Business Management CAREER INSIGHT
LJMU CAREERS TEAM 0151 231 2048/3719 â?š careers@ljmu.ac.uk
www2.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
Career Insight: Business Management
Introduction Studying towards a degree in Business Management will help you develop IT, analytical, interpersonal and problem-solving skills, which will put you in a good position to enter a variety of careers. Those who successfully complete the degree go on to start their own business, or secure careers in areas such as: marketing, sales, finance, human resources, IT, retail and general management. In recent years, securing a graduate role has become increasingly competitive, so gaining relevant work or voluntary experience and engaging in extracurricular activities alongside your studies is crucial to demonstrate to prospective employers that you have the motivation to succeed in your chosen area and have developed the required skills. Researching different career pathways and entry requirements is essential preparation for your graduate career, so ensure you make the most of available resources, attend career events or employer talks, and take every opportunity to network with professionals to find out as much as possible about the career areas that interest you. You could also consider setting up a LinkedIn profile and following relevant organisations and vacancy sites on Twitter.
Job options Your programme is designed to give you knowledge of key business functions such as: marketing, finance, operations management and human resources. You could start exploring typical job options via the web links below: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/marketing_executive_job_description.htm http://www.prospects.ac.uk/public_relations_officer_job_description.htm http://www.prospects.ac.uk/management_consultant_job_description.htm http://www.prospects.ac.uk/chartered_accountant_job_description.htm http://www.prospects.ac.uk/chartered_management_accountant_job_description.htm http://www.prospects.ac.uk/financial_adviser_job_description.htm http://www.prospects.ac.uk/financial_manager_job_description.htm http://www.prospects.ac.uk/retail_banker_job_description.htm http://www.prospects.ac.uk/human_resources_officer_job_description.htm http://www.prospects.ac.uk/recruitment_consultant_job_description.htm http://www.prospects.ac.uk/systems_analyst_job_description.htm http://www.prospects.ac.uk/it_sales_professional_job_description.htm http://www.prospects.ac.uk/logistics_and_distribution_manager_job_description.htm http://www.prospects.ac.uk/purchasing_manager_job_description.htm http://www.prospects.ac.uk/retail_manager_job_description.htm http://www.prospects.ac.uk/retail_buyer_job_description.htm
The following links provide further information regarding job sectors that may interest you: Graduate careers in business, marketing, advertising and PR http://www.prospects.ac.uk/business_consulting_and_management_sector.htm https://targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors/management-and-business http://www.prospects.ac.uk/marketing_advertising_pr_sector.htm
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Career Insight: Business Management
https://targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors/marketing-advertising-and-pr Retail and sales http://www.prospects.ac.uk/retail_sector.htm https://targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors/retail-buying-and-merchandising http://www.prospects.ac.uk/sales_sector.htm https://targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors/sales HR and recruitment http://www.prospects.ac.uk/recruitment_hr_sector.htm https://targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors/hr-and-recruitment Information technology and information services http://www.prospects.ac.uk/information_technology_sector.htm https://targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors/it-and-technology Accountancy, banking and finance http://www.prospects.ac.uk/accountancy_banking_and_finance_sector.htm https://targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors/accountancy-and-financial-management https://targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors/financial-services-and-insurance https://targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors/investment-banking-and-investment http://www.directions.org.uk/careers/ The suggestions listed here are by no means exhaustive, so we would encourage you to consider other relevant options e.g. based on previous work or voluntary experience, skills and interests. To explore job options by sector, check http://www.prospects.ac.uk/types_of_jobs.htm. You can also use career planning tools like http://www.prospects.ac.uk/myprospects_planner_login.htm and https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-report to generate initial career ideas. Ensure you check entry requirements for each area e.g. will you need a degree in a specific subject? Is a 2:1 degree classification essential? Does the employer offer support to study towards professional qualifications through relevant industry associations like the Chartered Institute of Marketing? Is any specific work experience required? We also recommend that you download a copy of our “Planning your Career” guide from the Careers Team website at https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/Careers/123871.htm this includes a list of useful questions to help you explore your career options and introduces you to the DOTS model to help you with your career planning.
Main employers Large employers in the public sector e.g. the civil service, local government and the NHS offer graduate training schemes: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/civil-service-fast-stream http://www.ngdp.org.uk/ http://www.nhsgraduates.co.uk/ Many large private companies also run graduate schemes, which enable you to train in a specific specialism. Some links to further information about a number of graduate programmes with employers from a range of industries are listed below, but we would advise you to research additional employers from the sectors you are particularly interested in.
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Career Insight: Business Management
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Jaguar Land Rover: http://www.jaguarlandrovercareers.com/jlr-roles/graduate/
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Enterprise Rent-a-Car: https://www.enterprisealive.co.uk/
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Royal Bank of Scotland: https://www.rbsbankyoubuild.com/graduates/graduate-opportunities
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KPMG: http://www.kpmgcareers.co.uk/graduates/graduate-programmes
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Tesco: http://www.tesco-graduates.com/graduate-programmes/
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Aldi: https://www.aldirecruitment.co.uk/graduate
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GlaxoSmithKline: http://futureleaders.gsk.com/en-gb/our-programmes/
Useful links and websites LJMU Vacancy website http://ljmu.prospects.ac.uk/ Prospects - Careers information and graduate jobs http://www.prospects.ac.uk/ Targetjobs - Careers information and graduate jobs https://targetjobs.co.uk/ Milkround - Graduate jobs, placements & internships http://www.milkround.com/ Jobs in the public sector http://www.lgjobs.com/ http://www.jobsgopublic.com/ Graduate to Merseyside - Graduate placements in small/medium-sized businesses in Merseyside http://www.graduatetomerseyside.co.uk/ Graduate Talent Pool - Graduate internship opportunities http://graduatetalentpool.direct.gov.uk/ Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development - HR news and jobs; details about membership and qualifications www.cipd.co.uk Personnel Today - HR vacancies and news www.personneltoday.com People Management - HR news and vacancies http://www.cipd.co.uk/pm/
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Career Insight: Business Management
Recruitment and Employment Confederation - professional body representing the recruitment industry http://www.rec.uk.com/home Chartered Institute of Marketing http://www.cim.co.uk/Home Brand Republic http://www.brandrepublic.com/ Marketing Week - marketing magazine with job search facility http://www.marketingweek.com/ Chartered Institute of Public Relations - information about careers in PR http://www.cipr.co.uk/careers Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply http://www.cips.org/en-GB/ Professional bodies for accountancy http://www.accaglobal.com http://www.cimaglobal.com/ http://www.icaew.com/ http://www.cipfa.org/ https://www.aat.org.uk/ eFinancialCareers - Information about careers in the finance sector www.efinancialcareers.co.uk/ Retail Week - retail vacancies and news http://www.retail-week.com/
Follow relevant companies/websites through Twitter for example:
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@LJMUCareers
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@Prospects @ProspectsJobs
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@targetjobsUK
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@CIPR_UK
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@prjobsuk
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@CIMinfo
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@BrandRepublic
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@retailweek
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@CIPD
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@cipsnews
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@AccountancyAge
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Career Insight: Business Management
Sources of work experience Download our mini-guide on “Making yourself employable whilst at University” from https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/Careers/123871.htm for an overview of the different types of work experience available and some general suggestions about finding work experience opportunities. LJMU has been managing a summer internship programme for Level 5 students in recent years, so keep an eye on your LJMU inbox for details of any opportunities. Many large organisations/companies offer summer internship opportunities or year-long sandwich placements. These are generally advertised on websites like Prospects, Targetjobs or Milkround, as well as on the organisations’ own websites – opportunities are also advertised on the Careers Team’s vacancy website http://ljmu.prospects.ac.uk and on www.ratemyplacement.co.uk. Many placement schemes are open to students from any degree discipline. Check your eligibility before making an application e.g. some summer placements are specifically aimed at penultimate year students. Application deadlines for sandwich placements and summer internships can be as early as October/November for a start date between June and August the following year, so start your research early to ensure you don’t miss out on relevant opportunities! Applications for summer internships or year-long placements with large employers are very competitive, so involvement in extracurricular activities, previous work experience or voluntary work can give you the edge over other candidates. It’s never too early to start getting involved in clubs and societies or to gain work experience, so explore relevant options early on in your studies. Many societies/clubs through LiverpoolSU have co-ordinator/officer positions which could be an excellent opportunity to gain valuable/relevant experience which can significantly enhance your employability. There are also opportunities as a student brand manager or on-campus promoter (these are usually paid positions). Companies recruiting brand managers on behalf of clients like Aldi, Virgin, the Guardian or the Foreign and Commonwealth Office include http://campusindustries.co.uk/ and http://www.oncampuspromotions.co.uk/. 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. You might, for example, consider contacting a local PR/marketing consultancy (depending on your career interests) as a starting point. Once you have some initial career ideas, undertaking work experience or voluntary work in these areas can be a great way not only to find out whether this role would be right for you but also to build up a network of professionals and organisations in your chosen sector, which can often lead to further work experience or even a full-time role after graduating. Before contacting organisations about work shadowing or work experience opportunities, make sure you research the organisation and find out the best person to get in touch with. It is important that you demonstrate that you are interested in the organisation and have spent some time finding out what they do. Even when applying to secure work experience for the first time in a particular industry, show the employer what you have to offer e.g. briefly outline any relevant skills or knowledge gained from your course. Look at the skills listed under entry requirements in the occupational profiles on Prospects http://www.prospects.ac.uk/types_of_jobs.htm and try to evidence these on your CV, drawing on examples from your course, work experience or extra-curricular activities to demonstrate how you developed these. Useful websites to research a range of voluntary opportunities include https://do-it.org/ and http://www.liverpoolguild.org/volunteering. You could also contact LJMU Volunteering Manager Chris Prescott on 0151 904 6356 or c.j.prescott@ljmu.ac.uk to enquire about current opportunities. It is also worth researching relevant organisations/charities and contacting them directly to find out about voluntary roles on offer.
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Career Insight: Business Management
Recruitment schedule Recruitment cycles and deadlines will vary depending on the type of work you are applying for. Again, research is key to ensure that you do not miss relevant opportunities. As a rule of thumb, the selection process takes longer in larger organisations, as they tend to receive a higher number of applications and use several different stages to reduce the number of potential candidates. As a result, application deadlines can be as early as October/November in your final year of study for a start date in August or September of the following year. If you are considering postgraduate study, find out if there are any specific closing dates for applications by contacting relevant universities directly. Many graduate training schemes with large companies will accept applications from students of any degree background. If you are interested in these roles, you will need to be aware of the recruitment cycle. Many employers begin the graduate recruitment process during the autumn term for final-year students – some placements are advertised then as well. Most closing dates are in November and December, but some are earlier so it is important to start researching companies that you want to apply to early on. The application process for graduate training schemes usually involves completing an online application form, which may require you to answer ‘competency based questions’. This may be followed by psychometric tests, a telephone interview and an assessment centre. You may also need to submit your CV. Most of the large recruiters have a section on the student/graduate pages of their website that outlines the different steps of their selection process, so check these to find out what is required. For more information about graduate schemes, download the ‘Graduate Schemes’ guide from https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/Careers/123871.htm. The Careers Team runs its “Graduate Schemes Uncovered” workshop on a regular basis – please check our events pages on https://worldofwork.ljmu.ac.uk/events/ for details. Many of these opportunities are advertised in the Prospects Student Career Guide and the Targetjobs directories (available from the Careers Zone) and on websites such as Prospects, Milkround and Targetjobs – also check organisations’ own websites. You may also find work through small and medium-sized enterprises/businesses (SMEs). These types of companies don’t usually have structured training schemes but will recruit ‘as required’. Depending on previous experience, you might find yourself applying for entry-level roles on an administrator grade at first i.e. job titles like HR assistant, marketing administrator, accounts assistant; but once you have gained experience in one of these roles this should open up opportunities for promotion within your organisation, or give you the required experience to apply for higher-grade positions with other employers. Some SMEs may use their own application form but most applications will be by CV and covering letter. These positions will be advertised on company websites, relevant recruitment websites, the Job Centre and national and local newspapers. The ‘creative’ or ‘speculative’ approach to job hunting, outlined above, is also important when looking for graduate roles. Making contacts and approaching organisations speculatively to look for work is a common route into employment. For more information about the speculative approach to job hunting, download a copy of our guide to ‘The Hidden Jobs Market’ from https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/Careers/123871.htm. You can get advice about the recruitment process by booking a one-to-one appointment with a careers or employability adviser (call us on 0151 231 8099 (select option 1) to arrange this) or you can attend relevant workshops in the Careers Zones.
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Career Insight: Business Management
Examples of employment destinations (LJMU Business Management graduates): •
Graduate Trainee-Redrow Homes
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Trainee Project Officer-Liverpool City Council
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Graduate Management Trainee-Home Bargains
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Account Manager-Daily Telegraph
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Acting HR Advisor-Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust
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Recruitment Consultant-Code Resources Ltd
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Management Trainee-Enterprise Rent-A-Car
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Operations Manager-Royal Mail
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Marketing and PR Assistant-Clogau Gold
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Events Officer-National Prescribing Centre
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Trainee Accountant-Gwyn Thomas & Co
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Trainee Buyer-Thermo Fisher
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Purchasing Manager-JW Kane Precision Engineering Ltd
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Logistics Planner-Airbus UK
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IT Strategy Analyst-Department for Work and Pensions
Key events and networking • • •
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Liverpool Careers Fair: usually held in the autumn and spring of each year, see fairs website http://www.liverpoolfairs.org.uk/ for additional events Manchester Careers Fairs: open to students and graduates from any university; check http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/students/events/ for details Careers and Employability events at LJMU: Keep an eye on our events pages at https://worldofwork.ljmu.ac.uk/events/ for details of upcoming employability workshops, networking sessions and employer talks. You might be interested in the “Pursuing a career in clinical psychology” session we usually run once per semester. LiverpoolSU Clubs and Societies: http://ljmu.unioncloud.org/groups#club-society LinkedIn: You could also consider setting up a LinkedIn account (http://www.linkedin.com/) to network online with professionals and organisations in your chosen industry
Other information LJMU Enterprise Fellowship Programme – Support for LJMU students and graduates interested in starting up their own business. Further details can be found here: http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/startup/ including eligibility, timescales and training dates.
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Career Insight: Business Management
Careers Zone Our campus-based Careers Zones are based in the reception area of James Parsons Building at Byrom Street, in Aldham Robarts Library and in IM Marsh Library. Call in for help with any careers enquiries, to book an appointment with our advisers, pick up careers guides and resources, meet employers, book a practice interview and much more.
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Career Insight: Business Management
Notes
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Š 2017. Liverpool John Moores University. The content of this document is copyright material of Liverpool John Moores University. No part of this document may be reproduced or distributed without prior written permission of the copyright owner.
Career Insight: Business Management
Notes
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