƚŚŽĚƐ ĂŶĚ ƚĂƵŐŚƚ ŵĞ ǀĂůƵĂďůĞ ƐƚĂƚŝƐƚŝĐƐ ƐŬŝůůƐ͕ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ƉĂƌĂŵĞƚƌŝĐͬŶŽŶͲƉĂƌĂŵĞƚƌŝĐ ƚĞƐƚƐ ĂŶĚ ƐƚĂƚŝƐƚŝĐĂů ĂŶĂůLJƐŝƐ͘ / Ăŵ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚůLJ ĂƉƉůLJŝŶŐ ƚŚĞƐĞ ƚŽ ŵLJ ĨŝŶĂůͲLJĞĂƌ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ŚĂƐ ŐŝǀĞŶ ŵĞ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ŽĨ ĐŽůůĞĐƚŝŶŐ ĨŝĞůĚ ĚĂƚĂ͕ ĐŽŶĚƵĐƚŝŶŐ ĚĂƚĂ ĂŶĂůLJƐŝƐ ĂŶĚ ĞǀĂůƵĂƚŝŶŐ ŵLJ ĨŝŶĚŝŶŐƐ ĂŐĂŝŶƐƚ ĞdžŝƐƚŝŶŐ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ͘

One thing to remember is that using a ‘one size fits all’ approach isn’t the best option. You should always find out what the employer is looking for and modify your CV to meet these requirements. Look at the person specification or entry requirements and ensure all the points from these are evidenced in the CV. Each time you apply for a different job, adapt and tailor the CV for that specific role and organisation. To grab the employer’s attention, make sure the most important and relevant information is on the first page, as this is the first thing the employer will see!

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

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8

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1

Clearly highlight your research interests in relation to the PhD you are applying for. You can also briefly mention some key skills and relevant achievements here.

2

Provide a clear overview of your degree. Highlight a number of relevant modules and provide information about practical aspects of your degree, such as field trips and your dissertation.

3

Briefly summarise your A-Level and GCSE qualifications.

4

List any relevant work or voluntary experience prominently on the first page of your CV.

5

Consider the skills required for successful postgraduate study. If you are applying for a PhD studentship, check the university’s requirements and tailor this section accordingly. Provide clear evidence from your work, volunteering, studies and extracurricular activities.

6

Briefly summarise any other employment or work experience.

&Žƌ ŵLJ ŶŝŵĂů ĞŚĂǀŝŽƵƌ ŵŽĚƵůĞ͕ / ĐŽŶĚƵĐƚĞĚ ĂŶ ŝŶĚĞƉĞŶĚĞŶƚ ŽďƐĞƌǀĂƚŝŽŶ ŽĨ ŐŝƌĂĨĨĞƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞŝƌ ĞŶĐůŽƐƵƌĞ Ăƚ ŚĞƐƚĞƌ ŽŽ ƚŽ ĐŽůůĞĐƚ ƚŝŵĞ ďƵĚŐĞƚ ĚĂƚĂ ĂŶĚ ĂƐƐĞƐƐ ƐƚĞƌĞŽƚLJƉŝĐ ďĞŚĂǀŝŽƵƌ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƉƌĞƐĞŶĐĞ ŽĨ ĞŶƌŝĐŚŵĞŶƚ͘ / ĂĐŚŝĞǀĞĚ Ă &ŝƌƐƚ ůĂƐƐ ŵĂƌŬ ŽŶ ƚŚŝƐ ĂƐƐŝŐŶŵĞŶƚ ƚŚĂŶŬƐ ƚŽ ŵLJ ĂďŝůŝƚLJ ƚŽ ƐĂŵƉůĞ ĂŶĚ ƌĞĐŽƌĚ ĚĂƚĂ ŝŶ Ă ƐLJƐƚĞŵĂƚŝĐ ĨŽƌŵĂƚ͕ ĂŶĂůLJƐĞ ĐŽůůĞĐƚĞĚ ĚĂƚĂ ƵƐŝŶŐ Ă ƐƚĂƚŝƐƚŝĐĂů ƚĞƐƚ ĂŶĚ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚ ŵLJ ĂŶĂůLJƐŝƐ ŝŶ Ă ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů͕ ƐĐŝĞŶƚŝĨŝĐ ƌĞƉŽƌƚ͘

ŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚŝŽŶ ĂŶĚ ŝŶƚĞƌƉĞƌƐŽŶĂů ƐŬŝůůƐ  DLJ ǁƌŝƚƚĞŶ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚŝŽŶ ƐŬŝůůƐ ŚĂǀĞ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ ƚŽ Ă ŚŝŐŚ ƐƚĂŶĚĂƌĚ Ăƚ ƵŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ͘ &ĞĞĚďĂĐŬ ĨƌŽŵ ŵLJ ůĞĐƚƵƌĞƌƐ ŚĂƐ ŚŝŐŚůŝŐŚƚĞĚ ŝŶ ƉĂƌƚŝĐƵůĂƌ ŵLJ ĐŽŶĨŝĚĞŶƚ ƵƐĞ ŽĨ ĂƉƉƌŽƉƌŝĂƚĞ ƐĐŝĞŶƚŝĨŝĐ ƚĞƌŵŝŶŽůŽŐLJ ĂŶĚ ŵLJ ĂďŝůŝƚLJ ƚŽ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚ ĚĂƚĂ ĞĨĨĞĐƚŝǀĞůLJ ŝŶ ŐƌĂƉŚƐ ĂŶĚ ƚĂďůĞƐ ǁŝƚŚŝŶ ŵLJ ǁƌŝƚƚĞŶ ǁŽƌŬ͘  / Ăŵ Ă ĐŽŶĨŝĚĞŶƚ ƉƵďůŝĐ ƐƉĞĂŬĞƌ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ / ŚĂǀĞ ĚĞŵŽŶƐƚƌĂƚĞĚ ďLJ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌŝŶŐ ƐŚŽƌƚ ƚĂůŬƐ ƚŽ ŵĞŵďĞƌƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƉƵďůŝĐ ĂƐ Ă ǀŽůƵŶƚĞĞƌ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ Z^W ĂŶĚ ŝŶ ǀĂƌŝŽƵƐ ŐƌŽƵƉ ĂŶĚ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂů ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĂƚŝŽŶƐ Ăƚ ƵŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ͘ / ŚĂǀĞ ƌĞĐĞŝǀĞĚ ƉŽƐŝƚŝǀĞ ĨĞĞĚďĂĐŬ ŝŶ ďŽƚŚ ƐĞƚƚŝŶŐƐ ĨŽƌ ŵLJ ĞŶŐĂŐŝŶŐ ƐƚLJůĞ ŽĨ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌLJ͘  / ŚĂǀĞ ŐƌĞĂƚůLJ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ ŵLJ ǀĞƌďĂů ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚŝŽŶ ĂŶĚ ŝŶƚĞƌƉĞƌƐŽŶĂů ƐŬŝůůƐ ĨƌŽŵ ůŝĂŝƐŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ƐƚĂĨĨ Ăƚ DĂƌƚŝŶ DĞƌĞ tĞƚůĂŶĚ ĞŶƚƌĞ ƚŽ ĂƌƌĂŶŐĞ ƚŚĞ ĚĂƚĂ ĐŽůůĞĐƚŝŽŶ ĨŽƌ ŵLJ ĚŝƐƐĞƌƚĂƚŝŽŶ͘ LJ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚŝŶŐ ŝŶ Ă ĨƌŝĞŶĚůLJ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ŵĂŶŶĞƌ ďLJ ƉŚŽŶĞ͕ ĞŵĂŝů ĂŶĚ ŝŶ ƉĞƌƐŽŶ͕ / ďƵŝůƚ ƵƉ ƌĂƉƉŽƌƚ ǁŝƚŚ ŬĞLJ ĐŽŶƚĂĐƚƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĂƚŝŽŶ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĞŶƐƵƌĞĚ / ƌĞĐĞŝǀĞĚ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ ĨŽƌ ŵLJ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ͘

dĞĂŵǁŽƌŬ ĂŶĚ ŝŶĚĞƉĞŶĚĞŶƚ ǁŽƌŬ  / ŚĂǀĞ ǁŽƌŬĞĚ ĂƐ ƉĂƌƚ ŽĨ Ă ƚĞĂŵ ŝŶ Ăůů ŵLJ ǀŽůƵŶƚĞĞƌŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ƉĂŝĚ ƉŽƐŝƚŝŽŶƐ ƚŽ ĚĂƚĞ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ŚĂƐ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ ŵLJ ĂďŝůŝƚLJ ƚŽ ďƵŝůĚ ŐŽŽĚ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ƌĞůĂƚŝŽŶƐŚŝƉƐ ǁŝƚŚ ƚĞĂŵ ŵĞŵďĞƌƐ ĨƌŽŵ ĚŝĨĨĞƌĞŶƚ ďĂĐŬŐƌŽƵŶĚƐ͘ Ɛ ĂŶ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞĚ ǀŽůƵŶƚĞĞƌ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ Z^W ͕ / ŚĂǀĞ ďĞĞŶ ŝŶǀŽůǀĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƚƌĂŝŶŝŶŐ ŽĨ ŶĞǁ ǀŽůƵŶƚĞĞƌƐ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĚĞŵŽŶƐƚƌĂƚĞƐ ŵLJ ŵĂƚƵƌŝƚLJ ĂŶĚ ůĞĂĚĞƌƐŚŝƉ ĂďŝůŝƚŝĞƐ͘  ƵƌŝŶŐ ŵLJ ƚŝŵĞ Ăƚ >:Dh͕ / ŚĂǀĞ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŶĨŝĚĞŶĐĞ ƚŽ ŝŶĚĞƉĞŶĚĞŶƚůLJ ŵĂŶĂŐĞ ŵLJ ǁŽƌŬůŽĂĚ ĂŶĚ ďĂůĂŶĐĞ ŵLJ ĂĐĂĚĞŵŝĐ ǁŽƌŬ ĞĨĨĞĐƚŝǀĞůLJ ǁŝƚŚ ǀŽůƵŶƚĞĞƌŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ǁŽƌŬ ĐŽŵŵŝƚŵĞŶƚƐ͘ &Žƌ ŵLJ ĨŝŶĂůͲ LJĞĂƌ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ͕ / ĚƌĂĨƚĞĚ Ă ƚŝŵĞƚĂďůĞ ƚŽ ƌĞĐŽƌĚ ŵŝůĞƐƚŽŶĞƐ ĂŶĚ ǁĞĞŬůLJ ŽďũĞĐƚŝǀĞƐ͘ dŚŝƐ ŶŽƚ ŽŶůLJ ĂůůŽǁƐ ŵĞ ƚŽ ŵŽŶŝƚŽƌ ŵLJ ƉƌŽŐƌĞƐƐ ƌĞŐƵůĂƌůLJ͕ ďƵƚ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ƚŽǁĂƌĚƐ ĂŶĚ ŵĞĞƚŝŶŐ ŽďũĞĐƚŝǀĞƐ ĞŶƐƵƌĞƐ ƚŚĂƚ ŵLJ ŵŽƚŝǀĂƚŝŽŶ ůĞǀĞůƐ ƌĞŵĂŝŶ ŚŝŐŚ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚŽƵƚ ƚŚĞ ĚƵƌĂƚŝŽŶ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ͘

/d ^ŬŝůůƐ  Competent user of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher), SPSS and R statistical programmes.

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ϮϬϭϳ Ͳ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚ tĂŝƚĞƌ͕ WŝnjnjĂ ,Ƶƚ͕ >ŝǀĞƌƉŽŽů /Ŷ ƚŚŝƐ ƉĂƌƚͲtime role, my responsibilities include taking and delivering customers’ food and drink orders, ƉƌŽĐĞƐƐŝŶŐ ƉĂLJŵĞŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ĐůŽƐĞůLJ ǁŝƚŚ ĐŽůůĞĂŐƵĞƐ ƚŽ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞ Ă ŐƌĞĂƚ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ͘

^ƵŵŵĞƌ ϮϬϭϲ ƵƐƚŽŵĞƌ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞ ƐƐŝƐƚĂŶƚ͕ dĞƐĐŽ͕ >ŝǀĞƌƉŽŽů I worked full-time for three months over the summer after completing my A-Levels. My duties involved replenishing shelves, assisting customers on the shop floor and staffing tills.

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ůŽŶŐƐŝĚĞ ŵLJ ǀŽůƵŶƚĞĞƌŝŶŐ͕ / Ăŵ ĐŽŵŵŝƚƚĞĚ ƚŽ ƐƚĂLJŝŶŐ ƵƉͲƚŽͲĚĂƚĞ ǁŝƚŚ ƐĐŝĞŶƚŝĨŝĐ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ ĂŶĚ ƌĞŐƵůĂƌůLJ ƌĞĂĚ ĂƌƚŝĐůĞƐ ŝŶ EĂƚƵƌĞ͕ EĞǁ ^ĐŝĞŶƚŝƐƚ ĂŶĚ ƐĐŝĞŶƚŝĨŝĐ ũŽƵƌŶĂůƐ͕ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ƉĂƌƚŝĐƵůĂƌ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ŝŶ ĐŽŶƐĞƌǀĂƚŝŽŶ ĂŶĚ ďŝƌĚ ŵŝŐƌĂƚŝŽŶ͘ /Ŷ ŵLJ ƐƉĂƌĞ ƚŝŵĞ͕ / ĞŶũŽLJ ŽƵƚĚŽŽƌ ĂĐƚŝǀŝƚŝĞƐ ůŝŬĞ ŚŝŬŝŶŐ͕ ƌƵŶŶŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ƐƵƌĨŝŶŐ͘

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 ĚĂŵ ^ŵŝƚŚ͗ ^ĞŶŝŽƌ >ĞĐƚƵƌĞƌ Ăƚ >:Dh͕ Ϭϭϱϭ Ϯϯϭ ϭϮϯϰ͕ Ă͘ƐŵŝƚŚϰϲΛůũŵƵ͘ĂĐ͘ƵŬ  ǀĞ ^ŵŝƚŚ͗ ŝƐƐĞƌƚĂƚŝŽŶ ƐƵƉĞƌǀŝƐŽƌ͕ Ϭϭϱϭ Ϯϯϭ ϵϴϳϲ͕ Ğ͘ƐŵŝƚŚϲϳΛůũŵƵ͘ĂĐ͘ƵŬ

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

48

GETTING THE JOB

Chronological CV 1 2 3 4

Bethany Doyle

32 Hatherley Road, Chester, CH3 3GF 07987 123 123, bethanydoyle@hotmail.co.uk I am a reliable, friendly and adaptable BSc (Hons) Zoology graduate with previous experience in both animal care and education settings. My employment, voluntary work and studies have helped me develop not only the required practical animal husbandry skills but also transferable skills in communication and customer service, time management, teamwork and creativity. I am looking to pursue a career working in zoo education or for a conservation charity and am keen to further develop my skills set as an Animal Care and Education Assistant at Chester Zoo.

Keep your personal details compact and ensure they are up to date.

2

If you include a personal profile on your CV, limit this to a few sentences and focus on key skills, relevant experience and interests for the specific role.

Personalise this introduction to your CV by including the organisation’s name and the job title.

3

List entries in this section in reverse chronological order, i.e. starting with the most recent. Using bold font will help your qualifications stand out clearly from the CV.

4

Include some relevant content from your degree, e.g. relevant module titles, practical work, guest lectures or site visits attended, research projects etc.

5

Just provide a brief summary of your GCSEs rather than listing all subjects.

6

Highlight your most relevant work experience (both paid and unpaid) prominently on your CV. Provide an overview of key duties, emphasising in particular any responsibilities that overlap with the role you are applying for. Also mention relevant skills you have developed or strengthened in each previous position.

7

Briefly list other employment and include a short summary of duties, skills and achievements.

Education and Qualifications 2015-2018  

Liverpool John Moores University BSc (Hons) Zoology (2:1 – 68%) Relevant modules included Animal Evolution and Diversity, Animal Behaviour, Animal Physiology, Animal Welfare, and Animal Learning and Cognition.

I completed a final-year research project on the effect of the female’s proximity on the male African Painted Dog’s (Lycaon pictus) behaviour in captivity. This study included conducting 30+ observations over several weeks in Chester Zoo and producing a detailed report, including relevant statistical analysis.

2013-2015

Reaseheath College Level 3 Extended Diploma in Animal Management This course covered the fundamental elements of animal management, including animal physiology, nutrition and diet, behaviour and welfare, as well as conservation and sustainable development. I also completed practical sessions in animal handling and husbandry, working with various species (including small mammals and amphibians), as well as assignments on animal legislation, behaviour and enrichment.

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2008-2013 St Mary’s High School, Chester  8 GCSE’s (grades B-C), including Science (BB), English (C) and Mathematics (C).

Relevant Experience Summer 2017 Erindi Private Game Reserve, Namibia - Volunteer  Working as part of a team of volunteers and permanent staff, I assisted with maintenance duties throughout the reserve, including fixing fences, clearing snares and removing alien vegetation. This developed my teamwork skills working in small teams of volunteers both for safety reasons and due to the physical nature of the work.  I was involved in feeding the captive animals and particularly enjoyed my visits to the elephant sanctuary, which improved my understanding of training techniques essential for monitoring the elephants’ behaviour and welfare.  Assisted senior keepers in delivering animal talks to visitors, which strengthened not only my public speaking skills but also my ability to confidently communicate with visitors from a range of countries and backgrounds.

May-September 2016 Welsh Mountain Zoo, Colwyn Bay – Keeper’s Assistant  Volunteering as a keeper’s assistant further improved my animal care and management skills, in particular with monkeys and primates such as lemurs, spider monkeys and chimpanzees. Duties included assisting zookeepers with preparing food and feeding animals, cleaning out cages and outdoor enclosures, monitoring animals’ behaviour and providing enrichment activities.

8

If you have carried out any additional voluntary work, include this in a separate section towards the end of your CV.

9

If you have space, briefly mention your interests and hobbies, focusing in particular on any that might be relevant for the role.

10

List details of two referees at the end of your CV (usually your current or most recent employer/a contact from voluntary work experience, and one academic). If you have run out of space, you can state “References available on request” instead.

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Due to my previous experience in zoo education, I was also given the opportunity to contribute to education activities and regularly assisted with the Penguin Parade and Chimp Encounter, delivering parts of the public talks about the animals and dealing with any questions.

I also assisted one of the education officers in updating the zoo’s educational trail materials and improved my understanding of linking these resources clearly to the national curriculum for key stages 2 and 3.

This role has strengthened my time management skills, as it was essential that I organised my various tasks on a daily basis and also demonstrates my adaptability to work across different teams within the zoo.

January-March 2016 Chester Zoo, Work Shadowing Education Officers  Based within the Discovery and Learning Team, I shadowed two experienced education officers, developing my understanding of the range of learning experiences on offer and observing a number of school visits, including a general KS1 workshop and a KS4 session on evolution. I enjoyed assisting the pupils to complete the activities and discussed the benefits of educational zoo visits with teachers.  I also learnt about the team’s work with the zoo rangers who deliver animal talks and exhibitions and sat in on a planning meeting to develop new activities for the summer period. This improved my insight into how the education officers interact and work cooperatively with other staff in the zoo.  I completed a short project on Chester Zoo’s conservation activities and produced an engaging fact sheet to promote recent projects to visitors.

Employment History 2016-present The Thomas Telford, Liverpool – Bar Staff  Working in this busy Wetherspoons pub, I was responsible for taking drink and food orders and providing a welcoming and effective service to customers. As an experienced member of part-time staff, I was trusted to assist in the training of new team members, which illustrates my leadership skills and maturity.

2013-2015 B&Q, Chester – Sales Assistant  My duties included serving customers on the till, which developed my cash handling and communication skills. I also helped out in the garden department, watering plants, reorganising stock and dealing with customer queries in a polite and timely manner.

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Voluntary Work

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2017-present WWF, Fundraiser  I have been volunteering as a fundraiser for the WWF on a number of campaigns, helping to staff stalls in city centre locations and local zoos and animal parks.

Interests In my spare time, I enjoy spending time outdoors walking and improving my wildlife photography skills as well as reading the BBC Wildlife Magazine. I keep fit through cycling, playing badminton and yoga.

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References

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

 

Academic: Dr Simon Fletcher, Personal Tutor at LJMU, 0151 231 5678, s.fletcher@ljmu.ac.uk.

Employer: Bethany Hawkins, Manager of The Thomas Telford, 0151 987 6543.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

GETTING THE JOB

49

Covering letter example A covering letter, which should be around a page of A4 in length, should always accompany your CV. As with the CV, the covering letter should be tailored to the role. If you can, find out the name of the person to send the application to. You should demonstrate that you have researched the organisation, explain why you want to work there, and draw the employer’s attention to the key skills and experience that are highlighted within your CV.

Norman Clarke Recruitment Manager Chester Zoo Upton-by-Chester CH2 1LH

32 Hatherley Road Chester CH3 3GF

25th October 2018

Dear Mr Clarke, As a recent BSc (Hons) Zoology graduate, I have been checking your vacancy pages regularly for the last couple of months and was excited to see that you are currently recruiting for an Animal Care and Education Assistant. Please find attached a copy of my CV for your consideration.

As you can see on my CV, I have studied a number of relevant modules which helped me develop the required knowledge for this position. In addition to carrying out observations of African Painted Dogs in Chester Zoo for my final-year project, I have completed a number of smaller research projects and observational visits to your zoo throughout my degree. For example, in my second year, I conducted research into the behavioural time budget of Giraffes at Chester Zoo, where I was able to link stereotypic behaviour and presence of enrichment. Thanks to my commitment to my studies and ability to complete all coursework to a high level, I graduated with a high 2:1 classification.

Alongside my studies, I have been proactive in gaining relevant work experience and have completed work shadowing and voluntary work in two zoos in the UK and a private game reserve in Namibia. The dual role you are currently recruiting for particularly appeals to me because it would allow me to pursue a career in zoo education while being able to carry on working with and caring for animals on a daily basis. Through my work experience at Chester Zoo and the Welsh Mountain Zoo, I have developed not only confident communication and public-speaking skills, but also a strong understanding of the role of zoo education activities. This will enable me to contribute effectively to your education programme, from general animal talks to workshops and curriculum-linked activities for schools. I am confident that the excellent teamwork skills I have developed through employment and volunteering would help me establish strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including teachers.

The aims for a modern zoo are conservation, education, research and recreation, and Chester Zoo delivers outstanding work in all of these areas. Its popularity and its aim to exhibit a wide range of animals has led to the zoo being named most popular visitor attraction in England outside of London for three years running in the past. I have grown up visiting Chester Zoo and have always admired the organisation’s commitment to improvement and innovation. I am particularly excited about your Islands site, which features the largest indoor zoo exhibit in the UK. Experiencing some of the most endangered species in their true environment in the Indonesian jungle house will further add to the visitor experience at Chester Zoo. I am confident that I would make a good addition to the Chester Zoo team, as I am a reliable graduate with a real passion for animals, who would like the opportunity to help educate the general public about animal conservation projects supported by Chester Zoo, from field projects like the Black Rhino and Asian Elephant Conservation projects, to fund-raising projects like “Go Orange for Orangutans”.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my application. I would love the opportunity to discuss my suitability for this role in more detail during an interview and look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely, Bethany Doyle

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

50

GETTING THE JOB

How to write effective

Application forms

INSTEAD OF A CV, MANY EMPLOYERS USE APPLICATION FORMS AS THE FIRST STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS. EMPLOYABILITY ADVISER ANJA HEID OFFERS SOME TIPS TO IMPRESS EMPLOYERS.

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Top tips for completing application forms Good preparation is essential! Where possible, read through the whole form before you start filling it in, so you can collect any relevant information you need to complete the form and decide on your most suitable evidence for each section.

Research the organisation thoroughly and analyse the person specification so you are familiar with the job requirements and can show employers that you have done your homework.

Avoid spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and text-speak. Some graduate recruiters reject more than half of all applications because of the poor standard of English on the application forms. For online applications, draft your answers in Word, and spellcheck them before copying and pasting onto the form. Ask a friend or family member to proofread your work.

Answer the questions! It can be tempting to use answers from previous application forms, but these might not cover all aspects required for a similar question. Read each question carefully and check that your response provides all the necessary details.

Keep within any given word limits.

Sell yourself! The application form might only be the first stage of the recruitment process, but if you are too modest or too unspecific in your answers, you are unlikely to make it to the next stage. Ensure your evidence is recent, relevant and tailored to reflect the skills and knowledge required for the role.

And finally, keep a copy of the completed application form. As you are likely to apply for a number of positions at the same time, it will be useful to have a record of each application to prepare for a potential interview or assessment centre.

An Employability Adviser says ...

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Some application forms use a list of specific, usually competency-based, questions to assess your suitability for the role, as well as some questions to explore your motivation and interest in working for the organisation. These could include questions like:

The supporting information/personal statement section is hugely important and should be tailored to the individual role, because this is where you need to convince the employer that you are the right candidate for the job and discuss why you would like to work for their organisation. Address the job requirements outlined on the person specification one by one and in the same order, providing convincing evidence for your suitability and including key words from the job advert.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

An employer says ...

❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚

❚❚

Describe a time when you have worked under pressure.

Give an example for when you failed to complete a project on time.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Please discuss a time when you have contributed positively to a team project.

Describe a situation when you have successfully communicated complex information.

At BP we live by the following values: Safety, Respect, Excellence, One Team, and Courage. Please give a specific example of a time when you have demonstrated one of these values in your extra-curricular activities.

Please explain why you have chosen to apply to Caterpillar and what has attracted you to your chosen discipline.

The best approach to answer these questions and to provide evidence for how you meet the selection criteria is the STAR technique.

“

5

Competency based questions

A structured application form which addresses the person specification and the job description makes it easy for the shortlisting panel to identify and score your evidence for each criterion. Due to the volume of applications employers receive for graduate and entrylevel roles, candidates whose personal statements do not clearly and systematically address all the essential criteria from the person specification are very unlikely to make it to the interview stage.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

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GETTING THE JOB

STAR technique example STAR is a simple strategy that will help you provide concise, focused answers on application forms and at interview. In the example below, a student has been asked to ‘describe a time when you have demonstrated excellent organisation skills’.

SITUATION (briefly describe the context for your example.

When was this? Where was this?):

When the club needed new equipment for the games room last year, I volunteered to take the leading role in raising £1,000 to buy a new pool table and games console in time for the summer holidays, which gave me six weeks to raise the required funds.

then recorded in my project plan. For example, I tasked one experienced volunteer to raise £200 from a bag packing event at a local supermarket for week five, while I put another in charge of organising the cake sale for our main fundraising event/open day in week six. I chaired a weekly team meeting to monitor progress and identify team members that needed help. For example, when one team member was struggling to secure raffle prizes, I set aside time within my schedule for the remaining weeks to contact local companies. Thanks to my excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills, I was able to persuade several businesses to donate vouchers or cash prizes.

ACTION (describe what you did to achieve the task, how you did it and what skills you used):

RESULT (briefly describe the outcome. What did you learn?

Would you do anything differently in hindsight?):

TASK (describe what you had to do. What were you hoping to achieve?):

First of all, I drafted a basic project plan to record my fundraising target and key tasks for each week. For example, my tasks for the first two weeks included recruiting volunteers to help me organise the fundraising and researching local events over the next couple of weeks to identify a suitable date for our open day. Once I had recruited a sufficient number of volunteers, I was able to allocate tasks and fundraising targets to each team member, which I

Our open day was a great success and we raised a total of £1,250 from this and the bag packing events in a local supermarket. I found it really beneficial to have taken on a leadership role for this project and have since volunteered to lead on academic projects as well.

The experience of organising the various aspects of this project has also strengthened my planning skills, and I have applied this to organising my academic work more effectively this year.

Help and support available to you..

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ONE TO ONE SUPPORT IN THE CAREERS ZONE Our Employability Advisers can give you tailored feedback and advice on draft application forms to help you sell yourself effectively to potential employers. Call into a Careers Zone or phone us on 0151 231 2048/3719 to arrange an appointment.

WORKSHOPS/WEBINARS Our ‘Effective Applications’ workshop and webinar will help you understand what employers are looking for in application forms, so you give yourself the best possible chance of getting to that all-important interview.

For dates of upcoming sessions, check our events website https://careers.ljmu.ac.uk

DOWNLOAD OUR CAREER MINI GUIDE Our mini guide on application forms provides lots more advice on how to tackle application forms and also includes a sample personal statement. Visit our Careers website www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers/ to download your copy.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

A student says ...

“

As a regular volunteer for my local youth club, I have been involved in organising a number of fundraising events.

The advice I have had from the Employability Advisers on my application forms has been really useful. They are friendly and professional, and the information I was given was hugely relevant.

I got specific and tailored feedback on which areas I needed to work on further, and this really helped me to improve my application.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

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GETTING THE JOB

How to succeed at

interviews

PREPARATION IS THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEW. CAREERS ADVISER HAYLEY FALLON EXPLAINS WHAT YOU CAN DO TO MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION AND BOOST YOUR CHANCES OF SUCCESS.

{

DID YOU KNOW? First impressions are crucial. Studies have shown that someone forms judgements about you within the first four minutes of meeting you. Give a good impression to your interviewer from the very first moment. Be on time, shake hands confidently, smile and introduce yourself. Walk tall, maintain eye contact, sit upright, talk clearly and be enthusiastic and positive.

{

Help and support available to you..

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ONE TO ONE SUPPORT IN THE CAREERS ZONE The prospect of attending an interview can be scary, but don’t panic!

Our Careers and Employability Advisers are on hand to provide tips on common interview questions to ensure you shine in the interview.

To arrange an appointment, call into a Careers Zone or phone us on 0151 231 2048/3719.

WORKSHOPS/WEBINARS Learn how to prepare effectively for interviews in our ‘Interview Success’ workshop and webinar. We cover typical questions, effective answers and how to impress prospective employers at interview. For dates of upcoming sessions, check our events website https://careers.ljmu.ac.uk

INTERVIEW SIMULATOR As part of our Careers Zone 24/7 online careers tools, you can test yourself with interactive questions on the interview simulator. Build up your confidence by taking a mock interview or learn about what makes an effective answer from experienced recruiters. You can access Careers Zone 24/7 via our Careers website www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers/

CAREER MINI GUIDE Our handy mini guide on ‘Preparing for Interviews’ summarises some key advice for before, during and after the interview, and introduces you to common interview questions. Visit our Careers website www. ljmu.ac.uk/careers/ to download your copy.

INTERVIEW PRACTICE SESSIONS Never had an interview before and don’t know what to expect? Beat your interview nerves by booking a practice interview with one of our advisers by calling into a Careers Zone or phoning us on 0151 231 2048/3719.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

Different types of interview ❚❚ Telephone - Initial employer call that eliminates candidates based on essential criteria. Successful applicants are usually invited to the one-to-one stage. ❚❚ Video - Whether through Skype, FaceTime or YouTube, this type of interview is increasingly popular for graduate roles in sales, media and marketing. They’re usually held during the initial screening process. ❚❚ One-to-one - Face-to-face encounter with one interviewer, after the organisation decides that you’ve got what it’s looking for. They’re usually formal, but can also take place over lunch. You could also be interviewed by different people at different times. ❚❚ Panel - Similar to one-to-one interviews, except two or more people - often from different parts of the organisation - will be assessing you at the same time. ❚❚ Group - Multiple candidates are interviewed together. They’re asked questions in turn, or discuss certain topics. ❚❚ Assessment centres - These involve tasks including presentations, written tests, and group, role-play and in-tray exercises. They’re used to assess a candidate’s performance in a range of situations, and last between one and three days. You’ll appear alongside several other candidates. Find out more about assessment centres on p.50.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

GETTING THE JOB

53

Before the interview Thorough preparation is the key to a successful interview. One of the main ways to prepare is to research: Research the organisation: This demonstrates how interested and enthusiastic you are about working for the organisation and will help you prepare some questions to ask them at the end. All employers will expect you to display some understanding of what they do and the sector in which they operate!

Research the job: Read the job advert and/or person specification.

Look at the organisation’s website or recruitment brochure to see which skills or attributes are mentioned. Use any opportunity to meet the recruiter and employees at careers fairs, on placement and other events, such as open days.

Research yourself: Think about your strengths and demonstrate self-awareness. What makes you the best candidate for the post?

Look at the job description and/or person specification and make sure you can give at least one positive example (preferably more) for each of the skills and attributes the employer is seeking.

Anticipate the questions: It is often possible to predict the kind of questions you may get by looking at the job description and/or person specification or the organisation’s key competencies and corporate values. These provide the selection criteria for the job and they will ask you questions in order to determine whether or not you have what it takes to do the job effectively and fit into the organisation.

Practical issues: Practical preparation can often be overlooked but don’t forget this when preparing for your interview. Plan your day so that you arrive as calm, collected and professional as you can be!

Find out what the format of the interview is. Where will it be? Do you need to take anything? What are you going to wear? Do you need overnight accommodation?

During the interview With thorough preparation, you are in a good position to respond effectively to questions and display knowledge of yourself, the job and the organisation.

When answering, avoid yes/no answers, seek clarification if needed, listen to the questions, be positive and use examples from different experiences.

Competency-based questions are commonly used to help interviewers gain a better understanding of your skills set and suitability for the role. These could include: ❙❙ Give an example for when you have used your communication skills to deal with a difficult person. ❙❙ Please discuss a time when you have demonstrated your ability to prioritise conflicting tasks effectively. ❙❙ Describe a situation when you have successfully led a team.

To give structure to your answers and provide clear evidence of your skills, the STAR technique is useful to help you focus your answers

and demonstrate your competencies to the recruiter. Please see the previous section on application forms for further details about STAR and an example.

Increasingly, graduate recruiters now use strength-based interviews, which allow them to explore what motivates you, whether you would fit into their organisation and whether you would enjoy the job. Questions are usually more open and give candidates more freedom in their answers than competency-based questions: ❙❙ What do you enjoy about working in a team? ❙❙ What motivates you? ❙❙ Would you be happy to compromise the quality of your work in order to deliver a project more quickly? ❙❙ What would people who know you well say you are good at? ❙❙ What modules did you enjoy the most during your degree studies?

Your responses should still reflect the required skills, personal attributes and organisational values, but ensure that your responses are natural and that your motivation shines through in all of your answers.

After the interview Learn from the experience. Note down some of the questions they asked. Were you satisfied with your answers or could you do better next time? This will help you prepare for the next stage of the process or get ready for interviews with other employers. If they don’t contact you when they said they would, or if it has been more than two weeks, phone the company and ask for an update.

If you have been unsuccessful, ask for feedback on your interview. Most recruiters will be happy to provide this, and although it might not all be positive, it is important to reflect on unsuccessful interviews to help you improve your technique.

Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs) The multiple mini interview (MMI) format means essentially that a candidate will be interviewed by more than one interviewer. With this kind of format, candidates will usually rotate around different tables or ‘stations’ where at each station they will face different types of questions.

Some MMIs (for example for dentistry or medicine) can include other types of exercises such as a role play or even a practical exercise. Usually a candidate’s time at each station will be timed so that the interview does not over-run.

Students who are applying for job opportunities within the science or healthcare sector would be most likely to face MMIs. For example, students may encounter the MMI format if applying for the following types of opportunities:

❙❙ The Scientist Training Programme (STP) ❙❙ Graduate entry dentistry or medicine courses ❙❙ Physician associate training courses

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

The above are just examples and not an exhaustive list, MMIs may occur in other interview situations as well.

During an MMI, it is likely that each interview station will assess a particular skill, quality or area of knowledge which the employer is looking for.

Therefore, each interview station usually has a theme and it is helpful if a candidate can recognise what each station is testing.

For example, for National Health Service (NHS) interviews e.g. for The Scientist Training Programme (STP), interviewers may use a ‘values based’ style of interviewing. This means that candidates will face questions which ask them to give examples of times when they have demonstrated a particular NHS value.

Therefore, it is important that prior to the interview that candidates familiarise themselves with the NHS Constitution and its values and behaviours: https:// www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/thenhs/about/Pages/nhscoreprinciples.aspx Please refer to our mini guide about MMIs on the Careers Team website for more information - www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

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GETTING THE JOB

Psychometric tests and assessment centres USE SCREENING TESTS AS

PART OF THEIR RECRUITMENT PROCESS AS RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT THEY ARE THE BEST SINGLE PREDICTOR OF PERFORMANCE AND GIVE AN EMPLOYER AN

OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT OF A CANDIDATE’S ABILITIES.

If your initial application is successful, psychometric tests are usually the next part of the screening process. If you successfully navigate them, you are then usually invited to an assessment centre or assessment day.

The two main types of psychometric tests used are ability tests (sometimes called aptitude tests) and personality questionnaires.

Ability tests are formal tests designed to indicate how well you are able to carry out various aspects of a job i.e. to show employers your potential to do a task well.

The tests are typically completed online and are usually a series of multiple choice questions taken under strict time limits.

The most common tests used by graduate recruiters are verbal tests, numerical tests, diagrammatic/abstract/logical/spatial reasoning tests, industry-specific tests and situational judgement tests.

Personality questionnaires look at behavioural preferences. They are not concerned with your abilities, but how you see yourself in terms of your personality; for example, the way you relate to others, and how you deal with feelings and emotions.

There are no rights or wrongs in behavioural style, so the best advice is to be honest in the way you answer the questions.

The next stage in the graduate recruitment process is usually an invitation to attend an assessment centre or selection centre event. Assessment centres are costly both in terms of financial outlay and staff resources so tend to be used mainly by larger organisations offering structured graduate training programmes.

“

A student says ...

Prepare yourself for each activity. There is plenty of information online and the practice tests on Careers Zone 24/7 of the Careers website is really helpful.

Preparation will give you the confidence you need to perform well in any situation. Always keep in mind the type of candidate the company is looking for and also the company’s strategy and values. This information will help you structure your answers well. You are always being assessed so try to talk with the other candidates, current graduates or the staff about relevant topics. Show interest in the company and the position. Be yourself and let the others be too.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

What happens at an assessment centre?

The assessment centre is generally a one day event held in a training centre, hotel, conference centre or the employer’s own premises. Other applicants who have been successful in the first round of the selection process will also be present, typically placed in groups of between six and eight candidates.

Assessment centres are usually designed to include exercises that measure you against key aspects of the job. By using a range of methods such as group exercises, further interviews, tests, presentations and intray exercises, the selectors will have a chance to examine your potential as an employee in their organisation more closely.

For all of the exercises make sure you understand the instructions or the written brief. If you are unclear, ask for clarification. The activities will have been devised to highlight the attributes they require for the particular role you have applied for. It is an intensive day during which you will be under constant scrutiny and formal and informal assessment, even at meal times.

An employer says ...

“

MOST LARGE ORGANISATIONS

The toughest part of our selection process is the online tests, but there are some simple ways you can certainly improve your chances. Make sure you practise the online tests several times – once or twice just isn’t enough and make sure you practise the tests that are used by the employer you are applying to – that is essential - but it certainly won’t hurt to try others. The tests may take longer than you expect/or are told so ensure you allow plenty of time. And finally don’t sit the tests just before the deadline. If you encounter any problems you may not have enough time to contact the employer and get the issue fixed before the closing date.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

GETTING THE JOB

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Help and support available to you..

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ONE TO ONE SUPPORT IN THE CAREERS ZONE For individual advice on preparing for psychometric tests and assessment centres, speak to our advisers. To arrange an appointment, call into a Careers Zone or phone us on 0151 231 2048/3719.

WORKSHOPS We offer psychometric testing practice sessions to help you ace your online tests. For dates of upcoming sessions, check our events website https://careers.ljmu.ac.uk

ASSESSMENT CENTRE TOOL AND PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS Looking to practise aptitude tests and assessment centre exercises? Head to our Careers website www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers, follow the link to Careers Zone 24/7, log in and get practising!

DOWNLOAD OUR CAREER MINI GUIDES For further advice on psychometric tests and assessment centres, visit our Careers website and download a copy of our handy mini guides - www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

Applying for a graduate scheme?

PRACTISE A RANGE OF TESTS USED BY GRADUATE EMPLOYERS DURING THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Use our assessment centre tool and our range of aptitude tests to get up to speed with tests used by graduate employers recruiting for graduate schemes APTITUDE TESTS INCLUDE:

❚ numerical ❚ verbal ❚ inductive ❚ diagrammatic ❚ logical ❚ situational judgement ❚ critical thinking ❚ error checking and e-tray exercises TO ACCESS THESE TOOLS GO TO 'CAREERS ZONE 24/7' ON THE LJMU CAREERS WEBSITE:

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

LJMU will be running a range of careers and recruitment fairs during the academic year. Students from any degree programme are welcome to attend any of these events Still undecided what career to pursue?

Careers fairs are designed to help you meet and network with employers and find out about career options.

Careers and Recruitment Fairs 2018/19

Need a placement or job?

Recruitment Fairs are designed to help you meet employers with job and placement vacancies to offer.

For more information about these events, including which employers are attending, and which students they are aimed at, visit:

careers.ljmu.ac.uk

SEMESTER 1

SEMESTER 2

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Staff and Student Volunteering Fair 3 October, 2pm-5pm, Byrom Street

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Staff and Student Volunteering Fair 27 February, 1pm-4pm, John Lennon Art and Design Building

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Faculty of Engineering and Technology Careers Fair 11 October, 9am-12pm, Adelphi Hotel

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Creative, Culture, Media and Arts Recruitment Fair 10 April, 1pm-3pm, John Lennon Art and Design Building

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Exploring Placements and Graduate Schemes 16 October, 10am-2pm, Redmonds Building

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Exploring Working with Children, Young People and with Vulnerable Adults 17 October, 2pm-4pm, Byrom Street

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Recruitment Fair 17 April, 10am-1pm, Byrom Street

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Business, Law, Humanities and Social Science Recruitment Fair 18 April, 10am-1pm, Redmonds Building

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Exploring Science-related Career Pathways 24 October, 2pm-4pm, Byrom Street

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Exploring Working in Creative Industries 14 November, 1pm-4pm, John Lennon Art and Design Building

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Exploring Careers in Sport 22 November, 1pm-4pm, Byrom Street

LJMU CAREERS TEAM

0151 231 2048/3719 || careers@ljmu.ac.uk

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers