career planning guide
LIVERPOOL SCREEN SCHOOL
PRODUCED BY THE LJMU CAREERS TEAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LJMU SCHOOL/FACULTY STAFF
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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE
LOOK TO THE FUTURE WITH POSTGRADUATE STUDY Masters study has set me on the right track. When I graduate, I will be looking for a career rather than a job. Josh McDowell, International Journalism MA
For more information, go to: ljmu.ac.uk/postgraduate CAREER PLANNING GUIDE
www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
WHAT’S IN THIS GUIDE
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What’s in this guide ... CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE Creative Writing Film Studies Journalism/International Journalism Media Production Drama
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SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES AT LJMU Get support on your doorstep in our campus Careers Zones Connect with employers Careers Website Careers Zone 24/7: Online careers tools CareerSmart: Explore, Experience and Engage How to make the most of your university time Move up to Masters: The benefits of postgraduate study Professional and personal development opportunities abroad Get great work experience with your Students’ Union Production Unit Liverpool Screen School
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TACTICS AND CHOICES Planning your career Thinking about postgraduate study Finding graduate level jobs Thinking of starting your own business? The importance of relevant work experience
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GETTING THE JOB How to write a winning CV and covering letter How to write effective application forms How to succeed at interviews Psychometric tests and assessment centres
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Introduction This is a very exciting time for the creative industries. From drama and creative writing to journalism, film and media, career opportunities are flourishing. All of our programmes aim to develop work-ready graduates with skills that employers tell us they need. We work closely with local, national and international companies as well as professional bodies, such as Creative Skillset, to ensure that our graduates have relevant skills, work experience and a CV that sets them apart. Our production unit (PULSS - Production Unit Liverpool Screen School) acts as an agency to give our students work experience which will equip them well for their future careers. This guide has been created to help you make the most of these opportunities. The information provided guides you through the next steps in your journey. As well as giving you information on the outstanding support that is available from the Careers Team, it provides invaluable tips on career planning, preparing yourself for work and identifying employers and employment opportunities. I encourage you to utilise this guide and the wider support from the Careers Team to put yourself in the best possible position to embark on what will, I am sure, be a successful, enjoyable and challenging career.
RACHEL MCLEAN DIRECTOR, LIVERPOOL SCREEN SCHOOL
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, eg large print.
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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE
Introduction LIVERPOOL SCREEN SCHOOL STUDENTS HAVE A WEALTH OF CAREER OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO THEM. CAREERS ADVISER LIZ HARRISON LOOKS AT SOME OPTIONS TO GET YOU STARTED
The positive news is that the creative media industries continue to thrive and are acknowledged as the fastest growing sector within the UK economy. They are worth a total of £71 billion a year and employ 5% of the total workforce. Digital media career opportunities have grown rapidly and a wealth of new jobs have been created to help organisations manage their social media, advertising and marketing platforms. The UK film and television industries continue to flourish and offer opportunities across a range of skillsets.
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This is an encouraging picture but do bear in mind that entry to graduate job roles such as publishing, advertising, public relations, broadcast media and production media remain highly competitive. Practical experience, strongly evidenced by a showreel, website or portfolio, is the key to getting a foot on the ladder. The Screen School has strong, longstanding links with local, national and international media organisations such as the BBC, ITV, Lime Pictures, LA Productions, Mocha and Trinity Mirror. The annual Sound City event in Liverpool, working in partnership with LJMU, offers a range of valuable experience via internship opportunities.
2015 Creative Skillset census – location of creative industry roles in the UK
DID YOU KNOW? ❚❚ In 2017 alone, Liverpool clocked up 1359 days of filming across 289 projects, including high profile TV series Peaky Blinders. ❚❚ Twickenham Studios, famous for a host of iconic films and TV hits, have established a studio in the Littlewoods Studio this year. Watch this space for exciting opportunities ahead.
Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.
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As a student of the Liverpool Screen School it is vital to make the most of every opportunity out there to enhance your practical experience and knowledge. This will enable you to gain confidence in your own ability and awareness of all the skills and attributes you can transfer into your first graduate role and beyond.
Your Careers Adviser: Liz Harrison
I am the link Careers Adviser for the Liverpool Screen School. I offer career-related workshops within the curriculum on topics such as creative job search, making effective applications, interview practice and sessions focused on making an impact within the recruitment process. Along with colleagues I also offer fortnightly Wednesday lunchtime drop-in sessions in the Liverpool Screen School in addition to the individual careers guidance meetings offered in the Aldham Careers Zone. If you would like to discuss your career plans or need support and guidance in considering your options, please arrange a careers consultation with me. Remember it is never too early to start planning your future! To book an appointment with me or any other adviser, call into the Careers Zone at Aldham Robarts Library. Alternatively, telephone 0151 231 3719.
Steve Jobs CAREER PLANNING GUIDE
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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE
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Creative Writing Employers across many sectors from the creative arts to the public and private need people who can write and communicate effectively. Many of the skills developed on this course, which include writing, editing, group work, and presentations, are essential in today’s job market. Other important skills include, working independently; time management; the ability to plan and research written work; effectively conveying arguments and opinions; as well as critical reasoning and analysis. As well as becoming a writer there are many careers that a creative writer could undertake post–graduation. Occupations could include copywriting, online content writing and editorial and greetings cards work. You should develop your writing skills outside of university by actively pursuing personal writing projects or collaborating with peers on projects and building up a portfolio of work.
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A graduate says ...
Doing an LJMU-funded Internship has made me more confident in approaching new people and interacting with them in a professional and creative manner. Before the internship I would have been a lot more tentative to engage in things like this, so on a personal and professional level it has really allowed me to gain skills that will be key in my future career.
Examples of recent graduate destinations include: ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙
Writer - self-employed Administration Officer - Home Office, Liverpool Audio Visual Transcriber - Avr Imparted, Bolton Intern - Liverpool Film Office Workshop Facilitator & Trainer - The Writing On The Wall, Liverpool MA Editorial Publishing - Barcelona University, Spain MA Writing - Liverpool John Moores University MA International Journalism - University Of Central Lancashire
Joseph Turner, English and Creative Writing
Graduate Case Study TAMMY REYNOLDS IS A CREATIVE WRITING GRADUATE WHO WORKS AS A YOUNG PERSONS PROJECT COORDINATOR AT DADAFEST, A DISABILITY AND DEAF ARTS ORGANISATION Tell us three things you like about your job: ❙❙ The people I work with. They’re artists, they’re interesting and I’ve learnt a lot from them.
❙❙ The brilliant young people I meet on the projects. They’re creative, honest and tenacious. ❙❙ The fact that I work in the arts. It’s not always a creative role but I am based in The Bluecoat in the city centre, and am given lots of writing opportunities because of it. What did the selection process involve and how did you prepare for each stage? As the role involved working with young people, I mostly prepared by researching safeguarding procedures and evaluation and monitoring procedures, as I hadn’t had much experience in those areas. I referred heavily to my experience of being an Editor for In The Red 14 during the interview to demonstrate my project management skills. What help or support did you access from the Careers Team? I visited the Careers Zones in my last semester of university for CV advice, as I wanted to have two kinds, one that was a creative CV and one focused on administration skills. It was really helpful and it’s important to use as many resources as possible whilst you’re at university.
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What relevant work experience/skills/ volunteering/student union activities did you use during the selection process? As previously mentioned I focused on my experience of being an Editor of In The Red 14. I also spoke about being an Open Day Representative for LJMU and how I established positive relationships with my lecturers and the faculty staff. What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? Take every opportunity that is shown to you, paid or unpaid. Do favours for your friends or lecturers. Collaborate with each other. Use the city to your advantage, network, promote yourself by learning how to write or speak about your skills. If you meet someone who you think could help you in the future, tell them about your ideas now. What aspects of your degree were particularly useful in the selection process? The Writer at Work Module was really helpful in terms of networking and connections via the guest speakers who visited us. The poetry events hosted by LJMU were also really beneficial to me in the way that they inspired my career choices and helped me engage with the arts community in Liverpool and the North West. The main aspect of my degree that was particularly useful, were the lecturers and I value their advice, guidance and eventual friendship enormously.
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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE
Graduate Case Study
Postgraduate Case Study
THOMAS ALKER IS A CREATIVE WRITING
CREATIVE WRITING GRADUATE CALLAN
GRADUATE WHO UNDERTOOK AN LJMU-
WALDRON-HALL IS CURRENTLY STUDYING A
FUNDED INTERNSHIP
POSTGRADUATE QUALIFICATION IN POETRY AT MMU
Why did you want to do an LJMU-funded internship? I was in a full time job but I found myself lacking any sort of challenge or satisfying work, so when the opportunity arose I thought I would be silly not to grab it, regardless of the risk involved with it initially being only 20 days long. The graduate accelerator internship scheme was like a lifeline for me.
Why did you decide to apply for your postgraduate course? I wanted to further my knowledge and craft in poetry. For me, the course at MMU provided what I wanted as the modules involved both reading poetry (20th and 21st century writing) alongside a consistent writing workshop element.
Describe the role you undertook and your main duties: The role I had with Library Services was User Experience Assistant. This involved me creating a report for the Library on their user experience from a student’s perspective. This meant researching the core principles of library user experience and a methodology that I could use to create the report, such as surveys and interviewing current students to explore their likes and similarly, their dislikes of the library. My main duty was to complete this report relatively autonomously.
What did the application process involve for the programme? I was required to submit a portfolio of my writing alongside a short essay on why I wanted to study on the course. My time at LJMU helped me build up a portfolio of poetry and I worked with my tutors to decide which poems to send off. After my application was successful, I was invited for a short telephone interview. We spoke about poetry I’d mentioned in my essay, what I was writing, and delved further into what I wanted to get out of my studies.
What did the application process involve and how did you prepare? It involved selecting different areas of work experience I thought to be relevant or interesting to the role. I was then invited to interview with the Associate Director of Library Services.
What help and support did you access in the Careers Zone? Throughout my time at LJMU – particularly in my final year – I regularly visited the Careers Zone and received support in searching for internships and postgraduate study programmes. I was torn between studying poetry and publishing, but with the team’s help, I decided what I wanted to do.
What help and support did you access from the Careers Team? I found the CV session ran during the internship to be most helpful to me as it gave me the opportunity to sharpen up my CV. What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? Take the opportunities presented to you and never rule any company or type of work out because you might not think it to be relevant to your study. I surprised myself during my internship in terms of how much I enjoyed it and how relevant I found it to be to my skills learnt at university.
What projects and work and you currently doing? I’m getting involved with as much writing as I can. I’m working as a WriterIn-Residence with the Independents Biennial and as a contributing writer for Corridor8, Sphinx and Bonus Stage. I’ve also continued my third-year Writer at Work project, Independent Variable. Initially, IV started as a collaborative science-themed poetry anthology aimed at raising proceeds for the Iodine Global Network, but I’ve since built a new website that publishes regular content. I’m looking at further creating a platform that champions interdisciplinary work between art, poetry and science.
Film Studies Examples of recent graduate destinations include: ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚
Creative Assistant - Paint Box Media, Liverpool Media Operator - Sky Go and Now TV, Middlesex Graduate Intern - One Fell Swoop, Liverpool Freelance Camera Assistant Commercial Video Editor - MTV Runner - Envy Post Production Charity Fundraiser - Home Fundraising Post-Production Course in Film and TV
CAREER PLANNING GUIDE
A graduate says:
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As Film Studies students you can consider a range of practical film and media-related careers including directing, writing and research, provided you build up your experience and networks effectively and consistently. You can also look at a range of other career options utilising your skills and attributes or consider self-employment opportunities. For further ideas and information take a look at the Career Insight for Film Studies students, which is available to download from the resources page of the Careers website.
The advice given by Liz, the Careers Adviser, and the guidance we were given through our Silver statement submission was vital in coaching me about how to communicate and articulate myself to future employers. I also had mentoring and help with my professional CV and constant support and advice on interviewing. Abby Brennan, Film Studies graduate
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Graduate Case Study ALEX BEARDS IS A FILM STUDIES GRADUATE WHO NOW WORKS FOR LA PRODUCTIONS What is your job role?
My job title up until May 2017 has been Assistant Editor. My duties involved the management of footage on professional television/film shoots, which in turn involved backing up, organising and syncing. I have credits for five productions, including ‘Moving On’ series 7-9. My other duties have involved editing both online and offline, as well as delivery to the BBC and working on screenings and many other corporate projects for businesses. Most recently I have been promoted to Editor on my first production and will, this year, have my first full editor’s credit on BBC One’s ‘Moving On’ series 9.
What do you like about your job?
The thing I love about my job is probably how every day is different and is such a challenge. It never gets boring. I’ve had the pleasure of working on some amazing and important projects, as well as working with incredible and amazing people. I also love the experiences I’ve gained from doing this job. I have done things which I would never have dreamed I would be doing a few years back when I was at LJMU, and I can only thank LA Productions and all the staff there for giving me the opportunities and experiences I’ve had the pleasure to obtain.
Is there any aspect of your job you dislike?
This is so difficult as I love most things! Probably my social life has suffered because of this job; to do production work, especially in editing and post-production, you need to be 100% committed, you can’t give it less than that. Because of this my social life and my free
time get taken up quite a lot, but I don’t mind really, I love my job and I get to do amazing things all the time, so it’s very hard to find something I do not like!
What experience did you gain at university and how were you supported?
Through the university (before I started at LA) I took part in a few projects via PULSS and without these amazing opportunities I probably wouldn’t have gained the experience which led me to where I am today. Also the university helped me obtain my first week of work experience at LA with a trip over to the building and I was able to access funds to pay me for my first work experience which was amazing. I really wouldn’t be where I am without the help of all the staff and students whilst I was at LJMU.
Any advice for current students?
My advice to students would be just to get engaged, get involved and be active! Studying hard is really important but in a field like this, experience speaks for itself and whilst you are at university, it’s the perfect time to get it! You will never get this much free time again, so use it to the best of your ability, get jobs, get experience and then you can use all that to your advantage. Do it even if it isn’t in your specialist field, sacrifice that night out to go to a networking event or take part in a project because it’ll be hard to get that opportunity again.
Graduate Case Study ADAM YEE IS A FILM STUDIES GRADUATE WHO WORKS AS A SOCIAL MEDIA AND MARKETING ADVISOR AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE CONSULTANT FOR SICHUAN EDUCATION ASSOCIATION FOR INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE What does your job involve? My job involves various duties. I manage the social media accounts of my organisation and promote our job vacancies (English Teaching positions in Sichuan). I do this through creating marketing materials and creating partnerships with other companies and agencies to expand our pool of foreign teachers. I also create videos about our teachers’ time working for us. As I am a rare native English speaker at the organisation, it is also my job to revise any documents or texts written in English. Occasionally I also assist in the interviewing of candidates for our vacancies. Three things you like about your job: ❙❙ I like the nature of the work, how it is related to the media in some way, and about connecting with others. ❙❙ I like the great atmosphere at work and my wonderful colleagues. ❙❙ I think working in education is incredibly rewarding. What did the application process involve and how did you prepare for each stage? The application process was like any other job really, I made sure my CV and application materials were as good as they could be before applying. Then I had an interview which I prepared for by preparing answers to mock interview questions I found online. What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? I would say that you have to get as much work experience as possible, you have to make yourself as marketable as possible, and working in a professional environment is invaluable. In most industries, experience is essential because it shows not just what you have learnt but what you
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can do. You have to be proactive and make sure you go out and do things, make sure you are a ‘doer’ that you can get things done. You have to make yourself standout amongst other competitors, you have to offer something that employers want but don’t have. After I graduated I did several unpaid internships looking to find a job in the film industry, these valuable internships are things that you will have to do. But moving from one internship to another can be tiring and you start to crave for some stability, consistency and an income. So I think finding a job in an unrelated field that allows you to concentrate on your film work outside is what most film graduates do. As a film studies graduate I am currently on an unorthodox path to get to where I want to be. Over a year ago I decided to travel to China to teach English, whilst this may seem like a left turn, I can tell you that my passion for film remains undimmed and burning as brightly as ever and my determination to work in film remains as dogged as ever. During my break I undertook an internship with a corporate film agency, but all experiences can be made relevant and have transferable skills. Currently I handle the social media and marketing aspects of an education recruitment organisation in China, which does allow me to create videos, although for marketing purposes. This job does however allow me to focus on film outside of work. I know that I have taken a different route but I still fully believe I can reach my goal. Would you do anything differently if you were a first-year again? I would absolutely prioritise getting as much work experience as possible, and I would just be more proactive, as a Film Studies student, I would have done more, filmed more and wrote more.
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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE
Journalism / International Journalism
A degree in journalism opens up a range of career options utilising written and oral communication skills and the ability to work to deadlines and plan and organise your time efficiently. Multimedia careers, publishing and the book trade, broadcasting, advertising, marketing, PR and teaching are all options with a journalism degree.
Examples of recent graduate destinations include: ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚
Information Officer - LJMU Trainee Reporter - Jersey Evening Post Communications Officer - Western Health Trust Commercial Feature Writer - Trinity Mirror, Liverpool Journalist - Hereisthecity.com Public Relations - Cream Consultancy Journalist - ITV, Manchester
❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚
Social Media And Marketing Executive - Rayware Assistant Account Executive - Forge Communications Deputy Editor - Haymarket Publishing Group Digital Content Editor - Lime Pictures NC TJ Diploma in Journalism Schools Direct - Teacher Training Programme
Graduate Case Study SAM O’HARA, A JOURNALISM GRADUATE WHO WORKS AS A SOCIAL MEDIA EXECUTIVE FOR UK FAST, TELLS US ABOUT HIS WORK EXPERIENCE AT CULT DURING HIS FINAL YEAR Why did you want to do some work experience? We had to do some work experience as part of the final year of our degree. The job market is so competitive so it is vital to beat the competition by having as much work experience as possible. I also completed an apprenticeship in social media and worked as a social media manager before going to university. I wanted to ensure that I continued to add to my work experience throughout my time at uni so I have worked for a number of companies on a freelance basis throughout the three years. Where did you find out about the opportunity? I came into contact with Cult Network when I was writing a story for uni about the Peaky Blinders Bar opening in Liverpool. Cult look after the social media and the marketing for the bar so I asked if I’d be able to work with them and gain some more experience in social media/ digital marketing. I worked with them throughout January 2018 and continued to do some blogging for them alongside my studies throughout the university year. Describe the role and your main duties: I worked on the social media for a number of Cult’s clients, planning and posting content on their company pages. I was also involved in meetings with both, current and potential clients. I have also now secured a full-time job for after university, which started in May. I work as a Social Media Executive for UKFast, a really exciting role in an incredible company. I went through a six stage interview process to get the role and all of my experience to date came into practice, proving how valuable it is to gain as much experience as you can.
CAREER PLANNING GUIDE
What help and support did you access in the Careers Zones or from your Careers Adviser? I had a mock interview with Liz Harrison from the Careers Zone which gave me some valuable pointers. Liz offered me some advice in regards to my CV, suggesting that I go to a more bullet-point format which I have now done. By doing so, it allows you to elaborate on the points when you reach the interview stage. What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? Gain as much relevant work experience as you possibly can! You have to accept that you may have to do some work for free, but think of the bigger picture; what that work experience could lead to is what you need to think about.
Would you do anything differently if you were a first-year student again? If I was a first year student again, I would probably get involved with clubs within the university. I came out of full-time work to go to university so all I was really interested in was getting the degree done, I would’ve focussed on enjoying my time at university a bit more if I could go back.
Any other advice you would give to students about their employability?
Always have your long term goals in mind, always think about what you can do to help your chances of achieving your dream job.
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Placement Case Study JOURNALISM GRADUATE JESS GRIEVESON-SMITH TELLS US ABOUT HER WORK EXPERIENCE AS A RADIO PRODUCER FOR BBC RADIO 4 AND A MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST FOR AFRICA MEDIA Why did you want to do a placement?
I was anxious to further my work experience as I know my type of work is incredibly difficult to get into and I wanted a head start. By working at the world’s biggest media organisation, and then working abroad, I felt that I was able to really understand what future employers would want of me.
Where did you find out about the placement? ❙❙ I found out about the BBC Radio 4 placement as it is an opportunity
offered through lecturers’ connections as well as a BBC BJTC placement. I’ve always wanted to work in radio so it was perfect for me. ❙❙ I discovered Africa Media after following up previous volunteering I had done in Madagascar. I used social media to make connections and discovered this organisation through documentaries made for Discovery Channel, by Africa Media’s founder, Ryan Johnson.
Describe the role you are undertaking and your main duties: ❙❙ Working at Radio 4, I sourced stories, secured interviews and edited
audio, making it fit for each daily show. My role was a producer, and hearing stories that I worked on on-air, was a definite highlight. I managed to secure Glen Matlock, former Sex Pistol for an interview which was great. ❙❙ Africa Media allowed me to experience an entirely new culture and way of reporting. I covered everything from personality profiles to the necropsy of a Great White Shark. Learning to write for such vastly different genres worked in my favour as five of my stories ended up being published in magazines available worldwide. The connections I made out there have also helped me massively in my chosen career path. I was able to write my dissertation around the contacts I had made there and I hope to go on to pursue a career in environmental journalism.
What did the selection process involve and how did you prepare for each stage?
In order to get the internship with Africa Media, I had to do a Skype interview with the journalism specialist. For this, I made sure I provided examples of my past work, and thoroughly researched the area where I was going. A journalist always needs to be fully informed on the area they could be reporting for and I was determined not to be caught out.
Applying for Radio 4 meant I had to provide lecturers with examples of my work and prove why I thought I was good for the role. My past volunteering at my local hospital radio stood me in good stead, and meant I had plenty of experience to showcase. I also had to be willing to travel away from university and spend a day at Radio 4, making sure I fully understood what was expected of me.
What relevant experience did you use during the selection process? For the past year I have been a Liverpool Echo Community Reporter, showing my commitment to my desired career. This helped me, along with the grades I was receiving on my course.
What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability?
Get as much work experience as possible, taking every opportunity that comes your way. Some are unpaid and seem worthless, but even getting articles published in things such as the Tab, the university’s newspaper, meant I had a published portfolio of work. Show that you are willing to do any task, whether it’s something you’re interested in or not. One of the largest articles that I received the most response from, was a science report that initially I didn’t want to take on. I’ve now come to realise it is an important part of journalism, and can be key in breaking news to the general public.
Would you do anything differently if you were a first-year again?
I would take every single opportunity given to me. In first year, I wasn’t prepared enough to apply for the Go Global scholarship, but if I had been, the following year I would have been able to complete the Sound City internship. I’m now doing it as I’m graduating, but I could have been pursuing even more work experience.
What aspects of your degree were particularly useful in the selection process?
The live news-days run on the journalism course meant I understood what it was like to actively work as a journalist. The level of professionalism meant that it was easy for me to adapt to a busy newsroom.
Graduate Case Study NGUNAN ADAMU IS A JOURNALISM GRADUATE WHO WORKS AS A PRODUCER/ PRESENTER FOR BBC RADIO MERSEYSIDE What does your job involve? As a producer/presenter for BBC Radio Merseyside, I present a Black magazine show called Upfront which was set up over 30 years ago to address the gap in reporting and promoting events and issues in the Merseyside Black community. I joined the team as a broadcast assistant and now I present the show which is amazing. My day to day job involves researching subject areas, keeping on top of the news and interviewing people for the show and putting my running order together. I conduct around three pre-recorded interviews a week, sometimes more and I also have to pick songs that reflect the mood of the show for that week. Why did you decide to apply for this role? I always wanted to be a journalist, I lived and breathed news and current affairs and loved watching documentaries. I never wanted to be a hard news journalist, I wanted to be able to help and support people to tell their story, especially disenfranchised communities and the only way to do this was to apply for a journalism course so I would be trained to do this the right way and understand the concept and formula to being a successful journalist
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Three things you like about your job:
Interviewing, presenting and finding new stories. What relevant experience did you use during the selection process? I volunteered at a youth centre and I was also shooting and editing small films with friends and so I had examples of reviews I used to write. What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? Do as much as you can outside of university as this will help you stand out. Use your passion and hobbies to get you closer to where you want to be and use the internet in a positive way, don’t let anger get in the way of your future goals. If you like a good rant about the government have examples and form an intelligent argument which includes facts and figures rather than throwing accusations, be careful about what you say on social media. Also, research and stay on top of the organisation you would like to work for.
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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE
Media Production
As Media Production students, use every opportunity to reflect upon your practical experience and the raft of skills gained from your course. Career options exist across a range of film and media production and post-production opportunities including camera operator, director, producer, editor and visual effects. Setting up your own production company is another possibility and LJMU’s Centre for Entrepreneurship can offer advice if this is the path you wish to take.
Examples of recent graduate destinations include: ❚❚ ❚❚
Designer - Lime Pictures, Liverpool Video Editor/Photographer Big Bear Pictures, Liverpool
❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚
Social Media Assistant Indespension, Bolton Freelance Production Assistant Film Maker
❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚
Location Assistant The Graduate Diploma in Law MBA in Business Management MSc in Digital Marketing
Student Case Study JAMES LYALL IS WORKING AS A FREELANCE FILMAMKER DURING HIS MEDIA PRODUCTION DEGREE WITH THE AIM OF STARTING HIS OWN PRODUCTION COMPANY WHEN HE GRADUATES Why did you want to do freelance work? My passion for creative arts and love for storytelling motivated me to seek ways of entering the film industry. Creating projects for clients is a way for me to build up a professional portfolio, with official clients who approve of my work. This is important for building up my CV and experience, to get even better work in the future.
have also offered guidance on how to go about my projects, and gave me a clearer idea on what I need to do. It’s vital that students take advantage of the fantastic facilities at LJMU, and a meeting to improve a CV, or guidance on how to find contacts is on offer, and incredibly helpful.
Where did you find out about freelance opportunities? For months, I actively sought out clients that needed a product I could offer. When some finally started getting back to me, the ball started rolling from there. I now give business cards to most people who could possibly be a potential client. Through making projects in my first year of LJMU, I met lots of people who stayed in touch and got me involved in more opportunities.
What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? If you’re just starting in film, photography, graphic design or any other creative media field, offering work for free is a must at first. For people to trust you enough to pay for your service, they will want to see previous work, which is where working for experience firstly becomes useful. Spending as much of your free time in first-year researching and learning more about what you want to do in the future is crucial. There is plenty of time beside coursework that can be used for productivity.
Describe the role you are undertaking and your main duties: As a freelancer, it’s difficult to complete projects on your own. I have to write, direct, shoot and edit a lot of my productions, and the work load can be heavy. Luckily, I have people on my course who are willing to help out with particularly demanding projects, so it’s a great opportunity to get others involved. What should students be aware of when considering freelancing? A lot of clients who want music, promotional or documentary films made (which are most popular for staring off filmmakers), have other people who they can go to, as Liverpool is a creative city. Due to this, rejection is inevitable, but there’s always someone you’ll come across who needs some form of media marketing. What help and support have you accessed at LJMU? Projects at LJMU have helped me to build contacts and lead to external projects and the Production Unit PULSS is extremely helpful for students to gain experience in corporate and creative work which aids the freelancing process. PULSS is extremely important for students to gain experience to increase their employability, enabling them to have a body of work for when they graduate. The Careers Team from LJMU
CAREER PLANNING GUIDE
What aspects of your degree were particularly useful when finding freelance work? At LJMU, the Production Unit, PULSS, is fantastic for finding out about and getting involved in projects in Merseyside and even other places. I was asked to help with behind the scenes content for a third year’s film last year, so meeting people who have experienced their degree and spending time with them is incredibly helpful. Due to PULSS working with Alumni, I was able to work alongside one of the graduates for a corporate film.
Any other advice you would give to students about their employability?
Unpaid projects are often extremely fun, and incredibly important for gaining valuable experience. I’ve learned so much through being involved with films that haven’t been paid. Until you feel comfortable enough to pick projects for whatever works best for you, taking anything you can get is important, in order to learn.
www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE
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Student Case Study MEDIA PRODUCTION STUDENT GIADA RISSOTTO TELLS US ABOUT THE VARIOUS WORK EXPERIENCE SHE HAS UNDERTAKEN Since day one at university, I invested a significant amount of time researching and reaching out to potential employers. The Production Unit for Liverpool Screen School (PULSS) helped me to engage with countless work opportunities and make important connections with employers. I actively looked for and worked towards every placement that I have engaged with, hard work is the key to finding your dream job. At the start of my first year, I produced a film for Very.com as part of a competition open to all North West university students. I won the competition and received a two-week work placement at Magnafi Creative Agency and Foundry Film Studios, where I was responsible for generating ideas, assisting the creative director and working with the creative team to develop conceptual advertising campaigns, including William Hill, TopCashback and Chi Chi London. This work placement helped me realise that advertising is one of the areas I would love to explore in my career. I have been really fortunate to understand what direction I want to take since the early stages of my university journey, which has allowed me to focus my energies and invest my time in the right places.
Later on in my first year, I got in touch with the Centre for Entrepreneurship and thanks to their support I was able to start working on my photography business giadaphotography.com. The Careers Team played an essential role for my personal and professional growth. Having a strong and well-structured CV is very important, thanks to the Careers Team I was able to learn this important skill as well as feel more confident when talking to employers. The Careers Team is truly amazing and I am very grateful for their constant help and hard work in making sure us students get the best experience here at LJMU. Say yes to new opportunities and don’t be afraid to challenge yourself! I believe that university is what you make of it, LJMU has an incredible amount of opportunities to offer and a Team of amazing people who can help and support you throughout your journey so make the most of it!
Graduate Case Study SAM PASCALL IS A MEDIA PRODUCTION GRADUATE WHO NOW RUNS HIS OWN COMPANY, MANTIS PRO MEDIA LJMU has been the most valuable experience of my life, not only giving me the technical developments in my area but also providing me with the opportunities to meet new people and network with great contacts in the industry. The resources available to students make learning in your field really easy and the staff always go above and beyond to further develop your experience as an LJMU student. Opportunities such as engaging with the Centre of Entrepreneurship have been life changing thanks to LJMU. I was awarded a non-repayable grant which has enabled my business to grow in demand and reach goals I couldn’t have predicted. LJMU has without a doubt been a massive part in my growing success as a business owner. I received support from various members of staff on how to get up and running, mange my cash flow and networking - all the support you could ever wish for located in one of the greatest cities. LJMU is an experience I can highly recommend to any student.
www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
CAREER PLANNING GUIDE
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CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE
Drama Drama students can apply their skills and training to a range of vocational and non-vocational career areas particularly in the creative industries. Consider careers in acting, stage management, arts administration, writing and teaching. As Drama students you will build up an impressive number of transferable skills including effective communication, time management, teamwork and creativity.
Examples of recent graduate destinations include: ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚ ❚❚
Dance Choreographer - Queens Park High School, Chester Assistant Director - Hallogen Entertainment, Coventry Business Support Executive - Aspire Education, Manchester Youth Theatre Director - Anchor Youth Theatre Trainee Recruitment Consultant - Marshall Moore PGCE Drama MA Dramatherapy TEFL Teaching English As A Foreign Language - Tork School, China School Direct – Primary Teaching, Liverpool Hope University
Graduate Case Study ROBYN BOWYER IS A DRAMA GRADUATE WHO COMPLETED AN INTERNSHIP AT SOUND CITY AS A PRODUCER DURING HER DEGREE What did the role involve?
My main role was to organise. Leading up to the festival I liaised with agents and the bands themselves to secure interviews. I also made call sheets and timetabled the crews when the acts were on. During the festival my role was to tell the crew what the creative vision of the piece was to make sure we captured the crowd and culture as well as the acts themselves.
What did the application process involve and how did you prepare for each stage?
My interview was with Paula Baines and Chris and Alan who were the executive producers of the project. The interview was around fifteen minutes long and I was apprehensive being a drama student in a film production environment. I prepared for the interview by using knowledge from my stage management experience and researching the festival itself. I also thought about what makes me stand out as a candidate. In conversation with Chris he said that he remembered me saying that “because of my dyslexia, I feel it helps me think more creatively and outside the box”.
How did you benefit from this experience and what advice would you give other students?
This placement has been one of the biggest learning curves I have had over the past three years at university. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and the skills I have gained from this will stay with me for future experiences. The main advice I would give to other students would be set a target and work towards it. Often you find that you are limiting yourself due to grades and other pressures, but once you are in a work environment, good work ethic will carry you through and people will see your potential. Work hard and seek the opportunities offered via PULSS because they are invaluable experiences that will enhance your employability. Just keep expanding your knowledge and learning in different working environments. Be passionate about what you do and follow those dreams.
Do you have a graduate job set up?
I am currently looking for jobs at the moment. I hope to be an Events Coordinator for a cultural venue within Liverpool.
ARTS DIRECTORY
The Careers Team have produced an Arts Directory of local organisations offering jobs, internships, voluntary roles and freelance opportunities for creatives.
Download a copy of the directory from the resources page of our website:
www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers CAREER PLANNING GUIDE
www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
CAREER OPTIONS WITH YOUR DEGREE
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Graduate Case Study AFTER GRADUATING FROM HER DRAMA DEGREE, KITTY COOPER JOINED THE NATIONAL CITIZEN SERVICE AS A STAFFING ASSOCIATE ON THEIR CHALLENGE PROGRAMME What does your job involve? Attraction and sales - Building relationships with and presenting to a variety of sources of summer staff, including universities, youth charities, and public sector organisations in order to recruit temporary staff. Selection - Using the Candidate Management System to screen applications, leading group selection events and placing appropriatelyqualified staff in teams of young people. Customer Relationship Management - Responsible for relationship management with all candidates and liaising to ensure clear communication prior to the start of the role. Compliance - Responsible for ensuring that candidates are compliant with The Challenge’s safeguarding regulations What did the application process involve and how did you prepare? The application for the summer role involved an extensive online application, followed by a group assessment. For the online application, I researched the role to make sure I understood what it was they were looking for, then tailored my experience to show how I met each of the requirements. For the group assessment I had to prepare a two minute ice breaker, so I practised this with friends before I went, which is not an uncommon occurrence with Drama students! In my application for the full time role, I had to write a cover letter and CV before attending an interview. Again, I read the job description thoroughly and practised for my interview by preparing answers to interview questions. At least two of the questions I prepared for were actually asked and others were only slightly different! What help and support did you access in the Careers Zones? I signed up for a one-to-one with a careers adviser, who helped me look at all of the options I had available in all of the sectors I had ever dreamed of going in to! Basically, having these meetings allowed me to verbalise all of the different career prospects I had imagined and begin to focus in on what I could do right now and what could be better in the future. I also signed up to Workbank which gave me some valuable experience of working in schools as part of a Theatre in Education project, which toured schools across the North West.
Looking for out of hours careers support?
What relevant work experience did you refer to during the selection process? I relied heavily on the skills I obtained through my Drama degree to get me into both of these roles with NCS with The Challenge. Confidence in public speaking, the ability to work in a team and motivate large groups of people and experience in facilitating workshops with young people all played a massive role in making my application stand out. During my degree I wrote a full length play for the end of year shows. I then used this script to win a place on the Young Everyman and Playhouse Writers’ course. The skills I have proven and improved on with this course have also helped me to thrive, especially in an office environment where written skills are extremely important. What aspects of your degree were particularly useful during the selection process? The community focused modules within my degree really helped me when it came to applying for full time employment. It gave me experience in working with the community to create an event. I also really enjoyed the opportunity I had to focus on writing as a module, as this is something which has allowed me to further my passion for writing for the stage and also equipped me with the skills needed in written communication. Finally, guest lecturers allowed me to realise what it is like to work in the industry and the different opportunities open to me. What advice would you give to students to improve their employability? The main thing we look for as an organisation is experience. It doesn’t matter if the experience is paid or voluntary, as long as they link it back to what the company does. Any chance you get, do something different and write about it straight away! It may not seem like applicable experience at the time, but it is very difficult to remember everything you have done years down the line. I keep a file of my applications and CV updates so that I can pick and choose what I want to include in each application. Kitty has since moved into a new role as a Learning Support Assistant at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts Sixth Form College.
Access our online careers tools at any time, from anywhere
Careers Zone 24 7 CAREERS ZONE 24/7 INCLUDES: CV BUILDER, COVERING LETTER BUILDER, INTERVIEW SIMULATOR, CAREERS NEWSROOM, CAREER ASSESSMENTS, ASSESSMENT CENTRE TOOL, JOB SEARCH ENGINES, GOINGLOBAL DATABASE, APTITUDE TESTS, EMPLOYER ADVICE VIDEOS, CAREER COACHING VIDEOS AND MUCH MORE ...
Access Careers Zone 24/7 from the Careers website:
www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
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SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES AT LJMU
Get support on your doorstep in our campus
Careers Zones
WHETHER YOU WANT TO EXPLORE YOUR CAREER OPTIONS, GET YOUR CV AND APPLICATION FORM CHECKED, FIND A WORK PLACEMENT,
IMPRESS AT INTERVIEW OR MEET AND NETWORK WITH EMPLOYERS, WE CAN HELP IN A VARIETY OF WAYS VIA OUR CAMPUS CAREERS ZONES.
LJMU’s Careers Team provides tailored careers support to all LJMU students during their studies through delivery of careers education, information, advice and guidance from our three campus-based Careers Zones. The Careers Zones are located in Aldham Robarts Library, Byrom Street and IM Marsh Library. Call in to find out how we can help you. Alternatively phone us on 0151 231 2048/3719 if you can’t make it into a Careers Zone.
What support can I get in the Careers Zones?
Support from your Careers Adviser
Support from Employability Advisers
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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 Liverpool Screen School, you have your own dedicated Careers Adviser, Liz Harrison. You are likely to meet Liz at some point during your programme of study. She is available for:
Our Employability Advisers Anja Heid, Jenny Hammond, Nicola Davenport, Gwyneth Tyrer, Sally Beyer and Karen Forman work across the university Careers Zones providing professional, personalised advice on:
Signposting to useful resources and information
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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
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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
Expert job sector advice and information tailored to your needs
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Careers guidance interviews to discuss career options with your degree, including finding jobs/ postgraduate options and gaining relevant work experience
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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
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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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
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Connect with
employers
THERE ARE NUMEROUS WAYS YOU CAN CONNECT WITH
EMPLOYERS WHILE YOU STUDY, ALLOWING YOU TO NETWORK, DISCUSS OPPORTUNITIES, GET THEIR ADVICE AND FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEIR CAREER JOURNEY.
01.
EMPLOYER VISITS TO CAREERS ZONES
02.
RECRUITMENT FAIRS & FESTIVALS
03.
SPECIALIST WORKSHOPS
Employers regularly visit the three Careers Zones at LJMU to discuss their opportunities and to meet and network with students. See below for more information about who has visited the Zones.
LJMU run a range of large-scale careers fairs, where you can meet and talk with employers about career options, and recruitment fairs, which feature graduate employers and recruitment agencies with jobs to recruit. Go to careers.ljmu.ac.uk to see what is coming up. Other large-scale fairs run around the country so check local listings at https://www.prospects.ac.uk/events
Each year we run a series of specialist workshops for students that fall outside of the regular yearround careers and employability workshops. In the last academic year for instance we ran workshops about graduate schemes, gaining work experience, and applying to graduate courses in dentistry and medicine.
04.
GUEST SPEAKERS
05.
EMPLOYER PRESENTATIONS
Guest speakers are usually featured as part of the curriculum but we also arrange for speakers to come into LJMU to talk about their job role and industry. Sometimes this will be part of an industry event, such as the ‘A Career in Clinical Psychology’ event we arranged last year.
Employers visit the university to highlight job and placement opportunities for students and graduates. Often these will be bigger employers who are advertising graduate schemes or industrial placements. Last year Aldi, the British Council and Teach First all spoke at LJMU.
Employers in the Careers Zones ... Employers visit the Careers Zones each week offering real jobs, internships and other career opportunities. Check with staff in the Careers Zone to find out who’s coming in and don’t miss these great opportunities to meet and network with employers from a range of sectors. Organisations who have visited the Zones include:
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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
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SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES AT LJMU
Careers website THE CAREERS WEBSITE IS THE FIRST PORT OF CALL TO FIND OUT ABOUT CAREERS SERVICES, TO ACCESS ONLINE CAREERS TOOLS AND TO DOWNLOAD ANY OF OUR GUIDES AND RESOURCES
01.
CAREER PLANNING GUIDES
02.
CAREER INSIGHTS
Each year, working alongside academic colleagues, the Careers Team produces school-specific Career Planning Guides, which give information about career options related to your degree as well as a range of articles about careers topics including CVs, applications forms, interviews, finding graduate level jobs and more.
These handy guides provide a more in-depth overview of career options with your degree and signpost you to useful links to get your research into future careers and employers under way.
03.
MINI GUIDES
04.
CAREERS ZONE 24/7
05.
BOOK A WEBINAR
06.
SEARCH FOR JOB OPPORTUNITIES
The Careers Team have distilled their wisdom on career planning, CVs, applications and interviews into a series of short guides. Also use our mini guides for further information on postgraduate study, including teacher training, and subject-specific advice, e.g. for Science, Arts and Nursing students.
We have a range of digital careers tools available to enable you to work on vitally important employability skills at your own pace, in your own time, either on or off campus. The 24/7 tools suite includes CV Builder, Interview Simulator, Careers Newsroom, CV and Interview Learning Zone, Job Search websites, GoinGlobal and more.
A webinar is an online class which you can attend from anywhere on any device with an internet or WiFi connection. Sessions include Finding Hidden Jobs, Effective Applications, Introduction to LinkedIn - the ‘Facebook’ for Professionals, Winning CVs, Interview Success and more. To book go to: https://careers.ljmu.ac.uk
Search for part-time jobs, volunteering opportunities, work placements, internships or graduate roles. Our job search websites are free to all students and graduates and list opportunities with both regional, national and international employers. Go to Careers Zone 24/7 on the Careers website to access the sites.
To visit the Careers website go to:
www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers CAREER PLANNING GUIDE
www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES AT LJMU
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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.42 for further details.
www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
06.
GOINGLOBAL DATABASE
07.
INDEED JOB SEARCH
The database allows you to search for jobs and internships around the world. It contains country career guides, information on visas and local culture, employer directories and much more. Access GoinGlobal via Careers Zone 24/7 or visit: http://online.goinglobal.com/default.aspx
Allows you to search millions of jobs, in over 50 countries, from thousands of job sites, newspapers, recruiters and company career sites.
CAREER PLANNING GUIDE
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SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES AT LJMU
CareerSmart:
Explore, Experience and Engage FIND OUT MORE ABOUT LJMU’S CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND EMPLOYABILITY PROGRAMME AND HOW IT CAN HELP YOU WHILST STUDYING AT LJMU
All students in their first year of study will have an opportunity to engage with the first stage of the ‘CareerSmart’ programme as an integral part of a core module of study. The ‘CareerSmart: Explore’ e-learning tool will introduce you to the steps involved in making informed choices about your career. It enables you to consider your strengths and development areas, career motivators, the options available to you and the necessary steps to take to achieve your career goals. You will then have the opportunity to complete the next stage of the programme, ‘CareerSmart: Experience’. Here, you will learn about the value of work-related learning by finding out about the range of opportunities available, eg Work-Based Learning, part-time work, internships, volunteering, work shadowing and international opportunities. You will also learn about the benefits of these experiences including skill development, networking and sector insight. This stage also includes resources on how to find work experience and making the most of the opportunity. The third stage of the programme, ‘CareerSmart: Engage’ is employer-informed and you will find out what graduate recruiters are looking for in successful candidates. The resource will support you through each stage of the graduate recruitment process, including the job search, application process, and selection methods – interviews, psychometric tests, assessment centres. The CareerSmart programme complements the wide range of career-related provision and services available to LJMU students to support your development throughout your studies, including the one-to-one careers information, advice and guidance delivered in the campus Careers Zones.
CareerSmart: Explore e-learning assessment For students starting a programme of study in 2018, the CareerSmart: Explore e-learning resource will be completed as an assessment of one of your first-year modules. The resource will take you through steps to help you to set some goals for your first year, which can help you on your career development journey. The steps include an exploration of the following areas:
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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 ...
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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
19
#GetintoTeaching
A SALARIED ROUTE INTO TEACHING MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO PURSUE A CAREER DOING SOMETHING I LOVE n Bursaries of up to £32,000* and salaried programmes available (subject dependent)
n Starting salary of £22,000-£27,000 a year (upon qualification)
n University-led and School Direct routes
n We are one of a small number of universities offering the PGDE route into teaching, enabling you to top up your qualification with further study and gain a Masters degree in your first year of teaching
n PGDE courses in Early Years, Primary Teaching and a wide variety of Secondary subjects n Excellent career progression opportunities
For a fulfilling career helping young people to achieve their dreams *subject and qualification dependent. For the latest bursary information, visit getintoteaching.education.gov.uk
START YOUR TEACHING JOURNEY TODAY www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
CALL: 0151 231 5340 VISIT: www.ljmu.ac.uk/education
CAREER PLANNING GUIDE
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SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES AT LJMU
How to make the most of your
university time
THE MAJORITY OF STUDENTS GO TO UNIVERSITY TO ULTIMATELY SECURE A JOB WITH GREAT PROSPECTS. EMPLOYABILITY ADVISER NICOLA DAVENPORT LOOKS AT SOME IDEAS TO IMPROVE YOUR EMPLOYABILITY IN EACH YEAR OF STUDY.
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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?
Film Studies
Drama
CAREER INSIGHT
CAREER INSIGHT
LJMU CAREERS TEAM
LJMU CAREERS TEAM
www2.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
www2.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
0151 231 2048/3719 ❚ careers@ljmu.ac.uk
0151 231 2048/3719 ❚ careers@ljmu.ac.uk
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
21
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
22
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 ... NAOMI STUDIED FOR A DEGREE IN CONTEMPORARY ART HISTORY AT THE MANCHESTER SCHOOL OF ART BEFORE COMING TO LJMU TO TAKE HER MASTERS IN CITIES, CULTURE AND CREATIVITY.
“What attracted me to the course initially was the combination of a really interesting subject and the great professional skills offered by the course. I have really enjoyed the programme content but what really stood out for me was the opportunity to meet so many professionals in the field. John Moores has certainly opened doors for me that just wouldn’t have been possible before. “The tutors on the course are amazing. They are always there when you need them, they are really open and honest with you and they are also lovely people. I would certainly advise anyone considering postgraduate study at LJMU to go for it. It is a great university in a great city. There are so many experts here, so much knowledge and so much talent. “Postgraduate study has certainly been hard in terms of the level of study and the amount of work involved but it has also been really great fun.”
CAREER PLANNING GUIDE
www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES AT LJMU
23
Professional and personal development
opportunities abroad
EMPLOYERS ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING EXTRA ON YOUR CV. CONSIDER ADDING SOME INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE TO YOURS BY COMPLETING A TRIP ABROAD Pursuing a degree at university can be a daunting experience, especially if you choose to live away from home. However, once you have taken that initial leap, you may find that the path to further experiences becomes a lot clearer as your confidence grows. Whether you wish to study, intern or volunteer abroad, you may be surprised at the range of opportunities available to you via multiple funding routes. The best news is, you don’t have to limit yourself to just one either.
{
01.
GET IN TOUCH
Study Abroad
LJMU have a number of Erasmus+ partners in Europe and partner universities in the USA where you can study abroad for one semester during your second year of study or for a whole year, in between your second and third year at LJMU. LJMU students are entitled to Erasmus+ grants or the LJMU travel bursary if studying in the US, helping you to afford your placement. Talk to the International Mobility Coordinator in your School about potential placements to suit your course needs and follow @LJMUGlobalOpps on Twitter and Instagram for more information when applications are open.
03.
Go Global
LJMU offer students the chance to bid for up to £1,500 (£750 for postgraduate students)* to help fund the adventure of a lifetime. You can find an experience anywhere in the world that will help you develop both personally and professionally, and LJMU will help you to achieve it. This could involve working with animal conservation teams in Africa, building houses in developing communities, being a camp counsellor, taking part in sports development programmes or anything else you set your mind to. For further information, visit www.ljmu.ac.uk/ students/go-abroad/ where you can find out more details on the many opportunities available, including the organisations LJMU work with to offer these opportunities to students, such as Smaller Earth ljmu.smallerearth.com. *Funding limit is subject to change
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
24
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
The Production Unit at Liverpool Screen School helps students to find incredible work opportunities to develop their skills and contacts. Paula Baines is the PULSS Manager. As well as an extensive book of industry contacts, Paula stays in touch with LSS Alumni to maximise opportunities available to current students.
We work with other universities and LJMU has the most prepared students. They’re comfortable with the equipment and their technical ability is really good.
A student says ...
“
Adam Barker, Manging Director, VideoInk
{
Keep in touch with Paula and up to date with opportunities via the PULSS Facebook group. Email: p.baines@ljmu.ac.uk
A student says ...
It’s really great that we can bridge the gap between university and the industry while we’re still learning. Having these opportunities prepares us for a career and gives us the confidence to succeed in a competitive industry.
“
“
An employer says ...
{
CONTACT DETAILS
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Production Unit Liverpool Screen School (PULSS)
25
Tia-Mae Miller Film Studies intern at Jack-A Productions
An employer says ...
I’m so glad I was able to take up this opportunity and would recommend it to anyone, the experience we got working alongside professionals in the industry was invaluable. I’d definitely jump at another chance to work with Comworks.
The student operations crew delivered a first class job. They rightly earned the respect of the broadcast camera operators and live event team. They met the highest standards of professionalism and commitment in what was a tight schedule under demanding circumstances.
Media Production student
Steve Bradbury, Comworks TV
JOIN THE LJMU e-RACING TEAM LJMU e-Racing Team are on the look out for business, marketing, PR, graphic design, film/media, english and journalism students to support our team this academic year. Visit www.ljmueracingteam.com to stand out from the crowd by gaining relevant work experience
www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
CAREER PLANNING GUIDE
26
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.
10
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
27
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
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TACTICS AND CHOICES
Finding
graduate level jobs YOUR DEGREE WILL OPEN UP A HUGE RANGE OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU. KNOWING YOUR OPTIONS IN THE GRADUATE LABOUR MARKET IS THE FIRST STEP TO YOUR DREAM JOB.
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Graduate opportunities exist across all sectors and with employers of all sizes, but there are significant differences in the recruitment process and focus of the roles. Much depends on the size of the company. For example, most large private sector companies and multinationals recruit and train a number of graduates via a graduate scheme every year, whereas many public sector employers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) advertise graduate roles on a more ad-hoc basis. Most graduate schemes involve training in different business areas or working on a range of projects, and around half of all the schemes with large companies are open to graduates from any degree subject. The application process for these programmes can be lengthy, with closing dates as early as Christmas in your final year, followed by online tests, telephone/video interviews and assessment centres. Many companies of all sizes also use recruitment agencies to fill temporary vacancies. These can be a great way to enhance your CV and may lead to additional opportunities within the same company.
DID YOU KNOW? We advertise thousands of vacancies each year via the job search facility on our Careers Zone 24/7 platform; this includes graduate jobs, placements/internships, voluntary roles as well as part-time work. You can also search for overseas jobs and internships on our GoinGlobal database, which is also available via the platform. Go to the Careers website and follow the links for Careers Zone 24/7 - www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
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Help and support available to you..
01. 02. 03.
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
29
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
❚❚
Idealab – a summer school to develop technology-driven business ideas
Start-up fund – up to £2000 to start your new venture
Year Out - £3000 to support a venture started as part of a sandwich year placement
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CONTACT US @LJMU_Enterprise ❙ www2.ljmu.ac.uk/startup
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Case Study FINAL YEAR MARKETING STUDENT AMY COLLINS TELLS US HOW SHE TURNED AN INSTAGRAM TREND INTO A VIABLE BUSINESS WITH SUPPORT FROM THE CENTRE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP How did you go about starting your own business? I noticed that lots of artists I admired on Instagram were releasing enamel pins. I felt like I hadn’t put my own creative skills to the test for years so decided to use pins as a way to challenge myself and have a creative outlet. I just started with one pin design to keep the financial risk down and used the money from that to finance the second one. I haven’t put any money into the business apart from that initial couple of hundred pounds. Now, I not only sell my own designs on Etsy but also design and supply pins for other businesses and individuals. What does your job involve? It’s just me doing virtually everything so I wear many hats. I design, market, bookkeep, order stock from various suppliers, liaise with potential clients, send all the parcels out etc. Three things you like about your job: ❙❙ In the last few months I’ve started selling at local makers markets which I love doing. It’s brilliant to see the reaction on people’s faces when they appreciate your designs.
❙❙ I love being part of the Independent Liverpool scene, I kind of straddle the hospitality community and also the local indie artists and artisans. Liverpool is thriving in these areas, I feel very proud to be part of it.
❙❙ The sense of accomplishment when working
for yourself is very fulfilling. I have always had an excellent work ethic but when something works out and you’ve seen it through from concept to end result there’s no better feeling.
www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
What were the key challenges that you faced and how did you overcome them? Working for myself is tough as I’m not naturally organised and certainly lack discipline so I have to constantly review working practices and also just be very realistic about what one person can achieve. Another challenge was feeling like a bit of a fraud and not worthy or professional enough sometimes. Because I’ve just learned as I have gone along including graphic design skills, marketing skills and business management skills, it’s easy to convince yourself that you’re out of your depth sometimes. The more I spoke with other entrepreneurs the better I started to feel. I realised that everyone is winging it, everyone is taking risks, learning by doing, failing, then trying something a little different until it sticks. So now instead of comparing myself with everyone else, I just feel incredibly proud to have the confidence to keep trying and keep seeking new opportunities. What help or support did you access from LJMU and how was this useful? I have had some great tips and pointers from the Centre for Entrepreneurship, the most important one being; try to keep it simple, as it’s easy to get carried away with lots of ideas but being great at one thing is so much better. I also have been incorporating some digital marketing skills into my business that I’ve learned on my course too. Now that things are really taking off I have one of my classmates working with me. I can focus more on leads and design and she is organising newsletters and improving my SEO etc. What relevant work experience/skills have proved most useful in running a business? I am a mature student so I have worked many jobs
including 9 years in HMV where I was a manager. I think that every single job I’ve had has contributed in some way to my capabilities as a sole trader and entrepreneur. Because I have worked a lot and know how employable I am it means that I don’t have a fear of failure. If I have to give up Pin Head tomorrow it would be sad but I would be able to move onto another project or job. This doesn’t mean I don’t care, it means I can take risks and live with the outcome no matter what. What advice would you give other students to improve their employability or looking to start their own business? Viktor Frankl sums up precisely my thoughts on running your own business - “Don't aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself.” In other words be brilliant at what you do, help others, be true to yourself and success will come but don’t chase numbers or notoriety as you will only be disappointed. What’s next for your business? I have some ideas up my sleeve to do with working more with charities and some local projects too, but as I’m entering the final year of my Marketing degree I need to be patient and not overload myself with work. I’m determined to do well with my degree so scaling up Pin Head (www.pinheaduk.com) can wait a little longer.
CAREER PLANNING GUIDE
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TACTICS AND CHOICES
The importance of relevant
work experience
WORK EXPERIENCE CAN OFTEN BE THE DECISIVE FACTOR IN SECURING THE JOB YOU WANT; HERE WE LOOK AT WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT AND
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THE DIFFERENT WAYS YOU CAN GET EXPERIENCE UNDER YOUR BELT.
5
DID YOU KNOW? According to a 2018 survey of large employers (carried out by High Fliers Research), more than a third of the employers taking part in the research warned that graduates who have had no previous work experience are unlikely to be successful during the selection process for the top employers’ graduate programmes. This means that by having no experience you are immediately restricting the opportunities available to you.
Types of work experience
Work experience has become a general term which incorporates a wide range of opportunities and experience. The best way for employers to recruit a future graduate can be to see them in the workplace and how they perform on a daily basis. The following types of work experience can therefore be a way of securing a future graduate position at an organisation.
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Year-long placements – This type of placement is also known as an industrial or sandwich placement. They can be a compulsory part of a university course but students on other courses may also have the option to take a year out from their studies and undertake a placement. This usually takes place between the second and third year of your course. Summer placements – Increasingly the term internship is being used to describe placements that take place over the summer holidays usually for between eight and 12 weeks. They can be well-paid and, depending on the organisation, may only be available to students who have completed at least two years of their degree course. Work shadowing – These opportunities are usually short term and unpaid as you will not be undertaking a specific role in an organisation. The main activities include observing staff and getting an insight into a particular job role and organisation. They can be extremely useful in building up contacts. Part-time work – These types of positions tend to be ongoing and you may be working for one or two days per week even during term time. They may not necessarily be linked to your future career but they are still a great way to gain skills, develop your organisational awareness and build up your CV. Internships - This term is increasingly used but is just another name for a placement and can range from two weeks to a year in duration. Find out more about paid undergraduate LJMU internships on the opposite page.
A Careers Adviser says ...
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Put yourself in an employer’s position. Even if you do well at interview, if you have no work experience, and no employment references and another candidate does, they are more likely to appoint the person who has ‘proof’ of their abilities in the workplace. It is important to get hands-on experience in possible future job roles. This helps to build up your CV and provides examples to use in applications and interviews. It is also a great way to make contacts, build confidence and develop a range of skills that, even if not entirely related to your future graduate role, show that you are a motivated person who wants to develop.
CAREER PLANNING GUIDE
The voluntary sector Many people may not consider volunteering as it is unpaid, but it isn’t important to future employers whether your work experience is paid or unpaid. In fact, volunteering looks fantastic on your CV, as it says something about you as a person that you are prepared to work on an unpaid basis to support a community, for example, and develop personally. As with other work experience opportunities, it is a great way to improve your organisational and cultural awareness and build up contacts. There are many ways to find volunteering opportunities. You can search websites such as https://do-it.org/ for a wide variety of roles or go directly to the charity or organisation you want to support to ask about volunteering opportunities. LJMU also runs volunteering projects in schools and colleges for students to get involved with. For other opportunities outside of a school/college environment, there is a service for students called Volunteering Liverpool. LJMU is a part of the partnership running this service along with John Moores Students’ Union, Liverpool Guild of Students, Liverpool Hope University, The City of Liverpool College, and Volunteer Centre Liverpool. The Volunteering Liverpool website offers volunteering opportunities for all students in Liverpool across a variety of areas. Visit www.liverpoolguild.org/main-menu/ volunteer to search for opportunities in areas such as arts, health, environment, sport and many more.
www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
TACTICS AND CHOICES
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MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR VACATIONS A number of working holiday providers such as Camp America, Camp Leaders, Ski Canada, CCUSA and JET visit LJMU each year to promote their summer and year-long placement programmes. These programmes are a great way to travel, meet new people, experience different cultures and gain skills and experiences that will look great on your CV. Keep an eye on our events website (https:// careers.ljmu.ac.uk/) for details of talks, which usually take place during the autumn term each year.
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Help and support available to you..
01. 02. 03.
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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
32
GETTING THE JOB
How to write a winning
CV and covering letter
DID YOU KNOW THAT EMPLOYERS TYPICALLY SPEND UNDER TEN SECONDS INITIALLY REVIEWING A CV? EMPLOYABILITY ADVISER JENNY HAMMOND OFFERS SOME ADVICE TO MAKE SURE YOURS MAKES THE CUT.
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Top CV tips
Different styles of CV CHRONOLOGICAL CV
Always tailor the CV for each job and organisation you apply to! If you have a person specification, make sure you address the points in this using examples and evidence. Use key words from the job advert and the employer’s website to customise your CV to show the employer that you speak ‘their language’ and would fit in well at the company. Structure the CV to make the most of your relevant skills and experience. If you have previously carried out a similar role or worked on a project using applicable skills, list these on the front page. Highlight and quantify both professional and personal achievements where you can. Make sure the CV is no longer than two sides of A4 and use a clear, concise writing style. Put your name at the top of the document (never use the title ‘CV’ as this is selfevident!). Add a link to your LinkedIn page, blog, online portfolio and perhaps your Twitter handle if you tweet about your industry. Consider using bold font, sub-headings and bullet points to break up information. Always check through your CV for spelling and grammatical mistakes or get someone to check through it for you – employers often discard applications containing spelling and grammatical errors.
Help and support available to you..
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ONE TO ONE SUPPORT IN THE CAREERS ZONE
If you are unsure about the content and structure of your CV or would like some advice on tailoring your CV to a particular role or sector, our Employability Advisers can give you professional feedback. Call into a Careers Zone or phone us on 0151 231 2048/3719 to book an appointment.
WORKSHOPS/WEBINARS
Find out how to write a winning CV by attending one of our workshops or webinars. For dates of upcoming sessions, check our event website https://careers.ljmu.ac.uk/
CV BUILDER & COVERING LETTER BUILDER
These tools allow you to create a CV and covering from scratch and includes tips and advice from employers on each section of your CV and covering letter. This tool is ideal for students looking to write their first CV/ covering letter.
DOWNLOAD OUR CAREER MINI GUIDE
Our handy mini guide on CVs and covering letters provides lots more advice on what to include in each section of your CV and how to write effective covering letters. Visit our Careers website www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers/ to download your copy.
CAREER PLANNING GUIDE
If you have plenty of relevant work experience you should use the chronological or traditional CV format, as this style draws attention to your relevant experience, which you list on the first page. Within this section you should provide an overview of key responsibilities but more importantly you should highlight any achievements. For example, did you take on extra responsibilities or gain a promotion? Did you meet or exceed targets? Did you find an effective solution to a problem? Can you demonstrate how you offered excellent customer service and gained good feedback? Highlight the skills developed in these roles as well, especially those required for the post you’re applying for.
SKILLS CV
If your experience is lacking or you are changing career path, you may want to use a skills-based CV. Within the ‘skills profile’ on the first page, you should outline relevant skills required for the role. By drawing on examples from work, university and extra-curricular activities you can demonstrate that you have what the employer is looking for. You still include employment information, but can list this more briefly, perhaps on the second page.
HYBRID CV
If you have some experience but this is fairly limited, a combination of the two styles may work best to enable you to highlight experience and skills in separate sections.
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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
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Skills-based CV 1 2
3
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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.
4
❚❚ Achievements: Employers like to see achievements and whether you have held positions of responsibility so include this kind of information too. Did you lead the university football team to victory this year? Have you been awarded a scholarship? Have you successfully raised money for a charity and participated in a sponsored event? Have you started a new society? ❚❚ Positions of responsibility: Have you chaired a committee? Acted as treasurer of a society? Been a course rep? Taken on the captain position of a sports team? Positions like these help you to demonstrate that you can make decisions and take on responsibility. ❚❚ Interests: To demonstrate further skills, to get your personality across a bit, or to just add something else to make your CV stand out, include some information about your interests. If you have interests relating to the job, definitely mention these but avoid clichés about activities such as socialising and reading.
www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
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1
Provide a link to your LinkedIn account
2
List entries in this section in reverse chronological order.
3
Look at the job advert and provide evidence for all the skills and attributes required for the role. Use positive language and examples from university, previous work, volunteering, extracurricular activities etc. to demonstrate how you have used these skills.
4
List entries in this section in reverse chronological order and provide a brief overview of each role, highlighting any potential overlap of duties and responsibilities.
5
Listing any achievements and positions of responsibility illustrates your leadership potential to prospective employers and can also provide some interesting talking points during an interview.
6
If you have any interests that relate to the position, include these at the end of your CV in an interests section to highlight your enthusiasm for the role to the employer.
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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”.
dŝŵĞ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ĂŶĚ ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĂƚŝŽŶ ƐŬŝůůƐ ^ƵĐĐĞƐƐĨƵůůLJ ƐƚĂŐĞ ŵĂŶĂŐĞĚ Ă ĨƵůůͲůĞŶŐƚŚ ƚŚĞĂƚƌĞ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƚŝŽŶ ĂŶĚ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚĞĚ ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ůŽŐŝƐƚŝĐƐ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ ŵƵůƚŝƉůĞ ůŽĐĂƚŝŽŶƐ ŝŶ ƐŵĂůů ǀĞŶƵĞƐ ĂƌŽƵŶĚ >ŝǀĞƌƉŽŽů ŝƚLJ ĞŶƚƌĞ͘ DĞƚŝĐƵůŽƵƐ ƉůĂŶŶŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĂƚŝŽŶ ƵƐŝŶŐ ƐĐŚĞĚƵůĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƌĞŐƵůĂƌ ŵĞĞƚŝŶŐƐ ǁŝƚŚ ƚĞĂŵ ŵĞŵďĞƌƐ͘ / ŬĞĚ ĂŶĚ ŶĞŐŽƚŝĂƚĞĚ ƚŝŵĞƐ ĂŶĚ ĐŽƐƚƐ ǁŝƚŚ ǀĞŶƵĞƐ͕ ŵĞƚ ǁŝƚŚ ƐƵƉƉůŝĞƌƐ ƚŽ ĞŶƐƵƌĞ ǁĞ ƐŽƵƌĐĞĚ ƚŚĞ ďĞƐƚ ĂŶĚ ŵŽƐƚ ĐŽƐƚͲĞĨĨĞĐƚŝǀĞ ŵĂƚĞƌŝĂůƐ ĨŽƌ ƉƌŽƉƐ ĂŶĚ ĐŽƐƚƵŵĞƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ǁŽƌŬĞĚ ĂůŽŶŐƐŝĚĞ ŽƚŚĞƌƐ ƚŽ ƉƌŽĚƵĐĞ Ă ĐƌĞĂƚŝǀĞ ĂŶĚ ŝŶŶŽǀĂƚŝǀĞ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ƌĞĐĞŝǀĞĚ ĞdžĐĞůůĞŶƚ ƌĞǀŝĞǁƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚ ŶĞǁƐƉĂƉĞƌ͘ tŽƌŬĞĚ ǁĞůů ƵŶĚĞƌ ƉƌĞƐƐƵƌĞ ďŽƚŚ Ăƚ tĂŐĂŵĂŵĂƐ ĂŶĚ ĂƐ Ă Ăƌ ^ƵƉĞƌǀŝƐŽƌ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ^ŚĂůůŽǁĨŝĞůĚƐ DƵƐŝĐ &ĞƐƚŝǀĂů͘ dŚƌŽƵŐŚ ƌĞŵĂŝŶŝŶŐ ĐĂůŵ ƵŶĚĞƌ ƉƌĞƐƐƵƌĞ͕ / ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞĚ ĂŶ ĞĨĨŝĐŝĞŶƚ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ ƚŽ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌƐ ŝŶ ĂŶ ĞdžƚƌĞŵĞůLJ ďƵƐLJ ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚ͘ /d ĂŶĚ ƐŽĐŝĂů ŵĞĚŝĂ ƐŬŝůůƐ ŽŶĨŝĚĞŶƚ ƵƐĞƌ ŽĨ DŝĐƌŽƐŽĨƚ KĨĨŝĐĞ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵŵĞƐ͕ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ tŽƌĚ͕ džĐĞů͕ KƵƚůŽŽŬ ĂŶĚ WŽǁĞƌWŽŝŶƚ͘ džĐĞůůĞŶƚ ƐŽĐŝĂů ŵĞĚŝĂ ƐŬŝůůƐ ;ƉĂƌƚŝĐƵůĂƌůLJ dǁŝƚƚĞƌ͕ &ĂĐĞŬ ĂŶĚ /ŶƐƚĂŐƌĂŵͿ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ / ƵƐĞ ƌĞŐƵůĂƌůLJ ƚŽ ƐŚĂƌĞ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƚŝŽŶ ǁŝƚŚ ĨƌŝĞŶĚƐ ĂŶĚ ĨŽůůŽǁĞƌƐ ĂďŽƵƚ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚŝŶŐ ĂƌƚŝĐůĞƐ ĂŶĚ ĞǀĞŶƚƐ͘ >ĂŶŐƵĂŐĞƐ / Ăŵ ďŝůŝŶŐƵĂů ŝŶ ŶŐůŝƐŚ ĂŶĚ &ƌĞŶĐŚ͘ ŵƉůŽLJŵĞŶƚ ,ŝƐƚŽƌLJ ϮϬϭϲ Ͳ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚ tĂŐĂŵĂŵĂƐ͕ >ŝǀĞƌƉŽŽů KŶĞ – ƐƐŝƐƚĂŶƚ DĂŶĂŐĞƌ dŚĂŶŬƐ ƚŽ ŵLJ ŚĂƌĚ ǁŽƌŬ͕ ĚĞĚŝĐĂƚŝŽŶ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŵŵŝƚŵĞŶƚ ƚŽ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ͕ / ƌĞĐĞŝǀĞĚ Ă ƉƌŽŵŽƚŝŽŶ ƚŽ ƐƐŝƐƚĂŶƚ DĂŶĂŐĞƌ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϳ͘ / ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚůLJ ŵĂŶĂŐĞ Ă ƚĞĂŵ ŽĨ ϭϱ ĨƵůůͲƚŝŵĞ ĂŶĚ ƉĂƌƚͲƚŝŵĞ ƐƚĂĨĨ͘ dŚŝƐ ŝŶĐůƵĚĞƐ ƌĞĐƌƵŝƚŵĞŶƚ ĂŶĚ ƚƌĂŝŶŝŶŐ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ͘ / Ăŵ ĂůƐŽ ƌĞƐƉŽŶƐŝďůĞ ĨŽƌ ǁĂƐƚĞ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ͕ ƐƚŽĐŬ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ͕ ĂŶĚ ůŝĂŝƐŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ŚĞĂĚ ŽĨĨŝĐĞ ƌĞŐĂƌĚŝŶŐ ƉƌŽŵŽƚŝŽŶƐ ŝŶ ŵLJ ƐƚŽƌĞ͘ :ƵŶĞ ϮϬϭϳ ^ŚĂůůŽǁĨŝĞůĚƐ DƵƐŝĐ &ĞƐƚŝǀĂů͕ ŚĞƐŚŝƌĞ – Ăƌ ^ƵƉĞƌǀŝƐŽƌ tŽƌŬŝŶŐ ĂƐ Ă ďĂƌ ƐƵƉĞƌǀŝƐŽƌ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ Ă ƚŚƌĞĞͲĚĂLJ ŵƵƐŝĐ ĨĞƐƚŝǀĂů͕ / ǁĂƐ ƌĞƐƉŽŶƐŝďůĞ ĨŽƌ ŵĂŶĂŐŝŶŐ ϭϴ ƐƚĂĨĨ͘ <ĞĞƉŝŶŐ ƐƚĂĨĨ ŵŽƚŝǀĂƚĞĚ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ůŽŶŐ ƐŚŝĨƚƐ ǁĂƐ ĞƐƐĞŶƚŝĂů ƚŽ ĞŶƐƵƌĞ ƚŚĞ ƐŵŽŽƚŚ ƌƵŶŶŝŶŐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ďĂƌ͘ / ĚĞŵŽŶƐƚƌĂƚĞĚ ŝŶŝƚŝĂƚŝǀĞ ŝŶ ƌĞƐŽůǀŝŶŐ ƉƌŽďůĞŵƐ͕ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌ ĐŽŵƉůĂŝŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ ƐƚŽĐŬ ƐŚŽƌƚĂŐĞƐ͘ ϮϬϭϰͲϮϬϭϲ ĂĨĠ ůĂŶĐ͕ >LJŽŶ͕ &ƌĂŶĐĞ – tĂŝƚĞƌ ƵƚŝĞƐ ŝŶǀŽůǀĞĚ ƐĞƌǀŝŶŐ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌƐ͕ ŵĂŬŝŶŐ Ă ƌĂŶŐĞ ŽĨ ƐƉĞĐŝĂůŝƐƚ ĐŽĨĨĞĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌĞƉĂƌŝŶŐ ůŝŐŚƚ ƐŶĂĐŬƐ͘ Ɛ Ă ůŽLJĂů ĞŵƉůŽLJĞĞ͕ / ǁĂƐ trusted to cash up at the end of the shift and bank the day’s takingƐ͘ / ŵĂŶĂŐĞĚ ƚŚĞ ƐŽĐŝĂů ŵĞĚŝĂ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ĐĂĨĠ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ŚĞůƉĞĚ ƚŽ ďƌŝŶŐ ŝŶ ůŽƚƐ ŽĨ ŶĞǁ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌƐ ĂŶĚ ŚĞůƉĞĚ ŵĞ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞ ŵLJ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ǁƌŝƚŝŶŐ ƐƚLJůĞ͘ ĐŚŝĞǀĞŵĞŶƚƐ ŚĂŝƌ ŽĨ >:Dh Men’s ĂƐŬĞƚďĂůů dĞĂŵ ĨŽƌ ϮϬϭϳͬϭϴ /ŶƚĞƌĞƐƚƐ WĂƐƐŝŽŶĂƚĞ ĂďŽƵƚ ǁƌŝƚŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ / Ăŵ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚůLJ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ŽŶ Ă ŶƵŵďĞƌ ŽĨ ƐŚŽƌƚ ƐƚŽƌŝĞƐ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ / Ăŵ ĂŝŵŝŶŐ ƚŽ ƐĞůĨͲ ƉƵďůŝƐŚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŶĞdžƚ ĨĞǁ ŵŽŶƚŚƐ͘ ůƐŽ ĞŶũŽLJ ǁƌŝƚŝŶŐ ƉŽĞƚƌLJ ĂŶĚ ŚĂǀĞ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĞĚ Ăƚ Ă ŶƵŵďĞƌ ŽĨ ůŽĐĂů ŽƉĞŶͲŵŝĐ ƉŽĞƚƌLJ ĞǀĞŶŝŶŐƐ͘ DĞŵďĞƌ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ďĂƐŬĞƚďĂůů ƚĞĂŵ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ >:Dh ƌĂŵĂ ^ŽĐŝĞƚLJ ĂŶĚ ŚĂǀĞ ƉĂƌƚŝĐŝƉĂƚĞĚ ŝŶ Ă ŶƵŵďĞƌ ŽĨ ĚŝĨĨĞƌĞŶƚ ǁŽƌŬƐŚŽƉƐ͕ ĞǀĞŶƚƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ƐŚŽǁƐ͘ ZĞĨĞƌĞŶĐĞƐ ĂǀĂŝůĂďůĞ ŽŶ ƌĞƋƵĞƐƚ
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GETTING THE JOB
Chronological CV 1
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14 Hatton Place, Liverpool, L1 1TC 07984 222 457 annamccarthy2015@.ljmu.ac.uk
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http://www.youtube.com/NW123 / www.annamccarthyfilmbuzz.com
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A tenacious and proactive BA (Hons) Media Production graduate with experience in media research, filming and editing and general support/runner experience working in media organisations and production companies. I am an excellent communicator, work tirelessly to get tasks completed and integrate well in any working context. Passionate about production and eager to secure an entry-level role in a production company.
MEDIA/FILM EXPERIENCE
Jan 2017-present Freelance media production Have built up a good network of contacts, which has led to working with a number of local clients: Liverpool Sound City 2018 – promotional video “Moving On” music video for local band Blue Dot (85,000 views on YouTube) “Every Time” music video for local band The Leaves (23,000 views on YouTube) Baltic Café, Liverpool – promotional video for social media Inforgate Design Studio, Liverpool – short film LJMU Drama students – various short films
List relevant experience in a prominent position on the front page of the CV. List entries in this section in reverse chronological order. Provide a clear overview of your role and what you did.
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Show output, results and achievements.
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You can summarise any additional skills in a skills profile. Reflect on specific examples here. Make sure you outline the skills required for the role.
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May-August 2018 Media House, Liverpool Sources suitable locations and drew up a filming & editing schedule for various projects. Directed and edited a music video. Collaborated with others to devise the creative concept, taking on board ideas, and contributing my own creative input to produce a piece of work that I was proud of. The video has had over 36,000 views on YouTube. Carried out editing work independently to strict deadlines. Assisted with the production of a film set in New York but shot in Liverpool, which was a pastiche of 1920s cinema. Helped develop the storyboard and enhanced my skills using a Sony Z1 camera. Also improved skills in sound, lighting and editing.
Include relevant content from your degree, e.g. individual modules you have studied.
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Provide a summary of your GCSE subjects.
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Provide a brief summary of other work experience on the second page.
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If you have any interests that relate to the role, include these at the end of your CV in an interests section. Preferably use one academic and one employer reference. If you run out of space you can state ‘References available on request’.
Jan-Feb 2018 LJMU, School of Pharmacy & Biomolecular Sciences Worked alongside three other Media Production students to produce a 4 minute film on the history of the Pharmacy programme. Took part in interviewing alumni but mainly focussed on actual filming and editing.
June-Sept 2017 Lemon Pictures, London (Runner) Involved with a variety of tasks from photocopying scripts, purchasing props, researching locations, and editing using Adobe Premiere. Working in this busy environment showed my ability to remain calm and work effectively under pressure. Frequently stepped in to assist colleagues at short notice. Took the opportunity to speak with directors, studio managers and other runners to gain a thorough understanding of the studio environment. Being friendly and professional enabled me to establish contacts who I have remained in touch with.
Mar – May 2016 Liverpool Sound City Festival (Internship) Completed various admin duties prior to Liverpool Sound City Festival. Responsible for contacting artists and managers to set up performances, booked venues, met with artists prior to performances, attended performances and wrote press releases and reviews for website. Had to be highly professional and organised. Developed concise writing skills and enhanced my confidence liaising with artists.
An Employability Adviser says ...
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Anna McCarthy
If you include a personal profile ensure it is targeted at the role and organisation. Keep it concise and focused and try to highlight relevant skills and experience.
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!
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SKILLS Technical skills Built up my skills using Adobe Premiere in my spare time as well as at university. I can also use Avid and Final Cut Pro and I am developing good skills using Adobe Audition CC, which I have used when working on music videos. I have also used a Zoom H4n when recording on location. I am passionate about photography and camera work. I am experienced using a range of cameras such as Panasonic GH5, Canon C200 and the Sony FS5. I am a proficient IT user and easily pick up new programmes. I am confident using Adobe Creative Cloud, especially Photoshop, Illustrator and After Effects, and DaVinci Resolve, for grading and colour correction. I am also proficient in Word, Excel and PowerPoint,
EDUCATION
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2015-2018
2008-2015
Liverpool John Moores University
BA (Hons) Media Production 2:1 Modules include: Digital Media Cultures (68), Interactive Multimedia Practice (60), Multiplatform Production (78)
Liverpool College
A levels: Art (C), Sociology (C), Communication Studies (A), AS-Level: History (A) 10 GCSEs at grades A-C, including Maths (A), English (C) and Art (A)
OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE 2015-present
The Garden, Liverpool
Waitress and Team Leader
Responsible for organising the evening and day shifts for the waiting on team, which requires excellent time management and organisational skills and the ability to adapt at short notice when staff are unavailable. Excellent teamwork and leadership skills – ensure I am supportive and create a professional but fun working environment for the team.
VOLUNTARY WORK 2014
Giant Spectacular/Royal de Lux, Liverpool
Volunteered at a busy city-wide event featuring giant puppets telling the story of the World War I Centenary in 2014, which saw around a million spectators. Worked in the city centre speaking to visitors from all over the world explaining about the event and advising them on the route of the puppets. Photographed the event one day and some my photos were included on official website
2013-2014
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Oxfam Shop, Bold Street, Liverpool
Retail Assistant
The store included an extensive vinyl section, which I frequently took responsibility for This was a very busy role where I developed strong customer service skills and built a good rapport with regular customers by being friendly and helpful at all times.
INTERESTS
Passionate about film, documentaries, and music and spend a lot of my free collecting vinyl and working on and editing short films. Also love fashion and other creative arts, such as photography (particularly architecture). I enjoy keeping fit by running twice a week with my running club.
REFERENCES
Dr Amanda Cox, Senior Lecturer at LJMU, Tel: 0151 231 8976, Email: A.J.Cox@ljmu1234.ac.uk Tina Patel, Production Manager at Media House, Tel: 0151 987 6543, Email: tpatel@mediahouse14.co.uk
www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
GETTING THE JOB
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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.
Hannah Smith Timeout Productions Hope Street Liverpool L3 2AJ Dear Hannah,
14 Hatton Place Liverpool L1 1TC
1 September 2018
I am writing to apply for the runner position I saw advertised on your Twitter feed and have attached my CV for you. I have been eager to work for Timeout Productions since the start of my degree when I met with Steve and Alice from your team at a networking event and realised that I was already familiar with much of your work. I was really inspired by their enthusiasm and dedication to the organisation and I have since followed your projects closely. I particularly want to work for Timeout Productions because you create a range of interesting shows across channels and genres that have been so well received. Your recent mini-series ‘North West Cityscapes’ for Channel 4, which looked at grassroots arts and culture in the North West, was really fascinating. It was great to get to the heart of the stories and hear from so many people involved in the arts in my home city, enabling people from across the country to learn more about the talent and incredible projects going on outside of London. This show, in particular, really sparked my interest in documentary making for television. I have already worked for a number of production companies, which have opened my eyes to the whole production process and I am eager to gain more experience. I have been involved with various tasks in my previous roles and numerous employers have commented on my diligence and eagerness to get stuck in. Whilst working at Media House my excellent organisational skills were utilised when supporting the 1st and 2nd Assistant Directors, planning outdoor shoots and inputting ideas for last-minute changes regarding filming locations. My ability to think on my feet and research quickly meant that I was able to find a new, last-minute location, which I secured by speaking directly to the manager of a city-centre bar, outlining the mutual benefits of agreeing to us using the location. I have also spent the last few years building up a network of contacts, which has led to working on some really interesting freelance projects, including making a music videos and video content for local artists, Liverpool Sound City, drama students and local businesses. This has given me the opportunity to be creative but also work with clients to bring a specific message and vision to life. Examples of my work can be found on my website and YouTube channel. My strong communication skills and friendly and diplomatic demeanour were really helpful when liaising with actors and speaking with members of the public, ensuring there were as few interruptions as possible during outdoor filming. This was achieved by being polite and professional and answering some of their questions regarding the project we were working on. I integrate well into a team environment and try get to know everyone by name. This enables me to work effectively with everyone across the team as I have a good understanding of everyone’s role and who I should speak to in order to ensure tasks are carried out efficiently, which is really important when working to tight deadlines. My Media Production course has given me excellent technical skills, particularly using Final Cut Pro, Avid, Premier Pro and Audacity, which I have used through various filming projects and in my work experience positions. I am passionate about filmmaking and have continuously engaged in personal filming projects, which can be viewed on my YouTube channel. I am available immediately and I am keen to talk to you further about what I can bring to the role. Yours sincerely, Anna McCarthy
www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
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GETTING THE JOB
Creative CV
The problem is that the whole business of how recruiters view CVs can be extremely subjective. A quirky design may appeal to some employers and give them a sense of your creative ability but others may cringe when presented with something too ‘off the wall’ There are lots of examples out there such as an applicant icing her skills onto a cake or the student who sent the employer a pair of oven gloves along with their ‘too hot to handle’ CV. The best advice is to do some prior research. Know your audience. Check out the employer’s website to gain an understanding of their creative style. A novel approach may work with a small marketing consultancy but applications to large organisations with a formal recruitment structure generally require a more standard CV style. Start by gathering key details to include such as relevant work experience, education, voluntary experience and make sure that you include links to showcase your creative experience and talents. It is important that these are up to date and relevant for the employer to view. Include links to your Vimeo, You Tube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook accounts as appropriate. Be consistent with your presentation style. Use the same font or colour for your CV, covering letter and your blog or website. Establish a brand identity but keep it simple.
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An employer says ...
As a creative director, I’d look at CVs to decide whether to bother looking further - looking at someone’s website takes time and anyone who couldn’t format a paper CV properly isn’t going to be of any use.
CAREER PLANNING GUIDE
Remember: ❚❚ Be clear, concise and relevant. ❚❚ Do not be tempted to over populate a one page CV. If you are really struggling to convey all the information you would like to include ask yourself if it is all relevant. If so, two well designed and structured pages work better than one cluttered page. ❚❚ Seek advice and feedback. ❚❚ Include your technical skills (Adobe CC - Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Muse, Edge Code etc). ❚❚ Presentation is particularly important but that does not necessarily mean an unusual CV. ❚❚ Experiment with different versions until you find one you that fits your chosen career path. ❚❚ Many creative design companies tend to employ only a few staff. Feedback suggests that they prefer a more individual approach so treat your approach to each company as you would a brief. ❚❚ There is no right or wrong as such but this is your sales pitch and it is crucial that you are happy that your CV portrays your skills and experience effectively. Finally, don’t lose sight of the fact that the considerations for ‘Creative CVs’ aren’t that much different to standard CVs. Your CV is a piece of direct marketing. A well formatted CV will always work better. Whether it is a large or small organisation, or an independent artist.
An employer says ...
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If you are seeking a job, internship or placement opportunity you may wonder how best to present your CV to help you stand out from the crowd. Do you stick with a traditional format or try to be more creative?
I am a busy director and I value those candidates who are organised as well as being creative. If you can’t communicate well or present yourself via a CV - how do you expect to present a brief to a customer?
www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
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CAREER PLANNING GUIDE
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GETTING THE JOB
How to write effective
Application forms
INSTEAD OF A CV, MANY EMPLOYERS USE APPLICATION FORMS AS THE FIRST STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS. EMPLOYABILITY ADVISER ANJA HEID OFFERS SOME TIPS TO IMPRESS EMPLOYERS.
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Top tips for completing application forms Good preparation is essential! Where possible, read through the whole form before you start filling it in, so you can collect any relevant information you need to complete the form and decide on your most suitable evidence for each section. Research the organisation thoroughly and analyse the person specification so you are familiar with the job requirements and can show employers that you have done your homework. Avoid spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and text-speak. Some graduate recruiters reject more than half of all applications because of the poor standard of English on the application forms. For online applications, draft your answers in Word, and spellcheck them before copying and pasting onto the form. Ask a friend or family member to proofread your work. Answer the questions! It can be tempting to use answers from previous application forms, but these might not cover all aspects required for a similar question. Read each question carefully and check that your response provides all the necessary details. Keep within any given word limits. Sell yourself! The application form might only be the first stage of the recruitment process, but if you are too modest or too unspecific in your answers, you are unlikely to make it to the next stage. Ensure your evidence is recent, relevant and tailored to reflect the skills and knowledge required for the role. And finally, keep a copy of the completed application form. As you are likely to apply for a number of positions at the same time, it will be useful to have a record of each application to prepare for a potential interview or assessment centre.
An Employability Adviser says ...
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Some application forms use a list of specific, usually competency-based, questions to assess your suitability for the role, as well as some questions to explore your motivation and interest in working for the organisation. These could include questions like:
The supporting information/personal statement section is hugely important and should be tailored to the individual role, because this is where you need to convince the employer that you are the right candidate for the job and discuss why you would like to work for their organisation. Address the job requirements outlined on the person specification one by one and in the same order, providing convincing evidence for your suitability and including key words from the job advert.
CAREER PLANNING GUIDE
An employer says ...
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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
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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 ...
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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
40
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..
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ONE TO ONE SUPPORT IN THE CAREERS ZONE The prospect of attending an interview can be scary, but don’t panic! Our Careers and Employability Advisers are on hand to provide tips on common interview questions to ensure you shine in the interview. To arrange an appointment, call into a Careers Zone or phone us on 0151 231 2048/3719.
WORKSHOPS/WEBINARS Learn how to prepare effectively for interviews in our ‘Interview Success’ workshop and webinar. We cover typical questions, effective answers and how to impress prospective employers at interview. For dates of upcoming sessions, check our events website https://careers.ljmu.ac.uk/
INTERVIEW SIMULATOR As part of our Careers Zone 24/7 online careers tools, you can test yourself with interactive questions on the interview simulator. Build up your confidence by taking a mock interview or learn about what makes an effective answer from experienced recruiters. You can access Careers Zone 24/7 via our Careers website www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers/
CAREER MINI GUIDE Our handy mini guide on ‘Preparing for Interviews’ summarises some key advice for before, during and after the interview, and introduces you to common interview questions. Visit our Careers website www. ljmu.ac.uk/careers/ to download your copy.
INTERVIEW PRACTICE SESSIONS Never had an interview before and don’t know what to expect? Beat your interview nerves by booking a practice interview with one of our advisers by calling into a Careers Zone or phoning us on 0151 231 2048/3719.
CAREER PLANNING GUIDE
Different types of interview ❚❚ Telephone - Initial employer call that eliminates candidates based on essential criteria. Successful applicants are usually invited to the one-to-one stage. ❚❚ Video - Whether through Skype, FaceTime or YouTube, this type of interview is increasingly popular for graduate roles in sales, media and marketing. They’re usually held during the initial screening process. ❚❚ One-to-one - Face-to-face encounter with one interviewer, after the organisation decides that you’ve got what it’s looking for. They’re usually formal, but can also take place over lunch. You could also be interviewed by different people at different times. ❚❚ Panel - Similar to one-to-one interviews, except two or more people - often from different parts of the organisation - will be assessing you at the same time. ❚❚ Group - Multiple candidates are interviewed together. They’re asked questions in turn, or discuss certain topics. ❚❚ Assessment centres - These involve tasks including presentations, written tests, and group, role-play and in-tray exercises. They’re used to assess a candidate’s performance in a range of situations, and last between one and three days. You’ll appear alongside several other candidates. Find out more about assessment centres on p.42.
www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
GETTING THE JOB
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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
42
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
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Help and support available to you..
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ONE TO ONE SUPPORT IN THE CAREERS ZONE For individual advice on preparing for psychometric tests and assessment centres, speak to our advisers. To arrange an appointment, call into a Careers Zone or phone us on 0151 231 2048/3719.
WORKSHOPS We offer psychometric testing practice sessions to help you ace your online tests. For dates of upcoming sessions, check our events website https://careers.ljmu.ac.uk
ASSESSMENT CENTRE TOOL AND PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS Looking to practise aptitude tests and assessment centre exercises? Head to our Careers website www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers, follow the link to Careers Zone 24/7, log in and get practising!
DOWNLOAD OUR CAREER MINI GUIDES For further advice on psychometric tests and assessment centres, visit our Careers website and download a copy of our handy mini guides - www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
Applying for a graduate scheme? PRACTISE A RANGE OF TESTS USED BY GRADUATE EMPLOYERS DURING THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Use our assessment centre tool and our range of aptitude tests to get up to speed with tests used by graduate employers recruiting for graduate schemes APTITUDE TESTS INCLUDE:
❚ numerical ❚ verbal ❚ inductive ❚ diagrammatic ❚ logical ❚ situational judgement ❚ critical thinking ❚ error checking and e-tray exercises TO ACCESS THESE TOOLS GO TO 'CAREERS ZONE 24/7' ON THE LJMU CAREERS WEBSITE:
www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers
CAREER PLANNING GUIDE
LJMU will be running a range of careers and recruitment fairs during the academic year. Students from any degree programme are welcome to attend any of these events Still undecided what career to pursue? Careers fairs are designed to help you meet and network with employers and find out about career options.
Careers and Recruitment Fairs 2018/19
Need a placement or job? Recruitment Fairs are designed to help you meet employers with job and placement vacancies to offer.
For more information about these events, including which employers are attending, and which students they are aimed at, visit:
careers.ljmu.ac.uk
SEMESTER 1
SEMESTER 2
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Staff and Student Volunteering Fair 3 October, 2pm-5pm, Byrom Street
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Staff and Student Volunteering Fair 27 February, 1pm-4pm, John Lennon Art and Design Building
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Faculty of Engineering and Technology Careers Fair 11 October, 9am-12pm, Adelphi Hotel
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Creative, Culture, Media and Arts Recruitment Fair 10 April, 1pm-3pm, John Lennon Art and Design Building
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Exploring Placements and Graduate Schemes 16 October, 10am-2pm, Redmonds Building
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Exploring Working with Children, Young People and with Vulnerable Adults 17 October, 2pm-4pm, Byrom Street
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Recruitment Fair 17 April, 10am-1pm, Byrom Street
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Business, Law, Humanities and Social Science Recruitment Fair 18 April, 10am-1pm, Redmonds Building
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Exploring Science-related Career Pathways 24 October, 2pm-4pm, Byrom Street
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Exploring Working in Creative Industries 14 November, 1pm-4pm, John Lennon Art and Design Building
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Exploring Careers in Sport 22 November, 1pm-4pm, Byrom Street
LJMU CAREERS TEAM
0151 231 2048/3719 || careers@ljmu.ac.uk
www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers