DEVELOPING YOUR CAREER IDEAS
Routes into graduate employment The Careers Service offers impartial advice on different approaches to finding graduate-level employment. We can relate this to different industry sectors and roles, and will not steer you in any particular direction. Within a sector, there are a typical set of recruitment processes, but each organisation will manage its vacancies and applications in its own way, so: Understand both the industry pattern and the exceptions for the roles you are targeting. Be clear about timescales and deadlines from the beginning. Start your sector research with the 20+ short industry briefings in this Guide. Each one includes advice on recruitment processes and outlines ideas on how to develop relevant skills, enriched by personal stories and advice from Oxford alumni, and supported by listings from some of the major employers. Talking to companies and people doing the work in which you are interested can be invaluable. While you can network all year round, the first few weeks of Michaelmas term see hundreds of companies visiting Oxford every year for our career fairs and companyled events. We are planning for online fairs again in 2021 but just as many firms will be there to engage with so plan your time well: See Careers Term by Term for an overview of the recruitment year at Oxford.
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What can you offer an employer in addition to your degree qualification? Graduates who can demonstrate the transferable skills most commonly sought by recruiters will find that they have a competitive advantage in the jobs market. The eight core employability skills that employers look for are described here: www.careers.ox.ac.uk/developyour-employability-skills. Use this resource to identify your own skills gaps, get tips on improving your profile and boost your chances of job success. Rebecca Ehata, Careers Adviser, Oxford University
www.careers.ox.ac.uk
