FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY CAREER PLANNING GUIDE by LJMUCareers

career planning guide

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

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

CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Faculty of Engineering and Technology

Careers Fair

I WOULD RECOMMEND ATTENDING THE EMPLOYER DAY LJMU HOLDS IN OCTOBER. NOT ONLY ARE YOU ABLE TO SPEAK TO THE COMPANIES THAT YOU COULD APPLY TO BUT ALSO NETWORK WITH PROFESSIONALS. I WAS OFFERED A GRADUATE INTERVIEW STRAIGHT AWAY JUST FROM ATTENDING THIS EVENT AND WAS THEN OFFERED A JOB PRIOR TO ALL THE OTHER COMPANIES STARTING THEIR APPLICATION PROCESS.

Kathryn Leith, Quantity Surveying

Meet and network with employers and discuss graduate and placement opportunities

11 October 2018, 9am-12pm Adelphi Hotel, Ranelagh St, Liverpool, L3 5UL

www.ljmu.ac.uk/about-us/events/fet-employer-day Keep an eye on your emails for further information CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

What’s in this guide ...

WHAT’S IN THIS GUIDE

CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE Architectural engineering Architectural technology Building services engineering Building surveying Facilities management Construction management Quantity surveying Real estate management Project management

5 5 6 7 8 8 10 11 11

Civil engineering Information technology Multimedia and design Software development Consulting and IT services Cyber security and forensics Computer games and animation Teaching Mathematics and data science

12 14 16 18 19 19 22 24 25

Mechanical and marine engineering Maritime and logistics (Management, Transport and Logistics, Maritime Business Management, Maritime Studies, Nautical Science) Electronic and electrical engineering Product design engineering Audio and music production

27 31 33 36 37

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 Student skills support and sandwich placement support in the faculty

38 39 40 41 42 44 46 47 48 49

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

56 62 64 66

Introduction Today’s engineers and technologists play an increasingly important role in the future of the UK and the world. In our Faculty, we are engineering our future in building a community of smart and creative problem solvers devoted to issues in sustainability, energy, healthcare and the environment. Our vision is to prepare our students at all levels to be the leaders of the future. The high impact of our research into society and industry is embedded within our learning and teaching. We equip our undergraduate and postgraduate students with advanced skills and expertise that put them in a highly competitive position. In short, we educate students for a prosperous future. Our students are involved in many aspects of campus life, the honours programmes, entrepreneurship, study abroad and industrial placements in high-tech companies. Our research centres and institutes, with state of the art facilities in Engineering, Maritime, Computer Science, Mathematics and the Built Environment, provide unique research and learning opportunities for students at all levels. I encourage our students to fully embrace and take advantage of this rich learning environment by accessing the careers support on offer to you within LJMU. Our faculty’s strong interaction with industry ensures relevancy in classrooms and research labs. Every year, over 85% of our graduates obtain professional jobs that support our mission of building solutions for healthy people, a strong economy and a sustainable environment.

PROFESSOR AHMED AL-SHAMMA’A, DEAN, FACULTY OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

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.

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CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Introduction STUDENTS FROM THE FACULTY OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY HAVE A WEALTH OF CAREER OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO THEM The Faculty of Engineering and Technology includes courses from a wide range of disciplines including construction, property, design, engineering, information technology, mathematical, and maritime-related and offers a number of opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience to improve their employability. Achieving career success does require you to be proactive from an early stage. This may involve researching different career pathways and entry requirements, making the most of available career resources, attending career events or employer talks and so on. To get you started we have

provided you with a brief overview of careers in sectors related to your degree alongside a selection of case studies of current and former students. The information is intended as an introduction and you can find a much more detailed overview of careers related to your degree in our ‘Career Insights’ that are available on the resources page of our website (www. ljmu.ac.uk/careers). Many of the courses within the Faculty are fully recognised and accredited by the relevant professional bodies which ensures graduates are well on the way to develop a successful career both in the UK and worldwide.

Your Careers Adviser: Andy Byrne

Key websites There are a wide range of organisations that recruit students from these courses and it is recommended that you regularly access the following sites to explore the opportunities available: ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers - LJMU Careers website www.gradcracker.com – Careers website with a large focus on engineering, construction and technology-related placements and graduate jobs. www.targetjobs.co.uk – Careers website covering all subjects www.prospects.ac.uk - Careers website covering all subjects

After briefly flirting with roles within Human Resources, I have worked within a careers service for 18 years, firstly managing a placement service to students and local employers and then as a Careers Adviser linked to the Faculty of Engineering and Technology. I undertook a sandwich placement as part of my academic studies and would recommend this as a fantastic opportunity to gain an insight into the world of work, develop key skills, build contacts and build confidence. The information over the following pages will provide an introduction to the wide variety of career opportunities available to students and it may surprise you to know that around two thirds of graduate vacancies are open to graduates of any degree discipline. To book an appointment, call into the Careers Zone in Byrom Street or call 0151 231 2048. You can also follow me on Twitter where I post relevant job opportunities and sector news @AByrneLJMU

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Departments of Built Environment & Civil Engineering The construction sector accounts for 2.7 million jobs in the UK and over the next five years the sector will create over 150,000 new jobs according to the UK Construction Skills Network. Fuelled by demand for approximately 300,000 new homes across the UK each year and the Nuclear New Build programme, the near future remains optimistic for the construction sector. Infrastructure works are driving growth throughout the UK and will continue to do so over the next decade. Within the North West infrastructure is predicted to be the best performing sector over the next 5 years with major projects including the £250m Rimrose Valley scheme and a new £60m junction on the M56. Both the private and public housing sectors are also likely to grow including a number of schemes in Manchester and Sefton. Studying towards a construction or property-related degree provides fantastic opportunities worldwide and the skills you develop are in high demand across a wide range of sectors. However, there is still no guarantee of a job after completion of your studies and employers put a great deal of emphasis on getting hands-on experience in addition to your degree. Take advantage of opportunities to visit construction sites and projects, join the LJMU Civil and Construction Society and also explore placement and work experience opportunities to help improve your employability.

Department of Built Environment Careers in architectural engineering Architectural engineers apply engineering principles to the planning, design and construction of buildings and other structures. This can encompass elements of other disciplines, including mechanical and electrical engineering. Architectural engineers work with architects and other engineers to design, construct, and maintain buildings. Their responsibilities can vary, from focusing on specific issues such as making sure a structure can withstand extreme weather conditions like hurricanes, to ensuring buildings are as energy-efficient as possible. You will develop a number of practical key skills that will make you an attractive prospect to employers, such as, CAD skills, sustainability awareness, and a sound knowledge of structural engineering principles. As this is a relatively new course there are no graduates yet

from LJMU but it is expected that you will undertake roles such as architectural engineer, architectural consultant, structural engineer, civil engineer, or project engineer, for example, with large multi-disciplinary organisations. Architectural Engineering graduates are employed around the world with consulting engineers, architectural practices, contractors, public authorities and manufacturers.

Careers in architectural technology Architectural technologists are responsible for transforming an architect’s design into reality and are involved in the whole life cycle of a building project from initial design ideas through to building completion. They are the crucial link between an architectural concept and the construction process, and, as such, they need specialist knowledge of building design, construction technology, post-occupation performance of buildings, contracts and professional practice. They also need skills in both manual drawing techniques and using computer aided 2D and 3D design packages. Architectural technologists are recognised within the construction industry as being able to manage all aspects of the project from the initial designs to contract management and the post-completion phases. A wide range of employment opportunities exist in all areas of the UK, and typical employers include:

❙❙ architectural practices; ❙❙ town planners; ❙❙ building and construction firms;

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housing corporations; local authorities; property developers; banks and building societies and the property departments of retailers.

Self-employment and freelance work can be an option for those with experience working in partnership with other construction professionals. Previous LJMU graduates from the course have gone on to architectural technologist roles with a wide range of employers including architectural practices and other construction and property-related organisations. Some graduates have branched out into other design roles or undertaken other roles within the construction environment such as project and site management or working in conservation roles.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Graduate Case Study DARREN BUCKLEY GRADUATED FROM THE ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY COURSE IN 2015 AND SECURED A ROLE AT PAUL DANSON IN MANCHESTER… What does your job involve?

I secured an Architectural Technologist position at an interior design company in Manchester. The company has worked on restaurants such as The Smugglers Cove, The Botanist, The Oust house and a full architectural and interior design of the recently built Club House in Liverpool One. My role involves producing a range of highly detailed drawing packages for various projects running at the same time, including floor plans, interior elevations and technical details to ensure that all specifications are accurately distributed to all relevant contractors. I liaise with contractors, suppliers and clients regarding any design changes and ensure these are completed to their needs. I measure how much material is required on site such as timber, floor finishes and ceiling finishes. I also take part in site meetings and site surveys to collect information such as dimensions and listed building conditions, as well as attend site meetings during construction stages. After 10 months, I have now progressed to a more senior role leading my own projects.

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

Ensure that you have a CV which is specifically aimed towards architectural technology, highlighting the skills and personality traits which can benefit the company. Feel confident during the interviews and ensure you are aware of all the building regulations as this is a topic some companies will question you about. Produce a high quality portfolio with A2 or A1 drawings demonstrating your ability using AutoCAD/ Revit/ Sketching/ Photoshop to show your level of technical drawing through concept designing to technical detailing, utilising the layers and line weights tools to ensure the drawings are to a professional standard. Researching the company before an interview helps develop an interest in the work they do and helps you to ask questions. Set up a LinkedIn account as soon as you start the course. LinkedIn is a great website to establish a professional profile to highlight skills and also search for jobs. I get contacted regularly by recruitment specialists viewing my profile.

Careers in building services engineering

There is a growing emphasis on sustainability and building services engineers are at the cutting-edge of designing, developing and managing new technologies that help to reduce the carbon emissions of a building. There is a national shortage of welltrained building services engineers and while the role increasingly demands a multidisciplinary approach, some building services engineers choose to specialise in a certain area, such as: electrical engineering; facade engineering; mechanical engineering; public

health; sustainable and renewable energy. Opportunities exist within small and large national building services engineering consultancies and contractors, major house building companies advising on energyefficient design and also in the public sector with local authorities and government agencies. You could find yourself working as a consultant within a professional team or in contracting where you would develop consultants’ schemes into working practical installations.

At Laing O’Rourke we focus on potential and passion. We look for candidates who can demonstrate a real enthusiasm for our industry, from application stage to final assessment. Showing you are motivated by a career in construction is one of the key things that will make you stand out.

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Modern living depends upon the engineering services that are an integral part of buildings, and these systems consume a significant percentage of the energy used in the UK. Building services engineers operate as part of a professional team alongside architects, structural engineers, quantity surveyors and other construction professionals to ensure that buildings continue to function efficiently while de-carbonising the energy supply. Building services engineers design, install and maintain the services that are needed to allow the building to do what it is designed to. These services include heating, lighting, power and supply, lifts and escalators, health and safety, acoustics and security.

Alexandra Watson, Early Attraction & Selection Manager, Laing O’Rourke

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Careers in building surveying Today building surveyors are involved in the whole lifecycle of a building – design, management, surveys, restoration and maintenance – and they provide professional advice on property and construction, which spans across residential, commercial, industrial, leisure and agriculture projects. The nature of the work may range from the design of large, multimillion-pound structures to modest adaptations and repairs, and sometimes includes working with buildings of architectural or historic importance. As such, the work of a building surveyor is incredibly varied and often straddles the divide between construction professionals and general practice surveyors. Building surveyors often work on preventative measures to keep buildings in good condition and look to make buildings sustainable. As a chartered building surveyor, you could work in the private, corporate, public or voluntary sectors. Typical employers include:

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specialised private practices, e.g. surveying firms, specialist property consultancies and construction companies; central government, e.g. valuation office; local government, e.g. local authorities; large property-owning organisations, such as housing associations, retailers, leisure groups etc; public-private organisations; loss adjusters

It is also possible for building surveyors to become self-employed and set up their own private practice after gaining relevant

experience. RICSaccredited qualifications in surveying are recognised worldwide and with a range of international property and construction firms, there are opportunities to work abroad. The nature of the course ensures that LJMU graduates undertake a wide range of roles after completing their studies. In addition to undertaking the expected building surveyor role, graduates have also undertaken the following roles: building control officer, technical surveyor, quantity surveyor, facilities manager, property manager, project manager, and energy consultant. Employers of graduates have included Amey, Arcadis, Atkins, Bruntwood, Deloitte, DTZ, Faithful & Gould, GVA, Malcolm Hollis, Mott MacDonald, Rider Levett Bucknall and Wakemans, as well as a number of local authorities and housing associations.

Placement Case Study CHRISTOPHER TIGHE GRADUATED FROM THE BUILDING SURVEYING COURSE IN SUMMER 2018 AND COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT AT ARCUS What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? My role at Arcus was an Assistant Building Surveyor. The team I was working with was relatively small so I was given more senior tasks than a placement student may usually do. My main roles were varied throughout the placement and included: ❙❙ Preparing tender documents ❙❙ Producing CAD drawings ❙❙ Chairing meetings ❙❙ Taking and drafting meeting minutes ❙❙ Communication with clients and contractors ❙❙ Measured surveys ❙❙ Condition surveys ❙❙ Topographical surveys ❙❙ Drainage designs ❙❙ Arranging and attending CPD sessions ❙❙ Attending corporate events What did the application process involve? How did you prepare for each stage? Arcus was recommended to me by a family friend and I emailed the HR manager with my CV and covering letter which resulted in me being invited to interview. There were a number of applicants throughout the day, some from my course and some external. With having a background in construction and surveying I was able to reflect upon my experience and apply them to the placement role. I am fairly confident when it comes to interviews and I believe this shone through. How do you feel that the placement has benefitted you? The placement has been a massive benefit to me. Going into my last year with 1 year of industry experience has assisted with my studies immensely. By using various placement projects as reference points

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I have achieved excellent grades. The placement experience at Arcus has also assisted me in progressing to interview stage for graduate schemes with firms such as: CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield, Colliers, Malcolm Hollis & Rider Levett Bucknall. What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? The main piece of advice I would offer to students would be to expect the competition to be high when applying for placements and that you need to prove to the employer that you will fit the bill and be best suited to the position. Carry out voluntary work in industry if possible as this enhances your knowledge, shows you are willing to learn and improves the basic skills needed in industry when it comes to communication, time management and experience in an office environment etc. Getting through to the interview stage proves that the company obviously sees something of interest in you, so as well as doing research on the firm and preparing for the interview it is important to remember that it is also an assessment of your personality to see whether you would also fit in with the team. As a result it is important to be as genuine and as confident as possible. If I was a first year student again I would have started doing voluntary work in industry a lot earlier as this only begun in second year, and this definitely separates you from the competition. What are your plans for after graduation – work, travel or further study? I have been offered a Graduate Building Surveyor training scheme at RLB and will be relocating to London in September 2018.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Placement Case Study RHYS MONTGOMERY GRADUATED FROM THE BUILDING SURVEYING COURSE IN SUMMER 2018 AND COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT AT THE HOUSE OF COMMONS What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? My job title whilst on placement was a Student Project Leader based at the Westminster Estate. On a daily basis I assisted the project leader and senior project leader on projects, for example the £29m refurbishment of Big Ben. I managed a team of external consultants ensuring projects ran smoothly and on target. An example of a responsibility I had was contract administration – ensuring a project was at a certain stage and releasing money to contractors. Another task involved stakeholder management – liaising with a wide range of people including MPs, Lords, and catering teams. I kept stakeholders up-to-date about works and gained permission for works to be carried out.

I now know what I’m talking about in terms of project management as the placement helped me to develop a lot of PM skills, including – managing and encouraging a team. I was able to experience looking after huge budgets for multi-million projects. I developed confidence in a professional environment and the placement helped me to improve and mature. I was offered 4 different graduate roles in my final year and the placement directly influenced this.

What did the application process involve? The initial application involved an application form and I was then invited for interview which focussed on situational questions with a few technical questions. To prepare, I researched into the type of surveying that would take place at the House of Commons and spoke to my Careers Adviser for interview advice.

What help or support did you access from the Careers Team? I received support with my application and interview preparation from my Careers Adviser, Andy Byrne, in the Careers Zone in Byrom Street. I’m not sure if I’d be where I am without this help on my application

How do you feel that the placement has benefitted you? Hugely. In terms of my studies, all of my marks in final year have been a first which was a huge improvement on my first year results.

What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? I didn’t originally consider a placement but I would definitely encourage students to consider one and listen to the benefits in terms of your final grade and your employability

Have you secured a graduate role? I have accepted a position working as an Assistant Project Manager with Bond Davidson, a consultancy firm based in London.

Careers in facilities management Facilities management involves the co-ordination of both technical and general services to ensure that a building runs smoothly. There has been an increasing demand for specialist facilities services which has resulted in opportunities for facilities managers. In this diverse role, facilities managers make sure that an organisation has the most suitable working environment for its employees and their activities. Facilities managers are involved in both strategic planning and day-to-day operations in areas such as: building and grounds maintenance; health and safety; procurement and contract management; security; and utilities and communications infrastructure. Opportunities exist in all sectors and industries which can result in a diverse range of job titles – operations, estates, technical services, asset or property manager. Example employers could be in either the public, private or nonprofit sectors such as hospitals, schools and colleges, local councils, shops and business parks, stadiums or specialist facilities management providers and consultancies.

Careers in construction management Construction management is concerned with the design and construction of buildings and has become more complex as technology and the mechanisation of the building process have developed. Construction managers control and co-ordinate activities on site to ensure that construction work is completed on time and to budget. They schedule when work is done and complete quality control checks to ensure that all operatives on site adhere to high standards of work. They have to consider logistics, health and safety, environmental concerns, sustainable development, and the impact on close neighbours and the general public. They typically work for large construction organisations, providing different services including construction management-specific or design-and-build offerings. Construction managers typically get involved with a project right from day one on site when ground is broken and they carry on right through until the building is completed, usually handing over to facilities managers. The nature of the course ensures that LJMU graduates undertake a wide range of roles after completing their studies. In addition to undertaking the traditional site management roles, graduates have also undertaken the following roles: project manager, site engineer, asbestos surveyor, building services engineer, assistant building manager and facilities manager. Employers of graduates have included AECOM, BAM Construction, Bellway Homes, Costain, Galliford Try, Graham Construction, Interserve, ISG, Laing O’Rourke, Lovell, Peel Ports, Redrow Homes, Skanska, Vinci Construction and Wilmott Dixon amongst others.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Placement Case Study EMMA TYLER GRADUATED FROM THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT COURSE IN SUMMER 2017 AND COMMENCED A GRADUATE SITE MANAGER ROLE AT KIER AFTER COMPLETING A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT AT THE COMPANY What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis?

How do you feel that the placement has benefitted you?

What did the application process involve?

Have you secured a graduate role?

I completed an industrial placement with Kier who are one of the main contractors in the North West. This involved a rotation through various departments including planning, site management, and design and build. Every day was different, some days I was looking at preconstruction work and others I would be on site looking at health and safety and management of key packages.

I submitted a request for a mentor through the ‘industry mentor scheme’ at the end of my first year, I stayed in contact with them throughout my second year which involved site visits and support with assignments. The mentor then put me in touch with HR and I had an interview with the Operational Director for the Liverpool office.

The placement was a huge benefit to me as I was able to gain firsthand experience of the industry while getting paid, and it also gave me the opportunity to try out different roles that would benefit my future career. After the success of my placement I was offered a position with the company which contributed towards my final year university fees while I continued to work part time for them.

I have been offered a Graduate Site Manager role with the company and I have continued to work for the company during my final year. This is a great opportunity for me to continue my development. It’s important to stress that if I didn’t take up the opportunity to do a placement year I wouldn’t be in the position I am now, knowing that when I graduate I have a secure job for the next three years.

Placement Case Study EMERSON BRANFIELD GRADUATED FROM THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT COURSE IN SUMMER 2017 AND COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT AS A TRAINEE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT ISG IN LIVERPOOL What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? I secured a role as a Trainee Construction Manager at ISG and was based on the Exhibition Centre Liverpool and Pullman Hotel project on the Liverpool waterfront. As my placement year continued, I gained a larger number of roles – package management, quality management, site logistics and monitoring, and ensuring health and safety policies were adhered to. What did the application process involve? I completed an application form, which required me to provide details about myself, my experience, and why I wanted to work in the industry and with ISG. I was then invited to a phone interview which lasted about 15 minutes and the final stage was to attend an assessment centre and I was given prior information to create a presentation on a given scenario/ project. The assessment day involved a range of elements, including; an interview, presentation of my proposal, team work exercise, and a meeting with an existing placement student within the company. How do you feel that the placement has benefited you? The placement year has benefitted me immensely. I gained a significant amount of practical experience of how the industry works, and it allowed me to put my academic knowledge in to practice. Coming back in to my final year, I could immediately

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notice the difference in work ethic from myself, and I can now relate what I learn in class to situations experienced in industry, which is a significant help when trying to understand things. What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? I would always recommend trying to get some work experience with a company during your first and second year, regardless of whether you want to undertake a year-long placement. Also, I would suggest that anyone looking to go on placement does not leave it until the last minute. Start looking at companies you are interested in during the first year of study and then begin applying as soon as possible in the second year. The sooner you have your placement secured, the less stressed you will be later in the academic year. What help or support did you access at the Careers Team at LJMU? When applying for my placement I visited the Byrom Street Careers Zone to have my CV reviewed. I suggest any student who is worried about the process, or how they will perform in the assessment days and psychometric tests, should take full advantage of the services available. Any extra confidence you can gain prior to these stages can only benefit you and will enable you to showcase your true ability.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Careers in quantity surveying A quantity surveyor manages all costs relating to building and civil engineering projects, from the initial calculations to the final figures. Surveyors seek to minimise the costs of a project and enhance value for money, while still achieving the required standards and quality. A quantity surveyor may work for either the client or the contractor, working in an office or on-site. They are involved in a project from the start, preparing estimates and costs of the work. When the project is in progress, quantity surveyors keep track of any variations to the contract that may affect costs and create reports to show profitability. The title of the job may also be referred to as a construction cost consultant or commercial manager. The major employers of quantity surveyors are:

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The offices of private practice quantity surveyors (PQS); The surveying sections of building and civil engineering contractors; Local authorities and government agencies.

There has been a high demand for quantity surveying students during the past few years both in terms of placement opportunities and graduate roles. In fact the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has highlighted that the biggest threat to the growth of the construction sector is a shortage of quantity surveyors. The vast majority of QS graduates entering employment do so as a quantity surveyor. Employers of these graduates have included

AECOM, Arcadis, Balfour Beatty, BAM Construction, Bruntwood, Bentley Motors, Core 5, Costain, Davis Langdon, Gardner and Theobald, ISG Construction, Kier Construction, Lend Lease, Lovell, Mace, Mott MacDonald, Persimmon Homes, Rider Levett Bucknall, Scottish Power, Sisk, Transport for London, Turner & Townsend, Wates and WYG amongst others.

Placement Case Study KATHRYN LEITH GRADUATED WITH A DEGREE IN QUANTITY SURVEYING AND NOW WORKS FOR FAITHFUL & GOULD What role did you secure and what did the application process involve? During second year, I managed to secure a student cost manager placement position with Faithful + Gould based in Phoenix, USA. The application process consisted of sending across a CV and filling out a short application form. The next stage was a Skype interview which lasted for 30 minutes, and then the final six were selected to travel down to London for another interview in the F+G Office with examstyle questions needing to be answered. I have also been applying for graduate jobs and most of them have a psychometric test as part of the application process. The assessment centres are all different depending on the company but usually they have between 3-8 applicants in each session. Some require a presentation to be prepared prior to attending and you will obviously have to indicate why you want to become a QS. The majority also have a team activity or group exercise on the day consisting of either debate/discussion, a presentation about a scenario or making something as a team for example.

What help and support did you access at the Careers Zone and how was this useful? I would recommend students get their CVs looked at by the Careers Team prior to sending it to employers and also attend an assessment centre preparation course. Even if it is not required for the job/ placement that you are applying for, it is more than likely that you would be required to attend one later on when applying for a placement or graduate job.

What advice would you give students to improve their employability? Try and get some work experience down on your CV as soon as possible. It is beneficial for first-year students to complete a summer placement, not only for their CV but this could also be beneficial to your academic studies. I would recommend attending the Employer Day LJMU holds in October. Not only are you able to speak to the companies that you could apply to but also network with professionals. I was offered a graduate interview straight away this year just from attending this event and then was offered a job prior to all the other companies starting their application process.

What did you gain from undertaking a year placement?

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

What aspects of your degree were useful in the selection process to help you to secure this position?

Within the selection process I reflected on the group project work we did throughout the degree to provide examples to the questions during the interview. For example, this could be when thinking of examples of when I have worked well within a team or how I have responded to a challenging team member. Having the year in industry on my CV helped a lot and also my previous summer industry placement with a smaller firm called Watts and my experience at Co-operative Estates the year before helped. The best thing about the placement with F&G was the increased responsibility given to me over the placement and the trust the company placed in me with such a huge client of theirs. I was given responsibility of managing the process of three major contracting firms on-site, which I never expected I would be given. I learned a lot, not only about the QS role but also additional skills such as running weekly meetings with the contractors and also running meetings with the client.

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Careers in real estate management Real estate management is about the valuation, management, development and investment of property from offices and houses to nightclubs and shopping centres. It can be a hectic environment in which you will be called upon to advise a wide range of clients on anything from investment decisions and development opportunities to landlord/tenant disputes. You could be working for an estate agent or for a multinational organisation managing a multi-million pound portfolio of commercial property. A commercial/residential surveyor deals with all aspects of residential and/or commercial property in both the private and public sectors. Principal activities relate to the management, purchase, sale, or leasing of land and property, as well as valuing and surveying property. The surveyor may act as an agent, broker or auctioneer during a sale and may also carry out contract negotiations between landlords and tenants.

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Work experience is important for all students, but within real estate management employers often expect you to gain an

Top tips from Deloitte Real Estate

If you decide to move away from your course specialism, the skills you have gained will prepare you for a wide range of other opportunities. Project management roles enable you to remain within the construction and property industry but take on a more general role. A project manager will oversee a project and will have a wide range of duties including resource planning, developing schedules, managing a budget and communicating with, and motivating, the construction team. A number of skills are essential as a project manager including organisational skills, communication skills, problem-solving skills as well as understanding technical issues.

An Employer says ...

As an employer, we fully recognise the importance of giving students an opportunity, especially with the tough competition for graduate jobs in the industry. We could see the benefit of the careers support programme at Liverpool John Moores University and how extensively it prepares its students for the industry – so many graduates that apply for jobs with us have no experience, and this puts them at such a disadvantage. The University is effectively ensuring that their students have the best possible chance of securing employment upon graduation and we are delighted to support them with this.

Phil Williams, Principal Design Manager, Wates Construction

Key websites

Professional institutions and organisations Your course will be accredited by one of the professional institutions below who validate that your degree gives you the foundation and knowledge to commence a career in that discipline. It is extremely important to join the relevant institution as a student member to demonstrate your commitment to developing a successful career.

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LJMU’s graduates are employed as commercial or residential property surveyors in all aspects of the property industry, including local and national firms of commercial chartered surveyors, property companies, retailers, residential management practices and large financial bodies. Employers include Capita Symonds, CBRE, Colliers International, Mason Owen, Gerald Eve, GVA, Lambert Smith Hampton, Lidl, Network Rail, Savills, the Valuation Office Agency, Workman LLP and local authorities.

Get as much experience as you can – every little helps. Set out clearly what tasks you undertook and what skills you learnt from this experience in your application and be prepared to talk about this in an interview. Practise talking about your university course, work experience and hobbies with a friend before an interview. Research the company you have an interview for and be prepared to talk about some of their recent projects you have heard about. Triple check spelling / grammar / formatting of your covering letter or application. Get someone else to proofread if you can. Invest in a smart outfit for the interview process. You need to dress for the job you want.

Careers in project management

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insight into the working environment before you commence a graduate role. Any experience you can gain will definitely help you to secure a graduate position. The closing date for a number of real estate graduate schemes can be very early in your final year (i.e. November) so it is important to be aware of this and plan accordingly.

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) – www.ciob.org The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) – www.rics.org Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) – www.ice.org.uk The Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) – www.ciat.org.uk The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) – www.cibse.org The British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) – www.bifm.org.uk

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

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There are opportunities available in the public sector with local authorities and the Valuation Office Agency, for example, as well as the private sector which can encompass the commercial, residential, and rural markets. While on your course, it is important to start to think about which of these employment settings may suit you and also consider some of the specialist areas that you can work in – agency, valuation, rating, property management, land and property development and investment management. There are a number of private surveying practices who regularly offer work experience and graduate job opportunities as well as organisations such as supermarkets and retailers that own large amounts of land.

Some of the information on these pages can be found in more detail at the two main graduate careers websites Prospects and TARGETjobs. It is recommended that you sign up for job alerts and follow them via social media channels.

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www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers - LJMU Careers Team website www.ljmu.ac.uk/about-us/faculties/faculty-of-engineeringand-technology/department-of-the-built-environment Department of the Built Environment home page www.prospects.ac.uk - Careers website covering all subjects including construction and property www.targetjobs.co.uk - Careers website covering all subjects www.gradcracker.com – Placement and graduate jobs website includes building services, engineering and construction vacancies.

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Department of Civil Engineering Careers in civil engineering Civil engineers design, plan and manage civil and environmental projects from concept to realisation, considering structural problems and aesthetics as well as the environmental and economic impacts. They need to be competent technically, practical in outlook, and capable of giving professional advice on a variety of subjects ranging from design to construction and site management. Within civil engineering, consulting engineers are the designers whereas contracting engineers turn their plans into reality. The choice of jobs, employers, specialist areas and locations varies widely. This is a diverse and developing industry with increasing emphasis on partnerships between organisations, sustainability and environmental considerations. Employers can range in size from those employing a relatively small number of engineers to those that employ thousands. There are a wide range of sectors that recruit civil engineers and it is important to start researching possible career options as early as possible. The main sectors include: airports, bridges (e.g. Highways Agency, Network Rail), buildings, coastal and marine, energy, environmental, geotechnical, highways, rail, water, and public health. The nature of the course ensures that LJMU graduates undertake a wide range of roles after completing their studies. In addition to undertaking the expected civil engineering role graduates have also undertaken the following roles: project manager, site engineer, highway engineer, infrastructure engineer, geotechnical engineer, structural engineer, design engineer, wind engineer and traffic engineer. Employers of graduates have included AECOM, Amey, Arup, Atkins, Balfour Beatty, BAM Nuttall, Bovis Homes, Costain, Curtins, Galliford Try, Highways England, Interserve, Jacobs, JN Bentley, Kier, Laing Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Rourke, Mott MacDonald, Mouchel, Murphy Group, Network Rail, Ramboll UK, Siemens, Skanska, United Utilities, URS, Volkerstevin, and WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff amongst others.

Placement Case Study MICHAEL CANNON GRADUATED FROM THE CIVIL ENGINEERING COURSE IN SUMMER 2018 AND COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT AT PETER BRETT What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? My placement role at Peter Brett was an Industrial Placement Infrastructure Development Consultant. This mainly involved project work â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2D designs of highways, drainage design, pipe capacity calculations, and pipe gradient checks. I also worked onsite to undertake trial holes and check for utilities. What did the application / selection process involve? The initial application involved sending my CV and I then had an interview which included a test of basic engineering principles. The careers-related assignments I had completed previously helped me to focus on my skills. I researched the company in detail including the main projects they are involved in. How do you feel the placement has benefitted you? The placement has given me an idea of how theoretical principles are applied to real life scenarios. Professionally, I have improved my communication skills when dealing with senior colleagues,

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staff on site and external organisations. The placement has given me an idea for the different opportunities available for engineers. Whenever you talk about things in the future you can back it up with real life examples. What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? The placement has helped me improve my understanding of topics on my course as I am able to base this on my placement experience. I would encourage students to use LinkedIn for a personal approach when contacting companies. I secured a one day a week voluntary project working on the construction of the new main stand at Anfield and I think this helped me to secure my placement at Peter Brett. What help or support did you access from the Careers Team? I received CV support from the Employability Advisers in the Careers Zone.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Graduate Case Study DANIEL BOND GRADUATED FROM THE CIVIL ENGINEERING COURSE IN SUMMER 2016 AND SECURED A GRADUATE ROLE AT UNITED UTILITIES The graduate training scheme allows me to be seconded in various placements throughout the business in order to get a wide variety of experience, I can choose these placements and agree them with my line manager. The first placement was with clean water diversions and most of this work involved diverting existing water mains in the Stockport area due to new roadworks such as highway widening. The second placement was in wastewater hydraulics which involved using software to model the hydraulic performance of wastewater treatment works and learning about weirs, filters, open-channel and pipe flows etc. The third placement was in ‘PR19’. This stands for ‘Price Review 2019’ and prepares United Utilities for the next Asset Management Plan (AMP) from 2020 – 2025. This involved coming up with high-level solutions to problems arising from future planning so that estimators could put a price together for the next AMP.

The fourth placement was in the water network design team. This involved working on modifications to the water network such as installing new valves on a large diameter (800mm) trunk main or a directional drill for a 350mm main under a river. I also did a 2 week exchange with UU’s engineering partner Jacobs and was based in the Belfast office. The fifth placement was in water network modelling and involved using software to model the water supply pipes in the north west under different scenarios. An example of this is when I modelled the new demand for a new development and checked if the local water network was not adversely affected (e.g. pressure dropped too much). My current placement is in AMS (Asset Maintenance Support) in which I am getting on-site experience of wastewater treatment works and supporting wastewater developer services, who help people like housing developers connect newly built houses onto the sewer system.

Graduate Case Study JOSHUA RUTHERFORD GRADUATED FROM THE CIVIL ENGINEERING COURSE IN SUMMER 2018 AND SECURED A GRADUATE ROLE AT JBA CONSULTING AFTER COMPLETING AN INTERNSHIP ORGANISED THROUGH THE CAREERS TEAM What internship did you secure through LJMU and what did this role involve? My internship was with Mouchel, now part of WSP. I worked on a project in the contaminated land team and also worked with other teams within the office (geotech, drainage, maritime, flood risk). I went out to site a few times and sat in on client meetings and got a feel for engineering consultancy (which is what I’m doing now). I really enjoyed my time there and without being offered the opportunity to gain experience with Mouchel I might have found it a lot harder to find a position that I wanted so I’m eternally grateful for the opportunity. What is your current graduate role? My current role is as an assistant engineer at JBA Consulting working across a variety of areas from flood risk appraisal to drainage strategy to wetland habitat creation to confined space inspections. I’m responsible for tendering/bidding for small scale pieces of work and leading on them as project manager which has a lot more responsibility attached with finances/ invoices etc.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

What advice would you give current students to improve their employability? My advice would be to explore what extra-curricular activities are available within a field they want to be in and to contact employers directly to seek work experience. In construction, you need to have a valid CSCS card to be able to go out on site. I arranged this myself to help me get work experience. Also, when applying for jobs, even if you are unsuccessful, the interview experience will still be beneficial as you may not have had many interviews. For my role at JBA I applied for a position in Leeds but was unsuccessful. However, I contacted the Director after the interview and was interviewed by the Warrington office and offered the job. Last tip, email anyone and everyone. Some people might see it as a bit cheeky to be emailing asking for work experience or thanking someone for their time but it goes a long way - you never know what might come from a polite email!

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Department of Computer Science Careers in information technology A ‘passion for technology’ is a phrase that a large number of employers place in job adverts for placement and graduate IT positions and it is important to think about how you can demonstrate this. Today’s world means that most people, including those with very little IT knowledge, take an interest in technology via mobile phones, tablets, digital music, streaming, and use of the internet. As such it is essential that as an IT student you demonstrate that as well as having the technical knowledge, you are also passionate about technology and its uses and applications. Employers will be using technology to help make their businesses more efficient and effective and so look for suitable students to assist them. You can demonstrate your passion for technology through undertaking activities that aren’t a formal part of your course, for example, joining relevant clubs and societies, attending tech networking events, entering technology-related competitions, reading about current issues, or practising your skills in your spare time e.g. writing code or developing a simple mobile app. In certain roles, particularly with small, specialised technology organisations, your technical skills will be what employers are particularly interested in. However, with larger graduate employers there is an increasing focus on non-technical skills and attributes, particularly for business and client-facing roles in consulting for example. Indeed a large number of employers also consider applications from non-IT students for IT roles, so it is extremely important to develop these ‘softer’ skills while you are at university and be able to discuss them during the application process and at interview. IT graduates will not be coding in a dark room day after day but will be speaking to colleagues and clients, planning and organising their work, motivating themselves and others, analysing and solving problems, and possibly managing the introduction of a new piece of software, so these skills are required by employers in addition to your technical skills.

An employer says ...

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An employer is not just looking for technical skills; the overall rounded individual is important with strong “soft” skills, being able to relate and adapt behaviour dependent on the situation, people involved and what is appropriate. Catherine Irvine, Senior Business and Development Manager, Security Operations Centre, Fujitsu UK

Examples of job roles Computer Studies graduates from LJMU have undertake after the completion of their studies: Job roles: Software tester, QA manager, applications support, IT support engineer, systems support analysis, data analyst, business technician, technical consultant, SQL developer, systems developer, software engineer, interface analyst, IT consultant. Companies: AN Computing, Barclays, Blowfish Technologies, Hewlett Packard, Marks and Spencer, Premier EPOS, QA Consulting, Trinity Mirror, Unilever, VLDB Solutions, Web Revolve and FE Colleges, local authorities and schools.

Top employers in IT:

Key websites:

It is no surprise that the table below is dominated by the large multinational IT and technology companies, but there are a huge range of employers who recruit students for IT positions. Employing organisations normally fall into two areas: an IT company offering services, technology, hardware etc., or a company that uses IT within another sector. This second group includes virtually every other company from a variety of sectors. For example, large graduate employers in engineering will also recruit IT graduates and other sector examples include construction, retail, financial services, telecommunications and the public sector (NHS, local government, Civil Service, universities, schools etc.). When considering your career options, try not to limit your focus to just IT companies, but also consider IT roles in other sectors and also consider working for an SME (small to medium-sized enterprise) who may offer specialist technical services and products to clients. Over 62,000 students voted for their favourite graduate recruiter in Europe’s largest graduate careers survey. Here are the top ten IT employers they selected:

01. 02. 03. 04. 05.

Google Apple Microsoft Rockstar Games IBM

06. 07. 08. 09. 10.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers Search for graduate jobs, placements, internships, parttime jobs and voluntary work via Careers Zone 24/7

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www.prospects.ac.uk Careers website covering all subjects including Technology

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www.targetjobs.co.uk Careers website covering all subjects including technology

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www.gradcracker.com Placement and graduate jobs website including technology job opportunities from large organisations.

Facebook Ubisoft Intel Sony Samsung

Source: TARGETjobs IT & Technology 2018 CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

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www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Placement Case Study SEAMUS MCFARLAND GRADUATED FROM THE COMPUTER STUDIES COURSE IN SUMMER 2018 AND COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT AT ELI LILLY What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? I secured a placement at Eli Lilly & Company as an IT Business Integrator with Lilly International Solution Services. This involved me being an IT consultant on digital projects that helped bridge the gap between the business and developers on a global scale. I delivered seven projects, which included; five websites, a donation management app and a new analytics platform and tag management system onto 36 different Eli Lilly websites across Europe. I designed and implemented a new multi-channel experience for customers and analysed the data captured throughout, creating reports and presenting my findings to senior leadership across the company. I attended weekly meetings for each project, had 1-1 meetings with senior leadership, managed the capacity of the support teams, and developed the analytics platform’s capabilities. What did the application process involve? The application process involved a CV & Cover letter screening, an interview at LJMU and a final interview on Eli Lilly’s site, where I had a topic to research and present. How do you feel that the placement has benefitted you? Undergoing the placement has helped shape and define my professional career. It has provided me with the opportunity to understand what role I wish to undertake and in what industry when I graduate. On placement, I truly feel I learnt as much, if not more than what I have previously learnt in education. There are certain knowledge and skills you can only obtain in real life situations, and I feel the placement has provided me with them.

What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? My advice for first year students is, if possible, to look for placements and opportunities in your specific degree field instead of looking for casual part time work over the summer. Many large companies run 8-12 week placements for students in this position, and completing an opportunity like this will make you more employable in the future. I would also suggest trying to undergo as much volunteering as possible as it helps improve your employability. What help or support did you access from the Careers Team? I received a lot of valuable help from the Careers Team throughout the application process. I had my CV & cover letter reviewed by the team many times and underwent mock interviews to help me practise. This was very important as the Careers Team noticed mistakes in my CV which I did not, and without their help I would not have made it past the first stage. The mock interviews were very important as they helped me develop interview skills and improve my confidence before the official interview. Have you secured a graduate role? Can you briefly discuss the recruitment process for this? I have secured a graduate role as an IT graduate for SSE (Scottish & Southern Energy), one of the “big six” energy companies in the UK. Their recruitment process was as follows: CV screening; two online tests (one situational judgement and one inductive reasoning); online video interview; and an assessment centre.

Placement Case Study RACHEL BURKE GRADUATED FROM THE COMPUTER STUDIES COURSE IN SUMMER 2017 AND SECURED A GRADUATE ROLE AT PREMIER EPOS AFTER COMPLETING A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT AT THE COMPANY What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? My role was within the Web Development team. Work on a day to day basis consisted of: ❚❚ Creating websites for clients, liaising with them regularly to understand their requirements for the website which were produced on content management systems such as Joomla and WordPress. ❚❚ Integrating products between the clients’ EPOS and their website, mainly using MySQL to send data between the EPOS database and the website database. The second year module on databases came in really handy for this. ❚❚ Creating marketing campaigns to use on Google and Facebook, looking at target audiences as well as putting together the media used for the campaigns. ❚❚ Developing attractive websites landing pages. These are generally hard coded using HTML, PHP, JQuery, and CSS How do you feel that the placement has benefitted you? The placement was an amazing thing to do and has allowed me to develop my skills to a high level. It has allowed me to expand my knowledge into a different area that I would not have considered such as digital marketing. It also gave me a chance to gain real world experiences. A lot of companies require you to have experience and the placement has put me in a better position for securing a graduate job. What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? Doing a year-out massively improves your employability. I was able to sit in on interviews and noticed other managers commenting on a www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

lack of experience in candidates. A placement puts you ahead of other candidates who haven't completed one. Whilst university work is important, it shows great potential when candidates have done additional work to expand their knowledge within the field they want to work in. A placement can really help with ideas for your dissertation. It gives you an opportunity to develop something which could be used within that company. What help or support did you access from the Careers Team at LJMU? I was very unsure if I was going to do a placement. For me, being able to access support and ask questions helped me feel more relaxed and not overly stressed about finding a placement. Students should access the support provided by the Careers Team to help them prepare CVs and prepare for interviews and practice their technique. It is important to get extra help, such as an Adviser reading over your CV and suggesting changes or providing advice on how to answer certain interview questions. This will help improve the chances of getting a placement or graduate job. Have you secured a graduate role? I have been taken on working full time at Premier EPOS, as the manager of the Web Department. I have continued to work part time during my final year at university at the company as well, which has allowed me to complete my final year project based on the company.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Securing employment in the IT Sector: Nicola Robinson from Harvey Nash Recruitment When applying for internships and jobs across the IT sector there isn’t a one size fits all method to securing your first position; however if you utilise a multi-tiered approach following some of the steps below, Harvey Nash believe you will significantly increase your chances when entering the tech industry. Your brand CVs: Ensure this is clear and concise, detailing your work experience, as well as delving into your university projects. Make sure the content is outcome focussed talking about the results of your actions, i.e. make a statement followed by the outcome as below: “Attended the Grimsby Telegraph as part of work experience during University, a successful experience that culminated in several pieces of work being published in the newspaper” Tailor your CV: Draw upon your strengths for each particular role you apply for ensuring you are focussing and bringing to the forefront what each employer needs for your experience and skills set. Sending out general CVs, whilst less time consuming, may see you miss out on vital opportunities. Demonstrate your personality: Detail your outside activities such as tech projects

you have created at home along with any activities or hobbies where you have been successful. These extra-curricular elements go a long way to highlighting what type of character you are, which is hugely important for employers taking on graduate members of staff. Your unique selling point (USP): Think about what makes you different; why will the organisation benefit from employing you? Detail this in a personal profile as an introduction to your CV. Online: Marketing yourself online is key across the technology industry. Create a LinkedIn profile, which is an online version of your CV. If you are looking to move into a technical position you could also look at creating a blog or website as a place to profile your work. Job searching There’s more to technology: Try not to solely view technology as a coding and highly technical industry; there are a variety of avenues to pursue where you can gain a fantastic career, for example, business analysis and project management are two further disciplines to consider. Do your research across the whole IT sector; there could be something out there for you that you haven’t considered. Meet industry recruiters: Be visible to

Careers in multimedia and design This is a very broad area and previous LJMU graduates have undertaken a wide range of roles after graduation. There are opportunities for all IT students and not just those from Multimedia-related courses. Web developers are responsible for both the technical and design aspects of a website which can involve both back-end development, writing code, search functions etc., as well as the graphical aspects of how the site will look. The increase in consumers viewing web pages on mobile devices has had a big impact on the design of websites to ensure they can function on these devices. There are opportunities for web development roles in virtually all types of company, large or small. Specialist multimedia roles may involve developing content not just for websites but also CD and DVDs or computer games. There will still be a focus on technical skills as well as your multimedia and design skills.

Examples of job roles graduates from LJMU undertake after the completion of their studies: IT and Multimedia graduates:

Job roles: IT assistant engineer, application support, technical support analyst, operations systems analyst, business analyst, web designer, network engineer, innovation coordinator, applications developer, project analyst, business intelligence developer, digital marketing assistant, software developer, applications support specialist Companies: Alder Hey Hospital, Bank of America, Broadgreen Hospital, BT, Co-Operative Group, Experian, Hewlett Packard, LJMU, Lloyds Bank, Microsoft, Mouchel, NHS, Peel Ports, Red Ninja, Royal Sun Alliance, Sony, Ultra Electronics, United Utilities, and Virgin Media

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those recruiting in the industry; meeting face to face is key to remaining present in their minds and to their clients. Create and maintain these relationships where possible. Applications: Always follow up with phone calls to recruiters, and emails directly to organisations. Research and apply for graduate schemes / internships which are a fantastic way to learn your trade and introduce you to the industry. The North West tech scene One of the most critical and effective ways of successfully developing a career throughout the technology industry is building your own network of people across the tech scene. Get yourself to various technology events being held locally as many of the most passionate in the industry host these and are in attendance. You will not only learn a great deal from the people there, many could very well become future employers. Businesses are continuously looking for passionate, selfstarting individuals and demonstrating that you are learning outside of university will be looked upon as hugely positive. Final note: be confident, seek advice, create a brand and market yourself to the technology industry effectively through the tools and steps above.

A graduate says ...

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Entering the IT sector

I wish I had known that while a degree and the work undertaken is important work experience is equally, if not more, important. Like most other students I stressed about the amount of work I had to do and what marks I was going to get for each piece of coursework. Now it’s over I have found out the influence that experiences outside of education have over your employability. I had a job throughout university and developed a lot of transferable skills from this role. At interview I would advise students to play on your strengths, be open about your weaknesses, do your research about where and what you are applying for and most of all simply be yourself. You will be more confident and relaxed this way.

Danny Kidd, IT and Multimedia graduate

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Placement Case Study HANNAH SCOTT COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT AS A WEB DESIGNER AT VITAFLO AS PART OF HER IT AND MULTIMEDIA DEGREE What did your placement involve on a day-to-day basis? I mainly worked on a content management system to create various country versions of the company’s corporate website. Within a small digital team, part of the marketing department, I was involved in all digital plans and had the opportunity to give my opinion on marketing plans in the wider business. I took on additional projects such as working on the company’s patient websites, using a different CMS and widening my IT skills, and got involved in a major project to create an online workspace for resources, which was an exciting challenge. This placement opened my eyes to the variety of web design work that can be completed in a real-world workplace. What did the application / selection process involve? How did you prepare for each stage? To apply for the role, I emailed my CV to the HR manager of Vitaflo. I was invited to an interview and to prepare for this I researched the company and wrote down questions I wanted to ask. After this, I was invited back for a second interview, which was more formal and involved a short practical test relating to the role. To prepare for this, I researched the content management system and revised any web design knowledge I had gained at university. In the interview, the practical test involved a phone call with an external company contact, who asked me about my experience with web design and content management systems.

How do you feel that the placement has benefitted you? My placement has increased my personal skills, boosted my confidence and helped me to be more outgoing and less shy. It has also benefited me academically, helping me to widen my IT skills and learning how these are used in industry. This gave me a better work ethic during my final year and enhanced my academic skills. What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? Treat university as a full-time job. Coming back into third year, I have put in the hours as if I were still working a 9-5 job, and this has been reflected in my results this year. If I could go back to being a first-year student, I would have put in this time and effort from the beginning. What help or support did you access from the Careers Team? I attended a workshop to improve my CV and then met with an Employability Advisor in the Careers Zone, who reviewed my CV and provided me with clear feedback and suggestions for improvements. I found my placement through the help of Lucy McKeown, the Employment Engagement Officer for my course, who advertised the role on Canvas.

Placement Case Study SAM NEWTON IS AN IT AND MULTIMEDIA GRADUATE WHO SECURED A PLACEMENT AS A PRODUCT OWNER WITH WE ARE NOVA DURING HIS STUDIES What did your placement involve on a day-to-day basis? I acted as the point of contact between an off-shore development team and a client. On a daily basis, I followed the scrum agile methodology technique, which meant running meetings and working in small iterations to achieve an overall bigger goal. This role could be challenging, for example if there was bad news to tell the client, but overall it was an enjoyable and rewarding role, particularly when you got digital products delivered. Nova has a relaxed office working environment, but it is still professional. What did the application process involve? The first stage was submission of my CV and covering letter. After this I received an email to complete a task, which involved suggesting how to improve an app and producing relevant documentation. I also attended an assessment day, which included an individual interview and group tasks such as ice-breakers and a problem-solving exercise. Learning some knowledge about scrum and agile methodology and about the company helped me to excel at the assessment day. The interview itself was relaxed; in fact mine was in the Baltic Social on couches! How do you feel that the placement has benefitted you? The placement has helped me to gain valuable industry experience in a field of work that I definitely want a career in now. If you are like me, where I didn’t know what I wanted to do, completing a placement will help you with your career decision-making. I was quite a shy person before my placement and did not like meeting new people or change, but I embraced the placement experience, and said goodbye to the shy me. One thing I learnt from placement that is valuable is that there are

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

no stupid questions! It also helped me to be more disciplined in my final year and achieve the best grade possible. What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? Start looking for a placement early; it may seem daunting and too early, but the earlier you secure your placement the better. It is a competitive process, so make sure you stand out. Good grades from first year will help you with the key foundation skills to build upon. Ensure you don’t just apply for one placement, and don’t be disheartened if you don’t hear back or get knocked back. What support should students access and why is this important? Make use of support available from your personal tutor and the Careers Team. Think about your strengths and what you enjoy about your course, and look for a placement around that field. The Careers Team can help your CV stand out from others. Remember companies receive a lot of applications for one job, e.g. Nova had over 600 applications for their 8 roles. What are your plans for after graduation? Having been kept on part-time during my final year, I am happy to return to Nova as a full-time employee after graduation. I will be working in a Product Owner role and complete training to become a Project Manager.

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Careers in software development This is an increasingly expanding area and a variety of job titles can be used by organisations – software engineer, programmer, developer, applications developer. The role can involve designing and developing operating systems, database systems, and applications for use by clients. You will be working with clients, internal or external to the organisation, to discuss their requirements and designing, testing, adapting and evaluating the system or software produced along with other IT professionals.

Examples of job roles graduates from LJMU undertake after the completion of their studies: Software Engineering graduates

Job Roles: Information systems developer, software test analyst, learning support officer, software developer, web applications programmer, QA, implementations consultant, software engineer, project manager, SharePoint consultant and developer, junior front end developer, technology consultant, business analyst developer, cyber security software engineer, ios developer, android developer, digital project manager, business analyst Companies: Appsense, Bentley Motors, Bibby Distribution, Civil Service, Experian, FDM, Gas Tag, GE Aviation, IBM, Intel, Lloyds Banking Group, Lucid Games, Microsoft, Paymentshield, Sainsburys Bank, Santander and Tessella as well as universities and schools.

Placement Case Study ANDREW SIMPSON GRADUATED FROM THE SOFTWARE ENGINEERING COURSE IN SUMMER 2018 AND COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT AT RED INSURE What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? My placement role was within software development. On a day-to-day basis, I was developing and maintaining the systems the sales team used and I also handled technical support and general enquiries for the sales team. What did the application process involve? After an initial application I was invited to a one-to-one interview with the business director. To prepare for the interview, I researched into the company (and its sister companies), as well as doing research into the types of insurance which Red Insure provided. This was able to give me an idea of what went on at the company, and the scope of what I would be dealing with.

to develop ways to work around these. I also gained experience of the day-to-day operations of a customer facing business, and the demands placed on the company. What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? Be honest about your faults, know what your strengths and weakness are. Find ways to improve your weaknesses or ways to work around them, while not forgetting to keep on developing your strengths. What help or support did you access from the Careers Team at LJMU? The Team provided support on creating and fine tuning my CV which was especially useful since I hadn’t written a CV before. I would also recommend making use of the practice interviews which they offer.

How do you feel the placement has benefitted you? The placement highlighted my personal weaknesses, and allowed me

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DID YOU KNOW? MComp - Integrated masters programmes in computing

An MComp course is a four-year programme which enables students to graduate with a masters level degree. The first three years of study are similar in structure to a BSc course but then the final year is taught at Masters level with a large element of research and in-depth project work to broaden your skills and knowledge. It may be useful to check if an employer you would like to work for requires you to have completed a Masters-level qualification. For more information, talk to your lecturer/personal tutor.

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Placement Case Study KEN OKOLI GRADUATED FROM THE SOFTWARE ENGINEERING COURSE IN SUMMER 2018 AND COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT AT UNILEVER What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? I secured a placement working as an IT Project Analyst at Unilever. On a daily basis this involved: ❙❙ Supporting the role out of IT projects across the business ❙❙ Organising testing through instructions, setting permissions ❙❙ Supporting people who were undertaking the testing ❙❙ Working on SharePoint to give admin permissions ❙❙ Involved in moving data from a storage facility called Box to SharePoint ❙❙ Supporting new user account setting up, permissions What did the application process involve? The initial application involved a CV and covering letter which was followed by a face-to-face interview including a presentation task. To prepare, I researched the company and prepared for questions which the company said I may get asked. How do you feel that the placement has benefitted you? The placement gave me a great insight into working in the industry

and understanding how jobs work. It was extremely useful to see how things can come together over a period of time when you may have initially struggled getting to grips with different processes and systems but things come together eventually. The placement has given me confidence and I now know what to expect of the workplace and how to work with colleagues. I have learned how to communicate professionally face-to-face and in emails and also developed my ability to take responsibility for tasks. What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? Definitely do a placement which I feel was a big thing for my course. Companies will ask you about your placement in the future when you apply for jobs. What help or support did you access at the Careers Zone at LJMU? I received help with my CV from Employability Advisers in the Careers Zone and also attended an interview preparation workshop.

Careers in consulting and IT services An IT consultant will work with clients advising them how to use technology to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the business. Some companies may recruit graduates in specialist areas and train them in specific technical and business skills. The role can involve a great deal of client liaison to agree expectations and the specifications of any project. IT services companies offer services to organisations and these can cover a whole range of IT support or focus on one or two specific functions such as security, cloud software and mobile application development.

Careers in cyber security and forensics Security in IT is an area that has seen a great deal of attention over the past few years. The world now relies on technology both at work and in our personal lives so protecting this environment has become essential. The almost weekly news stories related to hacking, data theft and viruses have led to both the government and industry promoting cyber security as a priority over the coming years. As such, there are an increasing number of roles available within this environment with a wide range of employers from financial organisations, to software development companies, to government agencies and defence organisations. Typical roles available can be related to both information and network security. There are now a number of opportunities to put your cyber security skills and knowledge into practice and demonstrate your ‘passion for technology’, such as Cyber Security Challenge UK. A Computer Forensics graduate could be working for the police or a similar agency analysing and interpreting computer data in order to investigate a crime or security breach. Other related career opportunities include computer security consultant, network or system administrator, or data analyst, for example.

Examples of job roles security/forensics graduates from LJMU undertake after the completion of their studies: Job Roles: Cyb Sec - IT security analyst, web developer, cyber security analyst, security engineer, support analyst, IT security consultant CF – computer forensic analyst, IT business analyst, software engineer, data analyst, java developer, system support developer, technical analyst, application support analyst, security strategy and risk management consultant, digital forensic analyst, fraud detection agent, security analyst, data analyst, E-forensics technician, junior technical support analyst, credit risk analyst, digital forensic investigator, and digital phone analyst. Companies: Cyb Sec - Check Point Software Technologies, Clarke Energy, Cyber security solutions, Liverpool City Council, Lloyds Banking Group, ProCheckUp Security, Xyone. CF - Afentis Forensics, Anexsys, Bank of America, Barclays, Crealogix, Crowder Consulting, Disklabs, Experian, Hewlett Packard, Intaforensics, Knowsley Housing Trust, Serious Fraud Office, Shop Direct, Vodafone and various police forces around the UK.

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Placement Case Study JONATHAN HO GRADUATED FROM THE CYBER SECURITY COURSE IN SUMMER 2018 AND COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT AT IBM What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? My role was based at IBM in Manchester working as a Technology Placement student. Initially, this consisted of working in secondary controls on identity and access data management. On a daily basis, this involved managing user privileges and access for clients. My second placement role was configuration management where I was responsible for managing a server database which was used to bill the client for equipment and services. I was working with contractors each day to develop my knowledge and manage projects effectively using an instant messenger program. IBM have a Giveback programme that encouraged IBM interns and graduates to get involved in volunteering programmes, organising events, and raising awareness of various initiatives. I got involved here by organising some local events such as: Bring your child to work day, mental health awareness day and careers day events. In addition, IBM sometimes take part in knowledge sharing events with their clients which can involve going to the client’s headquarters to learn about their business and how they conduct operations on a day to day basis. From this, I was lucky enough to be invited to Barclays HQ in London to learn more about the Barclays Digital Eagles initiative. What did the application process involve? The application process consisted of an online application which included a CV-style template. This was followed by an online test and then an assessment centre which consisted of a group exercise testing our logical reasoning and a technical task. There were also two interviews, one focussing on which roles would be suitable for me within IBM and then an interview with HR, focussing on competencies. How do you feel the placement has benefitted you? The placement benefitted me hugely. At times it was pressurised and included shift work but it felt great to overcome these challenges. Placement students were treated as proper employees and it has given

me lots to discuss at interviews in the future. Since my placement I have been contacted through LinkedIn by employers who noticed my IBM experience. IBM have a project called Think40 which involves all staff being given 40 hours a year to learn a new skill and this had to be logged with managers. This benefitted me as it allowed me to allocate some time each week to self-improve. With Think40, I chose to reinforce my Java knowledge, led the training of other placement students, and learned VBA to automate some of my daily tasks. I was also able to access mentoring support within the business and this is something that the company really push. Another benefit of the placement was that I was asked to undertake some part-time work with IBM when I returned to university which gave me more work experience and some extra money during final year. What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? Definitely do a placement! It provides you with a break from your studies and an insight into the world of work. Don’t be afraid to apply to the big international companies as IBM had employees from different universities around the UK. A placement will allow you to build a network of people and can also be useful for references when applying for jobs in the future. What help or support did you access at the Careers Zone at LJMU? I received support with my CV from Employability Advisers in the Byrom Street Careers Zone. What are your plans for after graduation – work, travel or further study? I have secured a graduate role working as a Security Operations Analyst at The Hut Group.

Placement Case Study CYBER SECURITY GRADUATE MATTHEW CAMPBELL HAS SECURED A COVETED GRADUATE ROLE AT GOOGLE. HERE, HE SHARES HIS EXPERIENCES FROM HIS SANDWICH PLACEMENT AS A TECHNICAL ANALYST FOR EXPERIAN. What did your placement involve on a day-to-day basis? ❙❙ Application support for up to 300 clients on a system; SQL, web application, website support, direct contact with clients. ❙❙ Helping with software upgrades, testing, implementation. I was heavily involved with change process and management. ❙❙ Starting and stopping the database, backing up databases, involved in firewall changes. ❙❙ Carried on working on a part-time basis in my final year and had more responsibility working with sites in other countries e.g. Bulgaria. What did the application/selection process involve and how did you prepare? The initial application involved sending a CV and covering letter. I then had an interview which included a technical or scenario test depending on the role you had applied for. To prepare for the interview, I looked over the job spec and researched the technologies that were used in the role e.g. SQL, how to validate XML, and general Windows questions. How do you feel that the placement has benefitted you? The placement gave me exposure to enterprise technologies such as dealing with Splunk, a data analytical software, and I also learned how a database talked to a web application. I was definitely more motivated after the placement. For example, working with a high volume of incidents helped me to organise my work better and improved my time management skills. I got used to working in a professional environment.

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The placement also gave my university grades a boost. Being able to carry on working for the company on a part-time basis was extremely useful during my final year. Ultimately the placement definitely helped me to secure a graduate role at Google. What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? Broaden your skillset and don’t just focus on one operating system/ programming language. Undertake some volunteering as employers like to see this. Definitely do a placement! I have a security background but is important to broaden your horizons and explore other roles outside of your first interest. What help or support did you access from the Careers Team? When applying for placements I received CV support from advisers in the Careers Zone and then returned for interview advice, which helped me to secure the placement. What are your plans for after graduation? I was fortunate to be offered a graduate position with Experian, but I have been successful in securing a role with Google, based in Dublin, on their Information Technology graduate scheme.

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Placement Case Study JESSICA SMART GRADUATED FROM THE COMPUTER FORENSICS COURSE IN SUMMER 2018 AND COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT AT RADIUS PAYMENT SOLUTIONS What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? The placement I secured was at Radius Payment Solutions based in Crewe as an IT Service Desk Analyst. This involved resolving issues over the phone and on our online portal for users and customers throughout our 20 offices across the globe. My placement role progressed to an IT Field Operations role which allowed me to travel to these different offices to fix IT related issues and provide support to the users there.

What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? Attend the workshops that the Careers Team provide to improve your CV and learn new skills that employers look for in a placement candidate. If I had my time at LJMU again, I would take advantage of the support from the Careers Team earlier on to learn and develop skills that would make me more employable.

What did the application process involve? The application process involved an online application that required a CV and covering letter. To prepare for this stage, I attended the placement lectures and workshops on how to write a CV and how to tailor my covering letter to the position I am applying to. The final stage of the application process was a face-to-face interview with the director, service desk manager and infrastructure manager in the head office in Crewe.

What help or support did you access at the Careers Zones at LJMU? When I received notice of my interviews for different placements, I visited the Careers Zone to practice my interview skills and learn what to expect during the different types of interviews such as video and face-to-face interviews. I was given practice questions and advice on how to improve my performance at interview.

How do you feel the placement has benefitted you? My time at Radius has benefitted me by teaching me life skills as well as new IT skills that have helped me in my final year studies. Also, my personal skills have improved greatly since working at Radius and it has given me opportunities that I would not have accessed if I hadn’t chosen to do a sandwich year.

What are your plans for after graduation – work, travel or further study? After completing my placement at Radius Payment Solutions, I was offered a job part time whilst continuing my studies. After graduation, I will take up full time position as an IT Field Operations role at Radius.

Placement Case Study AMY CLANCY GRADUATED FROM THE COMPUTER FORENSICS COURSE IN SUMMER 2018 AND COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT AT THE SERIOUS FRAUD OFFICE What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? I secured a role as a Digital Forensic Analyst at the Serious Fraud Office. On a daily basis I would shadow members of staff to learn the processes and best practices for digital forensic investigations before being allowed to carry out these processes myself. I would photograph evidence as it is initially unbagged to assist other members of the team and to learn the process of chain of custody. I undertook some admin duties such as completing forms to be sent out with evidence to third parties and I also got the chance to attend searches to learn the processes of seizing evidential items from suspects. What did the application process involve? How did you prepare for each stage? The first stage was to complete a test and I was then invited to an interview. I was sent information on the competencies that were required so I was able to prepare examples in advance. I also researched the SFO so that I had knowledge of the company and researched the forensic processes that I had been taught so far to ensure that I could answer technical questions that I would be asked. How do you feel the placement has benefitted you? It has benefitted me greatly, not only in the technical aspect but also personally. I have learned forensic processes first-hand in a real forensics lab and also had the opportunity to learn about new processes that I had not heard of before starting the placement. I also improved personally as it gave me more confidence as I had to push myself in many different ways. It also helped me to improve my organisational skills which has definitely helped with balancing all of the work in final year. Completing a placement can also give you invaluable contacts within the field of work that you are hoping to go into.

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What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? Keep up to date with the field that you want to go into. For example, read articles and journals about the most recent advances or challenges in the field so that you can confidently discuss these with employers. Also make sure that you research the company that you are applying for. Know about the company, see if you can find recent articles published about them, or learn about the work they do with their clients so that when you get asked why you want to work for the company you know what you’re talking about. I would pay more attention in first year to the basics and fundamentals. It is very easy to get caught up in the party aspect of first year, especially if you are away from home for the first time and every one around is telling you ‘first year doesn’t count, you only need to pass’ but the things being taught in first year really are the building blocks that you need for the rest of your degree. What help or support did you access from the Careers Team at LJMU? I think that the help available from the Careers Team can be invaluable to those looking for placements. The help that is given with creating CVs can be the difference between a student getting called for an interview or being passed over. As well as this, information about placements that are being offered are advertised by the Careers Team and that can be really useful to students that are struggling to find a placement. What are your plans for after graduation – work, travel or further study? I have secured a job as an E-Discovery Associate with Ernst and Young and I started in June 2018.

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Careers in computer games The computer games industry contributes approximately £1bn to the UK economy with more than 2,000 companies active in 2017. 68% of these companies were founded since 2010 highlighting how fast-moving the industry is. Mobile gaming is now firmly established but the UK’s fastest growing entertainment and media sector is Virtual Reality, growing at 34% annually and is expected to reach £1.2bn in revenue by 2022. There are now 1,000 immersive specialist companies in the UK and Liverpool is seen as a hub for immersive businesses. In terms of more mainstream gaming companies, a number of multinational games developers and publishers are based in the UK, but the majority are smaller, independent companies. By 2020, total UK video games revenue (£5.5bn) is expected to overtake spend on books and UK digital game purchases are forecast to overtake physical game spend for the first time. Games development is a fast-moving, multi-billion pound industry. The making of a game from concept to finished product can take up to three years and involve teams of up to 200 professionals. Indeed a recent report by Creative Skillset concluded that “… simply creating content is no longer enough. Games companies are realising that they have to understand business development, distribution, marketing, social media, crowd funding and more.” The games developer job title covers a broad area of work and there are many specialisms within the industry and in wider animation roles. These include:

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Quality assurance tester; Programmer, with various specialisms such as network, engine, toolchain and artificial intelligence; Audio engineer; Artist, including concept artist, animator and 3D modeller; Producer; Editor; Designer; Special effects technician.

Animation roles can work in both 2D and 3D with the latter placing more emphasis on your computer skills rather than art/graphic skills. These roles can bridge the traditional divide between the more technical roles within games development and creative animation roles particularly with regards to mobile technology.

Examples of job roles graduates from LJMU undertake after the completion of their studies: Recent graduates from the Computer Games course at LJMU have undertaken roles such as software technician, software development, systems support, IT consultant, software engineer, lead programmer (games), computer engineer, graduate IT support and development, advanced test engineer, front end developer, 3D artist, web designer, quality assurance in companies such as Appsense. Clicky Media, Creative Frenzy, Electronic Arts, Eurocom, Juice Games, Lucid Games, QA Consulting, Sony Liverpool, Spiral House, TT-Games, and WebRevolve.

Placement Case Study ISACC MCCARTHY GRADUATED FROM THE COMPUTER GAMES COURSE IN SUMMER 2018 AND COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT AT IMMERSIVE INTERACTIVE What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? I secured a placement position at Immersive Interactive and my role was to develop 2D apps/games for their specialist ‘immersive space’ technology, which involved learning a lot about programming and game development. The company was very small and the office had a casual atmosphere, so I had a lot of responsibility and planned most of my daily work myself. This forced me to become autonomous and selfdriven, to keep up with the responsibility of being the only programmer on some projects. What did the application process involve? After sending in my application I attended an interview with the Director of the company and another employee. I prepared by learning all I could about the company, their products and their mission. Doing this proved to be helpful, as they seemed to be impressed when I talked confidently about the company and their markets etc. As this was a game development related role, I also developed a small smartphone game just for the interview, which I suspect gave me the edge over the competition!

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How do you feel the placement has benefitted you? I had a lot of responsibility in my role and had to become organised and driven to deliver projects on time. This has stuck with me, as my university grades after the placement have increased by a 10-15% margin, and I find working a lot easier after having a year of experience in a professional environment. I learned a lot of technical things too, but organisation and developing projects to deadlines has definitely improved my university grades and my employability after graduation. What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? All game developers and software engineers say this, but using your spare time to develop projects is the best way to learn and show off skills. Even in the first year, making the extra effort to create something small and adding it to your portfolio is very important, and that is what I would spend more time doing back in 1st year given the chance.

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Placement Case Study DAVID MUGLESTON GRADUATED FROM THE COMPUTER GAMES COURSE IN SUMMER 2018 AND COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT AT RIPSTONE

How do you feel the placement has benefitted you? The placement was massively beneficial to me, providing me with a huge amount of knowledge and experience which helped me enormously during my final year. What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? Build a portfolio of your best work and focus it as if you have a specific

What support should students access from the Careers Team? Interview skills are a must, especially if you’ve never done one before, and these can be practiced at the Careers Zone in Byrom Street. What are your plans for after graduation – work, travel or further study? I’m going to take a much needed holiday to Canada for a couple of weeks, after which I will be resuming my position at Ripstone as a programmer.

An employer says ... Ian Rothwell, SWQA Compatibility Manager, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe offers some tips and advice to students about the recruitment/selection process

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What did the application process involve? I emailed my CV with a covering letter to the company, after which I was invited in for an informal chat with the Directors, and I completed a guided programming test with the lead developer. For this I researched a bit about the company and what they do and also revised advanced C++ topics to help me with the test

job in mind. If you don’t have anything specific in mind try to include a good mix of things to show. Don’t hesitate to email or contact games companies even if you don’t see a job advertised, there’s so many positions that never get posted externally. Make sure you include projects in your portfolio that you’ve completed in your own time, even if it’s not a full game demo, perhaps just a sample of some specific mechanic or idea you’ve developed. Show ambition and passion and learn to use engine frameworks such as Unreal Engine 4 and/or Unity. If I was in first year again, I would work on building up my portfolio sooner. Again, your portfolio can convey so much more than a CV, without one you’ll find it extremely difficult to even get an interview.

I have interviewed hundreds, possibly thousands of candidates, and those who stand out are always those with life experiences. Candidates stand out if they can answer a question with a real life example and talk about how the example demonstrates their suitability. The other key thing is to do your research, not just on the company but the person interviewing. Knowing the company philosophy, values, mission statement, operational plans, targets and achievements really helps make you stand out. I would advise getting as much experience as possible in any variety of jobs, paid or unpaid. It does not matter what job role you’re in as long as you can reflect on the skills and situations you have experienced. Create a LinkedIn profile and keep it updated. Attend any workshops or programmes run by your careers service as they can give you an amazing amount of advice and support with CVs and interviews.

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A graduate says ...

An employer says ...

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What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? I worked as a programmer during my placement at Ripstone and I was responsible for implementing features and tasks according to the project’s plan

At Barclays we look for someone who is motivated, proactive, enthusiastic and genuinely interested in developing a career in IT Lesley Clarke, Entry Level Talent Team at Barclays

The skills I learned on the placement will put me in a fantastic positions when applying for graduate roles. I will be able to stand out, from other graduates applying for the same role, because I have a year’s experience in the gaming industry. Moving to a different city was also a wonderful experience for me. Games studios are nation (and world) wide. Knowing that I have this experience, I will be less afraid to apply for positions around the UK and further afield.

Elliott Wheat, Computer Games graduate

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Careers in teaching Working within a school has been a popular choice for students for their placement year in addition to teaching IT or Maths after the completion of studies. There is a large focus on IT qualifications within schools linked to the need for the UK to develop technical skills to work and live in an increasingly digital world. The same can also be said of the desire to improve the numeracy skills of the UK’s population, and as a result Maths teachers are in high demand. In order to become a teacher, graduates have traditionally undertaken a PGCE or PGDE (Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma in Education) which involves studying at university and undertaking placements within a number of schools. There has been a push recently to increase the number of schools who take responsibility for training teachers, and there are now a number of additional options to train as a teacher, including School Direct and Teach First. Computing and Maths are both currently classed as ‘shortage subjects’, and as a result generous bursaries are available for students entering the profession to teach these subjects. A number of scholarships have also been made available by the relevant professional bodies – http://www.computingatschool.org.uk/bcs-scholarship and http://teachingmathsscholars.org The bursary is based on your degree subject and final degree classification and the amounts available to teach at secondary schools for the 2018/19 academic year are as follows:

Subject

Trainee with a 1st, 2:1, 2:2, PhD or Master’s £20,000 bursary

Maths

£22,000 scholarship

Early career payments

Total £30,000

£10,000

£32,000

Subject

Scholarship

Bursary

Physics

£28,000

£26,000

Computing

£28,000

£26,000

For further information visit the Get into Teaching website (https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/) or visit the Careers Zone in Byrom Street. Please note – when applying for a teaching course or programme you will need to demonstrate your interest and motivation to become a teacher. Requirements can vary slightly but you may be expected to have undertaken some classroom-based experience BEFORE you submit your application. Universities and schools may help to arrange this for applicants.

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Department of Applied Mathematics Careers in mathematics and data science There is a demand for mathematicians, statisticians and data scientists across a wide range of sectors and so it is important to start researching your career options early. In addition to the financial and professional services sectors maths students are also sought in the following sectors: defence, manufacturing, education, retail, intelligence services, energy, information technology (including software development), logistics, pharmaceutical, real estate, space technology, insurance, engineering, the NHS and other public organisations and government agencies. When considering your career options it can be useful to consider the application of your mathematical skills in the workplace. A traditional environment for this would be in education or finance but other options could even include becoming an aerospace engineer. A common job role for graduates is working as a data analyst and this is increasingly known as a data scientist. Such roles exist in a range of companies – analysing supply and demand in the energy industry or analysing social media trends for a digital media agency for example. Employers are particularly keen to secure students with the strong analytical and problem solving skills that mathematics students possess.

Examples of job roles graduates from LJMU undertake after the completion of their studies: Recent graduates from LJMU have gone on to forge successful careers in roles such as marketing analyst, maths teacher, trainee management accountant, insurance broker consultant, data analyst, quantity surveyor, risk consultant, actuarial analyst, statistical officer, and data scientist amongst others. These roles have been in organisations such as Barclays, BDO, Co-operative Bank, Deloitte, Enterprise-Rent-A-Car, Grant Thornton, HMRC, NSG Pilkington, Shop Direct, United Utilities and Vauxhall amongst others.

Placement Case Study DAN BAXTER GRADUATED FROM THE MATHEMATICS COURSE IN SUMMER 2018 AND COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT AT SHOP DIRECT What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? I worked as a Credit Risk Analyst within the Fraud Team which involved lots of statistical analysis. On a daily basis this involved: ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙

Identifying fraud trends Building reports in Excel Data extraction using SQL Improving efficiency within reports Assessing internal reports Presenting regular reports to key stakeholders in the business

What did the application process involve? The initial application was a CV and covering letter which was followed by attending an assessment day. This consisted of a group task and an individual interview. After the assessment day I was invited to complete psychometric tests To prepare for the assessment day I researched group tasks, e.g. fun tasks, and prepared for competency based questions. I also completed a few practice psychometric tests. How do you feel the placement has benefitted you? The placement was the most invaluable part of the degree. On a personal level, I really enjoyed my year out, Shop Direct is an amazing company and I was very lucky to have been on placement there. The placement experience taught me data

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analytics to a high level and I learned coding from scratch. I now feel a lot more confident coding. I had zero experience before I went on placement but I was able to learn SQL on the job which I found easier to understand. I also developed my presentation skills which you can’t avoid in the workplace. What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? Definitely do a placement! Keep trying to improve your CV and seek out other work experience opportunities such as work shadowing. Resilience is important when you are applying for placements so don’t be put off by rejection and keep applying. Organise a LinkedIn profile early on in your studies and this can be used to contact companies directly and companies may even contact you. For example, a company contacted me over a graduate role recently. I highly recommend completing practice psychometric tests, this will help you massively because these tests aren’t just about getting the answer correct, they can be used as a stress test to see how you work under pressure. What help or support did you access from the Careers Team at LJMU? When I was applying for placements in my second year I was supported by my Careers Adviser and also undertook a careers module as part of my second year.

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

A graduate says ...

Without a doubt, undergoing my placement year was the best thing I have ever done for my future. A degree looks good on any CV and tells future employers that you have the knowledge about a certain topic but having carried out a placement year tells employers you know how to apply this knowledge in the real world. Having great work experience tells employers I am capable of waking up every day and having the responsibility of a full time job, that I can work with colleagues in a work environment whom I may not necessarily socialise with otherwise, it also tells employers that I know how to prioritise workloads because I will be working on more than one task at any given time, as well as developing the skills to use a number of industrial software that isn’t taught at university. As well as all this when I went back to university for my final year I was driven and determined to work hard and get the best degree. Rebecca Brown, Maths Graduate

Placement Case Study GEORGIA TIBKE GRADUATED FROM THE MATHEMATICS COURSE IN SUMMER 2018 AND COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT AT NETWORK RAIL

What did the application process involve? The application process was a standard online application, followed by online tests, a video interview, and then finally an assessment centre. I prepared for these by speaking to Andy Byrne for advice regarding the assessment centre, and made use of the personal and professional development module to ensure my CV was strong. How do you feel the placement has benefitted you? The placement has benefitted me massively. Financially, I have been able to avoid getting a part time job during final year, as I saved a portion of my salary whilst on placement. I have found it easier to balance my final year commitments due to improving my time management skills. Also, as I have secured a role on Network Rail’s

Finance Graduate Scheme, I’ve been able to focus purely on final year, rather than having to juggle final year with applying for grad schemes. What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? Part time jobs and summer jobs are really useful when it comes to interviews. My summers in America through Camp Leaders have given me lots of examples to use in competency interviews. These examples sound very different to the usual examples from university-based situations What help or support did you access from the Careers Team at LJMU? I made the most of the practice interviews available from the Careers Team, as well as their CV drop ins. It was incredibly helpful. What are your plans for after graduation – work, travel or further study? I’ll be starting on the Network Rail Finance Graduate Scheme from September, where I’ll be studying my CIMA qualifications for one day a week, whilst working in the business four days of week. I should hopefully be a Chartered Management Accountant within two years on the scheme.

An employer says ...

“

What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? I undertook a Finance Placement at Network Rail and completed three rotational placements within the Accounting Services Team in Manchester. My main daily processes involved creating projects and applying their budgets. I also did ongoing pieces of statistical analysis, and monthly processes that looked at reconciling various balance sheets.

Having a degree is a very valuable asset when you are entering the job market, but it’s not the only thing that employers will be interested in. Having had some kind of work experience makes you stand above other applicants, building useful skills that cannot be taught in the classroom as well as contacts that students otherwise would not have access to. A prospective employer will often look favourably on the effort taken by those who have been proactive and found and undertaken some sort of work experience, as it allows them to put their academic talent into practice and ultimately may give them a better chance to be interviewed for the most sought-after graduate positions.

Julie Scatterson, University Relationship Branch Manager, Santander Universities UK

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Department of Maritime and Mechanical Engineering Careers in mechanical and marine engineering Forecasts for the engineering sector are good over the coming years. There is an acknowledged shortage of individuals with engineering-related skills within the UK and worldwide. The Royal Academy of Engineering states that the supply of graduate engineers is not projected to make up for the numbers of retiring engineers. The engineering sector accounts for approximately one quarter of UK turnover and provides jobs for over 5.4 million people. Future trends within the sector relate to renewable energy and the accompanying new technologies. The Department for Energy and Climate Change estimates that the renewable energy sector alone could create 500,000 new jobs by 2020. The UK wind industry has the potential to create 60,000 new jobs over the course of the next 10 years – ten times its current size. Your course may lead you on the path to become a chartered engineer but the type of work you do on a daily basis may differ slightly depending on the company you work for. There are a wide range of both job roles available and sectors that recruit engineering students so it is essential to start researching your options early. A quick look at the job roles that past LJMU students have secured after completing their studies shows the number of options available –

Mechanical Engineering ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙

❙❙ ❙❙

Distribution engineer Mechanical engineer Manufacturing engineer Proposal engineer Project engineer Vehicle energy product engineer Design engineer Aerodynamics & acoustics engineer

❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙

Mechanical & Marine Engineering

Explosions consultant Continuous improvement engineer Advanced manufacturing engineer Service engineer Composite design engineer Building services engineer Aerospace engineer Powertrain systems engineer

❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙

Marine engineer Service engineer Project engineer Process & product improvement engineer Marine surveyor Nuclear engineer Petrochemical plant manager Sea-going chief engineer Mechanical design engineer Product facility engineer

It is also important to think of the sector that you would like to work in as that will have a significant bearing on the day-to-day activities that you will be involved in. Sectors that recruit engineering graduates include: Aerospace Advanced manufacturing Automotive Transport Defence

❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙

Built environment Telecommunications Energy Marine Oil and gas

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Infrastructure RAF Royal Navy Army

Studying an engineering degree provides fantastic opportunities, and the skills you develop are in high demand. Engineering graduates can earn 20% more than other graduates when starting their first graduate job. However despite this good news, there is still no guarantee of a job after completion of your studies and employers put a great deal of emphasis on getting hands-on experience in addition to your degree. Take advantage of projects like Formula Student and also explore placement and work experience opportunities to help improve your employability. Your course will be accredited by one of the professional institutions, IMechE or IMarEST for example, which validate that your degree gives you the foundation and knowledge to commence a career as an engineer. The expectation is that you will continue your learning and development after your studies and work towards becoming a chartered engineer to demonstrate your capability and professionalism. It is extremely important to join the relevant institution as a student member to demonstrate your commitment to developing a successful career. Some students will be studying towards a four-year MEng qualification which gives you the opportunity to obtain chartered engineer status without the need for further study. Students currently on the 3-year BEng course may have the opportunity to transfer to the MEng programme during their studies if they show sufficient academic progress.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

A graduate says ...

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❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙

My placement at Nissan provided me with fantastic teamwork skills and invaluable engineering knowledge. It was a very useful break in my studies, learning the qualities needed to be a professional (engineer). I would recommend it to anyone. Robert Tankard, Mechanical Engineering graduate on his placement at Nissan

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Top employers in engineering: Over 62,000 students voted for their favourite graduate recruiter in Europe’s largest graduate careers survey. Here are the top ten engineering employers: ENGINEERING, DESIGN & MANUFACTURE

01. 02. 03. 04. 05.

Rolls Royce Airbus Jaguar Land Rover Aston Martin BAE Systems

06. 07. 08. 09. 10.

ENERGY & UTILITIES

BMW Group Mercedes AMG Dyson Transport for London Siemens

01. 02. 03. 04. 05.

BP Shell EDF Exon Mobil Thames Water

06. 07. 08. 09. 10.

E-On Yorkshire Water Anglian Water SSE Total

Source: TARGETjobs Engineering 2018

Mechanical Engineering graduates’ career destinations Previous LJMU Engineering graduates have gone on to work for the following organisations: ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙

Airbus Alstom Amec Aquaco Assystem UK Aston Martin Atkins BAE Systems Babcock Balfour Beatty Bentley Motors

❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙

Clarke Energy Crowder Consulting Cummins DSTL Electro Impact UK Fendercare Marine Gexcon Howdens Joinery Jacobs Jaguar Land Rover JCB

❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙

J Murphy & Sons Lioni Wiring Systems Lockheed Martin Lotus Renault Formula 1 Maersk Line McLaren Mace M-Sport Mott Macdonald National Grid

❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙

National Nuclear Laboratory Nissan Novelis Recycling Nuclear Engine Services One Sub Sea Perkins Engines Plazology Proctor & Gamble R-Tech Ltd

❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙

Shell Scottish Power Rolls Royce Sellafield SMTC TEVA Pharmaceuticals United Utilities Vauxhall Wood Group

Placement Case Study AMANDA WONG GRADUATED FROM THE MECHANICAL ENGINEERING COURSE IN SUMMER 2018 AND COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT AT EATON What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? My placement role involved working as an Operations Intern at Eaton who manufacture electrical products such as beacons, fire panels and other H&S equipment. On a day-to-day basis this involved activities such as: ❙❙ Managing orders and operators on the shop floor ❙❙ Looking at lean manufacturing processes ❙❙ Quality – analysing products and production methods ❙❙ Training temporary staff working on the production line ❙❙ Being involved in all departments - supply chain, customer service, engineering team ❙❙ Following up any quality issues ❙❙ Projects – 6 sigma, lean, identifying problems and providing solutions in terms of products and processes

management, organisational skills, and Excel. I had never thought of operations as a career option before but now I really enjoy the role as it’s very people-orientated. Whilst on placement I had the opportunity to run the shop floor on an evening shift for two weeks. I was the only person in charge so it was a great experience having that level of responsibility.

What did the application process involve? The initial application was an online application including a CV and a covering letter. I then had a telephone interview, and then attended an assessment day which consisted of a psychometric test, group exercise, group task with a presentation (given on the day), situation judgement test, and finally an interview.

What help or support did you access at the Careers Zone at LJMU? I spoke to my Careers Adviser, Andy Byrne, about my placement applications. I had never written a CV in my life!

How do you feel that the placement has benefitted you? Well my placement helped me to secure a graduate role at the company. I was able to experience the work environment on a daily basis for a whole year after previously never having a job in a corporate work environment. I spoke to so many people during my placement, built up relationships, networked, and attended training days on time

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What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? 100% do a placement! It will set you apart from others when applying for jobs in the future. The placement helps you to learn about things in a real workplace, is hands on, and gives you the chance to build up networks that might help you in the future. When going through your course be positive about any opportunities that may help to develop yourself and your skills.

What are your plans for after graduation – work, travel or further study? I was offered the chance to return to Eaton working as an Operations Graduate. My first year will be based in China, and the second year will be in the UK. I will also be working in supply chain and the company are willing to support me towards completing a Masters degree in the future.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Placement Case Study HUW DAVIES-COOKE GRADUATED FROM THE MECHANICAL ENGINEERING COURSE IN SUMMER 2018 AND COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT AT LINDSTRAND TECHNOLOGIES What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? My placement role was as a Mechanical Design Engineer with Lindstrand Technologies. I attended regular meetings about new product developments such as a new hot air balloon burner. The meetings involved discussing parameters for the project, researching new ideas and assessing improvements that could be made, designing CAD models of the new product and finally making prototypes. I would make a 3D print of the prototype and then use CNC machining to produce the component. As part of my placement I had to design a light weight collapsible basket which involved going to New Mexico to present my design to American dealers. I received feedback and then went back to the drawing board to make amendments and then produce the product. At the end of the project I had produced a Civil Aviation Authority-approved product. The placement involved a lot of hands-on manufacturing, designing, innovative problem solving and team work. Because I was involved in all aspects of the product designing, manufacturing and testing process I developed a very good understanding of what could be manufactured and what couldn’t. But this never stopped me from pushing the boundaries to find new ways of making my designs come to life. What did the application process involve? I secured a summer job on the shop floor with Lindstrand Technologies Ltd the summer before and then secured a placement with them without going through a formal application process. How do you feel that the placement has benefitted you? I learned a lot from the placement probably in more ways than I realise now. I learned how to build a product and get it to market, how to

deal with customers and deal with other companies and colleagues. I learnt new machining skills and also how to fly a hot air balloon and had great fun on the company trips with my work colleagues and directors. I learned how to stand up for myself, my opinions and ideas which greatly improved my confidence. What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? Learn to take up any and every opportunity as you don’t know where it’s going to lead. Do IMechE Challenge! If you want to show yourself as an individual do things that everyone else is not to make yourself stand out. Myself and another student won the national IMechE challenge in 2015, and that makes you stand out. Definitely do a placement as you learn more about yourself and what you want than you would do without it. What help or support did you access at the Careers Zone at LJMU? I accessed support from my Careers Adviser, Andy Byrne, right from first year gaining information and advice on placements, CV and interview support, and general careers advice. What are your plans for after graduation – work, travel or further study? My current plans are to spend some time travelling after I graduate, I like the look of New Zealand. I am also interested in doing a Masters in the near future.

Placement Case Study GRITA VILUTYTE GRADUATED FROM THE MECHANICAL ENGINEERING COURSE IN SUMMER 2018 AND COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT AT UNILEVER What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? My role was a Junior Project Engineer, in which I worked daily with the project teams at the company. I had to attend weekly meetings where the team updated everyone in their projects and discussed the next steps. At the start I was more observing the team and learning how everything works, but by the end I was given two projects in which I was the project leader and had to lead a team, producing project scopes, time-scales, budgets etc and making sure that the projects were completed on time within the scopes. What did the application / selection process involve? I completed an application form, and was then invited to an interview, which was actually a bit like an assessment centre. There were 12 of us and we had a group task, and then a face-to-face interview. I prepared for the interview by researching into the company and made sure I understood what they do. How do you feel that the placement has benefitted you? I feel that undertaking a placement was the best decision I have made. I learnt a lot about the industry and I gained confidence and learnt lots of new skills like team management, communication, engineering

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management, and team working. I also believe that the placement helped me with securing my graduate job as I was asked a lot technical questions which I wouldn’t have been able to answer easily without completing a placement. What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? I would advise other students to apply for placements as this will definitely benefit your future career. What help or support did you access at the Careers Zone at LJMU? I received help with my CV and cover letter which has led to a better quality CV and covering letter when applying for graduate roles. What are your plans for after graduation – work, travel or further study? I have secured a graduate engineer position at Cheshire Energy Hub starting in September which I am really happy about.

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

The winning employability formula for students from any programme

LJMU has a proud history of competing at FS events at a high-level, home and abroad. In the Team’s previous guise as LJMU Racing, they entered race cars powered by internal combustion (IC) engines. Although successful with these IC cars, the university and the Team members agreed that the focus of the Team should look ahead. Therefore, the big decision was made for the Team to become an electric entry – LJMU e-Racing Team was born. This move coincides with the industry trend of electrification.

LJMU e-Racing Team also have incredible travel opportunities available to them. As well as attending FS competitions at Silverstone and abroad, the Team also have international travel opportunities. Some of the Team members travelled to China through LJMU’s Go Abroad scheme in May of 2018, meeting their counterparts in universities in Shanghai and Changshu. This international trip enriched our students’ experience at LJMU. FS is a great opportunity for students to apply the knowledge that they acquire in the lecture hall straight into a practical and realworld situation. Employers look favourably upon graduates that have experience with FS, as they can show that they have expansive skillsets and brilliant initiative.

Many of the Team’s alumni have credited their employment due to their priceless FS experience with the Team. Some examples of the companies that our graduates have recently gained employment with are; Aston Martin, Ricardo, M-Sport, Norton Motorcycles, Haas F1, National Grid, Airbus, Atkins, McLaren Automotive, and Sellafield.

CONNECT WITH US: If you wish to get involved with the Team, visit their social media: Facebook: LJMU e-Racing Team Twitter: @LJMUeRacingTeam Instagram: LJMU_e_Racing_Team Website: www.ljmueracingteam.com

A graduate says ...

“

Formula Student (FS) is Europe’s most established educational motorsport competition. FSUK is run by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and is backed by industry and high-profile engineers such as the competition’s patron, Ross Brawn OBE. The competition aims to inspire and develop enterprising and innovative young engineers. Universities from across the globe are challenged to design and build a singleseat racing car in order to compete in static and dynamic events, which demonstrates their understanding of their vehicle’s design and tests the performance of the vehicle.

Due to the size of the task of designing and building their first electric vehicle (EV), LJMU e-Racing Team competed as a Class 2 entry at FSUK in July 2018 - meaning they competed in the static events only (design, business, cost & manufacturing). They came 5th overall and were the second highest placed UK university. They are now in the second phase of their two-year design and build schedule, ensuring that they will compete in Class 1 of FSUK in 2019. Here, they will compete on the track against the stiff competition from all over the world. And yes, the students drive the car!

The Formula Student Team at LJMU is at the forefront of technological advancements in the automotive industry, having taken the leap to become an electric team. Being part of the team not only provides undergraduates with the eye-opening experience of a high pressure, fast-paced and competitive working environment, much like they will face in the real world, but also helps improve interpersonal skills and confidence which they will utilise in the rest of their careers. With the team recruiting from all disciplines, an endless amount of opportunities are available for students to create the most successful and employable version of themselves. All that is required is a cando attitude and willingness to learn.

Mathew Lindley, LJMU Mechanical Engineering graduate and previous Formula Student Head of Dynamics CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Careers in maritime and logistics (Management, Transport and Logistics, Maritime Business Management, Maritime Studies, Nautical Science) These courses prepare students for a wide range of positions both onshore and at sea. Being a port city, Liverpool has a longestablished maritime sector and developments around the Liverpool 2 project will hopefully increase the number of opportunities available for maritime and logistics students. The logistics sector is growing rapidly, particularly in the North West, leading to an increased demand for graduates. Graduates can move into a wide variety of positions from marine underwriters, shipping business analysts, operations assistants, trainee shipbrokers and trainee maritime lawyers to the management of freight forwarding, third party logistics companies, transport insurance and shipping companies as well as port terminal operation.

In addition to working in the logistics sector, a number of other sectors also offer opportunities for logistics graduates, for example, automotive, retail and manufacturing. Nautical Science graduates, after completing additional short courses and time at sea, will be able to achieve Officer of the Watch status which is the first step in becoming a Chief Mate and Master Mariner. Shore-based careers are also an option in ship management, marine surveying, marine insurance and maritime business.

Job titles of previous LJMU graduates have included: ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚

Graduate trainee manager Ships charter Shipbroker Shipping agent Fleet support officer Marine project co-ordinator

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❚❚ ❚❚

Shipping projects coordinator Lecturer in maritime operations Graduate operations manager

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Import/export manager Merchant Navy Navigation Officer Operations controller Operational planner Deck officer

❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚

Royal Navy Officer Hydrographic survey officer Maritime conservation consultant Freight & logistics consultant

Organisations who have recruited LJMU graduates have included:

❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚

AECOM Arriva Bibby British Antarctic Survey Charterworld LLP

❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚

CMA CGM Croisieres de France DHL Hanson Marine HMT Shipping Holland America

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Cruise Liners Irish Ferries Kuehne-Nagel Maersk Mercedes Benz Network Rail

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Peel Ports P&O Princess Cruises Shell Transport for London

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Third party logistics companies Shipping and freight agencies

Placement Case Study DANIEL SASSOON GRADUATED FROM THE MANAGEMENT, TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS COURSE IN SUMMER 2018 AND COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT AT ABELLIO What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? My placement was based within Abellio’s UK Rail Franchising Bids Team. This team is set up to acquire new rail contracts by meeting the specifications set out by the client. This major project has around 10 divisions working to complete it. I was working within the Operations team, who were responsible for creating the timetables. As cliché as its sounds, no two days were the same. It was a fast changing, intense environment. A key task was to conduct a lot of timetable analysis showing how our proposed timetable was an improvement to the current one. Many of these findings went directly into a multi-million-pound bid submission that won the company the West Midlands Franchise which you will now see today as West Midlands Railway and London North Western. What did the application process involve? I sent my CV and covering letter to many different HR departments stating how I wanted a career in the railway industry and within their organisation. Abellio spotted my passion and invited me in for an interview. How do you feel the placement has benefitted you? There is no doubt that I am far more employable than I was before I went on this placement. My knowledge of the railway industry has vastly improved and I am more confident about explaining the complexities of the railway to others. It also helped me to form my idea for my dissertation and I used a contact that I had established during my placement for an interview to gather data and information. I have also discovered skills I didn’t know I had. I created many visual aids

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using Microsoft Word and PowerPoint to demonstrate to other colleagues our aims for away-days and for presenting data on office wall displays. I received a number of compliments for these. What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? My advice to other students would be: related work experience, related work experience and more related work experience! It really stood out on my CV and showed potential employers that I was committed and motivated. Showing passion and knowledge of a sector will take you far. If you are struggling to find some related work experience, I found mine by sending many emails to senior employees of companies and even guessed their email address having found them on LinkedIn. This method has yet to fail me. What help or support did you access from the Careers Team? Before I pursued my Industrial Placement, I visited the Careers Team who were able to offer valuable advice on my CV on how to make all my skills I demonstrated during my related work experience stand out. If being interviewed is not your strong point, get some practice before the real thing - Andy is a pretty decent interviewer! Have you secured a graduate role? I have accepted a graduate role with Arriva Rail London and will be working as a Planning and Diagramming Specialist.

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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Placement Case Study OSCAR CLEVE GRADUATED FROM THE MARITIME BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT COURSE IN SUMMER 2018 AND COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT AT MICHAEL ELSE & CO What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? My official role at the company was ‘Underwriting Assistant’ and my day-to-day activities involved quoting new business, carrying out renewal quotes, drafting certificates of insurance and carrying out vessel declarations (invoicing). What did the application process involve? How did you prepare for each stage? The application process for me was luckily rather simple. The insurance industry remains rather old school and as such there are not many specific placement roles available. I simply got in contact with a number of people and sent them my CV to pass on to other individuals within the industry. There was a role available at The MECO Group, and I was invited to London to attend an interview. However, I would emphasise to individuals wanting to do a placement that it does not always have to be a dedicated scheme and often a good approach is simply to contact as many people as possible outlining your request and the advantages the company would receive from accepting you for a placement. How do you feel that the placement has benefitted you? My placement year benefited me in numerous ways including: ❙❙ Increased knowledge within the financial shipping segments, particularly insurance.

❙❙ I gained an insight into the

business world in general

❙❙ My work ethic increased, aiding

my return to university

❙❙ I gained a further understanding of what I wish to do after

university What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? Particularly in the industry I worked in and within other financial shipping industries, companies look for sociable, outgoing individuals who are able to communicate effectively with clients. Therefore, I would recommend all first-year students expand their social and ‘soft’ skills through joining sports teams or other available societies. If I were in the first year again I would also attempt to expand my knowledge outside of the university modules early on, providing you with an early advantage for the years to come and enhance your career choices. What help or support did you access at the Careers Zone at LJMU? Students should access the CV support sessions to ensure a competitive advantage over other individuals throughout the recruitment process.

Placement Case Study ROBERT BELLIS GRADUATED FROM THE NAUTICAL SCIENCE COURSE AND HAS BEEN WORKING AS AN OFFICER OF THE WATCH FOR THE BRITISH ANTARCTIC SURVEY What advice would you give current students to improve their employability? To improve employability I’d recommend gaining as much experience in your chosen field as possible. Volunteer, work experience, attend additional training courses and gain extra qualifications. And also network as much as possible with professionals in the field. Get your name known and get contacts who may be able to help when finding a job. Join any professional organisations associated with your chosen career. If I were a first year student again I’d make more of an effort to engage with the societies etc, as otherwise friendship groups tend to revolve around those on similar courses. What is your current role? I’ve worked as an Officer of the Watch for the British Antarctic Survey. I started off as Third Officer and am now sailing as Second Officer. I’ll be moving over to the new ship, the RRS Sir David Attenborough (Boaty McBoatface) later this year. I’m primarily responsible for taking charge of a navigational watch at sea, which includes navigating through ice and also manoeuvring the vessel as it conducts the science. Additionally I also take charge of deck and cargo operations and am coxswain for the small craft that we carry on board. As Second Officer I am also responsible for the passage planning for the vessel and act as the Ship Security Officer. CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering Careers in electronic and electrical engineering

Your course will be accredited by one of the professional institutions, IET for example, which validate that your degree gives you the foundation and knowledge to commence a career as an engineer. The expectation is that you will continue your learning and development after your studies and work towards becoming a chartered engineer to demonstrate your capability and professionalism. It is extremely important to join the relevant institution as a student member to demonstrate your commitment to developing a successful career. Some students will be studying towards a four-year MEng qualification which gives you the opportunity to obtain chartered engineer status without the need for further study. Students currently on the three year BEng course may have the opportunity to transfer to the MEng programme during their studies if they show sufficient academic progress. Some sectors, such as energy and oil and gas, may require you to be studying towards an MEng or MSc qualification when you apply for a placement or graduate position. As with Mechanical Engineering students it is important to think of the sector that you would like to work in as that will have a significant bearing on the day-to-day activities that you will be involved in. Sectors which recruit Electrical Engineering graduates include aerospace, manufacturing, automotive, transport, defence, built environment, telecommunications/IT, energy, infrastructure and the armed forces. Graduate jobs secured by previous students include the expected electrical and electronic engineer roles but other job titles have included control and instrumentation engineer, sales engineer, design engineer, service and maintenance engineer, reliability engineer and project engineer, for example.

“

A graduate says ...

Have the right attitude! It’s so hard now to find the job that you want, and the sheer amount of competition in any degree subject makes it even harder. Employers know this and know that they are looking for somebody special. If you have the right attitude and work ethic, and can put this across to an employer in your CV and interview then everything else will fall into place. The best advice that was given to me was to be yourself. Your grades and qualifications will speak for themselves. Yes, employers are interested in your technical abilities and making sure that you have the right qualifications for the position, but more importantly employers are interested in you as a person and the qualities that you can bring to their organisation. Good luck!!! Peter Morgan, Forensic Engineer, Strange Strange and Gardner (LJMU Engineering graduate) offers his advice to students about how to succeed in the competitive graduate jobs market

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

Previous graduates have gone on to work for the following organisations: ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙

Aero-Engine Controls B/E Aerospace Boulting Christie Hospital E & I Engineering Ltd Ferrenti Technologies Jaguar Land Rover LCA Controls Matrix Control Solutions Ministry of Defence Mott Macdonald M-Sport National Grid Network Rail Patrick Parsons Scottish Power Sellafield Siemens

A graduate says ...

“

Electrical and electronic engineers are in high demand and there are a wide range of employers who recruit graduates and offer placement opportunities. However, as with all degree subjects, there is still no guarantee of a job after completion of your studies and employers put a great deal of emphasis on getting hands-on experience in addition to your degree. Take advantage of projects like Formula Student and also explore placement and work experience opportunities to help improve your employability.

The Careers Team offer interview workshops and mock interviews and the best way to work on your interview technique is by undertaking an actual interview. The technical questions can really throw people and it is important to prepare for questions that start with “Where have you demonstrated…?” as you need to give evidence-based answers and this can be anything from when you had a paper round to working in a part-time job. Tom Smith, Electrical and Electronic Engineering

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Placement Case Study NEIL HANCOX, ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING GRADUATE, COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT WITH GE POWER CONVERSION career to go. The break from my studies left me refreshed for the final year and I was then able to apply the workplace learning into my final year modules. The placement provided a basis for my final year project and I was also offered a graduate role working as a Field Service/Commissioning Engineer working on the new aircraft carrier when it comes into service at Portsmouth Naval Base.

What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? What placement role did you secure and what did the role involve?

My placement was secured with GE Power Conversion part of the wider GE organisation who operate in a number of sectors including aviation, energy connections, healthcare, oil and gas, power, renewable energy, and transportation. My specific role was as a Field Service Engineer in the naval service department and the placement was split up into 6 months with the commissioning team at Rosyth dockyard in Scotland working on the commissioning of two new aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy, and then 6 months based at Portsmouth naval base working in a maintenance/ technical support team for the Royal Navy’s Type45 destroyers. Some of my day to day roles in Portsmouth were analyzing data for ships deployed and offering technical

support and guidance to the Royal Navy in fault finding and maintenance procedures. I also wrote manuals for maintenance work carried out so that future work colleagues and operatives can follow a procedure. In Rosyth I was working alongside a commissioning team carrying out testing on the new Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier’s power and propulsion system.

What did the application process involve?

The application process involved a number of stages – online application, telephone interview, situational tests on how you would react to a specific scenario and then a face-to-face interview.

How do you feel that the placement has benefitted you?

Some form of work experience is always advantageous and this doesn’t necessarily need to be in your degree discipline. Previous employment shows an employer that you have operated in a workplace environment. Thoroughly research the company and specific role you are applying for as interviewers like to see enthusiasm and knowledge for the role. Employers also like to see some extra-curricular activities which I believe demonstrates your willingness to give something back and develop yourself. Its always a cliché that your first year marks do not count towards your degree classification but at the same time first year marks are what an employer looks at when sifting through applications so it’s always good to not only gain good marks to stand out but to also get yourself in the frame of mind for second year.

This placement benefitted me in many ways. I now have a direction in which I would like my

Placement Case Study ADAM WILSON, FINAL YEAR MENG ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING STUDENT, COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT WITH SELLAFIELD What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? For my placement I was part of the Control, Electrical & Instrumentation (CE&I) Team on the Pile Fuel Storage Pond. This was a small team of 5 so I was involved in lots of tasks. In my day-to-day activities I would be responding to issues occurring in the plant, maintaining current technology or looking at methods to improve it, implementing new designs of my own, and ensuring that the plant documentation was correct as per the drawings before the plant was handed over to a maintenance team. All of this had me using AutoCAD on a daily basis, using my knowledge on transformers, presenting to a group of safety directors, and leading projects of my own and being the key point of contact for any queries, as well as lending my hand to other departments who required electrical assistance. How do you feel that the placement has benefitted you? I feel the placement benefited me in terms of experiencing what I will be doing in my future career and better preparing me for life in the industry. The placement enabled me to work alongside other professionals and Sellafield were very good at getting people together

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

and to mingle with the community, pushing out of work activities and providing opportunities for visiting other plants and places of work. They also paid for my professional registration with the IET and I was accepted as an Engineering Technician (EngTech & TMIET). This qualification tells an employer that you have met the standard of work set by the governing body of the electrical industry. Due to the contributions and the impressions left, I was confirmed to have met the Sellafield standard and that I would be considered for a job when I complete my masters. What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? My advice would be to do out-of-university activities with IET as they are a highly credible resource for you to access support and information. Also attend IET seminars as a common question that always comes up in interviews is ‘How do you keep up to date with current technologies?’.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Placement Case Study KRIS GLOVER GRADUATED FROM THE ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING COURSE IN SUMMER 2018 AND COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT WITH SELLAFIELD What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? I secured a placement as a Systems Engineer working within power and C&I with Sellafield based in Cumbria. On a daily basis this involved: ❙❙ Assisting Engineers, inspecting sites and equipment ❙❙ Report writing – system health reports (physical inspection, parts, maintenance schedules, performance factors) ❙❙ I was seconded to the innovation centre – mini project building a physical piece of equipment to build a concept related to a company area. Working alongside mechanical engineers and bringing an electrical insight ❙❙ Reviewing drawing designs

senior managers and the general day-to-day communications that you have in the workplace. I have also been given an insight into the application of the technical aspects of my course in the workplace. On a personal note I moved away from home for the first time, becoming self-reliant and growing up!

What did the application process involve? I applied through the company website and then undertook psychometric tests, a telephone interview, and finally a one-to-one interview. To prepare I practised psychometric tests, prepared for competency-based interviews, using the STAR framework (Situation, Task, Actions, and Result). I researched the company thoroughly and also prepared for power engineering questions

What help or support did you access at the Careers Zone at LJMU? I received support from the Employability Advisers with my CV in the Careers Zone. I received advice on how to structure my CV effectively and also improving my employability in the graduate job market. This helped me to get a focus on my job search. I also used the Career Planning Guide to identify potential companies to target with applications which was really useful.

How do you feel that the placement has benefitted you? Firstly, I have a graduate job offer as a direct result of the placement. The experience offers just as much, if not more, than getting a higher degree. I am definitely more organised with my final year studies and have improved my writing skills as I am more confident in what I’m writing about. The placement enabled me to experience talking to

What are your plans for after graduation – work, travel or further study? I have secured a graduate role with United Utilities on the 4 year Electrical Engineering Graduate Scheme. This will be a great opportunity and I will hopefully be supported to undertake a Masters qualification and to work towards becoming a Chartered Engineer.

What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? Definitely consider a sandwich placement or even a summer placement in your first year. Get a part-time job and improve your responsibility and knowledge of how a business works on a daily basis. This will help you to prepare for interviews in the future.

Placement Case Study CONNOR BREEN IS CURRENTLY ON THE FINAL YEAR OF THE MENG ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING COURSE AND COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT WITH SELLAFIELD What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? My placement role was based at Sellafield working as a CE&I engineer. On a day-to-day basis this involved: ❙❙ Producing and completing package work for various systems on the project including datasheets, technical specifications, Outline Installation Method Statements, cable schedules, connector schedules, termination cards etc. ❙❙ Developed CAD skills as part of the modifications team ❙❙ Acted as secretary for design reviews. These were key design meetings for the project that are attended by Senior Engineers, Managers and Regulators ❙❙ Attended various Sellafield Ltd training courses, covering different aspects of the CE&I discipline ❙❙ Tracking Assistance and Assurance Single Discipline Design Reviews to deadlines ❙❙ Also producing my own research into future technologies, preparing and presenting presentations for the CE&I community How do you feel the placement has benefitted you? I think it’s given me the technical skills needed to work and grow in a design engineering environment. I was also encouraged to apply for an Engtech qualification through the IET and I am now a TMIET.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? If I had my time again I would apply for more placements earlier to get experience of the recruitment process. I would recommend practising competency questions a lot as these are used in interviews. Prepare to succeed, I printed out a project I had been actively involved in showing my skills in time management and project work. I would also try not to over impress as the interviewers know that you are a student and understand your level of experience. Really think about your answers at interview. For example if asked to describe a weakness that you have don’t say “perfectionist” as employers know this is a standard answer. It’s seen to be positive if you identify weaknesses and suggest how you are working on these. What help or support did you access at the Careers Zone at LJMU? When updating my CV before applying for Sellafield I visited the Careers Zone and the Employability Advisers helped me restructure it, suggested different wording and deleted unnecessary text. I thought my CV was great until I had it checked and edited!

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Careers in product design engineering The course prepares students for careers within both large and small organisations primarily in design roles. Design is obviously essential when manufacturing any new products from new electronic devices to furniture to parts for the automotive industry and it is essential to demonstrate to an employer your passion for design. It is important to use your time to research possible career options early, developing your portfolio and looking for networking opportunities. A good degree with hands-on work experience will put you at an advantage when looking for graduate design roles and gives you the opportunity to develop your problem solving skills and ability to create practical solutions. Job titles of previous LJMU Product Design graduates have included:

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Design engineer Product designer CAD programmer Computer aided designer Pro design developer

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Design & development engineer Design technology teacher Solidworks application engineer

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Graduate project manager Technical marketing engineer Mechanical software engineer

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Mechanical designer Junior engineer Assistant engineer Aerospace design engineer Applications engineer

Organisations who have recruited LJMU graduates have included:

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Alexander Dennis Cadtec Systems Driveworks

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Fabricom Glasdon Heightec

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Kalzip Kimberly–Clark Land and Marine

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Nissan Optare Prysmian

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PSS Engineering Renishaw Sanko Gosei

Placement Case Study OLIVER PAYNE GRADUATED FROM THE PRODUCT DESIGN ENGINEERING COURSE IN SUMMER 2018 AND COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG PLACEMENT AT CADTEK What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? During my placement I was working as an Application Engineer, which required me to solve problems customers were having with SolidWorks, and I developed my skills in this software to a high level of proficiency. On a daily basis my role involved discussing customer queries and solving problems. This would often lead to me taking control of their computers via remote login and demonstrating a different method of using the software or training that person to become a better SolidWorks user. Sometimes these issues could be solved quickly whilst on other occasions I would collaborate with colleagues to solve them.

I hadn’t considered before such as marketing and sales. This meant I developed skills and an awareness in other fields, not just engineering.

Another aspect of my job was marketing and I worked with the marketing team to publish online content via the company’s social media accounts and was also in charge of all YouTube content. This involved organising and contributing to blog posts, webinars, videos and showcasing customer content through the company website. Towards the end of my placement, I was also give the opportunity to deliver training for customers.

Combining the experience you gain on a placement with your degree classification will put you head and shoulders above people who have graduated without industry experience. To further increase employability I would encourage the subscription to journals and magazines. These will give you further knowledge into your fields and can be a good way of finding information on what the different jobs are within that field. It can also lead to events where you can network with other people and companies who work in that field.

What did the application process involve? I emailed my CV to Cadtek after I had found the opportunity on the company website and heard of the company from my lecturer. I was then invited to have a phone interview with the technical manager of the company. I was asked about my knowledge of the company and the job role and also my personal interests and hobbies which helps give the phone interview a more relaxed feel. I was then invited to an interview at Cadtek which involved delivering a presentation, completing a short test on my use of Solidworks and finally a face-toface interview. How do you feel that the placement has benefitted you? The placement gave me a taste of working life within an engineering software company. This is what I had wanted to do after university and working at Cadtek helped me to confirm this. I was able to mature as a person and develop my problem solving, engineering software skills, communication and teaching skills. It improved my employability as I completed a number of training courses which have enabled me to gain certifications that show my proficiency with the software. The placement gave me an insight into different aspects of jobs that

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? I would advise all students who have the option to do a placement to do so. Doing a placement gives you vital experience that you could never get a university. A placement will allow you to try out different aspects of different roles to see if you like that job.

I subscribe to a free magazine, Develop3d, who regularly have adverts in it about different engineering software and companies who use it including Cadtek and Driveworks. Have a look to see if any societies for that field exist. For example, I am a member of SWUGN, which is: SolidWorks User Group Network. This is a worldwide group that holds local events where SolidWorks users meet and have guest speakers on the software and what’s happening in the industry. I would also recommend using the support on offer at LJMU’s Careers Team more as it will provide you with more confidence in interviewing and selling yourself to a company What are your plans for after graduation – work, travel or further study? I will be working as an Applications Engineer position at Driveworks, a company who develop a software add-in for SolidWorks. These are an international company who automate designs of SolidWorks models. Because of my placement experience at Cadtek and my confidence in the interview I was offered the position with a summer 2018 start date.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE

Careers in audio and music production The Audio and Music Production course provides students with a good foundation of both technical and management knowledge and prepares them for opportunities in a wide range of organisations. Traditionally, breaking into the music/ media industry has involved being proactive and seeking out opportunities as early as possible. It is important to research your options, pursue networking opportunities and gain work experience in addition to your academic studies.

Job titles of previous LJMU graduates have included:

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Sound engineer Games console production Broadcast engineer Media technician Video editor

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Lighting technician Audio engineer Music producer Acoustic engineer Freelance roles

Organisations who have recruited LJMU graduates have included:

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BBC Sky Audio visual companies ITV

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Adlib ADI TV PDA Acoustics Theatres and other events companies

Graduate Case Study AUDIO & MUSIC PRODUCTION GRADUATE RYAN SHAW TALKS ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES IN THE WORKPLACE AND PROVIDES ADVICE TO CURRENT STUDENTS What roles have you undertaken since graduation and what did these roles involve?

I started as a casual Audio Engineer on a zero-hours contract with Adlib just before graduating. This carried on after graduation and led to more and more work resulting in me working with some great acts up and down the country. This role allowed me to build up contacts within the industry and I was able to move off into freelance work as an AV Technician/ Audio Engineer. Freelance work is now the backbone of the music industry and it’s all about having a solid CV (which can be created by doing free work) and building up a list of contacts. I am now an Education and Business to Business Sales Executive with Dolphin Music.

What did the application process involve? How did you prepare for each stage?

With this being a specialist industry a lot of places will ask you to carry out tasks and will even ask you to work on a trial basis to gauge your abilities. The application process for freelance contracts may be to physically set up or specify equipment for a particular gig/exhibition: the company always expect you to know your trade, you never know when you have to take apart a cable or fix something. You have to be confident and on your toes.

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

University isn’t just about sitting and being taught, it is about challenging yourself. In university we’re not given the question followed by the answer as we are in school; it’s all about discovering your strengths and improving your weaknesses. My best advice would

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

be to push yourself beyond what you think your limits are, put yourself out there and show prospective employers what you can do. Work for free if you need to; the payoff comes later.

What support did you access at LJMU and how was this useful?

I knew that at one point in my career I would like to work for myself. This meant that I had to find out the correct information about contracts, self-employment and what that meant for my income, tax and my National Insurance. With help from the Centre for Entrepreneurship I was able to set up my taxes, register myself as self-employed and land my first contract. The Careers Zone is a hub for employment and should be treated this way. If you’re looking to build contacts you need to utilise the university and this is the best way to do that.

What aspects of your degree were useful in helping you to secure this position and be successful in the role?

All aspects of my degree have helped and allowed me to be confident in the positions that I have held since graduation. The two biggest factors for myself would have been the Live Performance Operations & Technology and Electronic Audio Systems modules. These two modules (even though they seemed somewhat obscure to me at the time) have helped me more than any other, both as a live sound engineer and in my current position. It is always good to have a speciality but in this industry it is imperative to be an ‘all-rounder’. Employers are looking for you to be as diverse as possible.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

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

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

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

In the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, you have your own dedicated Careers Adviser, Andy Byrne. You are likely to meet Andy at some point during your programme of study. He 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:

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Signposting to useful resources and information

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Expert job sector advice and information tailored to your needs

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Signposting to careers events, workshops and fairs

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Access to a range of employers who regularly visit the Zones

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

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

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Help to access our job search websites including GoinGlobal

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 ...

{

“

{

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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

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

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.

CAREERS AND RECRUITMENT FAIRS

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:

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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

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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

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

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

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

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.66 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

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:

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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: ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙

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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

#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

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.

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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.

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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?

Audio & Music Production CAREER INSIGHT

LJMU CAREERS TEAM 0151 231 2048/3719 ❚ careers@ljmu.ac.uk

www2.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

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

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

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 ... IN THE LAST YEAR OF HIS HISTORY DEGREE AT BATH SPA UNIVERSITY TOM DEVELOPED AN INTEREST IN PROPERTY WHICH LED HIM TO A MASTERS IN COMMERCIAL BUILDING SURVEYING AT LJMU.

“After my undergraduate degree I got some experience working with building surveyors and decided it was an area I wanted to move into. John Moores has a great reputation for built environment courses so I decided to study here. “I knew I would be fine with the journal and report writing side of things but realised that the technical support would be key. The lecturers have been great. They are all very keen on their subject areas which makes lectures really enjoyable. There is also a lot of variety in the programme and, of course, it has great links with industry. “The support on offer at LJMU is excellent, not only in terms of the subject staff, but also the library staff who have been invaluable when it comes to accessing online resources.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

“Working alongside my studies has enabled me to put my learning into practice on a daily basis. It has been a challenging experience but very rewarding. In terms of Masters study, so long as you do your preparation in advance and work hard throughout your course you’ll certainly be able to do it.”

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES AT LJMU

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.

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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

05.

{

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

Erasmus+ Traineeship (work placement)

02.

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

04.

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

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

SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES AT LJMU

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS HAVE DEDICATED SKILLS SUPPORT OFFICERS AND SANDWICH PLACEMENT OFFICERS TO HELP

Electrical and Electronic Engineering students on Blue Peris trip

YOU. HERE IS WHAT THEY DO AND HOW THEY CAN ASSIST YOU.

Skills support Skills Support Officers (SSO), Michelle Macdonnell and Suzanne Smith-Gapper, are available within the Faculty of Engineering and Technology to support students and provide information on how to gain the most from the opportunities available for you while studying at LJMU. New students will meet Michelle and Suzanne during induction sessions and they will then support you throughout your programme, delivering a range of skills-specific workshops, all of which will hopefully help you to grow into a confident student and a capable professional. The team can help with the following:

❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚

Personal Development Planning (PDP) Graduate Skills Signposting and referral to employability advisers, careers advisers, careers & employability workshops, Careers events etc. Referral to the e-guidance service Accessing job search websites Coordinating/supporting employability events Support using LinkedIn

Michelle commented: “Our role as Skills Support Officers is to help you make the most of your time at university and to help you identify where and how you can best develop the skills employers demand.” For more information about skills development and support options, contact Michelle or Suzanne by calling 0151 231 2643 or call into Room 214, James Parsons Building, Byrom Street.

A graduate says ...

“

Student skills support and sandwich placement support in the faculty

During my four years at LJMU the skills support team have been excellent in helping and supporting me with a number of problems that I have faced throughout my university studies. Michelle and Suzanne have provided an excellent drop in service and always been there to help. They showed a great interest and wished me luck before each interview, which really meant a lot to me. Without this support and guidance I really don’t think I would be where I am now. Georgia Howard, Product Innovation & Development graduate, now working for Curtins

Sandwich placement support There are strong links between employers and the Faculty which have been developed over a number of years. These links mean that employers provide an input into your course content to ensure that it is relevant and up-to-date. Site visits are also arranged within programmes, particularly those within property and construction. Angela Clarke and colleagues are the dedicated members of staff who manage relationships with employers and also administer sandwich placements within the Faculty. The team also advertise work placements and graduate roles alongside sandwich vacancies from property and construction, engineering, maritime, and IT companies who have contacted Liverpool John Moores University directly.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

Angela organises an Employer Career Day annually. This year the event will be held on Thursday 11 October at the Adelphi Hotel Liverpool between 9am – 12 noon. The event is now in its fifteenth year and is held in high regard by employers and students alike. Last year’s event saw an impressive 84 companies in attendance along with professional bodies, the Careers Team and the Centre for Entrepreneurship. It gives employers the opportunity to meet with a captive audience of students within the Faculty of Engineering and Technology and is an ideal way to introduce students to organisations.

As placements are paid, they can help both financially and also later on when applying for graduate jobs. It is not unusual for students to be offered jobs at the end of their placement. When being interviewed for placements, you can improve your interview and application skills for when you graduate. You will also gain knowledge and skills to bring back with you in your final year and enhance your employability when you graduate. For more information on sandwich placements at the beginning of Level 5, call in to room 214, James Parsons Building, Byrom Street. Alternatively email FETplacements@ ljmu.ac.uk.

Sandwich placements are a good way of gaining work experience within a degree and they provide an insight into the world of work.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

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.

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..

01. 02. 03.

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

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.

Help and support available to you..

01. 02. 03.

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

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

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:

❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚

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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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

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.

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 Liverpool 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

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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

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.

COMBINED 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.

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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

Skills-based CV ĂǀŝĚ <ŝŶŐ

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For specific placement/graduate scheme applications, check requirements of the particular employer and amend your personal profile accordingly. You could include the employer name to personalise the opening of your CV.

List entries in this section in reverse chronological order, i.e. starting with details about your degree.

Highlight any relevant modules or content from your degree.

4 5

You don’t need to list all of your GCSE subjects.

Check this against the job advert and match your entries to the particular employer’s requirements. Try to use examples from a number of different contexts, e.g. study, work and unpaid work, extracurricular activities etc.

Emphasise achievements or additional responsibilities in your part-time work.

It is a good idea to illustrate your interest in developing a career in your chosen sector through being a member of professional bodies or relevant student societies. Attending public lectures or reading relevant journals/ free newsletters can also be useful to improve your understanding of this further.

Highlight any positions of responsibility to illustrate your leadership potential.

ZĞůĞǀĂŶƚ ǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ϮϬϭϳ – ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚ &ŽƌŵƵůĂ ^ƚƵĚĞŶƚ dĞĂŵ͕ >ŝǀĞƌƉŽŽů :ŽŚŶ DŽŽƌĞƐ hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚǇ sĂůƵĂďůĞ ĞǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ŐĂŝŶĞĚ ĐŽůůĂďŽƌĂƚŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ƚĞĂŵ ŽĨ DĞĐŚĂŶŝĐĂů͕ ůĞĐƚƌŝĐĂů ĂŶĚ ĞƐŝŐŶ ŶŐŝŶĞĞƌŝŶŐ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ͘ DĂŶƵĨĂĐƚƵƌĞĚ ƉĂƌƚƐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ĐĂƌ ĂŶĚ ĂƐƐŝƐƚĞĚ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƌĞ ĞǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞĚ ƚĞĂŵ ŵĞŵďĞƌƐ ŝŶ ƌĞĚĞƐŝŐŶŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ĨƵĞů ƚĂŶŬ ĂĐĐŽƌĚŝŶŐ ƚŽ ƐĞƚ ǁĞŝŐŚƚ ĂŶĚ ĐŽƐƚ ƐƉĞĐŝĨŝĐĂƚŝŽŶƐ͘ KŶ ƚŚĞ ƌĂĐĞ ĚĂǇ Ăƚ ^ŝůǀĞƌƐƚŽŶĞ͕ / ǁĂƐ ƌĞƐƉŽŶƐŝďůĞ ĨŽƌ ŬĞĞƉŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ Ɖŝƚ ĂƌĞĂ ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĞĚ ƚŽ ĂǀŽŝĚ ĂŶǇ ĚĞůĂǇ ŝŶ ĐĂƌƌǇŝŶŐ ŽƵƚ ƌĞƉĂŝƌƐ ĂŶĚ ĂĚũƵƐƚŵĞŶƚƐ͘ ^ŬŝůůƐ WƌŽĨŝůĞ ĞƐŝŐŶ ĂŶĚ dĞĐŚŶŝĐĂů ƐŬŝůůƐ  ^ƚƌŽŶŐ ƐŬŝůůƐ ƵƐŝŶŐ ƐŽĨƚǁĂƌĞ ƐƵĐŚ ĂƐ ^ŽůŝĚǁŽƌŬƐ ĂŶĚ ƵƚŽ ͘ ĂŶ ĂůƐŽ ĐŽŶĨŝĚĞŶƚůǇ ƵƐĞ DĂƚŚ ĨŽƌ ŵĂƚŚĞŵĂƚŝĐĂů ŵŽĚĞůůŝŶŐ͘  ŽŶĨŝĚĞŶƚ ĚĞƐŝŐŶ ƐŬŝůůƐ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ ĨƌŽŵ ƐƵĐĐĞƐƐĨƵůůǇ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ŽŶ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚƐ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ŵǇ ĚĞŐƌĞĞ͕ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ĐĂƐĞ ƐƚƵĚŝĞƐ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞĚ ďǇ ĞŵƉůŽǇĞƌƐ͘ ĐŚŝĞǀĞĚ ŚŝŐŚ ŵĂƌŬƐ ;Ϯ͗ϭ Žƌ ĂďŽǀĞͿ ďǇ ĞŶƐƵƌŝŶŐ ƚŚĂƚ ŵǇ ĚĞƐŝŐŶƐ ĂĚŚĞƌĞĚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ŐŝǀĞŶ ƐƉĞĐŝĨŝĐĂƚŝŽŶ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ ďƌŝĞĨ ĂŶĚ ďǇ ƵƐŝŶŐ ĚŝĨĨĞƌĞŶƚ ƚĞĐŚŶŝƋƵĞƐ ƚŽ ŐĞŶĞƌĂƚĞ ŝĚĞĂƐ͕ ƐƵĐŚ ĂƐ ŵŽƌƉŚŽůŽŐŝĐĂů ĐŚĂƌƚƐ͕ ĐŚĞĐŬ ůŝƐƚŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ďƌĂŝŶ ƐƚŽƌŵŝŶŐ͘  ĚǀĂŶĐĞĚ ƐŬŝůůƐ ŝŶ DŝĐƌŽƐŽĨƚ tŽƌĚ͕ ǆĐĞů͕ WŽǁĞƌWŽŝŶƚ ĂŶĚ KƵƚůŽŽŬ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ / ĐŽŶƚŝŶƵĞ ƚŽ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞ ŽŶ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ ĂƚƚĞŶĚŝŶŐ ƌĞůĞǀĂŶƚ ^ƚƵĚǇ ^ƵƉƉŽƌƚ ǁŽƌŬƐŚŽƉƐ Ăƚ >:Dh͘ WƌŽďůĞŵ ^ŽůǀŝŶŐ  ZĞĐĞŶƚůǇ ǁŽƌŬĞĚ ŽŶ Ă ĐŚĂůůĞŶŐĞ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞĚ ďǇ ƚŚĞ /ŶƐƚŝƚƵƚŝŽŶ ŽĨ DĞĐŚĂŶŝĐĂů ŶŐŝŶĞĞƌƐ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĨŽĐƵƐĞĚ ŽŶ ĚĞƐŝŐŶŝŶŐ Ă ůŽǁͲĞŶĞƌŐǇ ǀĞŚŝĐůĞ ĨŽƌ Ă ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚ ĐŽŵƉĞƚŝƚŝŽŶ ĂŶĚ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ ŵǇ ĂŶĂůǇƚŝĐĂů ƚŚŝŶŬŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ĨĂƵůƚͲĨŝŶĚŝŶŐ ƐŬŝůůƐ͘ ZĞƐĞĂƌĐŚĞĚ ĚŝĨĨĞƌĞŶƚ ŽƉƚŝŽŶƐ ŽĨ ƉŽǁĞƌŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ǀĞŚŝĐůĞ͕ ĐŽŶƐŝĚĞƌŝŶŐ ĂůƚĞƌŶĂƚŝǀĞ ŵĞƚŚŽĚƐ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ĨŝŶĂů ĚĞƐŝŐŶ ƚŚĂƚ ǁŽƵůĚ ďĞ ĨĞĂƐŝďůĞ ǁŝƚŚŝŶ ƚŚĞ ďƵĚŐĞƚ͘

Ɛ Ă ƚĞĐŚŶŝĐĂů ĂƐƐŝƐƚĂŶƚ Ăƚ ǇĐůĞ ^ƵƌŐĞƌǇ tŝƌƌĂů͕ / ĚĞŵŽŶƐƚƌĂƚĞĚ ŚĂŶĚƐͲŽŶ ƐŬŝůůƐ ŝŶ ƐĞƌǀŝĐŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ƌĞƉĂŝƌŝŶŐ ďŝĐǇĐůĞƐ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĨƵƌƚŚĞƌ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ ŵǇ ƉƌŽďůĞŵͲƐŽůǀŝŶŐ ƐŬŝůůƐ͘ / ĚĞĂů ǁŝƚŚ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌ ĞŶƋƵŝƌŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŵƉůĂŝŶƚƐ ĞĨĨĞĐƚŝǀĞůǇ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂůůǇ͕ ůŝƐƚĞŶŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ƌĞƐƉŽŶĚŝŶŐ ĐĂůŵůǇ ƚŽ ĂŐŝƚĂƚĞĚ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌƐ ĂŶĚ ŽĨĨĞƌŝŶŐ ƐƵŝƚĂďůĞ ĂůƚĞƌŶĂƚŝǀĞ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƚƐ ǁŚĞƌĞ ƉŽƐƐŝďůĞ͘ WůĂŶŶŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ dŝŵĞ DĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ƐŬŝůůƐ  ĂůĂŶĐŝŶŐ ĐŽŵŵŝƚŵĞŶƚƐ ĨƌŽŵ ƉĂƌƚͲƚŝŵĞ ǁŽƌŬ ĂŶĚ ĨƵůůͲƚŝŵĞ ƐƚƵĚǇ ĞĨĨĞĐƚŝǀĞůǇ͘ hƐĞ Ă ǁĞĞŬůǇ ƉůĂŶŶĞƌ ƚŽ ƌĞĐŽƌĚ ŵǇ ƐŚŝĨƚƐ ŝŶ ǁŽƌŬ ĂƐ ƐŽŽŶ ĂƐ ƚŚĞƐĞ ŚĂǀĞ ďĞĞŶ ĐŽŶĨŝƌŵĞĚ ĂŶĚ ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĞ ŵǇ ƌĞǀŝƐŝŽŶ͕ ĐŽƵƌƐĞǁŽƌŬ ĂŶĚ ƐŽĐŝĂů ĂĐƚŝǀŝƚŝĞƐ ĂƌŽƵŶĚ ƚŚĞƐĞ͘  tŽƌŬŝŶŐ ĂƐ Ă ƚĞĂŵ ůĞĂĚĞƌ ŽĨ Ă ďƵƐǇ ďĂƌ ƚĞĂŵ Ăƚ tĞƚŚĞƌƐƉŽŽŶƐ͕ / Ăŵ ƌĞƐƉŽŶƐŝďůĞ ĨŽƌ ĐƌĞĂƚŝŶŐ ƐƚĂĨĨ ƌŽƚĂƐ ĂŶĚ ƐƚŽĐŬ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ͘ / ĞŶƐƵƌĞ ƚŚĂƚ / ŬĞĞƉ ƵƉͲƚŽͲĚĂƚĞ ǁŝƚŚ ĂŶǇ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚ ƉƌŽŵŽƚŝŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ĞǀĞŶƚƐ ƚŽ ƉůĂŶ ĂĚĞƋƵĂƚĞ ƐƚĂĨĨŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ƐƚŽĐŬ ůĞǀĞůƐ͘ 

Preferably use one academic and one employer reference. If you run out of space you can state ‘References available on request’.

ŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚŝŽŶ ƐŬŝůůƐ  &Žƌ Ă ƌĞĐĞŶƚ ƌĞƉŽƌƚ / ŚŽŶĞĚ ŵǇ ǁƌŝƚƚĞŶ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚŝŽŶ ƐŬŝůůƐ ďǇ ĚŝƐĐƵƐƐŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ĚŝĨĨĞƌĞŶĐĞƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŵŝĐƌŽ ƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞƐ ŽĨ ŵĞƚĂů͕ ĨŝďƌĞ ĂŶĚ ĐĞƌĂŵŝĐƐ ĂŶĚ ŚŽǁ ƚŚĞƐĞ ŝŶĨůƵĞŶĐĞ ƚŚĞ ĐŚŽŝĐĞ ŽĨ ŵĂƚĞƌŝĂůƐ ƵƐĞĚ ŝŶ ŝŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƚŝŽŶƐ͘ / ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĞĚ ĂƌŐƵŵĞŶƚƐ ĨŽƌ ĂŶĚ ĂŐĂŝŶƐƚ ĞĂĐŚ ŵĂƚĞƌŝĂů ƚŽ ŝůůƵƐƚƌĂƚĞ ǁŚǇ ƐŽŵĞ ŝŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĞƐ ĨĂǀŽƵƌĞĚ ƉĂƌƚŝĐƵůĂƌ ŵĂƚĞƌŝĂůƐ͘  DǇ ƌŽůĞ ĂƐ Ă ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚ ƌĞƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĂƚŝǀĞ ŚĂƐ ƐƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶĞĚ ŵǇ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚŝŽŶ ƐŬŝůůƐ ĂŶĚ ŵǇ ĐŽŶĨŝĚĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ ĚĞĂůŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ƐĞŶŝŽƌ ŵĞŵďĞƌƐ ŽĨ ĂĐĂĚĞŵŝĐ ƐƚĂĨĨ͘ / ĂƚƚĞŶĚ ďŽĂƌĚ ŽĨ ƐƚƵĚǇ ŵĞĞƚŝŶŐƐ ƚŽ ĨĞĞĚ ďĂĐŬ ŝƐƐƵĞƐ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ŚĂǀĞ ƌĂŝƐĞĚ͕ ĞŶƐƵƌŝŶŐ ƚŚĂƚ / ƵƐĞ Ă ĚŝƉůŽŵĂƚŝĐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ĂƉƉƌŽĂĐŚ Ăƚ Ăůů ƚŝŵĞƐ ŝŶ ŽƌĚĞƌ ƚŽ ďƵŝůĚ ƌĂƉƉŽƌƚ ǁŝƚŚ ƐƚĂĨĨ ƚŽ ƌĞƐŽůǀĞ ŝƐƐƵĞƐ͘

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.

tŽƌŬ ,ŝƐƚŽƌǇ

ϮϬϭϳͲƉƌĞƐĞŶƚ dŚĞ tĞůŬŝŶ͕ tĞƚŚĞƌƐƉŽŽŶƐ͕ >ŝǀĞƌƉŽŽů ŝƚǇ ĞŶƚƌĞ – dĞĂŵ ůĞĂĚĞƌ ĨƚĞƌ ϲ ŵŽŶƚŚƐ ĂƐ Ă ďĂƌŵĂŶ͕ / ǁĂƐ ƉƌŽŵŽƚĞĚ ƚŽ ƚĞĂŵ ůĞĂĚĞƌ ƚŚĂŶŬƐ ƚŽ ŵǇ ǁŽƌŬ ĞƚŚŝĐ ĂŶĚ ŵǇ ǁŝůůŝŶŐŶĞƐƐ ƚŽ ůĞĂƌŶ͘ / Ăŵ ŝŶǀŽůǀĞĚ ŝŶ ƌĞĐƌƵŝƚŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ƚƌĂŝŶŝŶŐ ŶĞǁ ŵĞŵďĞƌƐ ŽĨ ƐƚĂĨĨ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ŐƌĞĂƚůǇ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ ŵǇ ƚĞĂŵǁŽƌŬ ĂŶĚ ůĞĂĚĞƌƐŚŝƉ ƐŬŝůůƐ͘ ϮϬϭϱͲϮϬϭϳ ǇĐůĞ ^ƵƌŐĞƌǇ >ŝǀĞƌƉŽŽů – ƵƐƚŽŵĞƌ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞ ĂŶĚ dĞĐŚŶŝĐĂů ƐƐŝƐƚĂŶƚ ^ĞƌǀŝĐŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ƌĞƉĂŝƌŝŶŐ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌ ďŝĐǇĐůĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽǀŝĚŝŶŐ ĂĚǀŝĐĞ ŽŶ ŵĂŝŶƚĞŶĂŶĐĞ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƚƐ ƚŽ ƉƵƌĐŚĂƐĞ͘ dƌĂŝŶĞĚ ŶĞǁ ƐƚĂĨĨ ŽŶ ďŝĐǇĐůĞ ĚĞƐŝŐŶ ĂŶĚ ŵĂŝŶƚĞŶĂŶĐĞ ĂŶĚ ŚŽǁ ƚŽ ƵƐĞ ĂŶǇ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞĚ ĞƋƵŝƉŵĞŶƚ͘

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ĚĚŝƚŝŽŶĂů /ŶĨŽƌŵĂƚŝŽŶ  DĞŵďĞƌƐŚŝƉ ŽĨ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ďŽĚŝĞƐ͗ Ɛ Ă ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚ ŵĞŵďĞƌ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ /DĞĐŚ ͕ / ĞŶũŽǇ ŬĞĞƉŝŶŐ ƵƉ ƚŽ ĚĂƚĞ ǁŝƚŚ ĂŶǇ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĞŶŐŝŶĞĞƌŝŶŐ ƐĞĐƚŽƌ͘ / ƉĂǇ ƉĂƌƚŝĐƵůĂƌ ĂƚƚĞŶƚŝŽŶ ƚŽ ĂŶǇ ŶĞǁƐ ƐƚŽƌŝĞƐ ƌĞůĂƚŝŶŐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ĂƵƚŽŵŽƚŝǀĞ ƐĞĐƚŽƌ͘  ϮϬϭϳͲϮϬϭϴ ^ƚƵĚĞŶƚ ƌĞƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĂƚŝǀĞ ĨŽƌ ŶŐ DĞĐŚĂŶŝĐĂů ŶŐŝŶĞĞƌŝŶŐ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ Ăƚ >:Dh  /ŶƚĞƌĞƐƚƐ͗ / ĞŶũŽǇ ŽƵƚĚŽŽƌ ĂĐƚŝǀŝƚŝĞƐ ůŝŬĞ ŵŽƵŶƚĂŝŶͲďŝŬŝŶŐ͕ ŚŝŬŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ŬĂǇĂŬŝŶŐ͘ ZĞĨĞƌĞŶĐĞƐ

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

If you have any relevant experience (paid or unpaid), emphasise this by listing this entry early on in your CV and provide some brief details.

DŝĐŚĂĞů ^ŵŝƚŚ WƌŽŐƌĂŵŵĞ >ĞĂĚĞƌ DĞĐŚĂŶŝĐĂů ŶŐŝŶĞĞƌŝŶŐ >ŝǀĞƌƉŽŽů :ŽŚŶ DŽŽƌĞƐ hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚǇ dĞů͗ Ϭϭϱϭ Ϯϯϭ ϬϬϬϬ ŵĂŝů͘ D͘^ŵŝƚŚϰϯΛůũŵƵ͘ĂĐ͘ƵŬ

DĂƌŝĂ :ŽŶĞƐ 'ĞŶĞƌĂů DĂŶĂŐĞƌ dŚĞ tĞůŬŝŶ WƵďůŝĐ ,ŽƵƐĞ >ŝǀĞƌƉŽŽů͕ >ϯ Ϯ : dĞů͗ Ϭϭϱϭ ϰϵϰ ϱϱϲϱ ŵĂŝů D͘:ŽŶĞƐϵϵΛǁĞƚŚĞƌƐƉŽŽŶƐ͘ĐŽ͘ƵŬ

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

GETTING THE JOB

Chronological CV Mohammed Ahmed

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Personal Profile An ambitious final-year Construction Management undergraduate with previous experience in the construction industry as a labourer and assistant site manager, where I successfully supported the project management of a number of key commercial projects. I am eager to put my problemsolving, time management and communication skills into practice by joining North West Construction as a Trainee Site Manager. Education and Qualifications 2016 - present

 Accredited by both the CIOB and the Association of Building Engineers.  Modules include Construction Site Management, Sustainable Design and Construction, Construction Contracts and Procurement, Law and Procurement Systems.  Dissertation proposal: An investigation into working at height procedures.  Led a group project focussing on sustainable design. As project leader I set up a Gantt Chart, allocated roles according to strengths and set up weekly team meetings to review progress and plan for the week ahead. The project was delivered on team and received a 1st class mark. 2009 - 2016

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BSc (Hons) Construction Management (predicted: 2:1) Liverpool John Moores University

If you include a personal profile, ensure it is targeted at the role and organisation. Keep it concise and focused.

2 3

List entries in this section in reverse chronological order.

You can also draw the reader’s attention to a relevant dissertation or other coursework.

5 6

You don’t need to list all your GCSE subjects.

Keep this section fairly short by providing a brief summary of the role, your responsibilities and any relevant skills you have developed.

If you have any interests that relate to your chosen role, make sure you include these at the end of your CV. This illustrates to a prospective employer that you have a real enthusiasm for your chosen sector and career.

If you have space, include details of two referees (preferably one academic and one employer reference). Whilst it is preferable to include a short section detailing your referees, if you run out of space, you can state “References available on request”.

St Mary’s High School, Southport

A-Levels: Maths (C), General Studies (C), AS-Level: Physics (C) 10 GCSEs including Maths (A) and English (C) Construction-related Experience June-September 2018 Southport Construction Ltd – Assistant Site Manager  Having previously worked as a labourer for Southport Construction Ltd, I was successful in securing a summer placement as an assistant site manager. I gained valuable leadership and project management experience working on site completing tasks such as checking for defects, monitoring project progress using Asta Powerproject, ordering materials, and participating in client meetings.  Spent time in the head office to gain a better insight into the work undertaken by mostly office-based staff, including quantity surveyors. Here I learnt about the procurement process, building regulations and cost analysis/management. Assisting the quantity surveyor with basic tasks improved my numeracy skills and attention to detail.  Liaising with architects, site engineers and local authority representatives has greatly improved my understanding of the various partners involved in delivering a successful construction project. It also developed my confidence of communicating effectively with staff across all levels.



Include relevant content from your degree, e.g. individual modules you have studied.

Including relevant work experience (paid or unpaid) in a separate section on the first page of your CV helps to highlight this to the reader. Briefly outline your duties in these roles and discuss what you have learnt in these positions. You can also make reference to any relevant skills you have used and improved.

My duties involved mixing concrete to the correct ratios for bricklayers, general site maintenance and assisting with the delivery of materials across the site. I developed a good understanding of the importance of adhering to health and safety regulations and ensured I wore appropriate protective clothing at all times.

May - August 2017 Southport Construction Ltd – Site Labourer Other Employment  Working on a housing development site as a general labourer has given me valuable experience in the construction industry, e.g. understanding activity planning and 2017 - present Lancashire Arms Hotel, Southport – Bar Staff sequencing of a project. I also demonstrated my teamwork skills by working effectively  My duties included serving customers, changing barrels, collecting glasses, and during with different staff on site. busy times assisting with waiting on tables and taking food orders in this busy role. I built up a good rapport with regular customers and developed my communication skills as well as ability to work under pressure in this busy work environment.  Working effectively as part of a team was essential to provide a professional and quick service to customers.

An Employability Adviser says ...

“

3 Hatton Road Liverpool L3 4ZA m.ahmed@ljmu.2014.ac.uk 07734 255 342

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!

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

2016 - present Everton FC, Liverpool – Kiosk Assistant  Serving customers drinks and snacks on match days. Communicating effectively with other team members ensures that we keep waiting time for customers to a minimum even during busy times. I am also responsible for cashing up at the end of the shift. IT Skills  

Confident user of MS Office programmes, including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint, which I have used both in work and for university assignments. Developed my Asta Powerproject skills through both academic work and my role at Southport Construction Ltd.

Positions of Responsibility  Course representative for the Construction Management course: communicate with both students and academic staff about possible improvements to course delivery and assessment and the overall student experience.  Treasurer for the Badminton Society: Prepare annual financial reports, keep track of day-to-day transactions, manage expenditure and review budgets. Additional information

Interests: As a student member of the CIOB, I keep up-to-date with trends and developments in the construction sector. I have also been a member of the Civil and Construction Society at LJMU since starting my studies and have greatly enjoyed the site visits and employer networking events I have attended in the past two years. These have helped me develop my commercial awareness and understanding of career options within the industry. Driving licence: Have held a full, clean licence since 2016.

References Dr Tom Fletcher Senior Lecturer Department of Built Environment Liverpool John Moores University 0151 231 0000 t.fletcher@ljmu.ac.uk

Peter Robinson Managing Director Southport Construction Ltd 01704 231234 peter.robinson@scltd.co.uk

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

GETTING THE JOB

Combined CV 1

If you include a personal profile, keep it concise and focused, highlighting relevant experience, interests, knowledge and skills.

List entries in this section in reverse chronological order, i.e. starting with details about your degree.

You can also draw the reader’s attention to any relevant coursework or a final-year dissertation.

ZĞďĞĐĐĂ tĂůŬĞƌ

1 2 3 4 5 6

WĞƌƐŽŶĂů ƉƌŽĨŝůĞ

ϱϴ ^ƵŵŵĞƌ ^ƚƌĞĞƚ ^ŚĞĨĨŝĞůĚ ^,ϵ ϵ,E dĞů͗ ϬϳϵϱϴϮϱϲϭϯϱ ŵĂŝů͗ ZĞďĞĐĐĂǁĂůŬĞƌΛϮϬϭϯůũŵƵ͘ĂĐ͘ƵŬ >ŝŶŬĞĚ/Ŷ͗ ZĞďĞĐĐĂtĂůŬĞƌ>ŝŶŬĞĚ/Ŷ

/ Ăŵ ĂŶ ĞŶƚŚƵƐŝĂƐƚŝĐ ^ŽĨƚǁĂƌĞ ŶŐŝŶĞĞƌŝŶŐ ŐƌĂĚƵĂƚĞ ǁŝƚŚ ƐƚƌŽŶŐ ƚĞĐŚŶŝĐĂů ƐŬŝůůƐ ŝŶ :ĂǀĂ͕ η͕ hyͬh/ ĚĞƐŝŐŶ͕ ĂŶĚ You don’t need to include all of your GCSE ĚŽďĞ &ůĂƐŚ >ŝŐŚƚ ŐĂŝŶĞĚ ĨƌŽŵ ŵǇ ƉůĂĐĞŵĞŶƚ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ƚĞĐŚ ƐƚĂƌƚͲƵƉ͕ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŝŶŐ ŵǇ ŽǁŶ ƐƵĐĐĞƐƐĨƵů ĂƉƉ͕ subjects. ĂŶĚ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ ƵŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚǇ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚƐ͘ ƌŝŶŐŝŶŐ ƚŽŐĞƚŚĞƌ Ă ƚĞĂŵ ŽĨ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ĂŶĚ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ĐŽůůĂďŽƌĂƚŝǀĞůǇ ǁŝƚŚ ĐŽůůĞĂŐƵĞƐ ŽŶ ƉůĂĐĞŵĞŶƚ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ ŐƌĞĂƚ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚŝŽŶ͕ ƚĞĂŵǁŽƌŬ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ƐŬŝůůƐ͘ List your technical skills prominently on the first ĚƵĐĂƚŝŽŶ ĂŶĚ YƵĂůŝĨŝĐĂƚŝŽŶƐ page of your CV when applying for technical roles. Breaking your skills down into categories ϮϬϭϰͲϮϬϭϴ ^Đ ;,ŽŶƐͿ ^ŽĨƚǁĂƌĞ ŶŐŝŶĞĞƌŝŶŐ ;&ŝƌƐƚ ůĂƐƐͿ can be a useful way of presenting information in >ŝǀĞƌƉŽŽů :ŽŚŶ DŽŽƌĞƐ hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚǇ this section.  ĐĐƌĞĚŝƚĞĚ ďǇ ƚŚĞ ƌŝƚŝƐŚ ŽŵƉƵƚĞƌ ^ŽĐŝĞƚǇ  ZĞůĞǀĂŶƚ ŵŽĚƵůĞƐ ŝŶĐůƵĚĞĚ͗ ĂƚĂ DŽĚĞůůŝŶŐ͖ WƌŽŐƌĂŵŵŝŶŐ >ĂŶŐƵĂŐĞ dŚĞŽƌǇ͖ ŽŶƚĞŵƉŽƌĂƌǇ ^ŽĨƚǁĂƌĞ Including relevant work experience (paid or unpaid) ĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ͖ hƐĞƌ ǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ĞƐŝŐŶ͖ ůŽƵĚ Θ sŝƌƚƵĂůŝƐĂƚŝŽŶ͖ ĂŶĚ tĞď dĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐŝĞƐ͘ in a separate section on the first page of your CV  ƌĞĂƚĞĚ ĂŶ ĂƉƉ ĂŶĚ Ă DǇ^Y> ĚĂƚĂďĂƐĞ ĨŽƌ ĐŽůůĞĐƚŝŽŶ ĂŶĚ ĂŐŐƌĞŐĂƚŝŽŶ͘ WƌŽŐƌĂŵŵŝŶŐ ŝŶ KďũĞĐƚŝǀĞͲ ǁŝƚŚŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŝK^ ^ < ;yĐŽĚĞͿ͘ ůƐŽ ƵƐĞĚ : y͕ ^Y>͕ W,W͕ ,dD> ĂŶĚ ^^ ƐĐƌŝƉƚƐ͘ helps to highlight this to the reader. Briefly outline your duties in these roles and discuss what you ϮϬϬϵͲϮϬϭϰ ƌŝĚŐĞ ZŽĂĚ ,ŝŐŚ ^ĐŚŽŽů͕ ^ŚĞĨĨŝĞůĚ have learnt in these positions. You can also make Ͳ>ĞǀĞůƐ͗ / d ; Ϳ͕ DĂƚŚƐ ; Ϳ ĂŶĚ ƌƚ ; Ϳ ϵ ' ^ Ɛ ŐƌĂĚĞ Žƌ ĂďŽǀĞ͕ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ŶŐůŝƐŚ ; Ϳ͕ DĂƚŚƐ ; Ϳ ĂŶĚ / d ; ΎͿ reference to any relevant skills you have used and improved. dĞĐŚŶŝĐĂů ^ŬŝůůƐ  WƌŽŐƌĂŵŵŝŶŐ >ĂŶŐƵĂŐĞƐ͗ ,ŝŐŚůǇ ĐŽŵƉĞƚĞŶƚ ŝŶ η͕ нн͕ :ĂǀĂ͕ sŝƐƵĂů ĂƐŝĐ͕ s ͘  tĞď ĞƐŝŐŶ ĂŶĚ ĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ͗ ǆĐĞůůĞŶƚ ƐŬŝůůƐ ŝŶ ,dD>͕ ƌĞĂŵǁĞĂǀĞƌ͕ &ůĂƐŚ͕ ^^͘  ĂƚĂďĂƐĞ ^ŬŝůůƐ͗ ĚǀĂŶĐĞĚ DǇ^Y>͕ ǆĐĞů ĂŶĚ ĐĐĞƐƐ ƐŬŝůůƐ  KƉĞƌĂƚŝŶŐ ^ǇƐƚĞŵƐ͗ 'ŽŽĚ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ŬŶŽǁůĞĚŐĞ ŽĨ tŝŶĚŽǁƐ ;yW͕ tŝŶĚŽǁƐ ϳ ĂŶĚ ϴͿ͕ >ŝŶƵǆ͕ DĂĐ͘  ĞƐŝŐŶ ĂŶĚ /ŵĂŐŝŶŐ͗ ^ŬŝůůĞĚ ŝŶ ĚŽďĞ WŚŽƚŽƐŚŽƉ ĂŶĚ /ůůƵƐƚƌĂƚŽƌ͕ DŝĐƌŽƐŽĨƚ WƵďůŝƐŚĞƌ͘  ^ŽĨƚǁĂƌĞ ĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ͗ &ĂŵŝůŝĂƌ ǁŝƚŚ ǁĂƚĞƌĨĂůů͕ ƌĂƉŝĚ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƚŝŽŶ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ĂŶĚ ƐƉŝƌĂů ůŝĨĞ ĐǇĐůĞ ŵŽĚĞůƐ͘  DŝĐƌŽƐŽĨƚ KĨĨŝĐĞ ƐƵŝƚĞ͗ tŽƌĚ͕ ǆĐĞů͕ KƵƚůŽŽŬ͕ ĐĐĞƐƐ͕ WŽǁĞƌWŽŝŶƚ͕ WƌŽũĞĐƚ͘ ZĞůĞǀĂŶƚ tŽƌŬ ǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ :ƵůǇ ϮϬϭϲͲ:ƵŶĞ ϮϬϭϳ zy ŽŶƐƵůƚ ;ďĂƐĞĚ Ăƚ ĂůƚŝĐ ƌĞĂƚŝǀĞ͕ >ŝǀĞƌƉŽŽůͿ / ĐŽŵƉůĞƚĞĚ Ă ǇĞĂƌͲůŽŶŐ ƉůĂĐĞŵĞŶƚ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ůŽĐĂů ƚĞĐŚ ƐƚĂƌƚͲƵƉ ƚŚĂƚ ďƵŝůĚƐ ĂƉƉƐ ĨŽƌ ŵƵůƚŝƉůĞ ƉůĂƚĨŽƌŵƐ DĂǇ ϮϬϭϲ – :ƵŶĞ ϮϬϭϲ ^ŽŶǇ ŽŵƉƵƚĞƌ ŶƚĞƌƚĂŝŶŵĞŶƚ ƵƌŽƉĞ ;&Y dĞƐƚĞƌͿ  DǇ ĨŝƌƐƚ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ ŝŶǀŽůǀĞĚ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ĂůŽŶŐƐŝĚĞ ƚŚĞ DĂŶĂŐŝŶŐ ŝƌĞĐƚŽƌ ƚŽ ĚĞƐŝŐŶ ĂŶĚ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌ Ă ŶĞǁ ǁĞďƐŝƚĞ ƵƐŝŶŐ  ŽŵƉůĞƚĞĚ ĂŶ ŝŶƚĞƌŶƐŚŝƉ ƚĞƐƚŝŶŐ ŶĞǁ ĨŝƌŵǁĂƌĞ ƵƉĚĂƚĞƐ ǁŽƌŬĞĚ ĐŽƌƌĞĐƚůǇ ǁŝƚŚŽƵƚ ĐĂƵƐŝŶŐ ƵƐĞƌ ƉƌŽďůĞŵƐ͘ ĚŽďĞ WŚŽƚŽƐŚŽƉ͕ W,W͕ ,dD>͕ ^^ ĂŶĚ ^ K ƚŽ ŽƉƚŝŵŝǌĞ ƐĞĂƌĐŚ ĞŶŐŝŶĞ ƌĂŶŬŝŶŐƐ͘ dŚĞ ŝŶŶŽǀĂƚŝǀĞ ĚĞƐŝŐŶ ŽĨ &ŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ ƉƌŽĐĞĚƵƌĞƐ / ĐŚĞĐŬĞĚ ƚŚĂƚ ďƵŐƐ ĨŽƵŶĚ ǁĞƌĞ ŝĚĞŶƚŝĨŝĞĚ͕ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŝŐĂƚĞĚ ĂŶĚ ĂĐĐƵƌĂƚĞůǇ ƌĞƉŽƌƚĞĚ͘ ƚŚĞ ŶĞǁ ƐŝƚĞ ǁŽŶ Ă ǁĞďƐŝƚĞ ƵƐĂďŝůŝƚǇ ĂǁĂƌĚ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ DĞƌƐĞǇƐŝĚĞ ^ƚĂƌƚͲhƉ ǁĂƌĚƐ ĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ ŐŽŽĚ ƚĞĐŚŶŝĐĂů ƐŬŝůůƐ͕ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚŝŽŶ ƐŬŝůůƐ ĂŶĚ ĞǆĐĞůůĞŶƚ ĂƚƚĞŶƚŝŽŶ ƚŽ ĚĞƚĂŝů͘  DĂŶĂŐĞĚ ĚĂƚĂďĂƐĞ ĂŶĚ ǁĞď ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵŵŝŶŐ ƚĂƐŬƐ ;ƉƌŝŵĂƌŝůǇ ƵƐŝŶŐ :ĂǀĂ͕ η͕ нн͕ ,dD> ĂŶĚ ^ŚĂƌĞWŽŝŶƚͿ ϮϬϭϰͲϮϬϭϱ ĐĐůĞƐŚĂůů ,ŽƵƐĞ͕ ^ŚĞĨĨŝĞůĚ ;sŽůƵŶƚĞĞƌ tĞď ĞƐŝŐŶĞƌ Θ /d ^ƵƉƉŽƌƚͿ  tŽƌŬĞĚ ǁĞůů ŝŶ Ă ĐůŽƐĞͲŬŶŝƚ ƚĞĂŵ ƚŽ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉ ƵƐĞƌͲĐĞŶƚƌĞĚ ĚĞƐŝŐŶ ĂƉƉƐ ĨŽƌ ĐůŝĞŶƚƐ͘ WůĂǇĞĚ Ă ŬĞǇ ƌŽůĞ ŝŶ ĐůŝĞŶƚ  sŽůƵŶƚĂƌŝůǇ ŚĞůƉĞĚ ƚŽ ĚĞƐŝŐŶ ĂŶĚ ďƵŝůĚ Ă ǁĞďƐŝƚĞ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĂƚŝŽŶ͘ / ĂƌƌĂŶŐĞĚ Ă ŶƵŵďĞƌ ŽĨ ŵĞĞƚŝŶŐƐ ǁŝƚŚ ŵĞĞƚŝŶŐƐ ƚŽ ĚĞƚĞƌŵŝŶĞ ǁŚĂƚ ĐůŝĞŶƚƐ ǁĂŶƚĞĚ ĂŶĚ ŚŽǁ ƚŚĞ ĂƉƉƐ ǁŽƵůĚ ďĞ ƵƐĞĚ ƚŽ ĞŶƐƵƌĞ ƚŚĞ ĞŶĚ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƚ ƚŚĞ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ƚŽ ĂŐƌĞĞ ŽŶ ďŽƚŚ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŶƚĞŶƚ ĂŶĚ ƐƚǇůĞ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ǁĞďƐŝƚĞ͕ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞŶ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĞĚ ƐĞǀĞƌĂů ŝĚĞĂƐ ǁĂƐ ĂƚƚƌĂĐƚŝǀĞ͕ ƉĞƌƐŽŶĂů͕ ĂŶĚ ĨƵŶĐƚŝŽŶĂů͕ ǁŝƚŚ ĞǆĐĞůůĞŶƚ ƵƐĂďŝůŝƚǇ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ŝŶƚĞŶĚĞĚ ĂƵĚŝĞŶĐĞ͘ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ƐƵďƐĞƋƵĞŶƚ ƉƌŽŐƌĞƐƐ ŵĞĞƚŝŶŐƐ͘  Ƶŝůƚ ŐƌĞĂƚ ƌĞůĂƚŝŽŶƐŚŝƉƐ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ŶƵŵďĞƌ ŽĨ ŬĞǇ ĐůŝĞŶƚƐ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚŽƵƚ ŵǇ ǇĞĂƌ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŵƉĂŶǇ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŝŶŐ ŵǇ  ,ĂǀŝŶŐ ƌĞĐĞŝǀĞĚ ĞǆĐĞůůĞŶƚ ĨĞĞĚďĂĐŬ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ŵĂŶĂŐĞƌƐ ĂŶĚ ƵƐĞƌƐ ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ůĂƵŶĐŚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ǁĞďƐŝƚĞ͕ / ĂůƐŽ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚŝŽŶ ƐŬŝůůƐ͘ tŽƌŬĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ĐůŝĞŶƚƐ ĨƌŽŵ Ă ŶƵŵďĞƌ ŽĨ ŝŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĞƐ͕ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ĨĂƐŚŝŽŶ͕ ƐĞƚ ƵƉ Ă ƐŽĐŝĂů ŵĞĚŝĂ ƉƌĞƐĞŶĐĞ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ƐƚŽƌĞ ĂŶĚ ƚƌĂŝŶĞĚ ƐĞǀĞƌĂů ƐƚĂĨĨ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŵĂŝŶƚĞŶĂŶĐĞ ŽĨ ďŽƚŚ ƚŚĞŝƌ ŚĞĂůƚŚ͕ ĂŶĚ ĨŝŶĂŶĐĞ ƉƌŽǀŝĚŝŶŐ Ă ƚĂŝůŽƌĞĚ ĂƉƉƌŽĂĐŚ ĨŽƌ ĞĂĐŚ ĐůŝĞŶƚ͘ ǁĞďƐŝƚĞ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ƐŽĐŝĂů ŵĞĚŝĂ ƉĂŐĞƐ͘ dŚŝƐ ƌŽůĞ ŐƌĞĂƚůǇ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ ŵǇ ĂďŝůŝƚǇ ƚŽ ǁŽƌŬ ŝŶĚĞƉĞŶĚĞŶƚůǇ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ŵǇ ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĂƚŝŽŶ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ƐŬŝůůƐ͘

5 6

7 7

List any other work experience in reverse chronological order and provide a brief overview of the role.

Listing any achievements and positions of responsibility helps to illustrate your leadership potential to prospective employers and can also provide some interesting talking points during an interview.

If you have any interests that are relevant for your chosen role, make sure you highlight these first and then include some brief details for any additional interests.

It’s great to show how you’re keeping up to date!

If you have space, include details of two referees (preferably one academic and one employer reference). If you run out of space, you can state “References available on request”.

8 9 10 11

ĚĚŝƚŝŽŶĂů tŽƌŬ ǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ƵŐƵƐƚ ϮϬϭϲͲ:ƵŶĞ ϮϬϭϳ dĞƐĐŽ ǆƉƌĞƐƐ͕ >ŝǀĞƌƉŽŽů ; ŚĞĐŬŽƵƚ ƐƐŝƐƚĂŶƚͿ / ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞĚ Ă ĨƌŝĞŶĚůǇ ĂŶĚ ĞĨĨŝĐŝĞŶƚ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ ƚŽ Ăůů ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌƐ͕ ĚĞĂůŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ĞŶƋƵŝƌŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŵƉůĂŝŶƚƐ ŝŶ Ă ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ŵĂŶŶĞƌ͘ ĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ ŵǇ ƚĞĂŵǁŽƌŬ ƐŬŝůůƐ͕ ĂƐ ƐŚĂƌŝŶŐ ŽƵƚ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌŬůŽĂĚ ĨĂŝƌůǇ ĂŶĚ ĂƐƐŝƐƚŝŶŐ ĐŽůůĞĂŐƵĞƐ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ďƵƐǇ ƚŝŵĞƐ ŝƐ ĞƐƐĞŶƚŝĂů ƚŽ ŵĂŝŶƚĂŝŶ ƚĞĂŵ ƐƉŝƌŝƚ ĂŶĚ ƌĞĚƵĐĞ ǁĂŝƚŝŶŐ ƚŝŵĞ ĨŽƌ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌƐ͘ ϮϬϭϯͲϮϬϭϰ ƐƚƌĞůůĂ͕ ^ŚĞĨĨŝĞůĚ ; Ăƌ ^ƚĂĨĨͿ My duties included taking customers’ food and drink orders, cash handling, and assisting to serve on and clear ƚĂďůĞƐ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ďƵƐǇ ƚŝŵĞƐ͘ dŚŝƐ ƌŽůĞ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ ŵǇ ƚĞĂŵǁŽƌŬ ĂŶĚ ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĂƚŝŽŶ ƐŬŝůůƐ ƚŽ Ă ŚŝŐŚ ƐƚĂŶĚĂƌĚ͘ ĐŚŝĞǀĞŵĞŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ ƉŽƐŝƚŝŽŶƐ ŽĨ ƌĞƐƉŽŶƐŝďŝůŝƚǇ  ŽƵƌƐĞ ƌĞƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĂƚŝǀĞ ĨŽƌ ^Đ ;,ŽŶƐͿ ŽŵƉƵƚĞƌ ^ĐŝĞŶĐĞ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ĂĐĂĚĞŵŝĐ ǇĞĂƌ ϮϬϭϳͬϭϴ  ǀĞŶƚƐ ŽŽƌĚŝŶĂƚŽƌ ĨŽƌ >:Dh 'ŝƌůƐ ŝŶ dĞĐŚ – ŚĂǀĞ ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĞĚ ǀĂƌŝŽƵƐ ĞǀĞŶƚƐ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚŽƵƚ ƚŚĞ ǇĞĂƌ  ^ƉŽŬĞ ĂďŽƵƚ ŵǇ ǁŽƌŬ ĞǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ Ăƚ Ă >ŝǀĞƌƉŽŽů 'ŝƌů 'ĞĞŬƐ ĐĂƌĞĞƌƐ ĞǀĞŶƚ  ŽŵƉůĞƚĞĚ DĂŶĐŚĞƐƚĞƌ ,ĂůĨ DĂƌĂƚŚŽŶ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϳ͕ ƌĂŝƐŝŶŐ ŽǀĞƌ άϴϬϬ ĨŽƌ tŽŽĚůĂŶĚƐ ,ŽƐƉŝĐĞ /ŶƚĞƌĞƐƚƐ  EĞƚǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ŝŶ ƚĞĐŚ ŝŶĚƵƐƚƌǇ͗ &ƌĞƋƵĞŶƚůǇ ĂƚƚĞŶĚ ŶĞƚǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ĞǀĞŶƚƐ ƚŽ ŵĞĞƚ ůŝŬĞͲŵŝŶĚĞĚ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŽ ůĞĂƌŶ ŵŽƌĞ ĂďŽƵƚ ƚŚĞ ƚĞĐŚ ŝŶĚƵƐƚƌǇ ĂŶĚ ƚĞĐŚ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚƐ͘ &Žƌ ĞǆĂŵƉůĞ͕ ƌĞĐĞŶƚůǇ / ŚĂǀĞ ďĞĞŶ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ 'ŽŽŐůĞ ĞǀĞůŽƉĞƌ >ŝǀĞƌƉŽŽů DĞĞƚͲhƉ͕ ŚĂǀĞ ũŽŝŶĞĚ ƚŚĞ :ĂǀĂ^ĐƌŝƉƚ EŽƌƚŚ tĞƐƚ ŐƌŽƵƉ͕ ĂŶĚ ŚĂǀĞ ďĞĞŶ ƚŽ several of Creative Kitchen’s Developer Breakfasts.  dĞĐŚ ZĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ Θ ^ŬŝůůƐ͗ I listen to the Guardian’s Tech Weekly and GeekSpeak podcasts as often as I can ƚŽ ŬĞĞƉ ŵǇ ŬŶŽǁůĞĚŐĞ ŽĨ /d ĂŶĚ ƚĞĐŚ ŝŶŶŽǀĂƚŝŽŶƐ ƵƉͲƚŽͲĚĂƚĞ͘ / ĨƌĞƋƵĞŶƚůǇ ĐŽŶƚƌŝďƵƚĞ ƚŽ ďůŽŐƐ ĂŶĚ ĨŽƌƵŵƐ͕ ǁĂƚĐŚ ůŽƚƐ ŽĨ d dĂůŬƐ͕ ĨŽůůŽǁ ůŽƚƐ ŽĨ ƚĞĐŚ ŝŶĚƵƐƚƌǇ ĞǆƉĞƌƚƐ ƚŚŽƵŐŚ ƐŽĐŝĂů ŵĞĚŝĂ͕ ĂŶĚ ĞŶũŽǇ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŝŶŐ ŵǇ ĐŽĚŝŶŐ ƐŬŝůůƐ ŝŶ ŵǇ ƐƉĂƌĞ ƚŝŵĞ͘  ,ĞĂůƚŚ ĂŶĚ tĞůůďĞŝŶŐ͗ DǇ ŽƚŚĞƌ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚƐ ŝŶĐůƵĚĞ ƌƵŶŶŝŶŐ͕ WŝůĂƚĞƐ͕ ĨĂƐŚŝŽŶ͕ ǀŝƐŝƚŝŶŐ ŐĂůůĞƌŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ ĞǆŚŝďŝƚŝŽŶƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ƚƌĂǀĞůůŝŶŐ ;ŝŶĚĞƉĞŶĚĞŶƚůǇ ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĞĚ Ă ϯ ǁĞĞŬ ƚƌŝƉ ƚƌĂǀĞůůŝŶŐ ĂƌŽƵŶĚ ŽƐƚĂ ZŝĐĂ ĂŶĚ WĂŶĂŵĂ ŝŶ :ƵŶĞ ϮϬϭϴ͕ ƚĂŬŝŶŐ ŝŶ ůŽƚƐ ŽĨ ǁŝůĚůŝĨĞ ĂŶĚ ůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐ ^ƉĂŶŝƐŚ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ Ă ĨĞǁ ĐůĂƐƐĞƐͿ͘ ZĞĨĞƌĞŶĐĞƐ ƌ ĚĂŵ ƌĂŝƚŚǁĂŝƚĞ ^ĞŶŝŽƌ >ĞĐƚƵƌĞƌ Ăƚ >:Dh Ϭϭϱϭ Ϯϯϭ ϭϮϯϰ Ă͘ďƌĂŝƚŚǁĂŝƚĞϭϮϯϰΛůũŵƵ͘ĂĐ͘ƵŬ

:ĂŶ ,ƵůůŝŐĂŶ DĂŶĂŐŝŶŐ ŝƌĞĐƚŽƌ Ăƚ zy ŽŶƐƵůƚ ϬϭϵϮϱ ϱϲϮϯϵϴ ũŚƵůůŝŐĂŶΛǌǇǆĐŽŶƐƵůƚ͘ĐŽŵ

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

GETTING THE JOB

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.

ϭϮϯ ,ŝŐŚ ^ƚƌĞĞƚ >ŝǀĞƌƉŽŽů >ϭ Ϯ

<ĞƌƌǇ 'ŝďƐŽŶ ,Z ĚǀŝƐĞƌ ƵƚŽŵŽďŝůĞ /ŶĐ͘ ϭϮ Ăƌƌ >ĂŶĞ DĂŶĐŚĞƐƚĞƌ Dϭϯ ϲ', ϮϬƚŚ KĐƚŽďĞƌ ϮϬϭϴ ĞĂƌ <ĞƌƌǇ͕ / Ăŵ ǁƌŝƚŝŶŐ ƚŽ ĂƉƉůǇ ĨŽƌ ǇŽƵƌ ϭϮͲŵŽŶƚŚ ƵŶĚĞƌŐƌĂĚƵĂƚĞ ŶŐŝŶĞĞƌŝŶŐ ƉůĂĐĞŵĞŶƚ ĂƐ ĂĚǀĞƌƚŝƐĞĚ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ >:Dh ǁĞďƐŝƚĞ ĂŶĚ ĞŶĐůŽƐĞ ŵǇ s ĨŽƌ ǇŽƵƌ ĐŽŶƐŝĚĞƌĂƚŝŽŶ͘ Having looked at your website, I am confident that my personal attributes match Automobile Inc.’s corporate ǀĂůƵĞƐ ŽĨ dĞĐŚŶŝĐĂů ǆĐĞůůĞŶĐĞ͕ /ŶŶŽǀĂƚŝŽŶ ĂŶĚ ƵƐƚŽŵĞƌ &ŽĐƵƐ͘ Ɛ ǇŽƵ ĐĂŶ ƐĞĞ ĨƌŽŵ ŵǇ s͕ / Ăŵ ƉĂƐƐŝŽŶĂƚĞ ĂďŽƵƚ ĞŶŐŝŶĞĞƌŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐǇ͘ dŚƌŽƵŐŚ ŵǇ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚ ŵĞŵďĞƌƐŚŝƉ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ /DĞĐŚ ͕ / ĞŶũŽǇ ůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐ ĂďŽƵƚ ŶĞǁ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƚĞĐŚŶŝĐĂů ŝŶŶŽǀĂƚŝŽŶƐ͕ ĞƐƉĞĐŝĂůůǇ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĂƵƚŽŵŽƚŝǀĞ ƐĞĐƚŽƌ͕ ĂƐ / Ăŵ ŚŽƉŝŶŐ ƚŽ ƉƵƌƐƵĞ Ă ĐĂƌĞĞƌ ŝŶ ƚŚŝƐ ŝŶĚƵƐƚƌǇ ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŵƉůĞƚŝŽŶ ŽĨ ŵǇ ĚĞŐƌĞĞ͘ DǇ ĞŵƉůŽǇŵĞŶƚ ŚŝƐƚŽƌǇ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƌĞƚĂŝů ĂŶĚ ŚŽƐƉŝƚĂůŝƚǇ ƐĞĐƚŽƌ ŚĂƐ ŐƌĞĂƚůǇ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ ŵǇ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ ƐŬŝůůƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ŽŶ ĐĂƐĞ ƐƚƵĚŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ ĚĞƐŝŐŶ ďƌŝĞĨƐ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ŵǇ ĚĞŐƌĞĞ ƐƚƵĚŝĞƐ / ŚĂǀĞ ĂůƐŽ ůĞĂƌŶƚ ŚŽǁ ƚŽ ƚƌĂŶƐĨĞƌ ƚŚĞƐĞ ƐŬŝůůƐ ƚŽ ĂŶ ĞŶŐŝŶĞĞƌŝŶŐ ĐŽŶƚĞǆƚ͕ ƐŽ / Ăŵ ĐŽŶĨŝĚĞŶƚ ƚŚĂƚ / ǁŽƵůĚ ŵĂŬĞ Ă ƐƚƌŽŶŐ ĂĚĚŝƚŝŽŶ ƚŽ ǇŽƵƌ ĚĞƐŝŐŶ ƚĞĂŵ͘ zŽƵ ǁŝůů ƐĞĞ ĨƌŽŵ ŵǇ s ƚŚĂƚ / Ăŵ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚůǇ ƐƚƵĚǇŝŶŐ ƚŽǁĂƌĚƐ Ă ŶŐ ;,ŽŶƐͿ ŝŶ DĞĐŚĂŶŝĐĂů ŶŐŝŶĞĞƌŝŶŐ͘ /Ŷ ĂĚĚŝƚŝŽŶ ƚŽ ůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐ ĂďŽƵƚ ĐŽƌĞ ŵĞĐŚĂŶŝĐĂů ĂŶĚ ŐĞŶĞƌĂů ĞŶŐŝŶĞĞƌŝŶŐ ĐŽŶĐĞƉƚƐ ƐƵĐŚ ĂƐ ŶŐŝŶĞĞƌŝŶŐ DĂƚŚĞŵĂƚŝĐƐ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ DĞĐŚĂŶŝĐĂů WƌŝŶĐŝƉůĞƐ ŽĨ &ůƵŝĚƐ ĂŶĚ ^ŽůŝĚƐ͕ / ŚĂǀĞ ĂůƐŽ ŐĂŝŶĞĚ ƐƚƌŽŶŐ ƐŬŝůůƐ ŝŶ ĞŶŐŝŶĞĞƌŝŶŐ ĚĞƐŝŐŶ ĂŶĚ ƐŽĨƚǁĂƌĞ ůŝŬĞ ^ŽůŝĚǁŽƌŬƐ ĂŶĚ ƵƚŽ ͘ DǇ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĂƵƚŽŵŽƚŝǀĞ ƐĞĐƚŽƌ ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ ƐƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶĞĚ ĨƵƌƚŚĞƌ Ăƚ ƵŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚǇ͕ ĂƐ / ŚĂǀĞ ŚĂĚ ƚŚĞ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƚǇ ƚŽ ĐŽŵƉůĞƚĞ ƌĞůĞǀĂŶƚ ĐĂƐĞ ƐƚƵĚŝĞƐ͘ ƌĞĐĞŶƚ ŐƌŽƵƉ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ ƚŽ ĚĞƐŝŐŶ Ă ůŽǁͲĞŶĞƌŐǇ ǀĞŚŝĐůĞ ŚĂƐ ƐƉĂƌŬĞĚ Ă ƉĂƌƚŝĐƵůĂƌ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ŝŶ ĨƵĞů ĞĨĨŝĐŝĞŶĐǇ ĂŶĚ ƐƵƐƚĂŝŶĂďůĞ ĚĞƐŝŐŶ͕ ĂŶĚ / ǁĂƐ ĞǆĐŝƚĞĚ ƚŽ ƌĞĂĚ ŽŶ ǇŽƵƌ ǁĞďƐŝƚĞ ƚŚĂƚ ǇŽƵ ĂƌĞ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚůǇ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ŶƵŵďĞƌ ŽĨ ĂƵƚŽŵŽƚŝǀĞ ƐƵƉƉůŝĞƌƐ ƚŽ ůĂƵŶĐŚ Ă ŶĞǁ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚ ĐŽŵƉĞƚŝƚŝŽŶ ƚŽ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉ ŝŶŶŽǀĂƚŝǀĞ ŝĚĞĂƐ ĨŽƌ ŵŽƌĞ ĨƵĞů ĞĨĨŝĐŝĞŶƚ ǀĞŚŝĐůĞƐ͘ / Ăŵ ŚŽƉŝŶŐ ƚŽ ĨŽĐƵƐ ŵǇ ĨŝŶĂůͲǇĞĂƌ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ ŽŶ ƐƵƐƚĂŝŶĂďŝůŝƚǇ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĂƵƚŽŵŽƚŝǀĞ ƐĞĐƚŽƌ ĂŶĚ ĨŽƵŶĚ ƚŚĞ ŶĞǁƐ ƌŽƵŶĚͲƵƉ ŽŶ ǇŽƵƌ ǁĞďƐŝƚĞ ǀĞƌǇ ƵƐĞĨƵů ƚŽ ŐĞŶĞƌĂƚĞ ƐŽŵĞ ŝĚĞĂƐ ĨŽƌ ŵǇ ĚŝƐƐĞƌƚĂƚŝŽŶ͘ dŚƌŽƵŐŚ ŵǇ ŝŶǀŽůǀĞŵĞŶƚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ >:Dh &ŽƌŵƵůĂ ^ƚƵĚĞŶƚ ƚĞĂŵ͕ / ŚĂǀĞ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ ƚŚĞ ƚĞĐŚŶŝĐĂů ƉƌŽďůĞŵͲƐŽůǀŝŶŐ͕ ĚĞƐŝŐŶ ĂŶĚ ƚĞĂŵǁŽƌŬ ƐŬŝůůƐ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞĚ ĨŽƌ ƚŚŝƐ ƉůĂĐĞŵĞŶƚ͘ / ĞŶũŽǇ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ĨƌŽŵ ŽƚŚĞƌ ŶŐŝŶĞĞƌŝŶŐ ĚŝƐĐŝƉůŝŶĞƐ ƚŽ ƌĞƐŽůǀĞ ĚĞƐŝŐŶͲƌĞůĂƚĞĚ ĂŶĚ ƚĞĐŚŶŝĐĂů ĐŚĂůůĞŶŐĞƐ͕ ĂŶĚ / Ăŵ ĐŽŶĨŝĚĞŶƚ ƚŚĂƚ / ĐĂŶ ƚƌĂŶƐĨĞƌ ƚŚĞƐĞ ƐŬŝůůƐ ƚŽ Ă ǁŽƌŬ ƐĞƚƚŝŶŐ͘ DǇ ĞǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ĂƐ Ă ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚ ƌĞƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĂƚŝǀĞ Ăƚ >:Dh ŚĂƐ ŐƌĞĂƚůǇ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ ŵǇ ĐŽŶĨŝĚĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ ĚĞĂůŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ƐĞŶŝŽƌ ŵĞŵďĞƌƐ ŽĨ ƐƚĂĨĨ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ / ďĞůŝĞǀĞ ǁŝůů ĞŶĂďůĞ ŵĞ ƚŽ ďƵŝůĚ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƚŝǀĞ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ƌĞůĂƚŝŽŶƐŚŝƉƐ ǁŝƚŚ ĐůŝĞŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĐŽůůĞĂŐƵĞƐ Ăƚ ƵƚŽŵŽďŝůĞ /ŶĐ͘ ,ĂǀŝŶŐ ƌĞĂĚ ƚŚĞ ďůŽŐ ǇŽƵƌ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚ ƉůĂĐĞŵĞŶƚ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚ ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ ǁƌŝƚŝŶŐ ĨŽƌ ǇŽƵƌ ǁĞďƐŝƚĞ͕ / Ăŵ ĐŽŶǀŝŶĐĞĚ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞ ĞǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ / ǁŽƵůĚ ŐĂŝŶ Ăƚ ƵƚŽŵŽďŝůĞ /ŶĐ͘ ǁŽƵůĚ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞ ŵĞ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ŝĚĞĂů ƐƚĂƌƚŝŶŐ ƉŽŝŶƚ ĨŽƌ ŵǇ ĨƵƚƵƌĞ ĐĂƌĞĞƌ͘ ĞŝŶŐ ƌĞƐƉŽŶƐŝďůĞ ĨŽƌ Ă ƐŵĂůů ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ ƵŶĚĞƌ ƚŚĞ ƐƵƉĞƌǀŝƐŝŽŶ ŽĨ Ă ĐŚĂƌƚĞƌĞĚ ĞŶŐŝŶĞĞƌ ǁŽƵůĚ ŶŽƚ ŽŶůǇ ŐŝǀĞ ŵĞ ǀĂůƵĂďůĞ ĞǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ŽĨ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ďƵƚ ĂůƐŽ Ă ƵŶŝƋƵĞ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƚǇ ƚŽ ůĞĂƌŶ ĨƌŽŵ ĂŶ ĞǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞĚ ĐŽůůĞĂŐƵĞ ĂŶĚ ƌĞĐĞŝǀĞ ŐƵŝĚĂŶĐĞ ŽŶ ŵǇ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ĂŶĚ ƉĞƌƐŽŶĂů ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ͘ / ŚŽƉĞ ƚŚĂƚ ŽŶ ĐŽŶƐŝĚĞƌĂƚŝŽŶ ŽĨ ŵǇ s ǇŽƵ ǁŝůů ďĞ ƉĞƌƐƵĂĚĞĚ ŽĨ ŵǇ ƉĂƐƐŝŽŶ ĨŽƌ ĂƵƚŽŵŽƚŝǀĞ ĞŶŐŝŶĞĞƌŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ŵǇ ƉŽƚĞŶƚŝĂů ƚŽ ŵĂŬĞ Ă ƌĞĂů ĐŽŶƚƌŝďƵƚŝŽŶ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ Ă ǇĞĂƌͲůŽŶŐ ƉůĂĐĞŵĞŶƚ Ăƚ ƵƚŽŵŽďŝůĞ /ŶĐ͘ / ǁŽƵůĚ ďĞ ĂǀĂŝůĂďůĞ ĨŽƌ ŝŶƚĞƌǀŝĞǁ Ăƚ ǇŽƵƌ ĐŽŶǀĞŶŝĞŶĐĞ ĂŶĚ ůŽŽŬ ĨŽƌǁĂƌĚ ƚŽ ŚĞĂƌŝŶŐ ĨƌŽŵ ǇŽƵ͘ zŽƵƌƐ ƐŝŶĐĞƌĞůǇ͕ David King

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

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LOOK TO THE FUTURE WITH POSTGRADUATE STUDY

GETTING THE JOB

I know I want to work in cyber security and thanks to my Masters, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what I am going to do. Irene Bundi, Cyber Security MSc

For more information, go to: ljmu.ac.uk/postgraduate www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

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 ...

“

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 ...

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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.

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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

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

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.

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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.

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Help and support available to you..

01. 02. 03. 04. 05.

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 live through Skype or automated (responding to set questions via a webcam), this type of interview is increasingly popular for graduate roles. 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.66. ❚❚ Technical interviews - After the first few stages of your application for a role you may be invited for a technical interview although this can typically be an activity as part of an assessment centre. For IT roles you may be asked questions relating to your understanding of hardware and systems or be asked to bring an example of any code you have written if relevant to the role. For engineering positions you may be shown a piece of equipment or a machinery for example and asked to discuss its function. You may also be asked to analyse a hypothetical situation and provide a solution to the problem. The employer will be assessing how you analyse information and your thoughtprocesses in solving the problem effectively. The key isn’t necessarily just providing the right solution but in demonstrating the correct approach to solving the problem.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

GETTING THE JOB

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.

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Interviews can be nerve wracking and stressful situations - but don’t panic. A few simple techniques, good preparation and some positive thinking can do wonders to reduce your stress levels and help you shine. If you want to discuss this further, call into your nearest Careers Zone and book an appointment with an adviser.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

An employer says ...

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A Careers Adviser says ...

What I look for in candidates during interviews are their personal attributes. Skills you can teach, but you can’t make an individual be motivated, enthusiastic or proactive. In the last candidate I recruited, those attributes came across strongly in the interview and in everything she was talking about. And that’s what made her stand out as a candidate.

CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

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.

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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 ...

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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

Help and support available to you..

01. 02. 03. 04.

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

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