LJMU Career Planning Guide 2013/14 by LJMU Student Futures

career Liverpool John Moores University

planning guide 2013/14

produced by: LJMU World of Work Careers Centre

BE CAREER SMART: make yourself employable whilst at LJMU

graduate schemes

uncovered

write the perfect

CV & application form

the hidden

jobs market

Plus: World of Work Programme, alumni profiles, postgraduate study, career action plan, interviews, assessment centres, 1 LiverpoolSU, Centre for Entrepreneurship, volunteering, placement & internship opportunities and more ...

LJMU & YOUR CAREER

Introduction Liverpool John Moores University's Vice-Chancellor Professor Nigel Weatherill offers his thoughts on career-related matters and advises students to not only get started early but to take advantage of all of the services the university offers.

ecoming a student at Liverpool John Moores University will provide you with lots of opportunities to lay the foundations for a successful future. But alongside having a great student experience, you should set aside the time to develop yourself as a skilled professional, with the talent, drive and experience to impress prospective employers. Academic grades matter to employers but they are not the only qualification they are looking for when they are sifting through job applications. They are searching for individuals who have gone that extra mile in their studies and spare time and who have skills and experience in the right areas. That’s why it is never too early to start

thinking about what your prospective employers want and that’s where the World of Work Careers Centre can help. LJMU’s careers guidance service is one of your most valuable resources, so visit it as often as possible. You don’t need to know what you want to do beforehand – that’s the whole point of going. If you are nurturing an idea for a new venture, our Centre for Entrepreneurship can help you grow a successful business using all the resources on offer at the University and via our extensive business networks. These wide-ranging employer contacts mean that LJMU can offer students the chance to test their abilities in every type of work environment, from legal firms to hospital wards and football

clubs. So make sure you capitalise on all the work experience and volunteering opportunities available at the University and the Liverpool Students’ Union through its clubs, societies and other services. You worked hard to get to university and it’s important that you make the most of the time and money you have invested to graduate with everything you need to achieve your ambitions for the future. So build up your contacts, build up your confidence and build on your strengths. Use all the University resources and expertise at your disposal to unlock your full potential. You might be surprised by just how far your LJMU experience will take you in your chosen career. Good luck.

Professor Nigel Weatherill Vice-Chancellor & Chief Executive Liverpool John Moores University

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

LJMU & YOUR CAREER

Contents

40 4

LJMU & YOUR CAREER

26 GETTING THE JOB

World of Work Careers Centre

Planning Your Career - Join the Dots

World of Work Programme & Skills Certificate

Career Action Plan & Timetable

CAREER IN CONTEXT 8

Working in Merseyside & the North West

10 What do Liverpool John Moores University Graduates Do? 12 Connect & Communicate - Join the LJMU Alumni Association TACTICS & CHOICES 14

Making Yourself Employable Whilst at University

Graduate Schemes Uncovered

18 The Hidden Jobs Market - Networking & Connecting Using Social Media 20

Volunteering

Thinking about Postgraduate Study?

International Students

Equality & Diversity Matters - LJMU Students and Graduates Share Their Experiences

32 How to Write a Winning CV & Covering Letter 38

Application Forms - How to be a STAR Applicant

You’re Hired! Top Tips for Interviews

Psychometric Tests

Assessment Centres

Psychometric Test & Assessment Centres - An Insider’s View

Organisational Awareness

JOBS & OTHER OPPORTUNITIES 50 Centre for Entrepreneurship - Become Your Own Boss 52 LiverpoolSU - Enhance your CV with the Students’ Union 54 Job, Placement & Internship Opportunities

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

LJMU & YOUR CAREER

World of Work Careers Centre Whether you want to explore your career options, need support to complete your World of Work Skills Certificate, find a work placement, impress at interview or meet and network with employers we can help in a variety of ways.

JMU’s World of Work Careers Centre offers a wide range of resources to help you plan your next step, both while you are at university and after you graduate. We offer in-depth careers advice and guidance, a vacancy website for placements and graduate jobs, opportunities to meet and engage with employers and an extensive programme of careers and employability workshops, all designed to help you get the job you want. In addition we manage LJMU’s World of Work Skills Certificate. This globally unique, employer-endorsed award will help you demonstrate you have the skills, knowledge and competencies employers are looking for. Whatever your situation, whether you know what you want to do after university or are still looking for direction, the World of Work Careers Centre is here to help.

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

EMPLOYABILITY ADVISERS

Our team of Employability Advisers are your first port of call who can give you expert careers information, advice and signposting. They can help you with CVs, applications forms, personal statements for postgraduate study and give you feedback on your World of Work Skills Certificate statements.

CAREERS ADVISERS Whatever your faculty you will also have your own dedicated Careers Adviser. Our Careers Advisers are able to provide expert job sector advice and information tailored to your needs. They are available for careers guidance interviews to discuss career and job choices, finding jobs, applications and CVs and how to prepare for interviews. You are likely to meet your Faculty Careers Adviser at some point during your programme of study!

MOCK INTERVIEWS We also offer individual interview practice sessions to help build your confidence by experiencing a one-toone ‘mock’ interview with a trained assessor who will give you detailed

feedback and advice. Whether you want to practice your interview technique or are preparing for a real life interview you can book in to use this service.

CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY WORKSHOPS Throughout the year we run a variety of careers and employability workshops delivered by experienced trainers and careers advisers. Using input and advice from our regional and national employer partners our workshops offer top tips to help you succeed in an increasingly competitive graduate jobs market. For more information about the sessions or to book a place visit our online booking system at: https://worldofwork.ljmu.ac.uk/events

WORLD OF WORK TRAINERS Our team of Trainers facilitate a number of career development workshops covering a range of topics including interview preparation, CV writing and the World of Work Skills Certificate. The workshops are interactive and aim to share thoughts and ideas alongside expert advice.

LJMU & YOUR CAREER

Nicola Davenport

Jenny Hammond

Anja Heid

WHO ARE WE? Careers Adviser

Employability Adviser

Arts, Professional & Social Studies

Colette Ashbrook

Vicky Farrall

John Maguire

Lucy Shenton

Trainer

Education, Health & Community

Technology & Environment

Science International

Laura Aldridge

Steve Burbage

Andy Byrne

EMPLOYER CONNECTIONS – NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK The World of Work Careers Centre takes employer networking and collaboration seriously and who better to help you develop your employability than graduate recruiters themselves. We have strong relationships with a large number of public, private, creative, not for profit, large and small organisations.

EMPLOYABILITY WORKSHOPS ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

CREATIVE JOB HUNTING THE ART OF JOB APPLICATIONS WRITING A WINNING CV PREPARING FOR INTERVIEWS PRESENTATION SKILLS PSYCHOMETRIC PRACTISE SESSION ■■ ASSESSMENT CENTRES ■■ LINKEDIN LAB

Gary Douglas

Hayley Fallon

Most importantly our World of Work Skills Certificate has been co-designed and co-developed with our employer partners and is one of the most employer informed employability awards in the UK culminating in a final interview with a graduate recruiter. Make the most of our employer connections and relationships by attending employer presentations, visiting lectures or a question and answer session. In addition, look out for placement and internship opportunities on our vacancy website.

VACANCY WEBSITE Whether you are looking for a part time job, a volunteering opportunity, a work placement or a graduate post we have a dedicated vacancy website. Our vacancy website is free to all undergraduates and graduates and contains over 1,000 regional and national employers listing opportunities. To register go to: http://ljmu.prospects.ac.uk. Finally…don’t forget to visit our World of Work website www.ljmu.ac.uk/ worldofwork - a treasure trove of information which features the latest

Linda Graham

Liz Harrison

events and talks, videos, careers news and useful resources. Stay up to date with what’s going on by following us on Twitter, Facebook and You tube. Search for LJMUWoW for all three social media channels.

WORLD OF WORK WORKSHOPS These workshops are designed to help you work towards achieving your World of Work Skills Certificate: ■■ WORLD OF WORK BRONZE DEVELOPING YOUR SELF AWARENESS ■■ WORLD OF WORK SILVER INCREASING YOUR ORGANISATIONAL AWARENESS ■■ WORLD OF WORK GOLD IMPROVING YOUR ABILITY TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

LJMU & YOUR CAREER

World of Work Programme & Skills Certificate In today’s competitive jobs market it’s essential to start planning your career early and to make yourself as employable as possible. At LJMU we offer you a unique approach backed by employers of all sizes from all sectors to make sure you are competitive when looking for jobs or starting a business.

he World of Work Programme is LJMU’s simple formula to make our students employable and able to compete against the best graduates from the UK and elsewhere. This sounds great but what does it mean? Competition for any kind of job, let alone graduate level employment, has never been more fierce and it is currently an employers’ market. Estimates suggest there are between 60 and 85 graduates competing for every graduate job and the odds are probably even more unfavourable in certain subject areas. The good news is LJMU students have shown themselves to be incredibly competitive in the current market (see page 10 to see what our graduates go on to do after leaving LJMU) and that is down to a number of factors. Firstly, our

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

programmes are very highly regarded and carry a lot of weight with employers. A good degree is the most important thing you can get but it is not the decisive factor as far as an employer is concerned. Employers have their choice of many talented graduates with good degrees so it comes down to what you can offer on top of your degree. This is where the World of Work Programme comes in. We’ve talked to employers big and small, from all sectors, and asked them what they want from a graduate. What they want is as many relevant higher level skills as possible. They want to see a well-rounded individual who is capable of slotting into their organisation and contributing from day one. With this in mind, all of our programmes

STUDENT VOICE

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I had offers from lots of different universities but I chose LJMU mainly because of the links they have with external companies through the World of Work Programme. The opportunity to work with companies like Everton FC or Sport England has made my CV look even better and I have just got a job with the Football Association working as an FA skills coach.

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DOM EDWARDS COACHING DEVELOPMENT GRADUATE

LJMU & YOUR CAREER

Next, employers want workplace experience if possible or at least graduates who are engaged and interested in the field they want to enter as demonstrated through extra-curricular activities or interests. At LJMU we try to help students gain that experience in one form or another. It could be an LJMU funded internship, a placement, realworld curriculum-based projects, work shadowing, guest lectures, site visits and tours or workplace projects. And finally employers want graduates who are self-aware i.e. they are confident of their strengths, their weaknesses and what they can bring to the workplace; they want graduates who know about the organisation they want to work in, and finally graduates who can make things happen in the workplace. For this purpose LJMU devised the globally unique, employer-backed World of Work Skills Certificate.

Achieving the certificate mirrors the selection process used by many graduate recruiters and ends with a real one-toone employer interview. You can develop these high-level skills, valued by graduate employers, in many ways: through your degree programme, work-related learning, paid or voluntary work experience, Students’ Union and other leisure activities or by undertaking workshops run at the World of Work Careers Centre. You will have to write a World of Work skills statement to show that you meet the criteria for all the three areas of the certificate; Self Awareness, Organisational Awareness and Making Things Happen. This will give you a comprehensive personal statement demonstrating a wide range of skills - a perfect starting point for applications for work placements or graduate jobs. Our World of Work Careers Centre advisers are also available to help you at every stage of the World of Work Skills Certificate process. Whatever your career aspirations, you have to be able to tailor your qualifications, skills and experience to meet the specific criteria relevant to the role you are applying for. That’s where your World of Work Skills statement will prove invaluable. Volunteers from 200+ organisations and businesses across the North West of England have been supporting our students to gain vital experience of how to succeed in graduateentry level interviews. This is the final stage of the process and it is these employers who will judge whether or not you have

reached the necessary standard to receive your World of Work Skills Certificate. If you are smart you’ll complete the certificate before the start of your final year. All level 4 students will complete the first stage of the certificate as part of their programme. For students in any other level who haven’t previously taken any stage of the certificate, visit the World of Work Careers Centre website for more information including information about how to sign up - www.ljmu.ac.uk/ worldofwork.

EMPLOYER VOICE

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LJMU’s pioneering World of Work Programme is to be commended. The university is doing all it can to prepare its graduates for the real world. In a highly competitive marketplace, graduates need more than just good qualifications to stand out from their peers. They also need to be able to show potential employers that they’ve got practical aptitude too. This is why DWF was so keen to get involved with the World of Work Programme and Skills Certificate.

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will include the opportunity to develop skills, (we call them graduate skills) that are essential for all graduate level jobs irrespective of the sector you want to work in. Things like analysing and solving problems, written and verbal communication, team working, numerical reasoning and information literacy and IT. Skills that employers tell us are essential, in addition to your degree. Check your Module Handbooks for further details about Graduate Skills or visit the World of Work Support Unit in each faculty.

SIMON PRICE ASSOCIATE & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT LAWYER, DWF LLP

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

CAREER IN CONTEXT

Working in Merseyside & the North West Liverpool’s ecomonic growth is second only to London and the North West region is the largest economic area outside of the South East. Careers Adviser Gary Douglas looks at what jobs are available for you.

he North West is one of the largest expanding economic regions of the UK and includes Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside and Manchester. The region is proud of the many industries that have now gained an international reputation such as: chemicals, manufacturing and production, as well as the digital industry. Look out for companies that may also have a large presence in the region even if their head office is in another part of the UK. Thirty-two companies from the North West of England have earned places on the latest Sunday Times Grant Thornton Top Track 250, the league table of Britain’s leading mid-market private companies published in 2013. Companies included: Fircroft Technical HR Services, Warburtons Bakery Services and Peel Ports Group. From a Merseyside perspective, worldrenowned brands choose Liverpool City Region to grow their businesses. Jaguar Land Rover, Unilever, Ineos Chlor, RWE npower renewable, Grosvenor, ScottishPower plc, Santander, Sony Entertainment, Prinovis, Redx Pharma and dozens more besides have made the compelling case for investing here. As a result, Liverpool City Region has one of the fastest growing economies in the UK. Out of the 5610 known destinations of graduates from LJMU in 2012, 70% had home postcodes from the North West region. Of those who completed a course at Liverpool John Moores University in 2012, 50.51% had found a job in the Merseyside region and 74.8% in the North West as a whole. Out of those graduates working on Merseyside, 80.91% resided in the local area. For

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

the North West the figure was 89.18%, indicating that local graduates desire to work within the local economy. The four most popular sectors for LJMU graduates to find work in the North West in 2012/13 were in Human Health and Social Work, Retail, Secondary Education, and Public Order and Safety Activities. The top methods used by LJMU graduates to find work included the specific employer’s website, networking and speculative applications as well as remaining with an employer that they

LOCAL GOVERNMENT Many LJMU students have found work in the regions’ Local Authorities who have often been major recruiters of our graduates. Graduate level occupations are varied and have included Human Resources, Surveying and Information Technology. Employers include Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral Councils. If you want to look further across the North West, consider places such as Manchester and Lancashire. All have links from their respective website to their vacancies pages. Other jobs within Local Authorities in the region can be found at websites such as www.lgjobs.com/employers.

HIGHER EDUCATION This sector provides graduates with another rich source of vacancies. LJMU students have entered graduate level occupations in roles that include Business Support Analyst, Events Administrator and Accountancy. Look at the vacancies pages on Liverpool John Moores University, The University of Liverpool and Liverpool Hope University. Outside of Merseyside, possible employment options could be Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University as well as The University of Chester and Edge Hill University. Again, look at the jobs section of these university websites. worked for during their university career or during an internship. Don’t forget to use the LJMU vacancy website at ljmu.prospects.ac.uk as many vacancies are advertised from a wide variety of employment sectors. There are many large employers in the region who have historically recruited from Liverpool John Moores University and some of these are listed here:

HEALTH SERVICE Another major recruiter in the region is the National Health Service. As well as the health related roles, this employer also has Graduate Training Schemes in Administration and Support Service roles. See website at www.jobs.nhs.uk/.

SOME OTHER INDUSTRY SECTORS TO CONSIDER The Voluntary Sector and working for Charities - there are more than 10,000 charities in the North West. As well

CAREER IN CONTEXT

MAJOR EMPLOYERS IN THE NORTH WEST ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

NHS JAGUAR LANDROVER AIRBUS ALDI SONY SHOP DIRECT GROUP UNITED UTILITIES SELLAFIELD UNILEVER CO-OPERATIVE GROUP BARCLAYS BANK BOOTS

as employing over 30,000 people, they offer many opportunities to gain work experience on a voluntary basis. The Environmental and Technology Services Sector employs around 24,000 people in the region. This industry is becoming one of the fastest growing in the North West. Advertising and Public Relations have a very strong presence in the region. Many agencies and consultancies, originally from London have now based themselves in the North West. The Tourism & Leisure Industry employs over 200,000 people in the region and offers many opportunities to graduates including Tour Guides and Exhibition Organisers.

THE MEDIA INDUSTRY BBC North produces some of the BBC’s most popular content. Programmes such as BBC Children’s, BBC Radio 5 live, parts of Future Media, BBC Audio & Music, BBC Vision, BBC Learning, BBC Sport and BBC Breakfast are all based at BBC North offices in Salford Quays. As well as advertising full time jobs, look out for the opportunities to gain work experience as well as the training schemes. View the website at bbc.co.uk/careers/locations. ITV & Granada: Granada Studios are based in Manchester and are one of the main media employers in the city. The jobs section of the ITV website includes information on vacancies and career

advice for those considering a career in television - itvjobs.com.

MAJOR EMPLOYERS IN THE REGION Merseyside and the North West is also home to many other large employers that may have graduate schemes. Try not to be put off by the industry of the company as many organisations are multifunctional. For example Balfour Beatty is a construction company, but has graduate opportunities in Human Resources as well as Finance. Some other prominent companies in the region include: Airbus, Barclays Bank, Boots, Jaguar Land Rover and Aldi.

SMALL OR MEDIUM SIZED COMPANIES Don’t forget that it is not just the larger companies that employ graduates. It is estimated that over 36,000 small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are based in the Merseyside area alone. Last year over 300 LJMU graduates found employment in these smaller firms. Most industries were represented including: arts, entertainment and recreation, administrative and support service activities as well as professional, scientific and technical activities.

HOW TO FIND THE JOB? Look at advertised vacancies in the regional press. Publications with vacancy pages include Jobs North West, Liverpool Echo, Manchester Evening News and several others. You can also search for local, national

and international vacancies via the government's Universal Jobmatch website: www.gov.uk/jobsearch. Regional websites offer another potential source of vacancies. Look at Graduate to Merseyside, My Northwest Job, Merseyside Fish for Jobs and many other local sites. Register with some local recruitment agencies but ensure that you check out their areas of expertise in advance. Try to find out as much as you can about the type of work that interests you, to make sure that you get the best from an agency. Apply for jobs, work experience or voluntary work on a speculative basis as many positions do not get advertised; see the article on The Hidden Jobs Market on page 18 for more information about this. You have to find companies of interest and apply without a guarantee that the firm is recruiting. Also see the article on page 32 of the guide on CV writing which will explain how to craft a good, target-driven CV. Consider networking too as a company could still provide you with valuable labour market information. What method of application is required, how much experience is needed, and the skills required by that particular company could provide you with vital information about the job market. There is no reason why you could not ask if the company is recruiting at the moment or if they can suggest other companies to contact. Career Planning Guide 2013/14

CAREER IN CONTEXT

What do Liverpool John Moores University Graduates Do? Over 6,000 students graduated from LJMU in 2012 with an undergraduate degree or a postgraduate qualification. What did they go on to do?

ccording to data collected in the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey almost 93% of LJMU students who finished their studies in 2012 have got a positive outcome 6 months after graduating.

strength of LJMU’s undergraduate and postgraduate programmes but also the unique World of Work Programme and the decision to put our students’

This means for the fourth consecutive year the destinations data has improved and bucked the downward trend of many competitor universities in these tough economic times. Each year LJMU is required by the government to contact all leavers to ascertain what they are doing six months on from graduating. And the 2012 figures make for great reading and offer encouragement to any current students who have taken the decision to study at LJMU. The statistics don’t lie; if you study here you are incredibly likely to end up in a job or further study once you have graduated. The figures not only underline the

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

of £24,500 while the average for any kind of job was just over £22,000. The vast majority of our students remained in the North West after graduating, Work

Self Employed

2.1

Work & Study

6.2

Study

9.7

Unemployed

6.8

Destinations of all graduates from LJMU in 2012 as recorded in January 2013 via a response given on a survey questionnaire. Further information on what graduates do is available in What Do Graduates Do? at: www.prospects.ac.uk employability right at the top of our agenda. LJMU students who achieved graduate level employment earned an average

which means the region is retaining its best people and adding to the already impressive knowledge base. But in today’s global economy there are opportunities all over the world and

CAREER IN CONTEXT

STUDENT VOICE Product Innovation & Development graduate Philip Jones spent his year in industry at ACDC Lighting Systems. The initial purpose of Philip’s placement was to use his problem-solving and engineering skills to combat manufacturing issues on the shop floor. However, Philip also developed a new product in the final months of his placement that will revolutionise LED interior linear lighting that ACDC expects to generate £1m per year. Philip was named the Regional Winner of The Lloyds Register Educational Trust Contribution to Business Awards for his work on the placement.

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LJMU has helped me realise my potential and given me many opportunities to succeed over my four year degree. I completed a year-long industrial placement in my third year that required many of the skills I had developed in the years prior to the placement, the emphasis on organisation and presentation skills were key in ensuring I succeeded as a Design Engineer. Everything I learnt on placement was put into practice in my final year, which definitely helped me to achieve a first class degree. I have since taken up a teaching post in London teaching Design and Technology through the TeachFirst graduate scheme, honing in on the many skills developed during my time at LJMU.

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PHILIP JONES

PRODUCT INNOVATION & DEVELOPMENT GRADUATE

an increasing number of students are branching out and taking their skills to new countries and continents.

LOOKING FURTHER AFIELD Although the vast majority of LJMU graduates stay in the region for work a growing number have gone much further afield in search of their

How much do LJMU graduates earn?

£22,100 average salary

Destination of Leavers from Higher Education Survey 2012

dream job. One graduate is working at CERN in Switzerland while others have secured work in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Brazil, USA, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Sweden and many other countries. It is important to not restrict yourself to just the North West region or the

Where do LJMU graduates work? North West

74.8%

Wales

5.8%

N. Ireland

3.4%

Greater London

3.4%

West Midlands

3.2%

UK when searching for a role or organisation and limit your chances. Most corporate organisations advertise vacancies for all over the world so keep an eye on their websites and you could end up a jetsetter travelling the globe and leading a lifestyle that will make you the envy of your peers!

Percentage of positive outcomes for LJMU graduates

92.9%

of 2012 LJMU graduates went on to a job or further study 6 months after graduating

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

CAREER IN CONTEXT

Connect & Communicate - Join the LJMU Alumni Association When you graduate from LJMU you become a member of the Alumni Association which is a network of over 10,000 ex-students. But what does that mean and what benefits does it bring?

he Alumni Association enables you to develop new relationships through our events programme and services. Membership is free and lasts for a lifetime. Members are offered a range of benefits, from networking opportunities to business e-journals and from priority tickets to the LJMU Roscoe Lecture Series to careers and employability advice. The events programme includes a range of professional networking opportunities in Liverpool, London, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Shanghai. They are a great way for alumni to meet new people and expand their professional network. In addition alumni can attend events showcasing the latest research from LJMU.

The World of Work Careers Centre has Careers Advisers, Employability Advisers and Trainers who can connect you with the world of work and help you beat the competition to get the job you want. As a graduate you are entitled to careers support, access to the free job vacancy website, one to one advice, training sessions and mock interviews. Graduates receive these offers and support for as long as they want and need it! You can stay in touch by signing up to the free quarterly e-newsletter which keeps you up to date with news from the University. Sign up by visiting our website at www. ljmu.ac.uk/alumni, follow us on Twitter @LJMUAlumni or become a fan of the Facebook Fan Page LJMU Alumni.

ALUMNI MEMBER BENEFITS ■■ Quarterly e-newsletters ■■ Careers support (from the World of Work Careers Centre) ■■ Discounts and services such as: • Priority tickets to the LJMU Roscoe Lectures • 20% discount off conference and room hire at LJMU • Free access to Emerald business e-journals • Lifetime membership to LSU for a one off £10 payment • Selected discounts off professional bodies

STUDENT VOICE

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I’m proud to have studied at LJMU because it is a world-class university in my home town, and also because of its investment in its students. It does not try to hide behind its history or titles and the lecturers seemed to go the extra mile for their students. I am now on an Engineering Fellowship at CERN. Studying at LJMU not only gave me the basic knowledge I needed to get where I am, but taught me how to work in groups of people from different backgrounds towards completing a common goal. The engineering projects that were related to realworld scenarios, not black and white answers on a page, had to be the most useful. They outlined that in industry, there are no definite answers, and each proposal has to be justified.

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THOMAS LYON

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING GRADUATE

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

CAREER IN CONTEXT

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After one year in business, the three years studying our BA (Hons) Architecture has proven instrumental in our success. Being encouraged to remain engaged as a student, both in and outside of the conventional parameters, we picked up the necessary devotion, determination and self belief to begin our practice. LJMU has many opportunities to grow as an individual and promotes group learning to ensure that we are prepared to take on the many challenges architecture has to offer. A dynamic learning experience, positive tutor-student relationships and a large list of extracurricular lectures and events has allowed us to exceed in our part one and proceed to the next stage in order to complete our architectural training, while ensuring ArchiPhonic remains a success.

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ADAM MOKHTAR & DAVID BANISTER, ARCHIPHONIC - BA (HONS) ARCHITECTURE GRADUATES

STUDENT VOICE

Since I graduated in 1995, I have been involved with such varied projects, from developing recipes for those with Coeliac disease, working behind the scenes with the world’s best chefs on TV shows such as Hell’s Kitchen, to writing my own cookbooks, appearing myself on TV shows and not to mention cooking for Sinitta on Daily Cooks Challenge! I don’t think the doors that opened for me when I first started out would have opened without the confidence, knowledge and experience I gained at LJMU studying Home Economics. So, if you’re thinking of a career in food, but not quite sure where you would like it to take you, I thoroughly recommend the course.

❝ JO PRATT

HOME ECOMONICS GRADUATE

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I studied Applied Psychology and absolutely loved the course. I particularly enjoyed the elements of applying psychological theory to practice. I really appreciated the opportunity to engage with the World of Work Careers Centre. I took part in employability workshops and completed the World of Work Skills Certificate. This highlighted the importance of getting relevant work experience whilst studying and helped me to think more strategically about my career after university. I was also given advice on my job applications and completed a mock job interview which was tailored to a job I was applying for and I was provided with much helpful feedback. The process gave me confidence when going for those first much feared postgraduate job interviews. I am now in my first year of the Clinical Psychology Doctorate training and LJMU was a great start to my career.

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My degree allowed me to focus a lot of energy on my passion for marketing. The marketing elements of the course were very practical and gave me a good overview of the marketing disciplines from advertising, direct marketing to experiential ... that led a year later to me getting my dream job at Saatchi & Saatchi. I put getting the Saatchi Business Development Manager job down to a combination of having a background in sales, my very practical degree, but also having the Student Union President role on my CV – all these things helped!

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STUDENT VOICE

HELENA TUCKER APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY

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STUDENT VOICE

GARETH DIXON

BUSINESS STUDIES GRADUATE

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

TACTICS & CHOICES

Making Yourself Employable Whilst at University The earlier you start to consider your career the faster you will progress once you graduate. Careers Adviser Andy Byrne looks at what can you do to make yourself more employable while at LJMU.

otivation, Enthusiasm, Commitment – These are three key attributes that employers regularly refer to when they are recruiting students and graduates. Look through the information on their websites or attend a talk and you will regularly see and hear these words, regardless of which sector you would like to work in or what job you would like to do. Employers recruit graduates as a source of future talent and potential for their organisation and they want to recruit students who want to develop and progress within the company to help it grow.

HOW DO I DEMONSTRATE MOTIVATION AND ENTHUSIASM? There are various ways that these attributes can come across in your application. Firstly, you can demonstrate this through your extra-curricular activities that you are involved in outside of university and employment. Employers are looking to recruit a well-rounded person with a mix of academic ability and personal skills and interests and will actively look for these at each stage of the recruitment process. These extra-curricular activities can include participating in sports activities or other group-based activities. Undertaking

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

work experience and volunteering are great ways to improve your employability and demonstrate motivation and enthusiasm.

WHAT TYPE OF WORK EXPERIENCE IS AVAILABLE? Work experience has become a general term which incorporates a wide range of opportunities and experience. Ideally, 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. ■■ 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 8 and 12 weeks. They can be well-paid and, depending on the organisation, may only be available to

STUDENT VOICE

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The LJMU funded internship proved a fantastic opportunity for me to gain practical work experience. The job market is saturated with graduates and I knew that having a degree alone would not be enough. Gaining this work experience has been vital for me to stand out to employers and show that I am pro-active in developing my career.

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ASHLEIGH COLEMAN

BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS

TACTICS & CHOICES

IMAGES The images on these pages feature designs by LJMU students. A range of student design work is displayed at various final year degree shows that are open to the public and alumni. Look out for shows at the end of this academic year showcasing work from the Liverpool School of Art & Design and the School of Engineering, Technology & Maritime Operations. These projects with real world applications are just some of many examples around the university of students gaining invaluable employability experience to enhance their CVs, whether it is part of their course or an extra-curricular activity.

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 develop 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 2 weeks to a year in duration. LJMU have offered paid undergraduate and graduate internships recently so look out for details on the LJMU and World of Work websites.

HOW TO FIND WORK EXPERIENCE OPPORTUNITIES ■■ World of Work Careers Centre – the Centre has a vacancy website so that employers can advertise vacancies and arranges regular employer talks, these can be used as a way to advertise work experience opportunities. ■■ Company websites – the information is usually in the careers section. It is important to check the closing dates for more structured opportunities such as year-long and summer placements as these can be early in the academic year. ■■ University departments – some

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departments within LJMU have dedicated staff to support you in finding a placement, particularly a year-long or industrial placement. Speculative applications – this application occurs when you are not responding to a job advert but are contacting an organisation to explore the possibility of securing a job or work experience opportunity. It is vital to ensure that you have an effective CV and covering letter so contact the Careers Centre for support. In addition, you should also consider SMEs (Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises) in addition to larger, more traditional graduate employers. Use contacts – you may already be working part-time in an organisation so ask about other opportunities such as year-long and summer placements. Careers websites - Prospects, Target Jobs or Year in Industry. Volunteering opportunities – LJMU Volunteers - www.ljmu.ac.uk/ volunteering/ or www.do-it.org.

WHAT WILL I GET OUT OF IT? BENEFITS OF WORK EXPERIENCE ■■ Get hands on experience in possible future job roles. ■■ Builds up your CV and provides examples to use in applications and at interview. ■■ Provides relevant information about future careers . ■■ Provides experience of a professional working environment and improves your organisational awareness. ■■ Provides opportunities for networking and information about job opportunities and employers’ recruitment methods. It is a great way to build up contacts.

■■ Builds your confidence. ■■ May get paid. ■■ You will develop a range of skills, even if it’s not entirely related to a future graduate role and it shows that you are a motivated person who wants to develop.

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF IT? ■■ See it as an opportunity to get experience and information – get involved, be positive, ask questions. ■■ Reflect on your experience – what went well? Are there any gaps in your skills which you will need in your future career? Will this experience help you in your future career? ■■ It is important to “sell” these experiences on your CV and application forms. The experience is great but it is equally, if not more important, to be able to highlight it on your CV and at interviews effectively. As well as thinking of the day-to-day tasks that you undertook also focus on your responsibilities and the skills that you developed e.g. communication, teamwork, organisation, problemsolving, adaptability. ■■ Networking/contacts – use the opportunity to build up a range of contacts that can provide information on the particular job and organisation and also the recruitment practices that the company uses. As well as providing a possible reference in the future you may also find that you are considered for, or informed of, future job openings. ■■ Speak to a Careers Adviser or an Employability Adviser for advice on how you can utilise these experiences to improve your CV and the implications for your possible career options.

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

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Graduate Schemes Uncovered Graduate schemes with large employers often offer excellent job opportunities for graduates. Careers Adviser Laura Aldridge asks why so many students haven’t heard of them and how you should go about applying for them.

graduate scheme (or programme) is a type of job opportunity which is mainly offered by large employers. In some job sectors, employers tend to use graduate schemes as a means of recruiting future leaders and managers. Therefore, when you apply to some graduate schemes you are actually applying for a trainee management position, although some roles (for example within the engineering and scientific field) enable you to apply your technical skills. Graduate schemes can also give you a chance to ‘change direction’ as around half of the schemes available with large companies are open to graduates who are studying or have completed any degree subject. Such schemes tend to offer graduates a structured period of training and development. Therefore whilst you are actually employed by a company and gaining ‘hands-on experience’, you should have the chance to continue your professional development.

WHAT SORT OF EMPLOYERS OFFER GRADUATE SCHEMES? There are a very broad range of opportunities available! Large employers tend to offer graduate schemes within job areas such as human resources, finance, sales, marketing, IT and business management. It is true that there tends to be more graduate schemes available within the business area, however there are also schemes available for graduates who wish to apply their specialist skills in a technical field. For example; engineering or scientific companies may offer job opportunities in research and development. The public sector also has graduate schemes available with the NHS, Civil Service and local government (NGDP) offering some of the most well-known programmes. Within some job sectors graduate schemes are less common, for example within the media,

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

sport and leisure industries there are very few graduate schemes available. If you want to go into a career area where there are not a lot of graduate schemes on offer, this does not mean that there will not be job opportunities for you but it may be that you will need to take a different, more creative approach to your job search.

WHERE DO I FIND OUT ABOUT GRADUATE SCHEMES? You can find details of the graduate schemes available in different job areas on websites such as www.prospects. ac.uk and targetjobs.co.uk/. The Real Prospects Directory (which is available from the World of Work Careers Centre) also lists many of the leading graduate schemes on offer from employers. It is also a good idea to attend graduate recruitment fairs as these give you an opportunity to talk to employers directly about the graduate schemes that they have available. There is a graduate recruitment fair that takes place at St George’s Hall in Liverpool twice a year and also a fair that takes place in Manchester once a year. Please keep an eye on our website at www.ljmu. ac.uk/worldofwork for dates and times of local recruitment fairs. You can also arrange to see the careers adviser for your faculty to find out more about graduate schemes available within the job area which you wish to go into.

WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF A GRADUATE SCHEME? Pros: Graduate schemes generally tend to offer structured training and some employers (such as the NHS) may support and fund you to undertake a relevant masters degree or other professional qualification. Usually, your progress during the scheme will be monitored and you may be allocated a mentor. Many graduate schemes offer you the opportunity to do a series

of placements or rotations to gain experience of working in different departments within the company. This can be helpful if you haven’t quite made your mind up about the type of role you would like to end up in! Some graduate schemes enable you to start as a trainee manager so if you perform well whilst on the scheme you may also have the chance to ‘fast track’ your progression through to other more senior roles within the company. Many graduate schemes also offer a competitive starting salary with other additional benefits. If you are employed by a large company you may find that you start work at the same time as a group of other graduates which gives you a chance to network and socialise with your peers. This may make the transition from university to working life a bit easier! Cons: There is high competition for graduate schemes and according to a 2013 survey of large employers (carried out by High Fliers Research) Britain’s top employers have received on average 46 applications for each graduate job in 2013. Many employers also have specific academic requirements for graduate schemes. Some employers also expect those whom they recruit onto graduate schemes to be mobile and willing to move around the country to different locations as required. Furthermore, many graduate schemes are intensive and employers demand a high level of commitment which can mean long working hours.

WHEN SHOULD I APPLY FOR GRADUATE SCHEMES? Many employers have application deadlines between November and January for their graduate schemes which start the following summer/ autumn. Therefore, it is important to apply early in your final year for these schemes. Whilst some employers are

TACTICS & CHOICES

more flexible in their recruitment for graduate schemes and may recruit all year round, many do have deadlines which are even before Christmas so you need to apply early as you may miss out on some important opportunities. It is possible to apply for graduate schemes after you graduate but obviously this means that you will not have a job offer lined up for when you finish your degree.

WHAT DO I NEED TO GET ONTO A GRADUATE SCHEME? Many employers ask for a 2:1 degree classification for entry onto their graduate scheme. Some employers will accept a 2:2 result but you will undoubtedly have more choice of graduate schemes to apply to if you have or are anticipating a 2:1. Some (though not all) employers also ask for a certain number of UCAS points. For some graduate schemes (e.g. in the engineering or scientific field) it is necessary to have studied a specific degree subject, but for other schemes (e.g. in business or finance) employers will accept any degree subject. If you are not sure if you meet the entry requirements for a graduate scheme then always check the employer’s website, or contact the relevant company directly.

WHAT CAN I DO TO INCREASE MY CHANCES OF GETTING ONTO A GRADUATE SCHEME? Due to the high competition for places on graduate schemes it is very important

to make sure that your online application form or CV is as strong as possible. The Employability Advisers at LJMU can read through and give feedback on draft applications and CVs. Employers also use a very rigorous interviewing and assessment process when selecting candidates for graduate schemes so you may wish to use the mock interview service available at the World of Work Careers Centre, to help you prepare. The World of Work Skills Certificate is also designed to help you prepare for the employer selection process so don’t miss the opportunity to complete this crucial employability award whilst you are at LJMU! It is also important to recognise that work experience can give you valuable evidence of skills that you can talk about at interview. In fact, according to a 2012 survey of large employers (carried out by the High Fliers Research), more than half of employers warned that graduates who have had no previous work experience are unlikely to be successful during the selection process. Furthermore, one third of the vacancies (offered by the employers who were surveyed) were filled by graduates who had already worked for that same company previously. This illustrates that ‘getting a foot in the door’ of a company, for example by doing an internship with that company during your degree course, may increase your chance of getting onto that employer’s graduate scheme.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF A GRADUATE SCHEME IS NOT FOR ME? Graduate schemes may not suit everybody; some graduates prefer to start their working life with a smaller company which may have a different working culture. Alternatively, it may be the case that you do not meet the requirements for graduate schemes or that there are simply not many suitable schemes available in the job area that you wish to go into. Remember that there are many job opportunities available as well for graduates with SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises). Refer to our article about how to access the ‘hidden job market’ to find out more.

DID YOU KNOW? Starting from September 2013 the World of Work Careers Centre will run a workshop called 'Graduate Schemes Uncovered'. If you want to find out more about this possible career route keep an eye on the diary dates on the LJMU Student homepage, or go to the Events Booking System for dates and times or to book a place: worldofwork.ljmu.ac.uk/events

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

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The Hidden Jobs Market Networking and Connecting Using Social Media Estimates suggest over 70% of jobs are never advertised externally meaning you could be missing out on a vast array of opportunities. Trainer Lucy Shenton looks at how you find them.

ot all jobs are advertised, in fact organisations are under no legal obligation to advertise their positions externally. This means that when you look at job postings online or in the newspapers you are only seeing a fraction of the job market, or the ‘open job market’ as it is called. What you don’t see are the hundreds of other jobs which are offered and accepted through other means, never advertised to the general public. These positions are often created for the individual or offered to candidates sourced from an employer’s trusted network, this is often referred to as the ‘hidden job market’. Don’t despair though! This does not mean these opportunities are closed to you, just that you may have to be more creative when it comes to job hunting.

call thanking them for their time. You can add this person to your contact list which is the first step to building your network. In the future you may want to ask these contacts for an ‘information interview’, this is when you spend a bit of time picking the brains of your contacts, gaining some useful knowledge about an industry or career path.

hoping to go in to.

Remember the World of Work Careers Centre organises a number of networking events so keep an eye out on our events pages to keep up to date.

Using your pre-existing social media to network is great but there is another even more effective site you can utilise, it’s called LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the leading professional network on the web. Your

GET ONLINE

profile acts as a CV and you can connect with individuals and organisations to increase your network and gain insight in to your industry. There are even a number of sector specific groups on the website which you can join where you will meet other professionals and make some great connections. To find out more

Not only can you keep up to date with organisations most recent activities but you can chat and interact with individuals who may be able to offer you advice, support and even job opportunities in the future.

GET LINKEDIN

Networking is the key to opening the door to the hidden job market and it really is easier than you think. Here are a couple of top tips to get you started and noticed by future employers.

GET OUT THERE! Find out what events are coming up in and around your area where individuals and employers you would like to work for may be in attendance. These may be graduate recruitment fairs, conferences, talks and can even be social events. Once you are there, make the most of it! Make sure you have done your research on the organisations you are interested in working for and go prepared to discuss this. Employers are impressed by those individuals who are truly passionate about working for them, so demonstrating this knowledge is an effective way to engage them in conversation. Gaining an email address or further contact details from anyone you speak to who may be of future benefit is essential. Always ensure you follow-up any helpful conversations you have had with a polite email or phone

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

You may be familiar with the likes of Facebook and Twitter and already be regular users of social media but what you might not realise is that it is a networking gold mine! You can use social media to follow organisations and even individuals working in the sector you are

TACTICS & CHOICES

EMPLOYER ADVICE

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■■ Keep your eye out for events you can network at ■■ Use social media especially LinkedIn

to make contacts ■■ Make use of your contacts to gain valuable information and insight in to your industry ■■ Make a good impression and you might just get offered a placement, internship or even a job!

YOU HAVE TO SPECULATE TO ACCUMULATE As well as meeting prospective employers through networking, online or at events, you can also make contact through a speculative application. This means sending a CV along with a covering letter to an employer who may not be currently advertising any job vacancies. If an employer is suitably impressed by your CV and covering letter they may contact you for further discussions. You may not be offered a job instantly but you may be considered for upcoming positions or a position could be created for you. Here are a couple of top tips to make a great first impression through speculative applications; ■■ Always make sure your CV and covering letter is specific to a role and the organisation it is being sent to. Research your organisation thoroughly to do this – previous networking can help you do this! ■■ Get a named contact. Your application form will make more of an impact, and go to the right person, if you make sure it is addressed to the appropriate person. You can always call up an organisation to ask for a named contact. ■■ Follow up your speculative application with a phone call or email. This will demonstrate that you are genuinely interested and enthusiastic in working for them. The World of Work Careers Centre now offers a new workshop which focuses on how you can utilise social media in your job search. Check the World of Work website for details.

Here are my Top 5 Tips on job seeking using social media: ■■Be honest ■■Have one consistent message throughout all your media channels. Linking your media channels, shows RICOH SOCIALwith a lack QUOTE of fear ABOUT and openness prospectiveMEDIA?? employers. ■■Don’t troll – nothing is more of a turn off for an employer. ■■Your language has to be “selective” and applicable to the environment/ conversation. Don’t say anything that you are not prepared to defend. ■■Do not be afraid to communicate – use conversations with prospective organisations to reinforce an application, or a future application – make yourself different.

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about joining and utilising LinkedIn check out the instructional videos here; www. youtube.com/watch?v=Ocp1MNpSkWs. So to start networking today all you need to do is…

The use of “Social Media” is now the backbone of most corporate recruitment strategies and practices. Our recruiting practices are underpinned by the use of social media in all its forms, as our audience has migrated to it to find their next role. Social media has typically replaced word of mouth communication, with Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube taking the place of modern day face to face conversation. Your digital footprint has therefore never been more important to you as a jobseeker. Modern day recruiters look to build a complete picture of a prospective employee and will use all tools available. It used to be simply a CV and conversation, but now the lid to the Pandora’s Box has been opened, and recruiters can build a better picture of you than ever before. This of course can be used to your advantage as a job seeker. Twitter is the largest jobs board in the world with almost 150,000 jobs a day tweeted.

MIKE BISHOP HEAD OF RECRUITMENT, RICOH UK

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

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Volunteering It is not always easy to secure a paid placement or internship with competition for these opportunities every bit as fierce as the search for a graduate job. But there are other options out there which can help you develop your skills and build your workplace experience. LJMU Volunteering Manager Chris Prescott offers the case for volunteering.

olunteering is a great way to develop skills, meet people and feel that you are giving something back to society. Many people may not consider volunteering as it is unpaid but it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.

THE BENEFITS OF VOLUNTEERING There are many good reasons to get involved in volunteering. Many people like to volunteer in order to give something back, either to a charity or organisation which has helped them or their family/friends in the past. Events

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

such as the Race for Life and Movember are examples of hugely popular fundraising events which are both effective ways to volunteer for a cause you may be passionate about. The range of skills you can pick up from volunteering is another big draw for a lot of people. Over 85% of students who volunteered through LJMU last year said their volunteering had improved their confidence with over 75% saying their leadership skills had improved. Other skills such as public speaking, teamwork, decision making and problem solving were all mentioned in a recent survey. Volunteering opportunities exist in almost every area you can think of. If you have limited experience in the industry you are hoping to work in after your studies, volunteering is an excellent way to bridge the gap. Areas such as arts and culture, healthcare, sports, disability, the elderly, children

and youth, IT, animals and more all have many opportunities for volunteers. Your employability could also be greatly increased by volunteering. A report on graduate employability by the Confederation of British Industry showed that the three most important factors for employers when recruiting graduates are employability skills, a positive attitude and relevant work experience, all of which can be developed or demonstrated through volunteering.

VOLUNTEER THROUGH LJMU There are many ways to find volunteering opportunities, you can search websites such as do-it.org for a wide variety or go directly to the charity or organisation you know you want to help to ask about volunteering. LJMU also runs volunteering projects in schools and colleges for students to get involved with.

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PRIMARY SCHOOLS Many students volunteer in primary schools on the Reading and Numbers partners project. In this project, volunteers work one to one or in groups with children to aid their literacy and numeracy. The time commitment is very flexible, you can give from an hour a week up to a few full days during times of the year when your timetable is quieter. This is a great project to build experience of working with children in a classroom environment and will suit anybody seeking employment in teaching or youth work or planning to apply for a PGCE. From September 2013, LJMU will be inviting more primary school groups on to campus for visits to the university. These visits will largely be run by student volunteers so this will give more opportunity for students to get experience working with children. You will have the opportunity to design and deliver your own taster session for your course which will be great for your CV or volunteer to support rather than deliver to build experience with less responsibility. One volunteer who helped out last year commented: “I have never had the opportunity to actually plan and teach a lesson all by myself so it was really great to be able to experience doing that. It was also such a pleasure to see the children enjoy themselves throughout my lesson and become encouraged to go on to university. It is

definitely an experience that I would wish to repeat!”

SECONDARY SCHOOLS There are a range of volunteering opportunities in secondary schools for students looking for experience with children of this age. Secondary schools are looking for teaching assistants, face to face mentors or after school club facilitators for their students so if you think you could use that experience then get in touch. Volunteers are also required to offer group support in certain subjects, inside and outside of lessons, so if you are confident in assisting students in your subject for GCSE then use your knowledge to gain experience!

E-MENTORING Another excellent volunteering opportunity is on the E-Mentoring project. On this project LJMU students are matched to sixth form students, normally in year 12 continuing into year 13 to communicate electronically. These students need advice and guidance on areas such as revision tips, budgeting, choosing a university, choosing a course, the UCAS application process, moving away from home, fitting in at university and many more. By becoming a mentor you can help up to 5 students with their transition into higher education. This is an excellent opportunity for your employability as you are able to draw up your own mentoring

contract therefore controlling your own time commitment, it could be as little as an hour a week but before long you will have 1-2 years of mentoring experience on your CV. As the mentoring is done online you can check and send your messages at any time from any place with internet access, you can even mentor from your smartphone.

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES For other opportunities outside of a school/college environment, there is a service for students called Volunteering Liverpool. LJMU is a part of the partnership running this service along with Liverpool Students' Union, Liverpool Guild of Students, Liverpool Hope University, The City of Liverpool College, and Volunteer Centre Liverpool. Volunteering Liverpool is a website offering volunteering opportunities for all students in Liverpool across a variety of areas. Visit www. volunteeringliverpool.org.uk to search opportunities in areas such as arts, health, environment, sport and many more.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED 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.

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

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Thinking about Postgraduate Study? During 2011/12 568,505 students were registered on postgraduate courses in the UK at 165 higher education institutions. This is clearly a popular option with graduates but Careers Adviser Steve Burbage poses one simple (but very crucial) question; why postgraduate study?

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 do 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 doing 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.

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

THE OPTIONS 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. The following information will hopefully help you to decide what option is most appropriate for you.

TAUGHT MASTERS (E.G. MA, MSC, MBA, LLM, ETC) Taught Masters programmes usually last a year full-time (two years part-time) and combine a conventional lecture/seminar programme with an element of independent research, i.e. a dissertation. Masters programmes often provide the opportunity to study a subject in more depth or may enable you to develop new skills/knowledge in an area that has little or no relation to your undergraduate degree. Many lead to a specific professional qualification (or provide exemptions towards one) in order to pursue a career in a particular area, such as social work or human resource management.

USEFUL WEBSITES For anybody considering postgraduate study here are some useful websites that will help you find out what options are available to you: ■■ www.prospects.ac.uk > postgraduate study ■■ www.postgrad.com ■■ www.targetcourses.co.uk ■■ www.findaphd.com ■■ www.findapostdoc.com ■■ www.findamasters.com ■■ www.rcuk.ac.uk (provides links to the websites of the 7 research councils) ■■ www.jobs.ac.uk

TACTICS & CHOICES

POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA/CERTIFICATE These are taught (usually vocational) courses that last around 9 months (full-time). They frequently provide the professional qualifications needed to pursue a particular career e.g. teaching, law, or journalism. Postgraduate diplomas/certificates can sometimes be a stepping stone to a Masters degree, alternatively they can also be awarded to students who haven’t quite completed a Masters; for example this may happen if all the taught elements of a Masters course have been completed but not the dissertation.

RESEARCH DEGREES The most well known research qualification is the PhD (or DPhil) which usually takes three to four years to complete full-time. It is possible to start a PhD straight after your first degree, however, it may be necessary to do a Masters first. You can also complete Masters degrees by research e.g. MA, MSc, MRes and the MPhil; as a rule these qualifications take one year (full-time), however, an MPhil may take longer (up to two years full-time). It may be possible to transfer from a Masters by research to a PhD. Research degrees require students to undertake an individual piece of research which is

usually carried out (and supervised) in a university department.

HOW/WHEN TO APPLY 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 stipulate 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.

FUNDING Obtaining funding can be difficult and is usually more challenging than obtaining a place; it is therefore advisable to start researching the various funding options as early as you can. It is usually a good idea to contact the admissions tutor/ supervisor in order to establish the

typical funding arrangements for the course you are interested in. Although funding isn’t guaranteed, options may include research councils, charities and trusts, loans and institutional funding.

FURTHER INFORMATION The following publications are available from the World of Work Careers Centre: ■■ Turning it up a Degree - a guide to postgraduate study (full guide) ■■ Prospects Postgraduate Directory ■■ Prospects Postgraduate Funding Guide ■■ Prospects Postgrad Magazine ■■ Prospects Postgrad UK See the LJMU website for details of our postgraduate courses or contact individual universities to request a postgraduate prospectus.

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

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International Students The World of Work Careers Centre offers a range of services for our international students and bespoke events that take into account visa status. Careers Adviser Gary Douglas explains whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on offer.

iverpool John Moores University has over 2,300 international students undertaking programmes at the University. Over 50 countries are represented including China, Malaysia and India. We are committed to providing you with support throughout your time at the university and we have developed a range of resources that can help international students. Last year we ran workshops which helped to market employability skills including CV writing, preparation for interviews, assessment centres and job hunting strategies. The timings of our sessions are flexible to allow for the maximum amount of students to attend each session and to fit in with timetable requirements. International students also have the opportunity to complete the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

World of Work Skills Certificate. This is an employer-led initiative which covers three areas: Self Awareness, Organisational Awareness and Making Things Happen. Employers such as Airbus, Oracle, Marks & Spencer and Sony have indicated that demonstrating these skills will help students to find that all important graduate job. Each faculty in the University has a link Careers Adviser who is responsible for your subject. You can book a forty five minute appointment with one of these friendly and very helpful advisers, who will help you to explore careers options with your subject. Our Employability Advisers can help you to construct a professional and tailored CV or application form, which will be specific to the type of job that you would

like to apply for. Guidance can also be provided on writing style although they will not be able to re-write your CV or application form for you. We also offer a range of resources specifically tailored towards international students on our website and this can be found at www. ljmu.ac.uk/worldofwork/students/ international. Some of the information on this site provides information regarding the right to work in the UK, as well as opportunities to work in other countries. Examples include the latest information from the UK Border Agency website. All of the activities that are required to improve your employment prospects can be found in this part of the website. Work experience can greatly improve

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VISA WORKSHOP The Student Advice team run weekly Tier 4 (General) Extension Workshops to help international students who need to extend their student visa in the UK. We strongly advise any students who need to extend their visa to come along to the session. The application process is now all done online. Before coming to a workshop students MUST register their details with the UKBA: apply.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/ iapply.portal To book a place on a workshop go to our Events System at: worldofwork.ljmu.ac.uk/events.

Start looking early – You do not have to have finished your course before you can apply for jobs. It is standard practice in the UK to apply for jobs in your final year of study. In fact, closing dates can be as early as October or November for jobs starting the following autumn. That’s a whole year ahead! It is also important that you keep up to date with immigration legislation. If you are hoping to stay in the UK it is important to find out about how you apply for a visa and what the visa rules are. Close links have been developed with our International Office and their International Student Advisers. Workshops will be delivered throughout the semester covering topics including the Tier 4 (general) print and send visa. If you are looking to work in your home country after your studies, the tips below may be useful to you.

■■ Try to stay in touch with contacts/ networks in your home country ■■ Make sure you know about the recruitment process and when applications need to be made ■■ Make sure that you know what type of application is required back in your chosen country ■■ Register with agencies/job sites a few months before the end of your course ■■ Join your home university, UK university and British Council’s Alumni Association ■■ Check the websites of international companies that recruit worldwide ■■ Research UK employers with overseas offices Please look out for a questionnaire that may be sent to you asking what type of work experience you would like to undertake whilst you are at University. While we cannot guarantee a placement, it may be possible for the department to secure some work experience opportunities during your time at University. We are also very keen to listen to you regarding activities that you would like included as part of our programme of events. Although we are not in a position to get a job for you, your opinions would be highly valued.

Please remember that we are here to help you and hope that you will take advantage of the quality range of resources available to you while you are studying at LJMU.

STUDENT VOICE

❝

As a foreign student I found the World of Work Skills Certificate process superb from the beginning to the end. It has been an experience completely new for me and very constructive. It is not only the fact of passing all the stages but the support given all the time. Universities from all over the world should take this pioneer initiative as an example. It is definitely a differentiating factor when facing an interview and prepares you to tackle them showing your strengths with determination, especially when English is not your first language. You learn how to sell yourself which is essential once you finish your studies and face the job market. I highly recommend taking up the World of Work Skills Certificate to all the students from all the disciplines.

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your employment prospects by helping you to develop a range of practical skills. You can also gain commercial awareness, a greater understanding of British culture and improve your English language skills. Part-time jobs, vacation work, placements, internships and voluntary work are all good ways of doing this.

SERGIO ARENAS

WATER, ENERGY & THE ENVIRONMENT

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

TACTICS & CHOICES

Equality and Diversity Matters LJMU Students and Graduates share their experiences The World of Work Career Centre is committed to offering a fair and equal service to all its clients regardless of gender, ethnic origin, age , religion , sexuality or disability ’ ( World of Work Careers Centre Equal Opportunities Policy). Careers Adviser Liz Harrison and Trainer John Maguire find out why this matters.

o-one wants to be ‘put in a box’ or labelled through fear of discrimination but it is important to realise that support is available to all our students and particularly those that have traditionally struggled in the labour market. The message is simple, ‘ you are not alone.’ The inspirational stories featured, plus the support and encouragement available from the World of Work Careers Centre help to reinforce this message.

MATURE STUDENTS Sallie (aged 31, pictured below) graduated in 2013 with a First Class Honours degree in Nutrition. She originally worked as an Auxiliary Nurse before enrolling on the LJMU Nursing Diploma course. Sally has Type 1 diabetes and at the time there were difficulties in managing her condition

trip to the Good Food Show. Sally accessed careers advice and guidance from the World of Work Careers Centre whilst studying and recognised the value of participation in the World of Work Skills Certificate programme as a useful method of reflecting upon her skills and experience. Mature graduates possess great selling points to potential employers including confidence, focus, reliability and transferable life experiences. Often mature students have a tendency to undervalue past experience and not see its relevance. “Mature applicants for us represent a great opportunity for our business to become more diverse and increase the pool of knowledge and experiences that will help drive our business forward for the future.” Corporate Human Resources Supervisor, Enterprise

DISABLITY

so she had to give up her plans for a nursing career. Sallie’s growing interest in cookery and healthy eating as a means to managing health conditions led her to study Nutrition. Sallie’s experience as a mature student has been positive as she has a clearer sense of career direction and more confidence in her abilities. As a mature student she felt included and accepted by the younger students and able to opt in or out of social events without pressure. The mature students set up a Facebook page to support each other. Sally became Vice Chair of the Food Society and arranged a

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

Sallie also reflected on her experience at LJMU as a disabled student. Her advice is to seek support early on and to be upfront about individual needs and requirements. Sallie feels strongly that disabled students should access financial support by claiming DSA (Disabled Students Allowance). Students eligible for support should not have to bear the psychological impact of financial difficulties. She also advises that disabled students should take the responsibility of notifying all their lecturers of the nature of their disability and the type of support required as it cannot be assumed that they are all fully aware of individual students’ situations. Sallie urges students not to hesitate to ask for support.

There are a number of organisations nationally offering specialist support to disabled students and graduates. Remember LJMU’s Student Advice team can provide more detailed guidance on funding, benefits and support based on individual circumstances. Email: studentadvice@ljmu.ac.uk or call 0151 904 6056/7. Useful Links: Diversity Matters: Disability produced by AGCAS (the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services) contains useful information relating to legislation, tips on effective marketing, whether to disclose a disability, how to find positive employers and a list of useful contacts and resources. PDF version downloadable from the Equality and Diversity section of the World of Work website - www.ljmu. ac.uk/worldofwork.

RACE Liverpool John Moores University student base is made up of more than 100 different nationalities. The university has a strong record of attracting Black and Minority Ethnic background students with approximately 11% of all LJMU students classed as having a BME background. BME Student Advocates work with local schools acting as positive role models to pupils from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds encouraging them to consider university as a viable option as a route to a broad range of future careers. Charlene BA Media and Cultural Studies graduate: ‘LJMU has opened up so many opportunities for me. I’ve met people from all over the world and worked on the student radio station and magazine. It’s been a great experience.’ ‘I would advise black and minority ethnic students to take an active part

TACTICS & CHOICES

STUDENT VOICE

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I would advise black and minority ethnic students to take an active part in university life and take advantage of any special mentoring schemes that might help their job prospects. Also to be positive about their skills in cultural awareness and any additional languages that they can offer.

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VISHANTIL

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT GRADUATE

in university life and take advantage of any special mentoring schemes that might help their job prospects. Also to be positive about their skills in cultural awareness and any additional languages that they can offer ’ BT Business Management Graduate: VishantiL Useful Links: Diversity Matters: Race produced by AGCAS (the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services) contains useful information relating to legislation, tips on effective marketing, how to find positive employers and a list of useful contacts and resources. PDF version downloadable from the Equality and Diversity section of the World of Work website.www.ljmu.ac.uk/worldofwork.

LGBT LGBT students took part in an LGBT Mentor scheme to develop their employability skills in a work environment where sexual orientation is not a barrier to career progression. The aim was to allow our students an experience of what it is like to work for an organisation that values its LGBT staff, listen to their mentor’s positive work experience in their chosen career, get advice on seeking a job and network with other LGBT people. To ensure students are matched to a mentor in a sector/ job related to their degree and career aspirations, we engaged LGBT staff working within Stonewall Diversity Champions and other gay friendly organisations.

The project enabled organisations to keep track of developing LGBT talent in the sector so that they can employ the very best staff. Volunteer LGBT mentors hone valuable people skills which may help them to potentially advance in their own careers.

order for me to complete questionnaires with members of the homeless community and providing me with lines of communication to those homeless individuals who agreed to be interviewed, along with a venue for me to conduct my interviews.

Wesley Doyle took part in the pilot LJMU LGBT Mentoring Scheme: “Having agreed to participate in the LJMU LGBT Mentoring project, I requested to be mentored by somebody working in the charity sector, dealing with homelessness in Liverpool. I was paired with David Carter, Chief Executive Officer of the Whitechapel Charity. We met initially in early December whereby I went into great detail about my hopes and aspirations for the mentoring relationship; this included how I hoped this would complement my dissertation which was based around the cause-and-effects of homelessness for ex-military personnel and was therefore looking for a greater depth of knowledge about homelessness in Liverpool.

“I have since completed my degree in Criminology & Sociology with 1st Class Honours. I can say without doubt, my involvement in the LJMU LGBT Mentoring Project was the pivotal lynchpin that ensured me a very high grade for my dissertation. The dissertation grade that I received was the largest proponent of my 1st Class honours classification, therefore I can state that my involvement in the LJMU LGBT Mentoring project and the enormous efforts and dedication of David Carter and his staff at the Whitechapel Charity, were instrumental in the success I achieved within my degree. This programme has been a vital component in my degree and also for my future plans and aspirations.”

“We met each month and covered a wide variety of areas in relation to the Whitechapel Charity. David Carter was kind enough to give up a lot of his time and placed an enormous amount of effort into ensuring that I was supported throughout the mentoring period.

Each year Stonewall publishes its Top 100 Employers list, showcasing Britain’s best employers for lesbian, gay and bisexual staff. In the 2013 list, LJMU ranked 2nd out of all UK universities and number one university in the North West. LJMU was placed 28th overall (up 28 places from 2012) and was also awarded Network Group of the Year for the North West.

“I also received a phenomenal amount of help and gatekeeping assistance in relation to my degree dissertation, including assistance in introductions, in

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

GETTING THE JOB

Planning Your Career - Join the Dots

With so many potential careers routes available it is sometimes difficult to know where to start. Careers Adviser Laura Aldridge offers a place to start and it is as simple as joining the DOTS.

t is great to know that 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. The first thing to remember is that uncertainty about your future career plan is normal and that many students feel this way! However, it is important to address this uncertainty and to at least develop a plan of the steps which you need to take to move yourself forward. Remember though, that it is not usually possible to make a significant career decision overnight! One of the most helpful things which you can do for yourself when career planning is to give yourself plenty of time as this can make the process less pressurised, and will therefore give you more ‘space’ in which to make your decisions. It is also useful to know that there is a framework which you can follow which can guide you through some of the key stages of career planning. The DOTS framework recommends that career planners go through four stages which are Decision-making, Opportunity awareness, Transition skills and Selfawareness. Now we will look at these four stages in more detail.

DECISION – MAKING (SOME POSSIBLE STRATEGIES TO USE) Do you wish to use the knowledge which you have learnt from your degree in your future career? If you are overwhelmed by all the different options which are open to you then this is a useful question to ask yourself! If you feel that you would like to use the knowledge which you have learnt from your degree course, then start by considering those career options which relate closely to your subject area. However if you feel that you would like to change direction after your degree course then consider the skills which you have learnt from your degree, and how these can be used in other career areas. Make a list - sometimes students may say

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

that they have no career ideas at all but very often once they start to reflect, they find that they do have some thoughts about the kinds of jobs which interest them, even if their ideas are quite vague. The process of making a list of your job ideas can give you some ‘structure’ to your thoughts as you then have a list of ideas which you can go away and research. Try and scratch beneath the surface – there may be a certain job which you have an interest in but are unsure about. If so try and ‘get to the heart’ of what this job really involves, to explore the reality of it. Try and look beyond the title of that job by researching what it involves and (if possible) talking to someone who does that job or even better by doing some work shadowing. Give some shape to your ideas – you may have a rough idea about what you want to do but try to ‘break down’ your ideas to look at the specifics. For example if you ‘want to work with people’ reflect upon how you want to work with others i.e. do you wish to sell to people, help people or teach people? Get the facts and make informed decisions! If you have certain job ideas which are of interest to you then make sure you know the facts about these job roles. You may wish to find out about which experience, training or qualifications are required for a particular job. If you are considering a particular post-graduate qualification, then you would need to know exactly what that course involves before choosing it. Use your own judgment but seek professional advice if needed - remember that although others may give you their viewpoints about which types of careers are suitable for you, only you can ultimately make the decision about the kind of job which you wish to go into and you are best placed to assess yourself in relation to the different options available to you! If you

S Reference: The idea for the DOTS Model (which is referred to in this guide) was taken from ‘Rethinking Careers Education and Guidance Theory, Policy and Practice’ (P97), A.G. Watts, Bill Law, John Kileen, Jennifer M.Kidd and Ruth Hawthorn, published by Routledge in 1996.

need to talk through your ideas, Careers Advisers are professionally trained to give you objective guidance about the options open to you. Whilst we will not make any decisions for you, we can help you to weigh up different options, and make sure that you have accessed accurate information which can help you make an informed decision.

OPPORTUNITY AWARENESS (FINDING OUT ABOUT YOUR OPTIONS) Know what options are open to you and start by actually doing your research into them. Even if you already have some fixed ideas about job roles which you would like to get into then it can still be helpful to find out what else is ‘on the menu’ as there may be job options available to you which have not yet considered. Aim high but be realistic – remember that whilst some opportunities (such as graduate schemes) enable you to start in a junior management position, for some

GETTING THE JOB

information available nowadays, especially via the internet but make sure that you use reliable sources of information. Some recommended websites are listed in the box below.

Keep up to date with the job market and find out if the opportunities which you are looking for exist or whether you need to adjust your career plan. Due to changes in the economic climate over the last few years, there are some job sectors which may have been affected by the recession. In other industries, it may be the case that opportunities have remained constant or even expanded. The Silver Stage of the World of Work Skills Certificate can help you to enhance your opportunity or organisational awareness.

USEFUL ONLINE RESOURCES PROSPECTS www.prospects.ac.uk NATIONAL CAREERS SERVICE WEBSITE nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk TARGET JOBS WEBSITES: targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors NHS CAREERS WEBSITE: www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/ On these websites you can find job profiles which will tell you all about job areas which you may wish to go into.

TRANSITIONAL SKILLS (HOW TO IMPLEMENT A PLAN AND MOVE FORWARD)

T careers there may be different entry routes. If you are interested in a career which requires you to gain experience, start to plan the steps for how to do this. It may be a case of going through several ‘stepping stones’ to reach your final destination, so the first job which you do after graduation may not ultimately be the ideal career which you want to end up in. Do work experience as this can help you to ‘try out ‘ a particular job idea and to find out if a particular job role lives up to your expectations. Work experience can also help you to find out about job opportunities which you may not have previously been aware of within a particular industry. You could also try a technique called ‘informational interviewing’ where you arrange a meeting with a professional who works in a job area which is of interest to you. Use information sources carefully - it is useful that there is so much careers

What do you need to do to move forward? During the course of researching and thinking about your options, you may begin to realise that there are certain skills which you need to acquire in order to progress your career plans. The World of Work Skills Certificate will definitely help you to learn more about the process of selling yourself to employers, both on paper and in person so don’t miss the opportunity to complete this award whilst you are at LJMU!

students miss when trying to work out which career may suit them. By first doing this reflection you can then look at career options in relation to yourself and you can try and work out if they will suit you. The first stage of The World of Work Skills Certificate is all about self-awareness so make sure that you complete your Bronze Statement as it will definitely help you to reflect on your skills, values and career goals.

Taking action and setting goals - try also to break down the action points which you need to take in order to achieve a certain goal. For example if one of your goals is to gain more work experience start by defining your goal of exactly which type of work experience you intend to gain. Then break down your action points of exactly how you intend to do this. Also make sure that you give yourself timescales for when you need to achieve certain goals. If you need more help with setting yourself action points in order to achieve your goals, then make an appointment to see a Careers Adviser.

COMPUTER AIDED GUIDANCE

SELF-AWARENESS (KNOWING AND EVALUATING YOURSELF IN RELATION TO CAREER OPTIONS) The first crucial stage of career planning is to start by looking at your skills, qualities, values and interests in relation to career choice. This is the stage which many

As well as completing your Bronze Statement, there are many other on-line tests or questionnaires which you can complete as well, to help you reflect on yourself in relation to career choice. Some useful websites to help you assess yourself in relation to career choice : Destinations: destinations.ljmu.ac.uk/units/topics.shtml Prospects Planner: prospects.ac.uk/myprospects_planner_login.htm Keirsey Test: keirsey.com Personality Type: personalitytype.com ‘icould’ website: icould.com/buzz/ TARGETjobs careers report: targetjobs.co.uk/careers-report

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

GETTING THE JOB

Career Action Plan & Timetable Students have many things to juggle during their time at university meaning they often leave their employability until after they graduate which can lead to missed opportunities. Andy Byrne suggests how to fit it all in.

t university you will have many competing pressures on your time. Aside from your studies many students have part time jobs, family commitments, extra curricula activities as well as a packed schedule of socialising to fit into their days. On top of these other distractions thinking about career matters doesn’t always figure high up a list of things to do. Surely that’s for after you’ve graduated? The fact of the matter is your university life and your future career are linked and are best viewed as running side by side one another. After all, the vast majority of students say they came to university to get a better job and their choice of course is often geared toward securing a job in a particular sector. Still, do you need to worry about your career when you are new to the university? Even in second year, to many it may seem a little early to be thinking about your career. And in final year you have disserations, exams and graduation to think about. If you don’t give your career a second

■■ Graduate schemes for the large recruiters open for applications ■■ If you are applying for four year graduate courses in dentistry or medicine then you need to apply via UCAS by 15th October. You may also need to sit additional entrance tests (such as the BMAT, GAMSAT or UKCAT tests) before you apply. ■■ Remember that you may need to apply for popular post-graduate courses early in your final year. Applications to most Masters Courses need to be made direct to each university. ■■ Liverpool graduate Fair takes place at St Georges Hall in October – 9th October 2013 ■■ Companies offering industrial or sandwich placements may also open their application process

Sept 30

Oct

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

thought until after graduation, you will certainly be putting yourself at an immediate disadvantage. Most graduate level jobs will have already been filled early in the academic year and you will be playing catch up. But if you put aside just a few hours of your time across your university life at LJMU to career related events you will put yourself in a much stronger position to approach the jobs market. This way you may speed up your ability to get the type of future you aspire to, be able to earn more money and progress up the career ladder more quickly. Our Career Action Plan and timetable is designed to highlight just some of the events, workshops and fairs you could attend and what you should be doing in each level of study to give yourself a competitive advantage. This includes key dates and deadlines, websites to visit, opportunities available and much more. So take advantage of all of the opportunities LJMU offers; attend employers talks, get your CV checked, speak to a careers adviser, try and secure a placement, internship or

■■ PGCE applications open via the new UCAS Teacher Training website. ■■ Some graduate schemes may close for applications in November. The majority of deadlines will be in December and January. ■■ Popular Teacher Training courses will also begin to close for applications ■■ Civil Service Fast Stream deadline is usually the end of November ■■ Liverpool Law and Engineering Fairs take place

Nov

Dec

USEFUL ONLINE RESOURCES ■■ WORLD OF WORK WEBSITE www.ljmu.ac.uk/worldofwork ■■ WORLD OF WORK BLACKBOARD MODULE Via LJMU student website ■■ LJMU VACANCY WEBSITE ljmu.prospects.ac.uk ■■ DETAILS OF CAREERS FAIRS www.liverpoolfairs.org.uk ■■ CAREERS RESOURCES www.prospects.ac.uk www.targetjobs.co.uk voluntary work via our Vacancy System, get the World of Work Skills Certificate under your belt early, attend careers fairs and festivals in Level 4 or 5, not just final year. Give an hour here and there and you will reap the rewards later on and watch on as others play catch up with you rather than the other way around.

■■ Assessment Centres will begin to be held for graduate schemes at large recruiters. ■■ Sandwich and summer placement schemes may open for applications at some employers ■■ Deadline for Postgraduate Social Work courses via UCAS is in January

Jan

Feb

GETTING THE JOB

FINAL YEAR & POSTGRADUATE

LEVEL 5

LEVEL 4 ■■ Find out what’s on offer around LJMU to support you and assist you in gaining experience. Join Clubs and Societies and get involved with your Student Union. ■■ Start to think of the career options available to you with your degree ■■ Complete your World of Work Bronze assignment ■■ Explore work experience and volunteering opportunities ■■ Get expert advice on producing a great CV, even for summer work and casual work

■■ The large graduate recruiters may start to send out job offers to successful applicants ■■ Make speculative applications to employers about possible job opportunities or work experience ■■ Graduate vacancies may still be open for applications for some employers

March

April

■■ Explore placement and internship opportunities. Register on the LJMU vacancy website. ■■ Attend Careers Fairs ■■ Attend employer talks at LJMU ■■ Explore volunteering opportunities and opportunities to work overseas eg Disney ■■ Continue your research into possible career options so you will be able to make targeted applications to jobs or post-graduate courses in your final year ■■ Complete your World of Work Silver and Gold statements to assist you in researching possible future job roles ■■ Seek advice on CVs and applications ■■ Make speculative applications to companies about possible summer placement opportunities (see page 18 for further advice on job hunting)

■■ Liverpool Graduate Fair is held at St Georges Hall on 3rd June There are countless careers festivals and fairs which take place around the country at this time of year. If you don't live in the Merseyside area check out the Prospects website for information about fairs taking place in other parts of the country.

May

June

■■ Be aware of deadlines for graduate jobs. Many employers begin to arrange interviews before the advertised closing date and may close the application process early. ■■ Research employers and possible job roles. Collect a free graduate directory from the World of Work Careers Centre. ■■ Attend Careers Fairs in Liverpool in October and June ■■ Explore opportunities to work overseas through agencies such as BUNAC ■■ Attend Carers & Employability workshops and employer talks held at the World of Work Careers Centre. Prepare for assessment centres ■■ Continue to explore your job and postgraduate study options ■■ If not already done so, complete your World of Work Silver and Gold statements ■■ Make speculative applications to employers about possible job opportunities or work experience ■■ Think small! Small to Medium-sized Enterprises account for more than 98% of UK businesses so this a very important to explore. ■■ If you are interested in setting up your own business LJMU provides support and expertise through its Student Enterprise Team. ■■ Register with LJMU’s Alumni Association

■■ LJMU graduates have lifetime access to the facilities and support at the World of Work Careers Centre ■■ The graduate recruitment cycle begins again in September and many employers welcome applications from individuals who graduated the year before or whose application was previously unsuccessful.

July

Aug

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GETTING THE JOB

How to Write a Winning CV & Covering Letter Employers spend about 30 seconds looking at your CV before deciding whether you are suitable for a position. Employability Adviser Jenny Hammond offers top tips to make sure yours makes the cut.

our CV is a personal marketing tool that should be structured in a way that best showcases your relevant skills and experience. There is no right or wrong format for your CV but there are certainly some guidelines you can follow to ensure you are selling your skills and experience and targeting the CV to the best of your ability. When it comes to sending out your CV to employers 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. This means that each time you apply for a position you should adapt the document so that it is tailored for the specific role and organisation. As the first page is the first thing the employer sees you should aim to include the most important information here, in an attempt to grab their attention. If you have plenty of relevant work experience you

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

should probably opt for the chronological or traditional CV format, where you can highlight this experience, focusing on key responsibilities, achievements and skills developed in these roles. If your experience is lacking or you are changing career path, you may want to use a skillsbased CV. Within the ‘skills profile’ you can focus on the relevant skills required for the role. By drawing on examples from university, work and extra-curricular activities you can demonstrate that you have what the employer is looking for. Sometimes a combination of these two styles is useful to enable you to highlight experience and skills in distinct sections. If you are unsure which style to use, make an appointment with an Employability Adviser for further advice! It is worth noting that countries may have slightly different requirements when it comes to writing a CV. For example, in the USA, the ‘résumé’ contains very succinct,

factual information and is often just one page in length.

MATURE APPLICANTS, CAREERS CHANGERS AND THOSE WITH FRAGMENTED WORK EXPERIENCE Some personal circumstances may seem difficult to convey in a CV. If you are a mature applicant, a career changer, or if you have fragmented work experience you may find it more challenging to present information in your CV in a positive way. If you have decided to change career path or you have decided to come to university later in life it is a good idea to explain what has influenced your decision in a covering letter. Employers will be interested in reading a brief overview of you 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

GETTING THE JOB

TOP TIPS FOR WRITING A CV ■■ Clearly list your name at the top of the document (never use the title ‘CV’ as this is self-evident!) ■■ Stick to one or two sides of A4 and use a clear, concise writing style – employers typically spend 30 seconds reading the CV so you want to make it easy for them to get through ■■ If you have a person specification, make sure you address all relevant skills using examples to back up what you say ■■ Consider using bold font, subheadings and bullet points to break up information ■■ Structure the CV to make the most out of your relevant skills and experience. If you have previously carried out a similar role or worked on a project using applicable skills then list these on the front page ■■ 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

such as teamwork and communication. Using a skills-based CV with a skills profile on the first page may be a good option as this will allow you to summarise the skills you have gained through previous roles and situations, matching these to the person specification. Make sure there are no gaps on the CV and if you have lots of non-relevant experience you may want to summarise and group previous positions together rather than listing every job you have previously held. For example, “1991-1998 Held customer service roles in a number of different companies, including NatWest and Marks and Spencer, which developed my communication skills and ability to time manage when working shifts”.

EXTRA SUPPORT You can get one-to-one support from our team of Employability Advisers, who can offer personalised advice on your CV and covering letters, helping you tailor them for specific roles. You can make an appointment by calling 0151 231 8099 (option 1). The ‘Write a Winning CV’ workshop, which runs from the World of Work Careers Centre, provides guidance on writing CVs and covering letters. You can find out more about this workshop and book a place on our events website.

LJMUWoW

Don’t forget, the Equality Act 2010 is in place to ensure that applicants are not discriminated against regarding age, sex or disability. Certain information, like your date of birth, is not required on the CV.

searching for a

graduate job, placement or internship?

COVERING LETTERS A covering letter, which should be no longer than a page in length, should always accompany your CV. If you can, find out the name of the person to send the application to. As with the CV, the covering letter should always be tailored for the role. You should demonstrate that you have researched the organisation and 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. See the example cover letter on page 36.

check out all the latest opportunities on LJMU’s

VACANCY WEBSITE ljmu.prospects.ac.uk

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

GETTING THE JOB

Skills -based CV you include a personal profile  Ifensure it is targeted at the role and

Dylan Fitzpatrick 3 Kingsway Garden, Liverpool, L1 7AT Email: dfitzpatrick123@gotmail.com Mobile: 01771 121824 Blog: dylansworld.wordpress.com

    

Personal Profile A Business Communications graduate with excellent writing and organisational skills, seeking a challenging marketing assistant role with a forward-thinking marketing agency.

organisation. Keep it concise and focused.

 List in reverse chronological order you have completed relevant  Ifmodules you can list some of these

Education and Qualifications 2010 –2013 Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) BA (Hons) Business Communications (2:1) • Modules include: Principles of Marketing (69%); Corporate Communications (63%); and Customer Communications (65%) • Dissertation: Consumer spending and habit at Liverpool One (73%) 2006 – 2009 Lakeside School, Liverpool A-Levels: Politics (A), History (B), French (D) 10 GCSEs including Maths (B), English (C), Spanish (C) and French (A*)

here.

Skills Profile Communication & interpersonal skills • Strong written communication skills demonstrated by writing business reports at university and by writing my blog which covers a range of topics, including local arts and music event reviews, which I link to through other social media such as Twitter. I focus on using a writing style which is concise and engaging to encourage readers to regularly read the blog and comment on my entries (my most recent post had 35 comments). I recently attracted the attention of a local events website and wrote a review for a gig for a local band, which was well-received and I have been invited to write again for them in the future. • Interpersonal skills have been developed working in a close team at the Citizens Advice Bureau. When discussing financial problems with a client I listen carefully to their situation and discuss the next steps they need to take to manage their debts; I have to use tact and be sensitive to the client’s needs and gain their trust by assuring the client that everything they discuss with me is confidential.

 Don’t list all your GCSE subjects at the job advert and include  Look all the skills and attributes required for the role



Teamwork • Excellent teamwork skills demonstrated whilst working as a Camp Counsellor through Camp Leaders. Organised and planned a schedule of activities for children, working closely with other team members and shared tasks out based on strengths. By listening to others’ ideas and building a rapport with everyone in the team all tasks ran to schedule and we created a fun, educational environment for children.

Creativity Commercial Awareness • Completed an Enterprise module at university which highlighted the importance of • Devised a comprehensive marketing strategy to promote a programme of music events in Liverpool city centre for a friend. Designed and developed flyers, which I distributed around the understanding your industry and focusing on strategy, planning and building strong university and outside other music venues. Created a strong social media presence, generating relationships. Demonstrated an understanding of good financial planning and setting realistic timescales when working on a project links with promoters and other music events and generated over 400 ‘likes’ on Facebook within • Keep up to date with the marketing sector by subscribing to Marketing Week and regularly the first two weeks reading CIM newsletters IT Skills Organisation & Administration skills • Competent using all Microsoft Office programmes, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and • Demonstrated strong organisation and administrative skills in my role as Admin AssistantAccess, which I have used in university and in my admin role by providing diary management, booking travel arrangements and planning events held• in the Use an online website builder to host my blog – use my design skills and include my own department photographs to make it look contemporary and interesting and update it on a regular basis • Strong ability to multitask by prioritising my workload by importance and reacting to • pressures Familiar with SPSS which I used to analyse a range of data from my dissertation by adapting plans as new work comes in. Gathered data from a range of sources during my dissertation whilst balancing my other studies and part-time job, resulting in a 74% grade Work History



positive language and  Use examples from university, previous

2011-present Georgeson’s Limited, Liverpool – Administrative Assistant • General administrative and customer service role. Responsible for diary management for Director and processing incoming enquiries in a busy office environment Summer 2011 Summer Camp, San Diego, USA – Camp Counsellor • Assisted in the design and delivery of the summer camp for 11-16 year olds. Coached swimming and tennis and put together an activity based evening programme 2009-2011 Emilio’s Italian Restaurant, Liverpool – Waiter • Worked effectively in a team in a busy city centre restaurant. Developed strong customer service skills, built a rapport with regular customers and acted as team leader during weekend shifts

work, etc to demonstrate how you have used these skills

Voluntary Experience

in reverse chronological order  List and provide a brief overview of the

2011-present Citizens Advice Bureau, Wirral • Deal with a range of administrative duties and answer the telephones, acting as the first point of contact for clients. Excellent customer service, communication and interpersonal skills demonstrated when dealing with distressed clients.

role

Achievements •

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

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

World of Work Skills Certificate at LJMU: 4 stage award completed alongside my degree demonstrating my self awareness, organisational awareness and ability to make things happen. Received excellent feedback on my communication skills during the employer interview

Additional information • •



Interests: Enjoy running to keep fit and recently completed a 5k run for Race for Life to raise money for charity. Also enjoy painting and have entered a number of local competitions Travel: Have travelled extensively around Europe and Asia. Put my strong organisational and time management skills into practice and immersed myself in different cultures Driving licence: Have held a full, clean licence since 2009

• Referees

Dr Stephen Hill, Senior Lecture, Liverpool Business School, LJMU Tel: 0151 231 0000 Email: jones12345@ljmu.ac.uk Ms Amanda O’Keefe, Managing Director, Georgesons Limited, Liverpool Tel: 0151 123 1234 Email: aokeefe@georgesons.com

GETTING THE JOB

Chronological CV you include a personal profile Ifensure it is targeted at the role and

Nina Patel

    

3 Hatton Road, Liverpool, L3 4ZA Email: npatel@gotmail.com Mobile: 01234 255 342 Personal Profile An ambitious and focused Human Resource Management graduate and Associate CIPD member with eager to put my excellent interpersonal and financial management skills into practice in a graduate HR position in a large financial organisation Education and Qualifications 2009 –2013 Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) BA (Hons) Human Resource Management (2:1) • Modules include Contemporary Aspects of Strategic HR; International HRM & HRD; Employment Relations & Legal Context; and Organisational Development • Developed excellent analytical skills working with statistical data using SPSS and good written communication skills through research and report writing. Gained a strong understanding of key HR issues and legislation and how they are applied within organisations 2004 – 2009 St Joseph’s Grammar School, Stafford A-Levels: History (B), Biology (D), Psychology (C) 11 GCSEs including Maths (A*), English (C), Science (BB), Spanish (A*) HR Work Experience 2011-present Peels Accountants, Liverpool – HR Assistant (kept on after placement) • Delivered equality and diversity workshops to staff, honing my training and presentation skills • Advised staff on various issues, such as pay, performance, and health and safety • Supported the recruitment process by helping to draft job descriptions, shortlisting candidates, and organising job interviews • Excellent interpersonal skills developed by building a rapport with staff throughout the organisation, dealing with confidential information in a sensitive manner • Developed strong commercial awareness by understanding the financial issues regarding the business and contributing to the organisation’s goals by developing staff

organisation. Keep it concise and focused.

List in reverse chronological order Don’t list all your GCSE subjects your work experience Separate into relevant experience and other experience then list these sections in reverse chronological order

2010-2011 Croft Finance, Merseyside – HR Assistant (sandwich placement) • Worked as part of the Training and Development Team with responsibility for new graduate recruits • Developed excellent interpersonal and listening skills liaising with staff from all levels of the organisation on a regular basis to establish training needs. Planning and organisational skills Other Work Experience enhanced by putting together training plans and organising training days for new starters 2009-2010 Johnson & Son – Administrative Assistant May-July 2011 Care Needs, Stafford – Support Assistant (voluntary) • Effectively managed my workload and prioritised tasks providing administrative support to a • Helped to recruit and train volunteers – drafted job advertisements to be placed in local pubteam of construction professionals lications and websites and devised an induction plan. Organised payment of expenses for volunteers, enhancing my numeracy skills and attention to detail 2008-2009 The Black Cat Pub, Stafford – Waiter • Gained excellent customer service, communication and teamwork skills serving food and September 2010 Office Solutions Limited, Wirral (work experience) drinks in a busy pub restaurant • Two weeks work experience in HR department. Shadowed HR staff and found out more about recruitment and selection and disciplinary and redundancy procedures in the workVoluntary Experience place. Improved my administrative skills by carrying out a range of administrative tasks such Teaching English/School Building in Bolivia as filing, typing letters and contracts for new staff and inputting data into Summer databases2012 • Spent 6 weeks teaching and building a school improved my communication skills working with people from all over the world, many with minimal English language skills • Worked closely with other members of the team sharing tasks, listening to others’ ideas and following a schedule to construct the building in a set period of time • Devised a plan, which included a week’s Spanish language course followed by independent travelling around Bolivia and Peru for one month



 

Provide an overview of your key responsibilities, achievements and skills developed

Achievements • •

Keep this section fairly short by providing a brief summary of the role

World of Work Skills Certificate at LJMU: this award demonstrated my self awareness, organisational awareness and my ability to make things happen and was verified by a HR employer interview Followed a strict training plan and completed the Edinburgh Marathon in 2010

Other Skills IT Skills • Competent with Microsoft Office programmes, including Word and PowerPoint. I have also used Excel and Access to produce spreadsheets and databases in my HR roles. • Familiar with SPSS, which I used to analyse results from my dissertation Spanish Language • Good command of Spanish which I have used whilst travelling round South America

GET YOUR CV CHECKED BY AN EXPERT You can get one-to-one support from our team of Employability Advisers, who can offer personalised advice on your CV and covering letters, helping you tailor them for specific roles. You can make an appointment by calling 0151 231 8099 (option 1), email employability@ljmu.ac.uk or visit: www.ljmu.ac.uk/worldofwork

Additional information • • •

Captain of the university football team: organised fixtures and led the team through two tournaments Driving licence: Have held a full, clean licence since 2009 CIPD membership: held since 2010, read newsletters and articles on the website on a regular basis to keep up to date with industry developments

Referees Dr Jack Smith, Senior Lecturer, Liverpool Business School, LJMU Tel: 0151 231 0000 Email: jsmith12345@ljmu.ac.uk Samantha Williams, Managing Director, Peels Accountants, Liverpool Tel: 0151 123 1234 Email: swilliams123@peelsacc.com

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

GETTING THE JOB

Covering Letter Example

STUDENT VOICE

I just want to take this opportunity to thank you for all your help with my cover letter last week, I received a letter today inviting me for interview and would not have had my application finished if it wasn't for the session!

❝ VICTORIA WALKER

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

❝

I found out last week that Jacobs decided to hire me on a graduate scheme after a successful assessment day. I would just like to thank you for all your help with my cover letter and CV. Without your help I would not have been able to get the job!! I really appreciate everything you did.

❝

STUDENT VOICE

MENG CIVIL ENGINEERING GRADUATE

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Before I came to the World of Work Careers Centre I really didn't have a clue about what to do once I finished my degree. Your careers guidance and help with my CV and application forms were invaluable. I got the job at McCann Manchester as a back-end developer. Thanks for your help, it's really appreciated.

❝

STUDENT VOICE

FINAL YEAR COMPUTING STUDENT

Are you making the most of your time at LJMU? Census

The Officers

Census, Census Conference and ‘Make a Change’ allow you to get involved with shaping and developing students’ union policies for a Better University, Better City and Better Union. Discussing the issues that matter to you, to bring about positive change, and hold your student officers to account.

An elected student officer team there to listen to the voices of the students at LJMU and lobbying for positive change.

Course Reps Mature Student Network Offering the opportunity to meet other mature students with regular events whilst having a chance to campaign on issues.

Hall Reps

Improving the University experience by working closely with students about their education.

Making living in halls more enjoyable by talking to students in halls and arranging events.

Advice Centre Offering professional, confidential, free advice to all students on an appointment basis.

Scholars Bar Looking for somewhere to grab a quick bite, unwind with friends, start a night out or watch live sporting events? Head to Scholars Bar!

Societies & Clubs

Give It A Go Offering opportunities to try new extracurricular activities from The Chill Factor to Blackpool!

Campaigns We encourage, support and lead campaigns on a national and local level to benefit students and the communities they live in.

Student Shops Providing you with all your snack, stationery and merchandise requirements.

The Officer Team President Curtis Reid President@ljmu.ac.uk 0151 231 4901 Vice President Academic Quality Kate Wilkinson vpacademic@ljmu.ac.uk 0151 231 4903

Vice President Community Engagement Dan Cole vpcommunity@ljmu.ac.uk 0151 231 4904 Vice President Activities Sam Davys vpactivities@ljmu.ac.uk 0151 231 4902

Expand your circle of friends and learn new skills through the vast number of sports clubs and societies on offer at LJMU.

GETTING THE JOB

Application Forms: Be a STAR Applicant Application forms are usually the first stage of the recruitment process. Employability Adviser Anja Heid offers some tips to impress employers.

any employers, especially large graduate recruiters and public sector organisations like the NHS or local councils, require candidates to complete an application form as the first stage of the recruitment process. Using application forms allows recruiters to collect information that is specific to the job requirements and that helps them assess how your education, work or voluntary work experience, skills and extracurricular activities relate to the vacancy. A standard application form usually requires you to complete sections on your personal details, education and qualifications, work history, supporting information and references. Apart from the supporting information, these sections should be relatively straightforward for you to complete and you can copy relevant details from your CV. The supporting information 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

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

for their organisation. In this section, you should address the job requirements outlined on the person specification one by one providing convincing evidence for your suitability and including key words from the job advert. Instead of (or sometimes in addition to) the supporting information section, some application forms use a list of specific questions, usually competency-based questions, to assess your suitability for the role and interest in working for the company. These could include questions like: ■■ Please provide an example from your extra-curricular activities of when you have worked with others to achieve a common goal. ■■ What has motivated you to apply for the Network Rail Graduate Scheme and why have you chosen this particular role? ■■ Please describe a time when you made a mistake and the steps you took to resolve this. ■■ At Balfour Beatty our company values (Integrity, Teamwork, Excellence and

Respect) underpin everything we do. Please describe a situation where you have demonstrated these values. ■■ Please give an example of a challenge that you have set yourself and describe how you have gone about achieving it. ■■ Give an example of when you have used time management to balance and prioritise your workload. The best approach to answer these questions and to provide evidence in the supporting information section is using the STAR technique. STAR is a simple strategy that will help you provide concise, focused answers and stands for: Situation: briefly describe the context for your example. When was this? Where was this? Task: describe what you had to do. What were you hoping to achieve? 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?

GETTING THE JOB

STUDENT FEEDBACK ON EMPLOYABILITY ADVICE ■■ “Excellent in-depth discussion and now I have clear ideas on how I can progress” ■■ “I have recommended this service to friends and managed to get through to the next stage of the application process. I believe this service has helped me achieve this.” ■■ “The interview was a great help. I feel much clearer and calmer to make my next steps. Thank you.” ■■ “I found the help I received on both my CV and application form excellent and I look forward to tackling them. Thanks.” ■■ “The interview was really useful and I am very satisfied with the help and advice I received with my application.” ■■ “All staff were incredibly helpful and friendly and booking meetings was easy and done very quickly.”

STAR EXAMPLE Please describe a time where you have demonstrated excellent organisation skills to deliver work to tight deadlines. Situation: Before starting my postgraduate degree in Construction Project Management, I recently organised and managed a home renovation project for my parents. Task: As I was aiming to complete the project before starting university, I had three months to deliver the project to the specified budget. Action: First of all, I drafted a project plan on which I recorded individual tasks and stages and set deadlines for their completion. I also built extra time into the project plan to allow for any unforeseen delays. In order to spend the budget wisely, I researched material costs through the internet and by making phone calls to DIY wholesalers and then collected several quotes from various builders. I was not always able to choose the cheapest materials, as these often had longer delivery times, so to avoid any delays to my project plan, I often had to find a compromise between affordability and availability of materials. To check the progress of the project, I scheduled in regular catch-up meetings with the builder where we could discuss any developments and problems. As I was working full-time during this period, I often had to organise time off from work, which involved negotiating with my manager and colleagues to cover my absence from work. Result: Thanks to my excellent planning and organisation skills, I managed to complete the home renovation on time and budget. It was a really useful experience which I feel will benefit my future career in the construction sector, as it gave me my first insight into managing a small construction project independently. If I were to carry out this project again, I would undertake certain tasks in a different order as I realised halfway through the project that I could have planned the individual tasks in a more efficient way. However, as I had built in extra time into my project plan, these slight delays did not affect the successful delivery of the project.

TOP TIPS FOR COMPLETING APPLICATION FORMS:

HELP AND SUPPORT AVAILABLE FROM THE WORLD OF WORK CAREERS CENTRE

■■ Read through the whole form before you start filling it in, so you can collect any relevant information you need to complete the form. 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 answers. ■■ Answer the questions! It can be tempting to use answers from previous application questions 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 will be likely to fill in several application forms, it will be useful to have a record of each application to prepare for a potential interview or assessment centre.

■■ World of Work Skills Certificate: Completing this certificate will make you a STAR applicant as it gives you the chance to practice selling yourself to employers both on paper and in an interview situation. The Bronze, Silver and Gold stage will allow you to practice writing competencybased statements and improve your self awareness and organisational awareness. Visit our website www. ljmu.ac.uk/worldofwork for more information. ■■ Our workshop “The Art of Job Applications” will help you understand the key principles behind successful job applications, why employers ask certain things and give you an insight into good practice when applying for jobs in the UK. To check dates and register for a session, please go to https://worldofwork.ljmu.ac.uk/ events/. ■■ Mini-guide “Application forms”: Make sure you download a copy of our miniguide to application forms from www. ljmu.ac.uk/worldofwork/123871.htm to provide you with comprehensive advice on application forms. It also includes a full-length sample personal statement. ■■ One-to-one support: Our team of Employability Advisors will be happy to give you tailored advice on completing application forms. To make an appointment for some one-to-one feedback, please call the World of Work Careers Centre on 0151 231 8099 (option 1).

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

GETTING THE JOB

You’re hired! - Top Tips for 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.

ongratulations - being invited to an interview means the employer thinks you could be the right person for the job. While you should feel great about reaching this stage, you will be one of several candidates vying for the position so you need to ensure you make the most of the opportunity and sell yourself effectively. 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.

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW…. Preparation 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

EMPLOYER VOICE

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 organisations key competencies. These provide the selection criteria for the job and they will ask you questions in order to determine whether or not you have the skills listed to do the job effectively. Common Interview Questions

❝

Candidates that impress me are those that have obviously thought through how they fit into the post, what skills and experience they can bring to the position and what it can do for them. I like to see people who come across as enthusiastic and are interested in the place they want to work; they sit forward in their seat and are eager to tell me about themselves.

❝

GILL CORE, DIRECTOR OF NURSING, ALDER HEY

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 selfawareness. 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.

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

■■ Tell us a bit about yourself ■■ Why have you applied for this particular role? ■■ Why do you want to work for this organisation? ■■ What skills can you bring to the job? ■■ What do you consider to be your greatest achievement and why? ■■ What are your views on...? (current issue related to the industry/sector) 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…… First impressions: 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. Their questions: 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. To give structure to your answers and give evidence of your skills the STAR technique can be very useful. This strategy will help you to focus your answers and

GETTING THE JOB

COMMON THEMES AT INTERVIEW Motivation: This is almost a certainty – but is often overlooked in a candidate’s preparation. For example: ■■ Why do you want to work for us? ■■ Why do you want this job?

TOP TIPS FOR INTERVIEW SUCCESS ■■ Use concrete examples and vary them ■■ Be prepared to talk and avoid ‘yes/no’ answers ■■ Be yourself and be honest ■■ Be positive in your answers ■■ Answer the question asked! ■■ If a question confuses you, ask for clarification ■■ If you need a moment’s thinking time, ask for it ■■ Be concise and avoid repetition ■■ Try to relax, smile and remember to breathe!

demonstrate your competencies to the recruiter: ■■ Situation - what was the situation? Briefly describe the context. ■■ Task - describe what the problem was or what you needed to achieve. ■■ Action - what did you do, how did you do it and what skills did you use? ■■ Result - what did you achieve, what was the outcome and what did you learn? Make sure it shows you in a good

light, even if the overall result was not a success.

AFTER THE INTERVIEW 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, try ringing to check the situation. ■■ Get feedback from the interview if you have been unsuccessful, this can be invaluable and most recruiters are happy to provide it. Further help: ■■ Free practice mock interview at the World of Work Careers Centre ■■ Attend our regular workshops ‘Preparation for Interviews’ ■■ Download our mini-guide about interview preparation from our website resource section ■■ To book a place visit: www.ljmu.ac.uk/ worldofwork or call 0151 231 8099.

Knowledge of the job/organisation/sector: You will be tested on what you know and your understanding of key issues related to the career sector. For example: ■■ What have you done to find out more about us? ■■ What are some of the main challenges facing our organisation at the moment? Career Motivation/Direction: Employers want to know if you have thought ahead and whether your answer ties in with your motivations for the role. They are looking for commitment to the job and the area of work. For example: ■■ Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time? ■■ Who else are you applying to? Education and Work Experience: Think about what you have learned and the skills you have developed, any problems you overcame during your education and any work experience – think about each experience individually. You may be asked about your choices to date and what you have enjoyed about your course/time at university. For example: ■■ What have you enjoyed most/least about your placements and why? ■■ What skills and theoretical knowledge have you gained from your course? ■■ Why did you decide to study….at University? Interests and Activities: As above, consider what you learned and how you have developed as a person. Consider how these activities make you stand out from the rest. For example: ■■ What skills have you gained? ■■ How have you managed your time? Competences and Skills: You will be asked to provide evidence/examples of abilities and skills in a variety of areas. This will also depend on the job role. For example: ■■ Give me an example of a time when you have demonstrated effective problem solving skills? ■■ Tell us about a time when you have used your communication skills General questions about you: Questions about your strengths and weaknesses are common. For example: ■■ How would your friends describe you? ■■ What are your weaknesses? Hypothetical or Scenario questions: These are common in careers such as teaching, social work and nursing. Hypothetical or scenario questions are posed to gain an insight into your approach to work situations and people. They require you to explain the rationale for your actions rather than give a right/wrong answer. ■■ Imagine…., what would you do in this situation? Topical Issues/opinion: You may be asked to comment on a current issue or give your opinion on some recent developments related to the sector/job/ organisation. Be prepared to express your opinion, but also reflect the other side of the argument. Keep your eye on the news and try not to just swot up a couple of days before. It can be easy for an employer to spot! Examples date fairly quickly so use something fairly recent.

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

GETTING THE JOB

Psychometric Tests Most large organisations use tests of some type as part of their recruitment process as research has shown that they are the best single predictor of performance. Careers Adviser Jan Logan explains what they entail.

ost large organisations use tests of some type 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 . The two main types used are ability (or sometimes called aptitude) tests and personality questionnaires. Ability Tests: these 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 can be done online or as a paper-based test and are usually a series of multiple choice questions taken under strict time limits. Increasingly, online tests are used early in the selection process with candidates being asked to sit a similar test in person, should they progress to a later

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

stage of assessment or selection. The most common tests used by graduate recruiters are: ■■ Verbal tests – these are designed to analyse your ability to understand written material and work out what logically follows from what you have read. ■■ Numerical tests – these are designed to analyse your ability to solve problems using numerical information. ■■ Diagrammatic/abstract/logical/ spatial reasoning tests – these types of tests analyse your visual thinking, ability to find patterns and links between groups of shapes, and see where new shapes fit in. ■■ Specific tests - for example, syntax for computer programming, data checking or mechanics. ■■ Situational Judgement Tests - used

STUDENT VOICE

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The aptitude tests I did were part of my application for a Graduate Internship at a university. I found the verbal and numerical online tests really tough but managed to get through to the Assessment Centre. Doing some practice tests and getting feedback from my careers adviser beforehand really helped and I would highly recommend others to do the same.

❝

LJMU GRADUATE

GETTING THE JOB

by employers during recruitment to measure your behaviour and attitudes to work-related scenarios.

HOW CAN YOU PREPARE FOR ALL THIS? If you have special requirements it is advisable to declare this beforehand. The organisation may be able to make adjustments, allow you extra time or grade your results more appropriately. Other tips include: ■■ Call to ask if the employer will tell you broadly what types of test you will have to complete if they have not given any information. ■■ Try as many practice exercises as possible using the resources below. ■■ Listen or read instructions carefully, and don’t be afraid to ask if you do not understand what to do. ■■ Keep calm, and take a few deep breaths before starting the test. ■■ Many ability tests are designed to ask more questions than an average person can answer in the time allowed. If it looks as though you will not finish in time do not worry, just do your best to answer as many questions as you can. ■■ Some tests do not deduct points for wrong answers. Listen to what the test administrator says or carefully read the instructions given. You should be told if wrong answers are penalised so it would be better not to guess your answer. ■■ Make sure you know what you have to do before the test starts. ■■ Remember you can go back and

consult the instructions during the test if you are unsure of something. ■■ Do not spend too much time on any one question. Unless expressly told to work through the questions in order, just move on if you really get stuck. ■■ If you do find yourself with some free time at the end of the test, go back and check your answers. The World of Work Careers Centre offers an on-line practice ability test. Please ring 0151 231 8099 (option 2) for more information. Personality Questionnaires: these look at behavioural preferences, that is, how you like to work. 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. Employers use these tools to help them better understand your personality and the way you approach different situations. There are no rights or wrongs in behavioural style, although some behaviours may be more or less appropriate to certain situations. However, the best advice is to be honest in the way you answer the questions. The following links will give you more information about Ability Tests and Personality Questionnaires, Some have free questions you can do or the option to pay for access to online tests.

ONLINE TESTS The following links will give you more information about Ability Tests and Personality Questionnaires, Some have free questions you can do or the option to pay for access to online tests. ■■www.shldirect.com/example_questions.html ■■www.savilleconsulting.com/ ■■www.savilleconsulting.com/products/ aptitude-preparation-guides-and-advice ■■www.aptitudetestsonline.com/ ■■practicetests.cubiks.com/ ■■jobtestprep.co.uk/default.aspx ■■www.kenexa.com/assessments/ assessment_guidance ■■www.morrisby.com/ ■■www.numericaltestpractice.com/ ■■www.assessmentday.co.uk/situationaljudgement-test.htm ■■www.careerplayer.com/psychometrics.aspx ■■targetjobs.co.uk/careers-report ■■www.prospects.ac.uk/interview_tips_ psychometric_tests.htm ■■www.nhsgraduates.co.uk/ (click ‘Try the test’) ■■faststream.civilservice.gov.uk/How-do-Iapply/Example-e-Tray-Exercise/ ■■www.keirsey.com/ ■■www.belbin.com/ ■■www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbtipersonality-type/mbti-basics/

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

GETTING THE JOB

Assessment Centres Assessment centres are another tool employers use to find the best graduates for their positions. Careers Adviser Liz Harrison explains what they are and how to suceed if you are invited to one.

he 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. If you have been invited to an assessment centre, congratulations! You have done really well to get this far but remember careful preparation and research continue to be vital for ultimate success.

WHAT IS 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.

during which you will be under constant scrutiny and formal and informal assessment, even at meal times.

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

Not all assessment centres are the same, but they will usually include a combination of the following activities:

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

WHAT WILL THE DAY INCLUDE?

GROUP EXERCISES: Group exercises are always observed by a number of assessors each charged with noting the performance of a particular individual. Try to block out the observer’s presence and act in as natural a way as possible. The observer will be briefed to look for specific skills and qualities. Consider in advance the positive contribution you can make to the group. You will need to actively participate and ensure that you get your views across, but do not feel that you need to dominate proceedings as

USEFUL LINKS The following links also provide useful tips for assessment centre preparation: ■■ www.prospects.ac.uk/ assessment_centres.htm ■■ www.targetjobs.co.uk/careersadvice/assessment-centres ■■ www.kent.ac.uk/careers/ selection.htm ■■ www.careerplayer.com/tipsand-advice/general-advice/ assessment-centers.aspx ■■ faststream.civilservice.gov.uk/ How-do-I-apply/Example-e-TrayExercise/

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GETTING THE JOB

such individuals can be marked down for their lack of inclusivity. You could suggest the allocation of specific roles to the group or volunteer to keep an eye on the time. The observer will be looking for someone who contributes to the group situation by encouraging comments, analysing situations, summarising, and giving direction to the discussion, along with: ■■ good attention to detail, ability to grasp the task in hand and stick to it ■■ enthusiastic participation in discussion ■■ willingness to take on a leadership role ■■ evidence of thinking problems through ■■ ability to listen to, and communicate with others ■■ flexibility and the ability to change direction at short notice and accept different views

IN-TRAY/INDIVIDUAL EXERCISES: This could involve sorting through a folder of information from various sources including, letters, memos, telephone messages and being asked to find a solution to a particular situation using this information. The recruiter will be looking for evidence that you can assimilate details, prioritise, make effective decisions, work quickly and accurately, communicate in writing and work under pressure.

PRESENTATIONS: In most cases you will be given advanced warning of this and asked to prepare a presentation on a specific theme to a set timescale. Your presentation should be engaging, well structured and researched ideally using a wide range of resources. You must strictly adhere to the time limit and demonstrate that you are able to communicate with the audience. Be prepared to answer questions at the end. It is important to rehearse your presentation and to seek feedback from a member of the World of Work Careers Centre team and family and friends. You will also need to check what equipment is available to you and bring copies of your presentation in both electronic and hard copy format as back up. Even if you are not told you will have to deliver a presentation, still brush up on your presentation skills and be prepared just in case!

INTERVIEW: Any interview(s) at this stage will explore your experience in more depth and will typically assess you against a list of pre-agreed competencies linked to the role. It is useful to refer back to your original application and anticipate more probing questions into your technical knowledge, motivations for joining the company, reasons for applying for that particular function, and

possibly discussion of your actions and experiences at the assessment centre.

PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS: Please refer to the more detailed specific section within the Guide.

BE YOURSELF Try to relax and let your natural personality show. Trying to guess what type of person the recruiter wants and forcing yourself to be that person is not the way to approach an assessment centre. It is impossible to keep this up over an extended period and your behaviour will appear unconvincing. Ultimately you risk being placed into a job which you will not be suited to and may not perform well in.

ASK FOR FEEDBACK Whatever the outcome, ask your assessors for feedback soon after you hear their decision. This can help you identify areas you might want to improve when preparing for your next assessment centre.

PREPARATION: NEXT STEPS The World of Work Careers Centre offers a workshop session giving you the opportunity to gain a practical insight and experience of typical assessment centre activities. Please register via our events page.

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Psychometric Tests & Assessment Centres An Insider’s View The process of finding the right job can be a daunting experience. Careers Advisers Linda Graham and Hayley Fallon have gained an insight from leading graduate employers who use psychometric testing and assessment centres as part of their recruitment process. To help you prepare, LJMU graduates who have secured places on graduate schemes, also share their experiences and top tips.

The Employers Perspective Emily Towey, Graduate Advisor at the Co-operative outlines what you would expect when applying to the Cooperative Graduate Programme.

EMPLOYER ADVICE

EMPLOYER ADVICE Our assessment centre takes place over one day and involves a number of different exercises. We assess each of the activities individually and they are designed to give candidates an opportunity to demonstrate the key competencies we are looking for. To get to the assessment centre candidates must first take our 2 online reasoning tests, one is numerical and the other a logical test. The tests are administered online through our recruitment system. The assessment centre is the final stage in the process, and so to be successful, individuals have to meet the benchmark in all areas. It is possible for someone to do well in one area, and less well on another. We assess against different exercises so that an individual’s ability against a competency can be assessed at least twice throughout the day. We always look for contrary evidence to ensure that our assessments are robust There are many websites that offer exercises to practise and these can be really helpful, however most assessment centres are designed so that you can’t prepare for them - as we want to see what you actually do and how you respond in different situations. It sounds the most simple, but the best piece of advice for an assessment centre is to ensure you know how you are going to travel to the venue, what your route will be and plan enough time so that you arrive as calm as you can.

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Career Planning Guide 2013/14

EMPLOYER ADVICE

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The recruitment process for the Co-operative graduate programme has various stages. The first stage is an online situational judgement test, if candidates pass this we ask them to fill in an application form which is then screened. If candidates meet the criteria for this we ask them to complete a psychometric test online, both verbal and numerical. If they pass these we invite candidates to a face to face interview and then an assessment centre. The assessment centre is the final stage of the process which includes 5 exercises e.g. a group exercise, a case study etc. Candidates are seen by a variety of assessors throughout the day. We offer positions to the highest scoring candidates over the whole assessment centre duration. If I were to give students a few tips it would be to prepare as much as you can especially for the interview stage. When completing online tests or applications allow yourself plenty of time and get someone else to look over your application before you submit it.

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Rob Farace from the NHS Leadership Academy, shares his top tips to help you get through the first stage of the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme selection process, the online tests:

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The toughest part of our selection process is on the online tests, but there are some simple ways you can certainly improve your chances. Make sure you practice 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. Don’t forget you can take the tests at any time so make sure you sit them when you are most alert and ensure you are in the right environment. 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. Here is the link to our tests if you want to start practising now: www.psl.com/ practice/.

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Sara Reading Head of Early Career Recruitment & Selection The Royal Bank of Scotland

GETTING THE JOB

The Candidates Perspective Rebecca Andrews is a Marketing Administrator at the Co-operative Group. She was successful in gaining a permanent, full time post. Rebecca achieved a 1st Class Honours degree in History at LJMU and completed her dissertation on the Cooperative, demonstrating a clear interest in the company. Here she shares her top tips when preparing for an assessment centre:

■■ Be prepared, but also be prepared to think on your feet. ■■ Don’t let having no direct experience put you off applying – your degree and university experience provides you with transferable skills. ■■ At the age of graduating, it is not always possible to have lots of work experience. Voluntary experiences and

social experiences can give you good contrasting examples. ■■ Do some research on the company you are hoping to work for – I was asked, “Why do you want to work for the Cooperative?” ■■ Prepare some questions to ask the interviewers at the end.

Sebastián Pineda Carrillo, MSc in Telecommunications Engineering from LJMU, successfully gained a place on the BT graduate scheme (technology) following an intensive application process. Sebastián shares his experiences providing an insight into each stage of the process.

■■ A technical interview with one of the line managers. Attending the World of Work Careers Centre’s “Preparation for Interviews” workshop helped me a lot for this stage. I felt a little nervous as is normal, but the interviewer was very friendly and it helped me relax and perform better. ■■ An individual exercise about a fictitious company and a project report with some figures that presented some problems was provided. Applicants had 10 minutes to structure a 30 minute meeting - this was a role play exercise. ■■ And finally the group activity was a case study with a 30 minute group discussion.

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. You are not competing against each other so try to show the best of you and contribute so that others do that.

The assessment centre lasted for a whole day, although we were asked to get to the venue the evening before. That evening I met the other 11 candidates and we listened to a presentation from the Graduate Development Manager introducing the company and explaining the timetable for the next day. We then had the chance to meet one graduate employee and talk to the other candidates. On the day each activity/task was observed by a different assessor and they included: ■■ A presentation – the presentation topic was given to us one week before the assessment centre. I felt nervous before starting but those where the fastest 10 minutes I have ever experienced!

If I were to give students my top tips, they would be: ■■ Prepare yourself for each activity. There is plenty of information online and the workshops at the World of Work Careers Centre are 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 (they often publish this with the offer) and also the company’s strategy and values. This information will help you better structure your answers. ■■ On the times when you are not being assessed try to talk with the other

STUDENT VOICE

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I would strongly recommend speaking to a careers adviser before your assessment centre as they can give you a flavour of what is likely to happen throughout the day. We talked through possible topics for the group task, example interview questions and how I could stand out on the day. I also had the chance to practice my prepared presentation and get feedback. Knowing what I may face made me more relaxed and confident!

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Before the assessment centre I had to complete 2 psychometric online tests and 2 interview rounds: the first was by phone and the next by video Skype call. Then I received confirmation that I had been selected to move forward to the assessment centre.

ANDREW BUSINESS STUDIES GRADUATE

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GETTING THE JOB

Organisational Awareness Organisational awareness is vital if you are to impress at interview. If you have taken the time to apply for a job with a company it is essential to know more than just a few basic facts about them. Trainer Colette Ashbrook explains what it means and what you have to know.

rganisational Awareness simply means being able to demonstrate an insight into the organisation and sector you are considering as an employment option: how it functions, the environment it operates in and who its customers are. This is important because by developing your organisational awareness you will be able to make informed decisions about the type of work you wish to secure. By ensuring that your own values and ethics match that of an organisation, you are taking a significant step towards employment which will be motivating and rewarding. Also, at both application and interview stages, employers will be looking for evidence that you understand their organisation. They want to recruit people who care about what the organisation does and who have considered whether they will fit in well and be able to add value. To assess this, employers will ask

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

questions such as: ■■ Why do you want to enter this industry? ■■ What do you know about our organisation? ■■ What are our main products/ services? ■■ What do you think the job you would be doing involves? ■■ What are the challenges facing our industry at this time? ■■ What changes have there been in our industry recently? ■■ Who are our competitors? What are the differences between them and us? ■■ Who are our clients? ■■ How do you keep up to date with current issues in the sector? There are many resources available to you to research an organisation and the sector in which it operates. One of the first places to start is the

STUDENT VOICE

❝ The World of Work Skills Certificate gave me the opportunity to research my preferred organisation obtaining information about the culture and other factors that may affect my choice of organisation. As a result I am more confident about my chosen organisation and also gained knowledge of what employers are looking for during interviews and assessment centres.

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AIYSHA AHMED APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY GRADUATE

GETTING THE JOB

You should also analyse the job description and person specification for the role you are interested in. This should help you to identify how to best demonstrate that you meet all of the requirements for the role and produce a suitably tailored application. Don’t be afraid to contact the organisation directly for further information. Employers often value candidates who show a genuine interest by asking for a short meeting or telephone conversation to discuss the role and support their research. Joanne MacDonnell, Head of Nursing for 5 Boroughs Partnership Foundation Trust in Warrington says “I’m really appreciative of the people who make the effort to phone you or come to see you before an interview. They

are showing that they have a real commitment to the job and they haven’t just filled out ten application forms online and that any of them will do”. Social networks can also be a great way to find out accurate, up to date information about an organisation. For example, you can research a company on LinkedIn and make contact with current employees to help you to develop an insight into what it’s like to work there and the sector in general. Twitter is also a useful tool by following people who are posting relevant information about their employer or industry. Similarly, a company’s pages on Facebook can have valuable information for anyone looking to build a profile of the organisation. Equally, employers are looking for candidates who can demonstrate that they understand the environment that the organisation operates in. Specific research into the sector or industry can be done by keeping updated with industry publications and professional bodies. You may also want to look at recent market research reports for information on developments, trends, key players and current issues – all good topics for interview questions. Finally, a good grasp of business issues will ensure that a potential employer views you as being commercially aware.

You should be able to analyse and evaluate the impact of issues in areas such as politics, the economy, society and technology on the organisation. Following the organisation for a month in the business press should give you a good insight and support your understanding of your chosen organisation and industry.

STUDENT VOICE

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Let me take this opportunity to thank you and the World of Work Careers Centre for all of your support throughout my job hunting process. The various workshops I did at the Centre certainly helped me to know what to expect at the assessment centre. The mock interview especially helped me to think about and develop a ‘pool’ of situations to draw examples from. Your detailed feedback was most useful, and is a service I am strongly encouraging my university friends to take advantage of!

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organisation’s website. It’s likely that you will find lots of relevant information here about the history, function, mission, structure, values and culture of the organisation. Take a look at the ‘working with us’ pages for an insight into what they are looking for in their employees and consider if you are a good match for them. You may find information published for stakeholders, such as investors, particularly useful. Read recent annual reports with details of its performance, to analyse key trends for the organisation – very useful to generate a well informed interview.

LJMU GRADUATE

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LJMU’s Centre for Enterpreneurship Become Your Own Boss Ever thought of going in to business for yourself? The path to a successful business can be difficult to negotiate alone.. But don’t worry, help is at hand. If you have a great business idea then speak to the Centre for Entrepreneurship to see how they can help.

ith an entrepreneurial ethos and a dedicated team, the Centre for Entrepreneurship helps hundreds of students and graduates to create selfemployment opportunities and develop the skills they need not only to start up, but also to survive in business. Whether establishing freelance careers, creating a business as a sole trader or limited company, or developing social enterprises or not for profit organisations, the Centre for Entrepreneurship encourages students and graduates to explore self-employment and supports them through the early stages of planning and creating the vehicle for their business ideas.

WE’RE HERE TO HELP It may be what you’ve always wanted to do, or something that you’ve only recently started to think about, either way it’s certainly worth exploring the option of running your own business or social enterprise. The Centre for Entrepreneurship currently provides a range of training and support including: ■■ Introductory workshops to help get you started ■■ One to one business advice meetings with our experienced business advisers ■■ Confidential support in protecting your ideas and inventions ■■ Business planning support ■■ Financial training and planning ■■ Marketing support and development ■■ Access to funding opportunities ■■ Networking In addition to one to one business advice and support, recent graduates and placement year students also have the opportunity to apply for the LJMU Enterprise Fellowship Programme, our week-long intensive business start

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

scheme providing graduates with accelerated business support and development and the opportunity to secure financial support to help fund their new venture. To date over 200 graduates have received help and support through the Programme, starting their own businesses, become self-employed or working on a freelance basis in a range of different sectors and fields. Our student and graduate businesses also benefit from having access to a hotdesking facility within the Centre, providing co-working spaces and access to meeting rooms to help their businesses grow and develop.

BRANCHING OUT NETWORK Many of our businesses take full advantage of the Centre’s Branching Out Network, a network for all businesses, entrepreneurs, students and graduates, that provides opportunities for mentoring, promotion, referral, innovation and intertrading.

WHAT OUR BUSINESSES SAY ABOUT US Klinked – Klinked was created in 2013 by recent LJMU graduates Kyle Corfield and Anthony Packwood, following support from the Enterprise Fellowship Programme. The company has just launched a new mobile app which provides the food and beverage industry with a cost-effective platform to promote its products and services and brings the consumer access to latest offers, events and live updates. ‘Before the EFP we had an idea, when we finished we had a business. The EFP programme accelerated our business beyond our greatest expectations. The access to a fantastic network of business mentors and contacts helped us to secure the start-up finance we needed to make our business a success.’ MgMa Studios - MgMaStudio Ltd. is a young, creative architecture and design

agency, established in Liverpool by Chartered Architects Mathew Giles and Matthew Ashton. ‘The Enterprise Fellowship Programme gave us the skills, confidence and motivation to start our business. Translating your idea into a business is challenging, and the programme provides a structured pathway for start-ups. The team have been fantastically supportive, developing a real understanding of our business.’ Since completing the Enterprise Fellowship Programme and establishing the business in 2011, MgMaStudio Ltd have gone on from strength to strength and have recently been working with LJMU’s Brokerage Team in the Work of Work Careers Centre, offering two internships to LJMU architecture students. Attitude Drama School – Created as a social enterprise in 2011 by founder and LJMU graduate Kimberly Preston, Attitude Drama School provides education and drama services to all age ranges and delivers projects to deprived communities and works disadvantaged groups to create issue-based drama. ‘The Enterprise Fellowship Programme has given me the confidence to believe in myself and my business, the courage to go further with my idea and the introduction to the world of business. It has also given me the chance to collaborate with other businesses from the Programme and to make new friendships’. If you would like any more information about the Centre for Entrepreneurship or if you would like to make an appointment to see a member of our business advice team then please contact us. Tel: 0151 231 3303 Email: startup@ljmu.ac.uk Web: www.ljmu.ac.uk/startup Twitter: @ljmu_enterprise Facebook: Branching Out Network

JOBS & OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

STUDENT VOICE

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The Enterprise Fellowship Programme gave us the skills, confidence and motivation to start our business. Translating your idea into a business is challenging, and the programme provides a structured pathway for start-ups. The team have been fantastically supportive, developing a real understanding of our business.

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MATHEW GILES & MATTHEW ASHTON MGMA STUDIOS

STUDENT VOICE

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The Enterprise Fellowship Programme has given me the confidence to believe in myself and my business, the courage to go further with my idea and the introduction to the world of business. It has also given me the chance to collaborate with other businesses from the Programme and to make new friendships

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KIMBERLEY PRESTON ATTITUDE DANCE SCHOOL Career Planning Guide 2013/14

JOBS & OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

LiverpoolSU - Enhance Your CV with the Students’ Union Did you know that by getting involved with LiverpoolSU you could hugely increase your skills and employability, enhance your CV and improve your chances of finding a job once you leave University? here are endless opportunities available to students who want to engage with their students’ union during their time at University. Whether you see yourself as the next Union President or the Captain of a sports team, if you are someone who wants to make a difference and improve the lives of students at LJMU, or perhaps you just want to earn some extra cash working part time throughout your studies, why not utilise your skills and become part of an organisation that is dedicated to helping all LJMU students love student life!

is one of the most valuable things I did whilst at university; I developed analytical skills that I never knew I had through scrutinising reports and finances, I learned how to command the attention of a room, I noticed that I was becoming more articulate and that I was learning to pull critical information out of discussions and feed into organisational development. I joined LiverpoolSU as a shy person and left as a confident individual with ambition

Corinne Carter is one of over 700 Course Reps, and has worked closely with LiverpoolSU in this role, representing her fellow Nursing students and improving her own skills and employability.

LiverpoolSU is led by a team of four elected Student Officers – the President and three Vice Presidents (Academic Quality, Activities and Community Engagement) who work on behalf of the student body, representing their views and lobbying for positive change to improve the university experience for all LJMU students. The Student Officers also sit on the Board of Trustees, the governing body within LiverpoolSU, which has overall responsibility for the management and administration of the organisation. Three other students also become trustees – the Chairs of our Census system and Census Conferences. The Chairs are elected each spring and are responsible for deciding what subjects we put out to our 24,000 students for debate and voting. They lead the online discussions about key University, Union and City issues and Chair the Conference debates; where Officers are also asked to report on what they have gained for students Kylie Mills (pictured above) is one of LiverpoolSU’s many success stories, initially getting involved with LiverpoolSU by working as one of two Student Group Coordinators on a placement year, and becoming Chair of the Better Union Forum and a Student Trustee. Kylie said: “Volunteering as a trustee

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

as paid staff members; whether it is for a placement year or part-time employment; as a community or hall rep, a student voice support assistant or working in our bar, shops and cafes for example. Or you can join our many sports teams, clubs and societies, all of which are run by individual student committees. Being a member, or committee member, of a club or society can be a highly rewarding experience, as well as a fun way to socialise and meet new people.

She said: “My time as a Course Rep for LiverpoolSU will increase my employability, demonstrating that I can embrace positive change, am dedicated, and can communicate well with a broad spectrum of people. Talking to my peers and receiving feedback has been a really positive experience, giving me confidence in my own abilities and fantastic communication skills – two skills that will benefit me in my future career.”

STUDENT VOICE to make change and the ability to stand up for what I believe in.” Each year LiverpoolSU employs a number of placement students to work as Student Voice Co-ordinators, Student Community Co-ordinators and Student Group Coordinators. You can also develop your skills and gain valuable experience by taking on representative roles such as Course Rep, Campaigner and Student Officer. Or there are opportunities for students and graduates to join the LiverpoolSU team

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Volunteering as a trustee is one of the most valuable things I did whilst at university. I joined LiverpoolSU as a shy person and left as a confident individual with ambition to make change and the ability to stand up for what I believe in.

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KYLIE MILLS MARKETING GRADUATE

JOBS & OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

For more information on how to get involved visit www.liverpoolsu.com, check out our Facebook page; Liverpool Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union, or follow us on Twitter @LiverpoolSU

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

JOBS & OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Where quality matters CARING FOR YOUR CAREER AT AINTREE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL There are few careers as rewarding as one in the NHS. Whether you are caring for patients, or providing essential support to clinical teams, you have fantastic opportunities for career progression. With 350 careers in the NHS, few organisations can match us for job satisfaction and the knowledge that you are making a real difference every day. Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool provides high-quality healthcare to 330,000 local residents, with our world-class specialties serving 1.5 million residents. In addition, we work in partnership with GPs and other health organisations. Exciting opportunities exist at Aintree in the following professions: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Medical or Dental Nursing Allied Health Professionals (i.e. Physio and Occupational Therapists) Health Care Science Management Wider Health Care Team including Finance, Human Resources, Estates and Facilities and many others

The NHS has one of the UK’s most competitive and flexible benefits packages, including: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Bebington High Sports College Co-operative Community Trust

At Bebington High Sports College there are a host of opportunities for graduates and undergraduates to become involved in our school. We are always looking for expertise to support all curriculum areas and our extra curricular community outreach programmes, especially in sport and horticulture. For further details please call 0151 645 4154, visit our school website www.bebingtonhigh.com or email schooloffice@bebingtonhigh.wirral.sch.uk for the attention of Mr W. Brooks.

At least 27 days leave per year, plus eight general and public holidays, rising to 33 days after ten years’ service Pay enhancements for out-of-hours, shift and overtime working Annual personal development review to support your career Automatic membership of the NHS Pension Scheme (unless you opt out) Study leave for sponsored courses

If you are interested in finding out more about working for Aintree then please check out our vacancies at www.jobs.nhs.uk

BIG support £150 y onl * from r yea per

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Legal and Tax Protection Insurance, Legal Documents, Legal Information Online, Legal Services, Legal and Tax Advice Line, Health and Safety Information, Commercial Insurance Helpline, FSB Care, with access to more Member Benefits. Find out more at www.fsb.org.uk/benefits or phone Customer Services on 0808 20 20 888 Follow the FSB on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ to find out the latest news and advice

We think small Business Is Great *Price includes a £30 registration fee for the first year only.

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

JOBS & OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

rience

rk Expe o W r o f Looking ip? sh or Intern

Join us°

DWF is the business law firm with industry insight. Our legal experts combine real commercial understanding and deep sector knowledge to help clients anticipate issues, create opportunities and achieve the outcomes they need. Looking for the opportunity to take your career in the right direction?

We are currently looking for a range of graduates to join our growing offices across the UK. Applications or enquiries can be made to trainees@dwf.co.uk or call 0845 165 5053. Find out what it’s like to work at DWF, meet our people at: www.dwf.co.uk/join-us

DWF LLP (England and Wales) © DWF LLP 2013. DWF LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC328794. DWF LLP (registered number OC328794) is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

www.dwf.co.uk

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

JOBS & OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

Ricoh believes there’s more to business success than meets the eye. As a global technology company that specialises in IT services and solutions, we value customer-centric team players. That’s why Ricoh is a proud partner of Liverpool John Moores University’s World of Work Programme. It’s a key enabler for graduates to develop the softer skills to stand out, over and above a core qualification. Ricoh IT Services has regular opportunities for graduate placements, so look out for postings on LJMU Vacancy Website.

We’re not just good on paper. ricoh.co.uk

Build your career prospects while working on a real-life building site We have volunteer opportunities and potential placements for students from every discipline. Whether your skills are design, engineering or construction related, or you can bring much needed IT, administrative or marketing expertise to our organisation, we’d love to welcome you to our unique project in Liverpool. We’re a registered charity building 32 low-cost homes for families who couldn’t ordinarily afford to buy their own home. Our home partners invest 500 hours of ‘sweat equity’ helping to build those homes and we also offer opportunities for volunteers from all walks of life to join them. It’s a great opportunity to gain practical experience to complement your academic studies, enhance your CV, develop your communication skills and make lots of new friends. To find out more, email our volunteer coordinator Fabienne Matthews: fabienne@liverpoolhfh.org.uk or call / text 07739 806069

83 Alt Street Liverpool L8 2UF tel: 0151 707 9440 web: www.liverpoolhfh.org.uk

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

Getting you where you need to be for your career Visit merseytravel.gov.uk Ad451

JOBS & OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

ENGINEERING SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE

V Healthy

Everton in the Community’s Volunteering Programme We are looking for Community Health and Wellbeing Volunteers.

Do you know what the health issues are in your local area and how to tackle them? Exciting opportunities are available for people who are passionate about improving the health and wellbeing of people in their community. This could include delivering initiatives… ■ ■ ■ ■

In schools, community centres or sheltered accommodation With any age group, male or female who you feel are at risk of ill health Identifying people who are socially isolated to provide tailored support Focusing on lifestyle behaviour such as healthy eating, smoking cessation, alcohol intake or physical activity Volunteers can design their own projects to address local health challenges.

Further details are available via the EitC website or contact Joe on 0151 530 5253 or joseph.rowe@evertonfc.com

community.evertonfc.com

Start at the top and work your way up Weightmans is a Top 50 law firm with offices throughout the UK. Having obtained several top rankings in Chambers UK 2013 and been consistently awarded Top Employer status by the CRF Institute, we are immensely proud of the work we carry out for our clients and the supportive culture we provide to our people. To stay at the top we need to recruit the best trainee solicitors to become our partners and leaders of the future.

LAUNCH YOUR CAREER IN ENGINEERING Recently graduated in science (BSc) or engineering (BEng)? Semta works with employers in the UK’s most advanced sectors, helping to attract and develop skilled and talented new recruits for some of the world's most dynamic and rewarding careers.

Could you be one of them? Please send your CV to customerservices@semta.org.uk call 0845 643 9001 or visit semta.org.uk/graduates

Graduate to Merseyside Graduate to Merseyside works specifically with small to medium sized businesses to help find you paid graduate opportunities throughout Merseyside. Our service is available to graduates of all institutions. Register at:

www.graduatetomerseyside.co.uk Contact us on: Tel: 0151 794 5112

For details of our graduate opportunities, please visit our website or follow @WeightmansHR on Twitter.

www.weightmans.com

@Grad2Merseyside

Email: gradopps@liv.ac.uk Graduate to Merseyside

Weightmans is an equal opportunities employer

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

JOBS & OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

With a Management Training With a Management Training Programme as successful successfulasasours, ours, Programme as it’s easy to start getting ahead it’s easy to start getting ahead of ofyourself. yourself. Enterprise Training EnterpriseManagement Management Training Programme Programme IfIf you’re your own success story, you’replanning planningononwriting writing your own success story, you outout of of ourour book. After all, we you should shouldtake takea aleaf leaf book. After all, we have a global turnover of more than $12 billion, have a global turnover of more than $12 billion, plus 3,400 people in the UK and Ireland alone.

plus 3,400 people in the UK and Ireland alone.

Our Management Training Programme is just as Our Management Training is advantage just as impressive. For a start, you’ll Programme be able to take impressive. For a start,and you’ll be able to take advantage of extra fast progression a super speedy route to of extra fast progression and a super speedy route to management with an organisation that loves to promote management with an organisation that loves to promote from within. The fact is, if you work hard at Enterprise, fromcould within. fact is, if you hard at Enterprise, you be The managing your ownwork branch a little less than two years after you join. you could be managing your own branch a little less

than two years after you join. Quick? Certainly. Possible? Definitely. Our training and support second Possible? to none, and you’ll be working Quick? are Certainly. Definitely. Our training and alongside like-minded people the branch, one support are second to none,inand you’ll beeach working of whom will want to meet targets just as much youone – alongside like-minded people in the branch,as each it really is teamwork at its finest. And while the of whom will want to meet targets just as much as you – challenges can be tough, we believe in having fun too. it really iswhen teamwork its finest. And more while the Because you feelatgood, you learn challenges be tough, we believe in having fun too. and progresscan faster.

CWP provide mental health, drug and alcohol and learning disability services across Cheshire and Wirral. Alongside this we also provide community/physical health services across western Cheshire. We have more than 3,400 staff, working across 65 sites, serving a population of over one million people. If you are passionate about improving health and well-being by providing high quality care log on to www.jobs.nhs.uk to view our latest vacancies.

Because when you feel good, you learn more

Start getting ahead of yourself by visiting and progress faster. www.enterprisealive.co.uk/liverpool Start ahead or callgetting 0870 850 1232.of yourself by visiting www.enterprisealive.co.uk/liverpool @Erac_jobs or @Catherineraw

or call 0870 850 1232.

www.cwp.nhs.uk

We’re United Utilities, the North West’s water and wastewater company. It’s our job to bring 3.2 million households and thousands of businesses an incredible 2,000 million litres of clean, clear water each day. We take it all away too, treating it so it’s safe to go back into the rivers. Our 5000 employees play a crucial part in enabling us to get it right for our customers. From Crewe to Carlisle, great teams work together to achieve our vision and realise our plans. Across our business, there’s a strong collective belief that we’re all here to help life flow smoothly for our customers. And some of the best engineers in the UK are here helping us to make that a reality.

This is where you come in… We have many exciting opportunities at our Head Office or across our region within Science, Engineering, and a multitude of support functions needed within a leading FTSE 100 company. Visit our website www.unitedutilities.com/jobs to find out more about our business and the type of roles we recruit for.

Career Planning Guide 2013/14

ADVICE and SUPPORT = KNOWLEDGE (ASK) The Student Advice and Wellbeing teams are here to help, so please Just ASK us! www.ljmu.ac.uk/studentadvice We want you to be happy and healthy during your time at LJMU and we offer a wide range of support to help you maintain a balance between the pressures of student life, studying and social activities.

Student Funding Advice 0151 904 6056/6057 studentadvice@ljmu.ac.uk

Study Support 0151 904 6066 studysupport@ljmu.ac.uk

Student Wellbeing 0151 904 6116 studentwellbeing@ljmu.ac.uk

Disability 0151 904 6052/6037 disability@ljmu.ac.uk

@ljmusaw

International Students 0151 904 6050 internationaladvice@ljmu.ac.uk

Counselling 0151 904 6123 counselling@ljmu.ac.uk

Academic Advice/ Stay on Course Accommodation Advice 0151 904 6053 0151 904 6049 stayoncourse@ljmu.ac.uk accommodationadvice@ljmu.ac.uk

www.ljmu.ac.uk/studentadvice

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