Student Guide 23-24: Shaping the Development of Future-Ready Graduates

SHAPING THE DEVELOPMENT OF FUTURE-READY GRADUATES

Student Guide 2023-24

WELCOME

TO CAREERS, EMPLOYABILITY AND SKILLS

As a Queen’s student, we are the secret weapon you need to reach your full potential. Why? Many students leave university assuming their degree certificate is enough to get them where they want to be. But employers want more than the right degree: they are looking for all-rounders with transferable skills like teamwork, communication and critical thinking. These skills can’t be learned in a textbook. This is where we come in.

Firstly, we know employers and the skills they are looking for. What’s more, we can help you develop the most in-demand skills that will unlock exciting opportunities for you.

Whether it’s learning from leaders in Boston, completing an employer challenge in Belfast or networking with the tech

community in Berlin, we can give you access to powerful experiences that will stay with you. Crucially, we will work with you to sell those skills effectively on your CV or in a future interview – turbo boosting your employability. No idea where your future lies? We’ll teach you to lean into the power of uncertainty and of staying flexible. We’ll help you use your time at university to road test a range of career opportunities and help you figure out which direction is right for you. If you challenge yourself to keep an open mind and look at fresh perspectives, we’ll help you improve, grow in confidence and be the best that you can be – whatever success looks like for you.

The Careers, Employability and Skills Team

92%

Queen’s has the highest percentage of graduates in employment and further study among Russell Group Universities including Oxford and Cambridge.

WE’LL GIVE YOU INSPO’ FOR POTENTIAL CAREER PATHWAYS

WE’LL CONNECT YOU WITH TOP EMPLOYERS WE’LL EXPOSE YOU TO OPPORTUNITIES AROUND THE WORLD

CONTENTS

2 Welcome to Careers, Employability and Skills Your secret weapon to reaching your full potential

4 Ten Cool Things We Can Give You #2 A CV that sparkles!

6 Using the Future-Ready Roadmap Discover, explore, prepare and realise!

8 Where Can You Find Us? Meet us in One Elmwood

10 Your Place, Or Ours Find us around campus

12 It’s Not What You Know It’s who you know

14 Explore the World With Global Opportunities

16 The Support You Need When you need it

18 Find the Right Opportunities Via MyFuture

20 Our Events and Programmes

What’s coming up this year?

22 Future-Ready Award Get involved, get rewarded

To download a digital version of this brochure, please visit go.qub.ac.uk/careers

TEN

COOL THINGS WE CAN GIVE YOU

There are so many fun and unexpected ways to develop your employability at Queen’s. It’s not necessarily about suiting up and throwing yourself into the 9-5. We want you to have a blast as a student: try new things, meet new people and build up a range of skills. With our expertise and connections, you’ll be able to translate those experiences into a CV that sings – bonus! Here are just ten ways we can help you.

ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE

We know you’re building up transferable skills as a student, and we can help you prove it! You’ll get rewarded for developing your employability through the FutureReady Award. This is an extra certificate awarded at graduation that signals to a potential employer that you are a well-rounded candidate.

We know CVs. We look at them for a living! You can book a confidential appointment for us to check yours – helping you to show off your skills more effectively to a potential employer. We can help you sell your skills, and even help you tailor your CV or application form for the role.

We’ll give you access to VMock, our automated CV checker, which spots simple errors on your CV before an employer does. We’ll also hook you up with MyFuture, our early careers management app. Think of it as Tinder, for jobs! Star your faves and match with your dream role!

You are not limited to jobs directly related to your degree. These are called ‘non-linear’ career pathways. You can book a consultation to chat with us about how your skills and experience can translate into a range of career options that you might not even have considered.

Not sure where your future lies? That’s okay – and perfectly normal! Let’s get to know you. Book a consultation with us and we’ll help you drill down to explore your unique strengths, interests and skills, then we can help you discover potential career paths that match your personal values.

RATHER BE YOUR OWN BOSS?

We have a dedicated Enterprise Project Manager supporting student start-ups through free advice, incubation space, enterprise programmes and competitions!

SIX SEVEN EIGHT NINE TEN

ACCESS TO AWESOME EXPERIENCES

Fancy a jaunt to Europe’s coolest startup festival? How about a tour of the biggest law firms in Belfast? Maybe you’d rather play the Stock Market in a simulated real-world challenge? Our exciting range of programmes has got it all. And the best bit? Most of them are free to take part.

YOUR FIRST NETWORK THE INSIDE TRACK

We can give you exclusive access to the biggest grad recruiters – the people who hire students just like you every year. Through our employer events, you can get an idea of what working life at some of NI’s top companies looks like, in a relaxed and informal environment.

Our strong links with industry allow us to shape our development programmes around the skills that the modern workplace demands. Access our free Future-Ready Skills Course through Canvas to discover the personal and professional skills that will support you at Queen’s and beyond.

A PASSPORT TO THE WORLD A LEG UP IN THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Every year we support over 900 Queen’s students to go outside Northern Ireland to study or gain workrelated experience. Whether you want to intern in Asia, work at a summer camp in the USA or do a study exchange in Europe, you’ll find an opportunity to suit you.

You can follow target employers to receive relevant job and event updates via MyFuture. By applying for an internship, placement or graduate role via MyFuture, your application will go directly to a recruiter who is actively seeking to hire from Queen’s.

FUTURE-READY ROADMAP USING THE

The Future-Ready Roadmap can help you to develop new skills, explore the right opportunities, build your support network and gain the confidence to realise your ambitions. It’s a framework designed to help you progress your employability throughout your time at Queen’s. Everything we offer is clearly linked to the Roadmap so you can see where your gaps are, chart your progress and plan your future.

DISCOVER

Understand what employability is and combine this understanding with self-awareness to identify your strengths and areas for development.

PREPARE

This phase is all about helping you recognise your potential and understanding how to promote yourself and your skills. Whether applying for part-time work, an internship or a graduate job, we support you through every stage of the recruitment process.

EXPLORE REALISE

Our events and programmes are designed to help you try new things, meet new people and build relevant skills and experience, both at home and overseas.

Once you know a bit more about your goals, we help you plan how to achieve them. From connecting you with key employers to offering access to graduate and placement opportunities in your target sector, we’ll develop you into a future-ready graduate.

WHERE CAN

One Elmwood Student Centre

We’re located right at the heart of campus in One Elmwood Student Centre. We host a lot of our development workshops, information sessions and leadership programmes in The Cube, on the 1st floor (just take a

right at the top of the first flight of stairs). Meanwhile our bigger events, such as our Spring and Autumn Recruitment Fairs, are held in the Mandela, Whitla and South Dining Halls. We also host pop-up events in the Foyer of One Elmwood throughout the academic year. Stop by our stand

and meet our guest employers, or chat to our team about what’s coming up this semester.

On the University website

We have lots of self-help resources on our website. From personality tests to our free work values tests, get online and

On the MyFuture app

Every Queen’s student has free access to MyFuture, our early career management platform which has its own app. There are loads of free tools in there.

Use it to:

• Search and apply for jobs

• Discover employers

• Access 1-2-1 careers guidance

• Book events

• Check your CV Online

You can opt to have an online careers consultation. Just select the online option when you are booking your appointment via MyFuture and you’ll be sent joining details for your online appointment. Alternatively, you can book a 15-minute online appointment with one of the Global Opportunities Team to hear more about study and work abroad opportunities. The drops ins take place every Tuesday and Thursday, 12-1pm.

find out what truly motivates you. You can research careers options by School or sector, get interview and CV tips and get inspired by alumni career advice. You can also browse and book our broad range of events and programmes.

In person

You can book a 1-2-1 appointment to speak to one of our team in confidence. Our consultations take place in the guidance rooms at the rear of the 1st floor of One Elmwood, opposite the Student Information Point. Book your appointment via MyFuture, then check in for your appointment via the Student Information Point.

In your School

We deliver workshops in your School to help you discover career options relevant to your degree. We also bring employers

into your School for bespoke talks and events. Our annual Stock Market Challenge and the Accountancy Business Games are just some of the exciting games and challenges we run in Schools across campus. You’ll also find us on Canvas, the University’s virtual learning platform. Our free FutureReady Skills Course will help you develop the personal and professional skills that major employers are looking for.

On location

Fancy a tour of top law firms in Belfast? How about a visit to leading public sector and not-for-profit organisations?

We organise workplace visits to employers’ offices in Belfast and beyond. We also host challenges off-campus, such as the annual Real-World Challenge: Inside the Prison System, held at Hydebank Wood Young Offenders Centre and Prison.

YOUR PLACE, OR OURS?

We have a dedicated Careers Consultant attached to each School within Queen’s, so you’ll find us delivering workshops and talks in your classes. But you don’t need to wait for us to come to you – come over to ours, where you can access free, impartial advice and guidance anytime by booking a 1-2-1 Careers Consultation.

Our 30-minute consultations can be done online or faceto-face in One Elmwood Student Centre (you’ll find the Guidance Rooms on the first floor, opposite the Student Information Point)

Bespoke advice by subject

With our subject knowledge, we know what skills you are developing on your course, so we’ll help you learn how to sell yourself in a future interview. We have a dedicated Employer Engagement team, so we know the job market inside out –including who is hiring graduates from your course and career options suited to your subject.

Supercharge your CV –and your confidence!

We know what employers are looking for and we’ll guide you on how to build up your skills and experience as a student so that when it comes time to interview for placements or graduate roles, you’ll have a killer CV. Best of all, we’ll give you the confidence you need to succeed, whatever you put your mind to!

ASK US ABOUT...

• Induction Talks

• Careers talks by subject

• CV Building & Cover Letter Writing

• Application Forms

• Job Searching Techniques

• Understanding Job Descriptions & Person Specification

• Interview & Assessment Centres Preparation

• Professional Networking

• Development Programmes

• Career Planning

• Work or Study Abroad

• Drop-in Sessions

• Presentation Skills

• Why Work Experience Matters

• Unlocking Careers Online

• Welcome Back after Placement

• Professionalism in the Workplace

• Self-Employment and Start-ups

“Making a career decision can often be overwhelming and confusing. The best part of my job is supporting students who are anxious about their career prospects to recognise their own potential, build their confidence and reach their aspirations.”

CARMEL COLTON, CAREERS CONSULTANT

IT’S NOT WHAT YOU KNOW, IT’S WHO YOU KNOW!

Luckily for you, we have a hotline to powerful recruiters across a range of industries and sectors, and we are committed to helping you make key introductions.

ASK US ABOUT...

• Careers Fairs

• Employer Events

• Business Games and Challenges

• Funded Employer Projects and Internships Opportunities.

• Work Shadowing Opportunities

• The Local Job Market

• Student Mentoring

• Student Enterprise and Consultancy Opportunities

Many employers hire graduates that they already know, and you’ll have plenty of opportunity to meet employers on campus through Careers Fairs, employer panels and industry workshops.

Find opportunities to suit you

Whether you are looking for a funded summer internship, a short-term, real-world work project, or to road test a career with work shadowing, we can help you put what you’ve learned on your course into practice, enhancing your CV and graduate prospects. We source and promote employer vacancies and work-related learning opportunities through MyFuture, Queen’s early career management platform. This intuitive system allows

you to filter your job search by industry, job function and course. You can also set up job alerts which are sent directly to your student email. There is even a handy app – think of it as Tinder for jobs!

Careers Fairs on campus

Our Careers Fairs take place on campus twice a year in October and February offering the opportunity to connect in-person with employers offering work experience, placement and graduate opportunities.

We also run the NI Graduate and Recruitment Fair in partnership with Ulster University once a year before summer graduation for final year students and recent graduates.

EXPLORE THE WORLD

Every year over 900 Queen’s students take the opportunity to go outside Northern Ireland to study or gain work-related experience. Why not be one of them? There are loads of options and we can help you research them – from studying in Europe or Canada to interning on Capitol Hill.

Take advantage of a period of study at an overseas university or an international work placement as part of your degree. Some degrees (especially those with a language element) include a compulsory year abroad. These are generally four-year courses, during which you’ll spend a year either studying at a partner university or on work placement with an employer. Many other degrees offer the option of participating in a study exchange scheme for one or two semesters, usually in your second year. The ‘semester abroad’ option allows you to graduate within the usual three years. There are also lots of summer options available, when a longer period abroad is not possible.

Spend a semester or a full academic year at another

GLOBAL UNIVERSITY

Go Global Fair

Our annual Go Global Week gives you the chance to chat to organisations that can offer you an experience of a lifetime to study, work or volunteer abroad and to hear from other students who have already taken part.

YOUR SUMMER STARTS HERE

Funding Options

If a semester or year studying abroad is a recognised part of a degree programme, whether compulsory or optional, you should still be entitled to a student loan whilst overseas.

Government

or University

travel bursaries are also available for a range of international programmes, to help with the additional costs of your overseas travel.

Confidence Boost

Whilst overseas, you’ll load up on confidence and independence. What’s more, you’ll be eligible to apply for your period overseas to be considered towards the Queen’s Future-Ready Award (DegreePlus). The Award provides official recognition of your improved employability skills, global and cultural awareness and increased selfconfidence and motivation.

Global Opportunities Search tool

Search and find study and work abroad opportunities to suit you at go.qub.ac.uk/ goglobal.

THE SUPPORT YOU NEED WHEN YOU NEED IT

11TH

Queen’s is ranked 11th in the UK for career prospects after 15 months

(Guardian University Guide 2023)

Students who access 1-2-1 Career Guidance are more likely to land a graduate role

(Based on Graduate Outcomes 17/18, 15 months after graduation)

Call us nerds, but we love a spreadsheet! We have a whole team dedicated to collating student data that we then use to make your Careers service the very best that it can be.

The support you need, when you need it

During the registration process at the start of each academic year, you will be asked to complete two Careers-focused questions. We use this data to inform a targeted approach to the careers information

and support we provide you during the year. You’ll receive targeted monthly emails from us with details of career-related activities that are relevant to you.

Have your say

As a Queen’s University Student, you have an opportunity to have your say. What do you think about your School and course? What are the key aspects of the Queen’s experience? What about the quality of teaching, support and learning resources? Your voice can help drive real change at Queen’s and help future students make the right choice about higher education.

WHAT WE KNOW

We manage and analyse institution-wide surveys including the Graduate Outcomes survey, The National Student Survey, the Queen’s Student Survey (QSS), and the Postgraduate Taught and Postgraduate Research Experience Surveys.

Don’t miss a beat!

Stay up-to-date with all things Careers by reading our monthly email updates sent straight to your QUB Inbox from MyFuture. You can also follow @QUBCareers on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram for the latest news.

Students who attend Careers events and employer workshops are more likely to land a graduate role

(Based on Graduate Outcomes 17/18, 15 months after graduation)

Top 170 in the world for graduate prospects

(QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022)

Lowest graduate unemployment rate

Queen’s has both the lowest graduate unemployment rate and the highest percentage of graduates in employment and further study among the Russell Group

(Graduate Outcomes results for 2020/21 UG level graduates, among 24 comparable world-class research-intensive UK universities).

Surveys team

Log in with your QUB email

Every student at Queen’s can log on to the platform for free using their Queen’s email address and password, and you can continue to enjoy access for up to two years after graduation.

Search and find opportunities

There are currently over 2,000 employers active on the platform. Thanks to AI and smart technology, the system will match you with opportunities based on your previous searches and QSIS data so the most relevant events and jobs will appear in your searches.

You can access loads of free tools via MyFuture including:

• VMock, our free automated CV Checker

• Student Circus, a platform for international students seeking work in the UK

• GoinGlobal, a platform offering 16 million worldwide internship and job postings

• Practice Psychometric Tests

• Mock interviews

Search “Symplicity” and select Queen’s University Belfast SYMPLICITY

EVENTS & PROGRAMMES OUR

We make employability an essential part of the student experience at Queen’s. Our events and programmes are designed to encourage you to try new things, meet new people and build relevant skills and experience, both at home and overseas. Here are just some of the highlights for the year ahead.

Fairs on campus

Our Autumn and Spring Fairs are an opportunity for employers to showcase their graduate roles, internships, placement and work experience opportunities to Queen’s students.

Webinars and workshops

Our Future-Ready Skills Bitesize programme will help you understand the skills employers are looking for and identify any gaps. Delivered online, these sessions cover everything from dealing with imposter syndrome to communication skills.

Our live workshops in The Cube include Selling your Transferable Skills and Finding Your Purpose. You can also access the Future-Ready Skills Course

through Canvas, the University’s virtual learning platform. The course will help you develop the personal and professional skills that will support you both at Queen’s and beyond.

Future-Ready Skills for Leaders

Our hugely popular leadership programme Future-Ready Skills for Leaders, is a three-day event of business games and

challenges designed to develop teamwork, management, leadership and presentation skills held in semester 2 in One Elmwood.

Future Ready Skills for Leaders: Go Global

This global leadership programme brings together students from across the University to work on projects and develop skills that enable them to become changemakers. The project work is enhanced by a visit to an international city to meet with alumni and other professionals

working in a range of companies. Last year, students travelled to Boston.

Future-Ready Skills for International Students

Our international student employability programme is designed to help you discover how to build your personal brand, craft an effective CV and cover letter for the UK job market and learn all about the nuances and etiquette of the UK workplace – including how to ace that all-important interview!

Spotlight on… Industry

Our Spotlight On… City tours include visits to local and global law firms based in Belfast, as well as an opportunity to tour local public sector and not-for-profit organisations. We’ll also be hosting key players from the creative industries during a panel event in The Cube.

Real-World Experience

We offer access to valuable and impactful work experience through work shadowing and internships. During our Real-World projects, you’ll deliver a short sharp project with a participating employer, while our funded summer internships offer the chance to gain valuable experience and earn a salary. Work shadowing is a great way to try a career on for size to see if it fits.

Real-World Challenges

Covering topics including overhauling the justice system and tackling climate change, our Real-World Challenge series gives you the opportunity to tackle a real-world problem, then persuade the experts, while developing key employability skills in the process. Meanwhile, our Stock Market Challenge offers the chance to simulate the excitement of the trading room floor right here on campus.

Global Opportunities

You’ll find out about the wealth of work and study abroad opportunities open to you at Go Global Week, culminating in the annual Go Global Fair. We also host a series of information sessions throughout the academic year.

Go Global, Work Local

Our Working Globally From NI internship programme allows you to build up experience with an international company from right here in Belfast.

Widening Participation

Mentoring Programme

Our Widening Participation

Mentoring programme is designed to help talented university students from underrepresented groups succeed in their early careers.

She Leads

Our She Leads Programme for Women is an opportunity for aspiring future women leaders to discover their unique strengths, values and behaviours and develop their sense of agency as they learn to assert themselves, improve their communication style and limit self-doubt.

For event listings, visit go.qub.ac.uk/careerevents

FUTURE -READY AWARD

The Future-ready Award is an employability award that allows you to gain formal recognition and a certificate for the extracurricular experience you gain during your time at Queen’s.

You can gain this award by completing an accredited activity.

Added to a CV, the award signals to a potential employer that you have worked hard to develop the skills you need to succeed in the workplace, and enables you to better articulate your skills and experience. In addition, the award gives you the opportunity

to receive a certificate at graduation, on top of your degree, with the achievement verified on your QSIS Student Record.

GET INVOLVED, GET REWARDED

We have over 100 accredited activities available.

These include extracurricular work experiences, community and voluntary work, Global Opportunities to work or study abroad, as well as early professional development activities.

Layer Your Skills

From trips to China and the USA to employer-led challenges, there are so many fun and

rewarding activities for you to get involved in on campus.

Tailor Your Award

You can complete an activity (or more than one activity), at any time, fitting them in alongside your studies and tracking your Higher Education Achievement Record (HEAR) progress via QSIS.

Added Value

Taking part in the award is free of charge, (although some activities might have costs involved), and allows you to add valuable skills and experience to your CV all while having fun, making new friends or travelling abroad.

Make friends, BUILD NETWORKS

Choose from 100+

verified activities