The Frame Issue 3 by The Frame

The Frame Issue 3 / Spring 2016

This issue: Framing Student Personal & Professional Development

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The Frame Spring 2016 FEATURES Foreword Bob Gilworth, Director of College Careers Services, University of London, & AGCAS Director of Research discusses “employability eco-systems” in Higher Education (p.3). Regular Features Editor’s Letter by Charlotte Betts, Skills+ Developer, Goldsmiths Careers Service (p.5). Sue Young, Head of Goldsmiths Careers Service considers how we can best support students in their personal and professional development (p.9). Guest Contributors Articles, interviews and case studies from universities and organisations including: UAL, Queen Mary, AGCAS, NUS, CHASE, ASET and more. Kate Little, Senior Project Officer, NUS, introduces a new personal development benchmarking tool (p.13) and Hannah Breslin, Student Employability Practitioner, UAL considers the broad skills that creative students develop (p.25). Goldsmiths Staff Perspectives A wide variety of approaches, initiatives, opinion pieces and research from within Goldsmiths. Liz Bromley, Goldsmiths Registrar & Secretary contemplates a recent Government Green Paper (p.7). Olivia Swift, Lecturer in Anthropology, reflects on work placements and how they can enable students to articulate their skills (p.29).

Student Perspectives Case studies and feedback on workshops, events and services. Students tell us why work placements, internships, careers education and other personal and professional development opportunities are important to them.

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Contents 1 Features 2 Contents 3 Foreword, Bob Gilworth, College Careers Services, University of London & AGCAS 5 Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Letter, Charlotte Betts, Goldsmiths 6 The Frame, Charlotte Betts, Goldsmiths 7 The Green Paper - A Rhetoric of Excellence? Liz Bromley, Goldsmiths 9 A Holistic Approach, Sue Young, Goldsmiths 12 Goldsmiths Careers Service 13 Active Citizens in a Modern Society, Kate Little, NUS 15 Media Futures, Helen Kempster, Goldsmiths 16 Life After Goldsmiths, Eva Kiss, Goldsmiths 18 Professional Practice, Charlotte Betts interviews Stephen Graham, Goldsmiths 20 Psychology ROCC, Vanessa Freeman and Georgina Hosang, Goldsmiths 21 Enhancing Chances of Success, Lucia Boldrini, Goldsmiths 23 A Community of Best Practice, Sue Spence, AGCAS 25 Creativity and a Broad Skills Set, Hannah Breslin, UAL 27 An Insight into the Working Environment, Alison McGregor, Goldsmiths 29 Reflecting and Articulating, Olivia Swift, Goldsmiths 31 CHASE: the nuances of placements, Steven Colburn, CHASE 33 High Calibre Volunteers, Charlotte Betts interviews Laura Beswick, Queen Mary 35 Learning + Support + Experience, Sarah Flynn, ASET

37 Linking to Industry, Fergus Gleeson, Goldsmiths 39 Helping Students to Prepare for the Graduate Labour Market, Samuel Gordon, AGR 40 Student Perspectives 41 Internships: a bridge to work, Mark Chadwick, Goldsmiths 43 Temp Agency Partnerships with Universities, Rachel Blundell, Queen Mary 44 Volunteering: a message for students, Lee Mendeloff, SLV 45 Reflections from a Museum Internship, Anca Nitulescu, Goldsmiths 46 Showing the Way, Helen Kempster, Goldsmiths 48 Student Perspectives 49 The Power of Information, Claire Coveney, Goldsmiths 50 Can Self-Confidence be Taught? Vanessa Freeman, Goldsmiths 51 Securing an Interview, Beth Guilding, Goldsmiths 53 Global Online Career Development, Laura Brammar, The Careers Group 55 Careers with a Humanities or Social Science Degree, Helen Kempster, Goldsmiths 57 News from the Skills Team, Charlotte Betts, Anthony Crowther, Katarina Lezova and Joanie Magill, Goldsmiths 59 Careers Guidance for Prospective Students, Helen Kempster, Goldsmiths 61 Goldsmiths Careers Service Team

THE FRAME Editor: Charlotte Betts E. c.betts@gold.ac.uk W. gold.ac.uk/careers/skills

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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

Foreword Dr Bob Gilworth, Director of College Careers Services, University of London, & AGCAS Director of Research

All around the country, HEIs are working on “employability eco-systems.” Placements and internships, Skills awards, Enterprise activities and Volunteering all tend to feature strongly, alongside careers education, information and guidance, access to graduate opportunities and networking with employers. Inevitably there are many elements and contributors, though they all need a focal point and in most cases, that is the careers service, as is the case at Goldsmiths. Amidst all of this activity, it is crucial to maintain a sense of core purpose and not to allow ourselves to become embroiled in activity for its own sake. This is why the title of my recent presentation at the Inside Government event in Manchester was “Keeping our eyes on the prize - the importance of career choice.” I would suggest our careers and employability eco-systems need to ensure that all of the parts add up to enabling students to make wellinformed plans for the future with the capability to implement and develop them. This is “the prize.” The use of more and better data on our students’ starting points and journeys is a crucial enabler here. Careers Registration (the process of obtaining

information on students’ career thinking and work experience through the institutional enrolment process) has been a significant step forward in a number of institutions including Goldsmiths. I am leading one of the HEFCE learning gain pilot projects1, based around Careers Registration. This is a consortium project with over a dozen universities, including Goldsmiths. As it covers all students, careers registration data across a number of institutions, creates very large data sets and one theme which is already clear is that the proportion of students who are still in the “decide” phase when it comes to considering career options is very large indeed. In other words, there are compelling data from students which remind us very strongly about the need to keep our eyes on the prize. This is backed up by external data from a recent national study of graduates two and a half years after graduation which showed very clearly that the strongest factor associated with success in terms of being in a graduate level job at that point was “having a career plan.”2 The same study also showed a strong association between graduate level success and interaction with the careers service whilst at university.

“it is crucial to maintain a sense of core purpose and not to allow ourselves to become embroiled in activity for its own sake.”

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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

“I would suggest our careers and employability eco-systems need to ensure that all of the parts add up to enabling students to make well-informed plans for the future with the capability to implement and develop them.”

We all know that the UK graduate market is very unusual in its predominantly “any degree discipline” nature. If we acknowledge that there is a group of students on genuinely vocational programmes (mostly medicine and health) who will not be players in the “mainstream” graduate market, we can see that we have a largely non-vocational student group interacting with a market which is not overly defined by degree subject. No wonder that informed choice is such a major issue and that lack of such focus often produces the “spray and pray” random approach to job hunting which benefits neither graduate or employer. Of course, the medicine and health students will still have to make informed choices in their fields.

“No wonder that informed choice is such a major issue and that lack of such focus often produces the “spray and pray” random approach to job hunting which benefits neither graduate or employer.”

Despite the compelling case for keeping wellinformed choices and plans front and centre, the importance of this can be drowned out amidst the “noise” surrounding employability and pressure to just do more stuff rather than considering the ultimate purpose. A recent study by UNITE3, the student housing organisation, included some employability questions through partnership with AGCAS. One of these was to students who do not engage with their careers services asking them why this was the case. The most common reason for not engaging was “because I don’t know what I want to do.” It is worth considering why it might be that these students do not realise that help with this crucial issue is readily available in their universities and whose responsibility it is to make sure that they are aware. If we keep our eyes on the prize and communicate this loudly and effectively, we will help all of our students and especially those who need this help the most.

HEFCE http://www.hefce.ac.uk/lt/lg/ IFF, AGCAS conference presentation 2015 3 Unite Students Insight Report (2015) Available online: http://www.unite-students.com/about-us/insightreport 1 2

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Editor’s Letter Charlotte Betts, Santander Skills+ Developer, Goldsmiths Careers Service

Welcome to the third issue of The Frame. I am delighted to introduce this bumper issue to you which is packed full of fascinating articles from colleagues within Goldsmiths and from other institutions and organisations. This edition considers approaches to supporting students’ personal and professional development in Higher Education through innovations within and alongside the curriculum. Many of the features elucidate ideas around the nature of work in Careers Education, Work Placements, Internships and Careers Guidance and the value and benefits these provide for learners. The context for this issue is underpinned by a current hot topic: the recent government Green Paper, Fulfilling our Potential: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice.1 Several articles make reference to this paper opening and inviting discussion around what this may mean at a policy and sector level and how it will directly impact on our growing student cohorts. A range of case studies and interviews are included, demonstrating approaches to embedding employability-related initiatives firmly within the student experience. Insights are provided into the intricacies of developing Careers Education Programmes, Work Placement modules, Employer Engagement strategies, Internship opportunities and Information and Guidance services. In addition, representatives from Industry and the student body voice their views, providing this issue with an extensive scope and range of perspectives.

This Issue along with the previous Issues (1 and 2) has been a pleasure to work on, I have been very fortunate to be in contact with innovators and advocates of various aspects of student skills development, to learn more about their approaches and the value that these hold. This publication grew out of a desire to share those approaches and highlight the good practice that has emerged as I have researched the ‘skills’ landscape in HE. We have been absolutely delighted with the positive response The Frame has received and feel that this demonstrates a keen interest in dialogue around student skills development and the vital role this plays in a university education and the student experience. For now though, I am to sign off as Editor for a few months, as I will shortly be going on maternity leave to start a whole new phase of my own skills development! However, I will be returning and I look forward to continuing The Frame in the near future – as there are still so many more interesting areas to explore. I would like to dedicate a few words of thanks to those who have made this publication possible - to all those who have contributed and particularly to the team at Goldsmiths Careers Service, each of whom work tirelessly to help students to develop themselves personally and professionally, to enable them to improve, excel and realise their aspirations. I feel very fortunate and grateful to have been part of such an excellent team of inspiring colleagues and would like to thank you all for welcoming me as part of that team and for the important work you do at Goldsmiths to help so many students.

Department for Business Innovation and Skills (2015) Fulfilling our Potential Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice. Available online: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/474227/BIS-15-623-fulfilling-our-potential-teaching-excellence-social-mobility-and-student-choice.pdf 1

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A Cross-Campus Skills Framework Did you know that The Frame is not only the title of this publication - it is a broad and comprehensive framework for Skills Development at Goldsmiths? The Frame brings together a variety of activities and intiatives supporting studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; skills development and enhancing the student experience at Goldsmiths. Here is a little more information:

Academic Skills

Activities & Experience

Enterprise & Innovation

PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Academic Skills Certificate (P.57) Enhancing Academic Skills Workshops (P.57) (Also see Issue 1)

Co-Curricular Activities (Issue 2) Gold Award (P.58) HEAR (P.58) Work Placements (P.27) Internships (P.41) Careers Education (P.15, 16, 18, 20) Guidance & Information (P.46, 49, 51) Employer Events (P.37)

Enterprise Events Workshops Boot Camps Competitions Support & Guidance (P.58)

To support this framework we have developed the following: The Frame Directory - To help students identify opportunities The Frame Skills for Success (Goldsmiths login required)- a virtual learning environment for students with resources and information to support skills development The Frame Publication - to communicate information and approaches to skills development to Goldsmiths staff, students and the wider sector.

For more information on any aspect of The Frame or to express interest to contribute to a future publication please contact: frame@gold.ac.uk 6

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The Green Paper A Rhetoric of Excellence? Liz Bromley, Goldsmiths Registrar & Secretary

The government recently published its Green Paper (Fulfilling our Potential: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice1) as a proposal for consultation before presenting it as a White Paper to Parliament. The White Paper will shape the legislation governing Higher Education for the foreseeable future. So it’s important to understand the implications and challenges of the proposals and to participate in the consultation. The anecdote goes that Jo Johnson, Minister for Universities and Science, was troubled by a young friend telling him that they had chosen their university for the resident academic; they arrived to find that the academic was away on research leave and wouldn’t be teaching. Mr Johnson was moved to introduce the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) in the Green Paper to boost the importance of teaching students. Whether or not the story is true, it raises the question of whether teaching excellence can exist if academics are less able to conduct the research that underpins student learning. Would such a shift towards teaching first, research second, fundamentally change the role of the university? Or does the introduction of the TEF simply give parity to teaching alongside the REF (Research Excellence Framework) which has been the long established way for universities to receive Government funding for their measured research activity? The Green Paper is ‘all about students’. It references student satisfaction, retention, employability and widening participation, alongside social mobility. But the impact of raising standards,

via the TEF, will lead to variable, higher fees – the more ‘excellent’ the teaching, the more students can be charged. Four inflation-linked fee levels are proposed, but to be blunt, in a world of negligible inflation, the cost of admin required to ‘demonstrate excellence’ will be more than an inflationary fee rise, so in reality universities will have less to spend on their students’ experience. The TEF should raise the quality, standards and expectations of teaching and learning. Pastoral care and the co-curriculum offer should improve. Students can ‘expect more’ from their lecturers and learning environment, and expect full ‘value for money’ as a consumer of higher education. Universities will have to quantify and explain why, how and what we do, stating the outcomes and impact of our teaching. The outcomes (‘metrics’) will be demonstrated by teaching quality, learning environment, student retention and graduate employability, some data being easier to collect than others. For example, graduate employment statistics are collected six months after graduation, through the DLHE survey (Destination of Leavers from HE) – very challenging for institutions like Goldsmiths, rooted in the study and teaching of the Arts and Humanities, rather than medicine and law. Portfolio careers, self-employed artists and musicians, those who ‘just work’ whilst establishing themselves, cannot create ‘graduate employment’ statistics that demonstrate teaching excellence. The lack of statistics does not mean that such students have not been taught well by excellent academics!

“But the impact of raising standards, via the TEF, will lead to variable, higher fees – the more ‘excellent’ the teaching, the more students can be charged.” 7

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As well as introducing more competition from private HE providers, and an exit route for universities which fail financially (never yet seen in the UK), the Green Paper also proposes to change the longstanding funding and regulatory framework which has kept universities at arm’s length from Government for many years . HEFCE, (the Higher Education Funding Council for England) will be amalgamated with OFFA (the Office for Fair Access) into an ‘Office for Students’. Thus excellence, and widening participation in HE, will come together under one roof, whilst funding for both teaching and research reverts to the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). The good intention of this amalgamation is undermined by the separation of funding from regulation – the real power any regulator has is its ability to penalise financially those who don’t meet required standards. Despite being the new ‘sector regulator and student champion’, without the oversight of the funding mechanism, the Office for Students has blunted teeth.

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through research and to disseminate it through teaching and learning – is as yet a moot point. We will have to hope that universities, like Goldsmiths, who have responded fully to the consultation will help to get the next iteration much closer to the good intentions behind these proposals.

“It is right that excellence should be demanded of institutions charging thousands of pounds in fees. It is a human right that top quality HE be available to all, and that the experience of university is life changing and life affirming.”

So – it’s good to have an HE minister who wants the very best for students, as we do at Goldsmiths. It is right that excellence should be demanded of institutions charging thousands of pounds in fees. It is a human right that top quality HE be available to all, and that the experience of university is life changing and life affirming. This is the Goldsmiths mission. Whether this can be achieved by a Green Paper which doesn’t seem to fully understand the real purpose of universities – to create knowledge

Department for Business Innovation and Skills (2015) Fulfilling our Potential Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice. Available online: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/474227/ BIS-15-623-fulfilling-our-potential-teaching-excellence-social-mobility-and-student-choice.pdf 1

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Our Holistic Approach Sue Young, Head of Goldsmiths Careers Service In the recent Green Paper, Fulfilling our Potential: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice, Jo Johnson, Minister of State for Universities and Science, talks with pride about the rise in students entering higher education, “Record numbers of students secured places this year, including record numbers from disadvantaged backgrounds.”1 On the other hand, the Green Paper goes on to state that, “While employers report strong demand for graduate talent, they continue to raise concerns about the skills and job readiness of too many in the graduate labour pool.” Apparently, then, the much-reported ‘skills gap’ complained about by (graduate) employers, not only still exists, but is said to be growing.2 As HM Treasury’s July 2015 report, Fixing the Foundations3 warns, the UK risks falling down in terms of productivity on the OECD countries list and the only way to tackle this is by long-term investment in skills and knowledge. The value and impact of higher education, to students, employers, and the UK economy as a whole, have been rehearsed many times. Economic growth demands the higher-level skills developed by higher education. But here’s the thing: how do we ensure that our students become independent learners and progress into fulfilling graduate employment beyond their academic study? The answer is in how we – universities - support them. At Goldsmiths, we aim to ensure our support is holistic. We have a ‘joined-up’ approach across the campus so that our students have the right opportunities in the right places at the right times. In terms of employability, this includes supported volunteering, work placement opportunities, paid internships, careers education programmes, skills development, enterprise activities, language support, engaging with employers on campus… like many other universities, the list is long! What

underpins this, though, is our ethos of supporting the ‘whole’ individual – not just in their academic endeavours but also in their personal and professional development. Across the higher education sector, there is a wide range of approaches to supporting students alongside their academic learning (looked at in depth in the last issue of The Frame). This includes a plethora of ‘employability award’ schemes with both extrinsic and intrinsic measures of success, temping opportunities, work placements, internships and embedded employability programmes. In addition to such initiatives, there is graduate coaching and alumni mentoring for those who require continued support post-graduation. The breadth and depth of support for students and graduates, depends, of course on the strategic drivers of each particular institution. At Goldsmiths, we look at the ‘journey’ from school to higher education and beyond. We have a Pre-Entry Careers Consultant who collaborates with the Outreach team to take careers and employability support into schools and colleges. In recognition of what can be a challenging transition for many, we run our excellent ‘Gold Start’ programme for all new undergraduate students to help them ‘bridge the gap’. A recent successful cross-campus collaboration has developed at Goldsmiths, starting as a pilot: an Enhancing Academic Skills programme involving several colleagues from a number of departments. The uptake was excellent, confirming the need for this kind of support. As part of the programme, an Academic Skills Certificate is awarded, by the Careers Service, to those students who fulfil various elements including, crucially, a reflective piece of work focusing on their learning gain.

“But here’s the thing: how do we ensure that our students become independent learners and progress into fulfilling graduate employment beyond their academic study?” 9

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Recently, we introduced new elements to the Gold Award, our personal and professional development programme, including continuing one-to-one support and encouraging students to demonstrate their learning in other ways by submitting their evidence in a scrapbook, making a video, setting out a small exhibition, creating a piece of art… and so on. We wanted to give our students the opportunity to express themselves in ways other than a traditional piece of written work. There is no doubt that this individualised approach, along with the allimportant reflective element, has boosted students’ confidence, helped them with skills development, facilitated their creative freedom and - in some cases - has actually resulted in students not giving up on their studies. It is well-known how difficult it can be to get graduate jobs in the arts, media and heritage sectors but undertaking a work placement, or internship, can make all the difference to students in securing a paid role post-graduation. For many employers, work experience is now vital. A recent High Fliers report states: Nearly half the recruiters who took part in the research repeated their warnings from previous years – that graduates who have had no previous work experience at all are unlikely to be successful during the selection process and have little or no chance of receiving a job offer for their organisations’ graduate programmes.4 We have a successful work placements scheme and are gradually moving towards the exciting prospect of being able to offer every student such an opportunity. Our paid internship scheme also has excellent outcomes: a recent Goldsmiths student

who interned with Time Out was subsequently offered a permanent role with them, which she was delighted to accept! In recognition of the value and impact to both students and employers, work experience opportunities for all full-time undergraduates was recommended by the Wilson report, 20125. And this is something we are well on the way to achieving. Work experience is high on the agenda of today’s students: almost always the first question the Careers team is asked at Open Days is, “do you offer work experience?”. Recognition of its value is such that HEIs cannot afford not to offer work experience – if they don’t, they risk failing to be the choice of students. Goldsmiths Careers Service works closely with academic departments to tailor specific and relevant careers education programmes (CEPs) to students. Careers education is too important to leave to chance. Most, if not all, higher education institutions offer comprehensive opportunities for students to access such education – although its form, content and integration with curriculum-based learning still depends on the strategic importance placed on it by senior managers and academics. Nevertheless, CEPs are designed to give students the tools and knowledge for effective career management. Structured, planned, careers education is a high priority for many institutions, including Goldsmiths: it can lead to satisfied students, strong graduate employment outcomes and reputational kudos. As part of our holistic ethos at Goldsmiths, we are increasingly moving towards research-based working. In 2015, one of our academics, Olivia Swift, collaborated with the Careers Service to research into the benefits of work placements, including the benefits to academic study. The research output,

“Work experience is high on the agenda of today’s students: almost always the first question the Careers team is asked at Open Days is, “do you offer work experience?”. Recognition of its value is such that HEIs cannot afford not to offer work experience – if they don’t, they risk failing to be the choice of students.” 10

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Embedding Placements: Is it working?6 refers to six of the main benefits of work placements to students, including bringing their work-based learning back into the classroom. Goldsmiths is part of a consortium of HEIs which won funding from HEFCE to conduct research into ‘Learning Gain’; it’s a three year project which aims to measure students’ readiness for work over the period of their study time; unlike DLHE, which measures employment six months post-graduation, the enrolment data gained annually at registration shows a picture of varying levels of employability enabling the institution to target support in specific ways. Other collaborative research we are involved in is gathering data on the HEAR from employers. Implementing the HEAR at Goldsmiths in 2014-15, we would like to discover what employer attitudes are to this document. A piece of research we have just finished is a longitudinal survey of Goldsmiths graduates from three departments from 2009, 2010 and 2011. The results are being analysed and reported as I write,

and we wait with interest to see how the data and narratives can inform our approach to supporting students. In the Green Paper, there is much focus on record student numbers, on widening access and the opportunity for “anyone with the talent and potential to enter university”. Widening the opportunity to study in HE is an excellent policy but we need to ensure that we don’t lose sight of those other important factors: retention and progression. It’s no good taking the money and packing students into lecture theatres without a strong commitment to support in other areas. At Goldsmiths, that support is increasingly holistic. Prospective students now gauge whether their university experience will be ‘value for money’ - especially, perhaps, those who enter higher education without ‘cultural capital’. As higher education professionals, we have a duty of care to all our students, not just in receiving an outstanding academic education but also in ensuring high quality support. An excellent student experience, more than ever, really matters. For institutions, getting it wrong now can be costly.

“Widening the opportunity to study in HE is an excellent policy but we need to ensure that we don’t lose sight of those other important factors: retention and progression. It’s no good taking the money and packing students into lecture theatres without a strong commitment to support in other areas.” BIS (2015) Fulfilling our Potential: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice. Available online: https://www.gov.uk/ government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/474227/BIS-15-623-fulfilling-our-potential-teaching-excellence-social-mobility-and-student-choice.pdf 2 CBI (2015) Inspiring Growth. Pearson Available online: http://news.cbi.org.uk/reports/education-and-skills-survey-2015/education-and-skills-survey-2015/ 3 HM Treasury (2015) Fixing the Foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation. Available online: https://www.gov.uk/government/ uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/443898/Productivity_Plan_web.pdf 4 High Fliers (2015) The Graduate Market in 2015. High Fliers Research Limited. London Available online: http://www.highfliers. co.uk/download/2015/graduate_market/GMReport15.pdf 5 Wilson, T (2012) A Review of Business-University Collaboration Available online: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/32383/12-610-wilson-review-business-university-collaboration.pdf 6 Swift, O (2015) Embedding Placements: Is it working? Work placement modules at Goldsmiths: investigating the benefits within the Humanities and Social Sciences. 1

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Goldsmiths Careers Service Departmental Careers Education Programmes Careers Information & Advice Careers Workshops

One-to-one Careers Discussions & Guidance

Part-time Jobs and Volunteering Fairs

HEAR

Work Placements & Internships

Employerled Events & Industry Panels

Skills Development Workshops, Information & Advice

Research & Publications

CV Checks & Practice Interviews

Gold Award

Student Enterprise Boot Camps, Competitions & Advice

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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

Active Citizens in a Modern Society Introducing the NUS Personal Development Benchmarking Tool Kate Little, Senior Project Officer, NUS

We at NUS have long been passionate advocates of the transformative power of education. Education has the power to change a person’s hopes and dreams, to open up a world of new opportunities, and to change society for the better. A crucial aspect of this transformational experience is the personal and professional development of students during their time in tertiary education. Last year NUS worked to develop a resource on personal development, as part of a suite of similar resources looking at different aspects of the learning and teaching experience. The personal development benchmarking tool is shaped by research into students’ views, as well as key areas of academic literature, and is moulded by a group of elected student officers from across the UK. It contains five key principles outlining what is important to students in terms of their personal development, and each principle has five levels of practice for institutions to benchmark themselves against. In order to achieve “outstanding”, an element of genuine partnership between staff and students must be demonstrated, and this will look different from principle to principle.

curricular and co-curricular context, excluding purely extracurricular activities. This is not to say that these activities are not extremely valuable for students: indeed, involvement in students’ union clubs and societies is a powerful way for many students to experience a transformational educational experience. We focused on the curricular aspects of personal development for students also for reasons of inclusivity: students who cannot participate in extra-curricular activities due to caring responsibilities, work or other factors should be enabled to develop through their course and related activities. The first key principle is that higher education providers and courses should have a clear conception of personal development and learning outcomes, as well as supporting students to create their own personal goals. This is important at both a macro and a micro level: institutional-level graduate outcomes should be clear, relevant and evident in all programmes, and designed in partnership with students; similarly, each student should be empowered to develop their own personal outcomes in partnership with their tutor. We envisage these learning outcomes as more than developing “employability” skills: we include study capabilities, transferable skills and the broader development of students as active citizens in a modern society.

We decided, for practical reasons, to limit the scope of the tool to personal development within a

“We envisage these learning outcomes as more than developing “employability” skills: we include study capabilities, transferable skills and the broader development of students as active citizens in a modern society.”

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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

“Assessments should also be designed with students’ personal development in mind: increasing the authenticity of assessments, linking tasks to real-world problems and allowing students a stake in what or how they are being assessed are powerful ways for broader development to be integrated into the curriculum.” This notion of “active citizenship” and preparing students to be contributing members of society both within and outside employment is an underpinning theme of our whole approach to personal development. The second principle emphasises the need for comprehensive information, advice and guidance for students on all their post-study options, including atypical and alternative career choices. This principle also highlights that curricular and cocurricular staff need to work together: careers staff and academic staff need to communicate to deliver the best for their students, and academic support staff need to be fully committed to helping students’ ongoing development. The third principle focuses on co-curricular and authentic learning, particularly looking at the importance of work-based or community-based placements to students’ development. This principle again emphasises the need for there to be close links between the curricular and the co-curricular: placements should be challenging and flexible enough to meet both the learning outcomes of the course and each student’s own development needs; and learning from the placement should be reflected in subsequent assignments. Assessments should also be designed with students’ personal development in mind: increasing the authenticity of assessments, linking tasks to real-world problems and allowing students a stake in what or how they are being assessed on, are powerful ways for broader development to be integrated into the curriculum.

The fourth principle on wider-world engagement builds on previous themes. Elements of multi- or interdisciplinary study should be available to all students; study should encourage reflection on real issues in the wider world; and all programmes should include aspects of social and environmental sustainability and ethical awareness. This further helps students to develop into active global citizens. The fifth principle, self-reflection and recognition of development, focuses on students’ ability to articulate the skills and knowledge they have gained. Students should be supported to critically self-reflect on their learning and skills in a way that pulls out tangible outcomes, rather than focusing on activities or assignments undertaken. The institution should offer support with recognising this development, through an outcomes-focused HEAR or e-portfolios, for example, as well as ensuring that the academic support structures explicitly allow time for this self-reflection. We designed this tool to start conversations between staff and students about how personal development could best be supported in your individual institution or course. We don’t expect you to agree with everything we say – make it work for you! We hope the tool will give you some ideas to take away – and if you do make changes based on the tool, we’d love to hear about it. Kate.little@nus.org.uk The benchmarking tool is available at: http:// www.nusconnect.org.uk/resources/personal-

CASE STUDY

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Media Futures:

Professional development for Media & Communications students Helen Kempster, Senior Careers Consultant, Goldsmiths Careers Service

What is Media Futures? Media Futures is an exciting collaboration between Goldsmiths department of Media and Communications, SYNAPSE and the Careers Service. The aim of the programme of industryfocussed workshops is to help students in the department navigate through and explore all the possibilities for their futures working in the media and creative industries. The focus of the workshops is on helping students to discover their individual ambitions, skills and potential, and to explore the impact they want to make in their industry. Through the SYNAPSE programme, there is a focus on developing the individualsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; entrepreneurial approaches to their career development, and assisting them in understanding the options available to them in their chosen career. The ultimate aim is to prepare each student to enter the industry as a professional. The programme ran for the first time in the Summer of 2015, and involved a series of bespoke workshops for each year group of undergraduate students. Year 1: Where am I and where do I want to be? Over their first year at Goldsmiths students develop their skills and abilities in many different ways. This session was a chance to take stock of their progress, and also to look ahead to summer and beyond, to ensure they were well-placed to gain further professional experience. Year 2: What is the Media world? This session was designed to explore studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ambitions and help them find out where their skills and training could take them. We explored what impact students hoped to make in the media world. There was a focus on action planning, both for the upcoming summer break and the final year of study.

Year 3: Industry Day This day of workshops was designed to prepare final-year students for work in the media industry. There were workshop and masterclass sessions from industry experts, and the day closed with an industry panel. This gave students the opportunity to hear about othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; journeys into professional work and ask questions. The day ended with a drinks and networking reception which gave further opportunity for students to enhance their professional networks. Adrian De La Court, Director of SYNAPSE, explains how Media Futures supports students: Media Futures is an amazing example of how collaboration between departments across Goldsmiths can work to create a valuable and comprehensive educational experience for students. Media and Communications, the Careers Service and SYNAPSE from ICCE, have together developed a programme that blends practical workshop exploration, invaluable skills and knowledge preparation, and methods for research and network connections with the work sector. This is supported by industry practitioners coming into the university to tell of their experience of building a career, the real stories that are invaluable for a successful Media Future. These sessions better prepare students for a successful future in their chosen career. The importance of this programme has been supported by great feedback from students who have taken part in the workshop sessions, and we are looking forward to another successful year. Future plans for the programme Planning for the 2016 programme is well underway. Following student feedback we have revised the programme, and sessions will take place during the Spring Term 2016. In particular, there will be a series of sessions for final-year students focussed on journalism; film and TV; and digital web and games. Alumni working in these areas will share their experiences with current students.

CASE STUDY

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Life After Goldsmiths

Tailoring Services to Academic Departments Eva Kiss, Careers Consultant, Goldsmiths Careers Service In careers education, it is crucial to gain an in-depth understanding of the professional development needs of the various student cohorts, in order to be able to offer a bespoke, comprehensive and effective service. This very principle guides the practices of Goldsmiths Careers Service, in terms of both central and department-specific provisions. Our Careers Consultants conduct thorough research and needs analysis in collaboration with the Careers Liaison Tutors of their respective academic departments. These insights enable the Consultants to propose tailored careers education strategies and programmes to their departments. The programmes are constantly evolving - they are reviewed and refined at the end of each cycle, and they can also be enhanced during the academic year to ensure that they continue to cater for the needs of students. This article aims at introducing the ‘Life After Goldsmiths’ series - an example of a highly successful careers education programme; the fruit of an outstanding collaboration between Goldsmiths Careers Service and the Department of Art. The study programmes equip art students with creative, interpretative, critical and analytical skills that are transferable to employment in the creative industries. They also gain confidence in their art practice by developing their philosophy and improving their techniques. In addition, the Contemporary Art Talks delivered by the Department of Art as part of their Public Programmes provide students with invaluable practical advice. Yet, the queries presented at one-to-one careers appointments suggested that students could have benefitted from even more focused and structured assistance in preparation for starting out as practising artists. ‘Life After Goldsmiths’ has, therefore, emerged to respond to this need by expanding on the support that the Department of Art have already offered to their students.

No surprise: being a talented artist in itself does not guarantee success. ‘What is the process of getting started?’, ‘How will people learn about my work?’, ‘How can I get exhibited?’, ‘How do I make a living from my practice?’, ‘How can I find a job that gives me some financial stability, while allowing me to continue with my practice?’ – these are some of the main challenges that typically concern emerging artists. ‘Life After Goldsmiths’ was designed to address such practicalities in an informal and encouraging climate. The events are built on contributions from Goldsmiths Art Alumni and enjoy the Art Department’s financial, marketing and logistic support. Dedicated members of Goldsmiths Careers Service run the programme, quality assuring its content. There is no established career structure for practising artists, so these sessions are invaluable as a means to inform and reassure students about to embark on a professional life. We find that students respond best to a mix of speakers that includes recent graduates from our programmes with experience in relevant areas. It is particularly helpful for us that the Careers Service can then take our suggestions for speakers and shape a coherent series of presentations. They are able to connect this subject specific offering to other events and talks they organise so that the students gain a broad sense of what is available for them once they leave Goldsmiths. Professor Michael Archer, Programme Leader BA Fine Art. Below is a brief outline of the 2015-16 programme: 1. The art world beyond study Most art students have little idea about what forms of continuing practice exist. The session introduced some of the many alternatives through the perspectives of Goldsmiths Art Alumni. Panellists represented community arts, gallery, museum education, teaching and publishing. 16

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They spoke openly about how their professional lives unfolded and the challenges they faced after graduation, and provided participants with helpful tips on finding supplementary sources of income to enable their practice, standing out in job applications, collaborating with other artists and juggling a range of projects. 2. Getting started with your ‘arts career’ There are a variety of ways in which artists can register, depending on how they plan to work. Potential business models include freelancing, community interest companies, charities and limited liability companies, to mention but a few. There is also a range of funding opportunities that artists can apply for. Most students are, however, unaware of their options and find this aspect of establishing their practice particularly overwhelming. The session was intended to provide participants with an overview of modes of working in the arts to help them decide on their project or business model, guide them to resources with relevant administrative and legal information, and to offer them guidance on creating a business plan, as well as writing competitive funding applications. 3. Articulating your practice, and applying for exhibitions and residencies Some emerging artists find it very difficult to communicate about their practice. During the session, students explore approaches to writing an artist statement; and with the help of guest speakers and members of the careers team they can also start working on their own statements. In addition, they learn about what makes good exhibition and residency applications. 4. Building artistic communities Contacts and the arts are two inseparable terms. Yet, many artists find the concept of ‘networking’ absolutely terrifying. The session aims to provide participants with an insight into the value of building and maintaining communities in the arts, and to offer practical advice on making the most of their organic communities and building new contacts. Students can also practise and thereby gain more confidence in self-introduction.

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‘Life After Goldsmiths’ has now been running for two years, and is very much appreciated by students: “Amazing – thank you! Please do more!” – a 3rd year student in 2015-16. “This session has given me confidence to apply for funding for an idea I already have.” – 2015-16. “The session has given me a model to use when considering a new project.” – a 1st year student in 2015-16. “It was useful to learn about alternative ways of continuing practice.” – a 3rd year student in 201415. “I appreciated advice from a specialist and the chance to build an artist statement.” – a 3rd year student in 2014-15. “I’m now aware how networking can impact my career.” – a 3rd year student in 2014-15. In addition to the design, delivery and evaluation of bespoke careers education programmes, Goldsmiths Careers Service also offer tailored consulting to academic departments to help them achieve their goals related to graduate employability. Such a service may entail advice on the employability potential of a new course, or exploring ways to improve the employability of existing courses. ‘Rethinking transferable skills’, a session that Goldsmiths Careers Service delivered in the History Department, is a recent example for the latter. The session explored the possibility of incorporating innovative methods of assessments that promote specific employability skills and attributes, while they fit very well within the academic content and enhance learning. Goldsmiths Careers Service remains at the disposal of academic departments to discuss their goals and to design solutions tailored to their needs.

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Professional Practice Charlotte Betts, Skills+ Developer, Goldsmiths Careers Service interviews Dr Stephen Graham, Lecturer, Department of Music, about the Music Department’s Professional Practice Scheme

Lecturer Stephen Graham Lecturer in Music, (former Professional Practice Scheme Coordinator) Holly Rogers, Senior Lecturer in Music (current Professional Practice Scheme Coordinator) Department Music Programme/s Music/Cross-departmental Music and Computing/MA Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship/MA Arts Administration Career Education Programme Professional Practice Scheme (PPS) Year/Level UG/PG/Alumni (Mainly aimed at final year UG/PG/Alumni but open to all) Number of Students Average attendance at Careers talks since 2013 is 16, highest attendance was 28 and lowest, 3. All students are able to access online resources. Method/Approach The Professional Practice Scheme (PPS) combines a space on the VLE (Learn.gold) for music students and a Careers Education Programme (CEP). Do you work in collaboration with any other departments and how is this managed? I manage the PPS Learn.Gold area. PPS sessions are delivered in collaboration with the Careers Service. The Alumni Office has also been instrumental in allowing the department to contact past students with regular PPS updates. How long has PPS been running? Do you know how or why this element was initially introduced? PPS has been running since around 2010/11. It was noted that a number of other departments were developing modules or specific approaches to encouraging professional development and the Department of Music wanted to ensure that they were also catering for this. Is this credit-bearing? Or are there other forms of recognition? For example the HEAR? It is non-credit-bearing. This is an opt-in element which is more of a resource for information than

module of study. There are also two interns who help with events and in the studio. Do you identify Learning Outcomes? Learning outcomes are outlined for each of the Careers Service sessions. Helen Kempster, Senior Careers Consultant, runs a Careers Education Programme for the Music Department. (See example session below) Building up Relevant Work Experience & Networking Skills Overall aims: • Understand how to research employment sectors or roles that interest you • Find suitable vacancies or other career development opportunities • Enhance your transferable skills or develop a career development skill (e.g. networking) • Build your confidence to take the next step in your career planning Specific aims: • Understand the benefits of work experience • Reflect on what you want to gain from work experience • Find out about how to access opportunities • Understand what face-to-face ‘networking’ is and why it is crucial to success in any career. • Be able to seize your next face-to-face networking opportunity with confidence. Do you use Learn.Gold, Moodle or any other online platform? Because the department wanted to allow Alumni to access the job opportunity information, at one stage a separate hosting site was tested but it was not very effective. Now Alumni can access the information through Learn.Gold. The Virtual Music Department Office is a further area on Learn.Gold for all information relating to the programme and includes details of local one-off 18

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CASE STUDY

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Students really want and desire to develop things beyond the academic curriculum and to integrate their skills through a wider context.â&#x20AC;? performance opportunities. The Graduate Research Forum is run by a PhD student, offering regular weekly talks by visiting professionals that are well attended with around 20 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 30 attending each session. What are the benefits or impact of PPS for students? It gives them a forum to discuss extra/co-curricular activities that they might want to be engaged in. It is a vital resource and acts as a portal to aspects beyond the degree. How does PPS dovetail with the rest of the programme? Are you able to offer examples of the ways in which it has enhanced the learning process/been part of delivering the curriculum in an alternative way? The master classes that are available are really valuable and although these are integral elements which are linked to the modules, they are not credit-bearing. The opt-in Careers talks definitely enhance the content of some modules and the degree programme as a whole. In a more general, cultural sense students seem to expect professional development as part of their university experience. Perhaps this is because they are aware of how much they are paying but it also seems to be due to a real concern with jobs and being aware of what their degree is. The talks can help to demonstrate what options are really out there. Have you noticed any changes since introducing the programme? Some positive informal feedback has been received. Those that make use of what is available appreciate that it is there. Do you gather feedback from students about PPS? Feedback is gathered at the end of each of the Careers Service sessions using a standardised feedback form. No formal feedback is currently gathered on the PPS Learn.Gold area. Have you experienced any challenges with PPS? Getting the word out can be difficult. It is frustrating when you realise that some students are not signed up to the VLE and that they do not realise how

much is there, and available to them. On one or two occasions when sessions have clashed with other events it has impacted on numbers. Would you do anything differently next time? Are there any other areas that might be useful to cover? Communication: getting the word out to increase engagement. There are currently around three Careers sessions a year. Ideally, it would be good to see if there was enough take-up to develop the Careers sessions and talks into a more regular programme. What have you been most happy with about PPS? The amount of information that is available for students through PPS and the range of opportunities and schemes that they can get involved in, such as the HEAR and Gold Award. Any advice for others about conducting a similar programme? Build links with the Careers Service in terms of talks, staff and resources. Think about communication. Clarify what you want from the scheme and consider whether it is more appropriate for it to be assessed or opt-in. Do you also include other areas in your programme such as provision for academic study skills, work placements or enterprise initiatives? Study skills sessions are available for 1st years and support with the final research essay is provided for 3rd years. Information and resources on Academic Study Skills are available in the Music Department Virtual Office on Learn.Gold. The Music Education module includes work placements in schools. Do you think that it is important that these areas are offered to students as part of the Goldsmiths experience? Are there any other areas that you think should be offered by Goldsmiths to support students? Students really want and desire to develop things beyond the academic curriculum and to integrate their skills through a wider context.

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CASE STUDY

Psychology ROCC Vanessa Freeman, Senior Careers Consultant, Goldsmiths Careers Service & Dr Georgina Hosang, Lecturer, Department of Psychology What is the Psychology ROCC? The ROCC is a Recorded Online Careers Course. It is a collaborative project between the Department of Psychology and the Careers Service to produce an e-learning psychology-related employability resource for psychology postgraduate students. Why did you decide to create it? We realised we were spending a lot of time with students individually, answering similar careerrelated queries and wondered if there was a better way to help. This course has been set up to support all Psychology Masters Students. The Clinical Psychology resources will be of particular interest to those students studying on the MSc in Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience and the MSc Foundations in Clinical Psychology and Health Services. There are a lot of excellent general careers resources already available through the Careers Service VLE but this project allows us to create something more tailored to this cohort. We have been really lucky to have received a fellowship from our Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre (TaLIC) at Goldsmiths which will provide some of the extra resource needed to help us achieve this. What will it include? A range of different teaching and learning materials such as vodcasts on job applications, interviews and work experience. Students will then be able to apply their learning by assessing examples or answering questionnaires. We’ll also film mock interviews which include common psychology-related questions. All of these will have filmed commentary and opinion from professional psychologists. We’ll have some input from people involved with

clinical psychology (qualified and trainee clinical psychologists) which is a popular career choice for this cohort and we’ll also present some other relevant career paths that can be accessed without further study. All of the content has been shaped by the types of queries we have had over the past few years. What are the benefits? Students can access the materials at a time that works for them, they can choose to dip in or do everything at once. This makes it more accessible than a real-time workshop for students with childcare responsibilities or for those who are working alongside their studies. It is designed so each section stands alone, so for example, someone with lots of work experience won’t need to do that part. We will still offer additional careers support to the students but by doing the ROCC beforehand they will be better prepared for any future sessions. There will be a reflective element so that students can assess where they are in their career journey and set appropriate goals for their next steps. This is an essential part of career development planning. It is also helping us to develop further skills. There have been many decisions we’ve had to make around the process and format of the project. What bits do we film and who should film them? Should some content be via webinars and what platform should we use? How can we get the best from Moodle? How do we build in interactivity? One of the key outcomes for this project will be to share what we have learnt with colleagues within Goldsmiths and beyond. We hope that this pilot will be a good foundation to build on.

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GOLDSMITHS PERSPECTIVES

Enhancing Chances of Success

Supporting the Professional and Personal Development of students in English and Comparative Literature Professor Lucia Boldrini, Head of Department, English & Comparative Literature Development happens all the time: when one listens to another and considers a question from a new angle; when one stands up, heart beating, in front of a room full of friends and strangers to speak for 20 minutes, conquers the anxiety and enjoys delivering her paper; when one learns a technique that helps him focus better. The personal and professional development of our students is very important for us in the Department of English & Comparative Literature, whether it happens by means of a newly introduced scheme to offer training in HE teaching and mentored teaching experience to research students; by supporting attendance to intensive, advanced workshops; or by making it possible for MA students to team up with their peers across the University of London to organise a joint event. The following examples will serve as illustrations. The London Intercollegiate Network for Comparative Literary Studies (LINKS) started in 2010 through a collaboration between the comparative literature programmes at King’s, UCL, and Goldsmiths. As Florian Mussgnug (UCL), Rosa Mucignat (King’s) and I discussed joint graduate events, we realised that, unlike MPhil/PhD students, MA students rarely have the opportunity of presenting papers at (and even organising) conferences. A yearly MA conference, co-organised by the students themselves with the help and support of staff and PhD candidates, would give our MA students the experience of planning a programme in all its details, conceive of a paper for public delivery, write and submit an abstract, go through a selective peer-review process and speak publicly at an event, in front of a large and expert, but friendly and supportive audience. Initially staff had a substantial role in organising the event and selecting the papers (it would be invidious for students to reject their friends’ papers, and we wanted to create friendships, not enmities!). Within a couple of years, however, the increasing contingent of LINKS “veterans” who had participated during their MA and had gone on to doctoral study started providing most of the support for the constantly renewed group of MA participants. Staff continue attending and enjoying the buzz and the energy, the freshness and insight of the papers, and the students continue to invite us to participate in a roundtable. The conference series 21

has proved an undoubted success, as has its “T&D” purpose: participants develop a strong sense of the value of intellectual exchange, of collaboration, of challenging themselves, and many have gone on to be very successful PhD students (see Sophie Corser’s testimonal). Now that Queen Mary, SOAS, Birkbeck, Royal Holloway have also joined LINKS, staff have re-directed their energy towards establishing a LINKS Research Seminar, meeting monthly in term time. Information on LINKS can be found at http://www.gold.ac.uk/ecl/events/links/. Another example is the scheme we have put in place to facilitate our students’ attendance to summer schools, intensive courses, opportunities to meet with specialists in their area and work with them in concentrated and dedicated programmes. The biggest obstacle to students’ ability to take part in these events is lack of funds, so our support is mainly financial. Initially, this scheme was available only to research students, but more recently we have opened it to MA and undergraduate students too. We have provided bursaries to attend, for example, the Synapsis European summer school of comparative studies, which takes place for a very intensive week in the fabulous setting of a medieval charterhouse on a Tuscan hill, surrounded by olive groves and vineyards – what better environment to learn?! The series of plenary lectures and the parallel seminars, each on a different aspect of the main theme of the School, are complemented by the possibility of publishing an article based on the work done at the School (see Megha Agarwal’s testimonial). Students have also been funded to attend the Beckett Summer School in Dublin; the Eliot Summer School in London; and a writing ashram that offered a disciplined space of scheduled writing periods, practical workshops, reflection and creativity (see Jess Gossling’s testimonial). In the current academic year, we have further expanded our T&D programme through a Postdoctoral Research Associate scheme that allows students who have already completed their PhD to retain their affiliation to the department and the university and have access to funds that enable them to advance their research, thus enhancing their chances of success when applying for academic jobs.

GOLDSMITHS PERSPECTIVES

I presented my first academic paper at the 2011 LINKS conference, and was involved in the organisation of the 2012 and 2014 conferences. The experience I gained in the practical and administrative sides of event organisation have been greatly helpful, and I have since gone on to organise a postgraduate and early career conference for the MHRA. However, it was that first experience of presenting a paper that I am most grateful for. For a nervous MA student, the benefits of being able to first present my work in such a friendly and supportive environment cannot be overstated. That early positive experience of publicly sharing my ideas shaped the enjoyment I now feel when giving papers at conferences, teaching seminars, and delivering lectures. Sophie Corser, Graduate Trainee Tutor and PhD candidate, English & Comparative Literature.

I attended Synapsis, for which the ECL department kindly provided full funding, in September 2014. During the week-long summer school, held in an expansive charterhouse in Tuscany, I attended lectures, seminars, and film screenings pertaining to the theme of ‘Rebellion’. Since my PhD thesis revolves around narratives of dissent and descent into the underworld, this theme was especially pertinent, as was the seminar that I attended [‘Four Faces of Dissent’, facilitated by Professor Michael Wood (Princeton)]. The experience led me to propose, for the volume of essays based on the work of the participants, a paper that fuses my own research interests with the ideas that emerged from the summer school. I am thrilled that it has been accepted for publication. In addition to the numerous benefits to my own research, Synapsis introduced me to many other researchers in the field of Comparative Literature from a wide variety of institutions, and it was an immensely enriching experience.

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In August 2015, supported by the ECL Department, I attended the week-long Writing Ashram: A Writing Retreat for PhD-students and Post-Docs that takes place in a National Park near Berlin and is affiliated with the Berlin Summer University of the Arts. The idea is to emulate a monastic lifestyle, free from the tiny day-to-day choices that disrupt your writing. Every day follows the same pattern of early morning silent walking, scheduled two-hour writing blocks, workshops, and meditation. These blocks of time were punctuated by a gong, which I hated at the first 7.00am wake up but came to love by the end of the week. Having this structure gave me a clarity and focus on my work that I hadn’t encountered before. Being in a group with twelve other academics, at a similar career stage but with different specialisms, was particularly rewarding. We were experiencing the same intense process of going very deep into our work; as the week progressed we realized that we shared similar anxieties and hopes for our projects. This unusual summer school experience has made a drastic impact on the way that I think about my PhD. Practically, what I have taken from the ashram is the importance of creating a daily writing ritual, making scheduled time for thinking and reflecting, and maintaining both a macro and micro view of my project. However, more personally, the ashram made me consider my relationship with the PhD process and the balance between creative freedom and intellectual discipline that it entails. Rather than being two separate elements of the PhD experience, I have come to realize how they can thrive off of each other. Jessica Gossling, Graduate Trainee Tutor and PhD candidate, English & Comparative Literature.

Megha Agarwal, PhD candidate, English & Comparative Literature. 22

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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

A Community of Best Practice Sue Spence, AGCAS Director for Professional Development and Careers and Placements Manager at the University of Bradford Faculty of Management and Law

Student recruitment, student retention, research excellence, teaching excellence, student experience, value for money, and graduate employability. Just some of the many ways in which Higher Education is now measured by policy makers and prospective students. In the current highly politicised climate of Higher Education in which Universities are increasingly positioned within a competitive market place, it has surely never been more important for institutions to pull together, learn from each other, and drive forward Higher Education UK to compete on a global scale. The Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS), is one such organisation which brings together communities of best practice, ensuring that careers and employability professionals working within the sector are represented and visible on the political landscape. AGCAS’ aims are to: • Provide a lobbying voice for its membership. • Be the focal point for sector-wide research and expert opinion. • Provide a range of support and development opportunities for its members. AGCAS is recognised as the ‘go to’ body for accurate information about key issues related to student and graduate employability. AGCAS member services work closely with the student and graduate population and have a unique awareness through interfaces with a range of stakeholders including academic staff, employers and professional bodies. It is this scope and profile which has created new drive to establish a visible

positioning in the graduate recruitment landscape. Recent examples of this include the annual AGCAS graduate labour market survey which gathered data from leaders of University Careers Services and provided a current, accurate picture of employment for graduates, to complement and counter some of the traditional commentary in this field. ‘In an era in which employability is central to University strategic agendas, it is important that we position ourselves to be seen as ‘the’ experts, which we are. There are lots of organisations who provide insight and commentary on this critical aspect of Higher Education, but there are few which can claim to hold the breadth of national and international coverage and professional expertise that we hold at AGCAS.’ Elaine Boyes, AGCAS Executive Director Indeed, AGCAS has an increasingly international reach with member services in South Africa, Norway and United Arab Emirates. AGCAS also works through organisations such as the British Council with careers services in international locations, most recently in China and Kazakhstan, contributing to the development of the national careers services for students and graduates and providing training for their staff. AGCAS regularly provides consultation on relevant policy issues and is represented on national committees and policy working groups. Most recently AGCAS took part in the recent consultation for the Higher Education Green Paper; Fulfilling our Potential: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice.1 This is a Paper with not insignificant implications for AGCAS member services and so such involvement is critical to ensure that AGCAS remains a membership organisation with inclusivity and representation at the heart of their work.

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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

“AGCAS’s drive, resilience and expertise in this hugely critical agenda ensures that its University members and individuals therein, have a formidable representative organisation which ensures that they are well positioned to operate for the benefit of all their stakeholders- students, graduates, academics and employers.”

It is this inclusivity and representative ethos which means that in addition to sector positioning, it is incumbent upon the organisation to ensure that ALL member services, regardless of size, are in a position to run an effective and fit for purpose Higher Education Careers Service. In this respect members can expect AGCAS to support with the establishment of best practice codes of conduct and positioning statements. Members are involved in a wide range of activities which includes the delivery of careers education; the development and advertisement of jobs, internships and volunteering opportunities; and providing opportunities for students to meet employers on campus. Therefore, a particular controversial sector debate in recent years has been one of social mobility concerning the matter of ‘unpaid internships’. As a conscientious and responsible membership body, working with partner organisations such as the National Union of Students, AGCAS has produced a position statement on unpaid internships, to promote fair work experience opportunities for all.

that there is adequate provision to support the diverse and distinct roles which now occupy Higher Education careers and employability services. There is lots of work still to do, but AGCAS’s drive, resilience and expertise in this hugely critical agenda ensures that its University members and individuals therein, have a formidable representative organisation which ensures that they are well positioned to operate for the benefit of all their stakeholders - students, graduates, academics and employers.

Supporting all of these agendas and as an activity in its own right AGCAS has a lively and oversubscribed training and conference programme. It delivers local and national training courses facilitated by current practitioners, and also provides members with the opportunity to gain post graduate professional qualifications in their area of expertise with accreditation from the University of Warwick. The training programmes add credibility and accountability for all members and ensures

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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

Creativity & a Broad Skill Set Student Employability at UAL

Hannah Breslin, Student Employability Practitioner, Careers and Employability, University of the Arts London (UAL) Overview of approach In recognition of the fact our students will likely follow non-linear and complex career paths, Careers and Employability at UAL is similarly multifaceted. We support students and graduates through a range of activities, including: extra- and co-curricular workshops; award and funding opportunities; mentoring programmes; showcasing opportunities; business and freelance support. I work across three colleges at UAL – Camberwell College of Arts, Chelsea College of Arts and Wimbledon College of Arts - to support students and recent graduates with all aspects of their careers and professional practices. As we are a centrally-based, universitywide service, I act as ‘the face of’ Careers and Employability at these three colleges. It’s my job to help students understand how our offer relates to their practice and to encourage them to get involved! I’m also responsible for designing and delivering our extra- and co-curricular workshops at these colleges. Who can participate? Any current UAL student (all levels) and recent graduates How can we best support art and design students to progress beyond graduation? There are three key things that I can do in my role to support students to progress, and indeed excel, beyond graduation. It’s incredibly important that our graduates can articulate the skills they have developed while studying at UAL. Time and time again I see students undersell themselves, struggle with their confidence and undervalue the importance of informal, as well as formal, experience. In my work with students and graduates I encourage them to think broadly about their art and design education and how it relates to the world beyond UAL. It’s also key that I give students a realistic understanding of the current labour market. My own background is in Fine Art and Performance so I have first-hand knowledge of the challenges that creative

students face beyond graduation. Graduates can be hard on themselves if they think they haven’t ‘made it’ within the first six months after graduation. The idea that you’ve somehow failed if you’re not making money from your practice, or if you need to combine it with unrelated paid work, is unrealistic and unhelpful. Likewise, if students choose to graduate and go into an entirely different industry than the one they have prepared for, I see that as the strength of the broad skill set our students develop while at UAL. As a team we also continue to provide support to our alumni. Alumni can still apply for many of the opportunities we run and can attend our extracurricular workshops. Indeed alumni consistently attend the sessions I run as well as our larger event programmes, such as Creative Enterprise Week, where over 25% of attendees last year were alumni. I think it’s incredibly important that these opportunities are open to alumni as it’s often postgraduation, when our students are catapulted out into the so-called ‘real world’, that they are able to identify the support they need most. How do you work with academic departments? Is employability embedded within programmes? In my role as Student Employability Practitioner I work alongside an Academic Coordinator within my allocated Colleges. This coordinator role is a fractional post, which is significant, as it is wellsuited to academics with an interest in enterprise and employability. The Academic Coordinators give our whole team an insight into academic and college structures and priorities which, in turn, enables us to work collaboratively to explore how employability can be embedded. In my role I can often get initial buy-in from a particular department by delivering co-curricular sessions for a specific course or pathway. The Academic Coordinator can then support the course validation/revalidation process by exploring how enterprise and employability can be embedded within the curriculum on an ongoing basis.

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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

“Rather than viewing employability and enterprise as additional elements that need to be transplanted on top of learning and teaching, we firmly believe enterprise and employability learning already happens within the curriculum.” Does employability impact on learning and teaching and if so how? Rather than viewing employability and enterprise as additional elements that need to be transplanted on top of learning and teaching, we firmly believe enterprise and employability learning already happens within the curriculum. Challenges arise when we understand that this learning is often implicit rather than explicit and therefore students can struggle to articulate what they have learnt in terms of employability. We work with course teams to ensure that employability and enterprise are prominent, inclusive and valued as part of practice. In doing this we believe this will enable students to effectively recognise and articulate the knowledge, skills and attributes they have developed while studying at UAL. Along this line of thought, myself and the Academic Coordinator I work with recently produced a short video called Art/Work. This project focused on how students and graduates articulate their skills and attributes in relation to their course.

https://vimeo.com/149133063 In exploring how students articulate their skills, in their own words, this helps us to understand how we might surface, or make more visible, the implicit employability teaching that currently happens within the curriculum.

Can you think of an inspiring student story that could be shared? Chloe Spicer graduated from Wimbledon College of Art’s BA Fine Art last summer, and now curates Object Book - an artist-led alternative book makery and experimental writing studio. She facilitates an accessible approach to book arts and runs freelance workshops at festivals, museums and fairs and curates participatory multisensory events in libraries. In her final year, Chloe was curating events in the college library when staff mentioned the Roadshow event I was running on campus. Chloe dropped by my stand and we spoke about her ambitions post-graduation. I was able to give Chloe some suggestions of practical steps she could take and also signposted her to relevant opportunities and skills workshops. Of this interaction Chloe says: “It was totally bespoke and I left with a boost of confidence, and a clearer framing of my aims.” Chloe later attended one of my Application Writing workshops which she describes as being invaluable. “It helped me to unpick what the questions on an application form are really asking. This sounds simple but as someone on the autistic spectrum this had totally eluded me, and applications had seemed a very daunting barrier. This small intervention completely boosted my career and I went on to win the Wandle Studio Prize. This prize includes one year free studio space and start-up funding worth £9000. Continuing individual support and mentoring from Careers and Employability over this year has also enabled me to launch Object Book.” You can find out more about Chloe’s workshops and events on twitter @Object_Book and @ ChloeSpicerArt or visit www.objectbook.org / www. chloespicer.co.uk To learn more about Careers and Employability at UAL visit: http://www.arts.ac.uk/student-jobs-andcareers/

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Creating Successful Placement Modules at Goldsmiths Alison McGregor, Work Placements and Internships Manager, Goldsmiths Careers Service The need Placements, when defined as periods of workplace experience which are embedded within assessed modules, are extremely popular amongst students and prospective students. At the application stage, many express their need to ensure that their chosen programme has an application and that it therefore has currency in the job market, a pressing concern at a time of high fees. Current students may additionally want to establish a network, try out a career area, increase their confidence, develop their skills. Some find the placement revitalises their studies and adds a new dimension. At Goldsmiths, we have had placements for many years but they have tended to provide essential professional experience to students on vocational and semi-vocational programmes, in areas such as teaching, social work, community work, therapies, design. The traditional year out placement option is also available, but exclusively in Computing - we have no engineering or science courses. As in some other HEIs, the take up for this substantial commitment is low and in any case, the year out model was not seen as appropriate for non-vocational disciplines. Our response In 2012, Goldsmiths adopted an ambitious policy to extend placements to all programmes. At that time, only 28% of undergraduate students had the chance to do a placement and the priority was to increase this figure. How could we approach this? The challenge was to identify a style of placement which would work for students in, for example, Visual Cultures, Anthropology, Media and Communications, Politics. What learning outcomes were we seeking to meet? What forms of assessment would test whether these had been met?

Generic placement module A 15 credit generic undergraduate placement module was developed and trialled in three departments. The aim of the module is to add value to both academic and personal development. The learning outcomes are described as follows: At the end of the module, students will be able to: • Apply previously-gained, theory-derived knowledge to a practical project within the host organisation. • Critically evaluate and apply the data and experiences which they have acquired during their placement to inform and enhance their knowledge, offer alternative approaches and propose novel solutions to a specific academic issue. • Demonstrate an insight into the working environment and, in particular, the career options within an organisation, the competencies and traits required to enter these areas, and the ability to articulate their own response to these requirements • Evaluate themselves, with reference to their placement experience, in terms of their transferable skills, values and personal traits; and create a strategy for further skills development and career preparation. At the heart of the module is the work placement which is for 10-16 days, either in a block or spread out over a longer period. Some students find their own placement, some are matched by us. We are keen to ensure that the placement experience is open to all, not just those with family connections or other resources. Students are supported by seminars and 1-1 discussions. The module is co-led by an academic in the department, who supports the academic outcomes, and the Work Placements and Internships Manager, who supports the personal development outcomes. Assessment is split between an academic essay (75%) and one of two options for presenting personal development outcomes.

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The module is now available as an option choice to finalists in six departments. The timing varies between departments: some have chosen to run it in the summer term preceding the final year, a time when there are few formal sessions, and which gives more flexibility to the timing of the placements; in other cases, it runs in the spring term.

spring term; in Education, Culture and Society, the longer placement runs over two terms and is interspersed with a number of academic seminars. There are pros and cons of the longer module: it is a substantial commitment for students and this can be a deterrent for some, but it can provide a more in-depth experience.

The take up has tended to be low in the initial year and then around 30-50%, so clearly there are resourcing issues.

Outcomes Has the placement module achieved the aims that we set out? Feedback from both students and host organisations has been very positive. Olivia Swift was commissioned to conduct a study into the outcomes for all parties, which provided some encouraging results. She has written about the outcomes of her research in the article on the following pages.

30 credit modules Two departments preferred to create 30 credit placement modules. In one, Sociology, the autumn term provides a traditional academic module around the theory and techniques of organisational ethnography, followed by a placement in the

Pooja, BA Politics, Goldsmiths Pooja Ahluwalia undertook a work placement at CoVi, a visual think tank, as part of her final year studying BA Politics. What I did I undertook a whole range of tasks throughout my placement. These varied from compiling weekly news round ups and finding speakers for events, to working on projects and transcribing interviews. What I learnt I took a huge amount away from the placement. The key thing I learnt was that in work, you will face challenges of various kinds, and the key thing is to go in with a proactive attitude and an appreciation that you are responsible for your own learning and what you get out of your experiences. Whatever the task or situation, you can always get something out of it. Another really important thing I learnt from my placement was what I should expect after I graduate in the summer. I think sometimes, university can put you in a bit of a bubble, but this placement has really helped me prepare for the transition from uni to work. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learnt you need to be adaptable, proactive and prepared to step outside of your comfort zone. What I gained My placement gave me a practical way of envisaging what I would like to do in the future, and what I need to do to get there. Having stepped outside of my comfort zone, it also gave me a real sense of self development, whilst also making me more resilient. I also found the self-reliance you need to be really empowering. What I would say to other students You should definitely take a placement if you can. There is so much you can gain, especially in terms of preparing for the transition in to the world of work. Placements are a great way to challenge yourself and grow in a different way to your academic work. You should be prepared to deal with an increased workload but if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re up for the challenge then I encourage you to go for it! 28

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Reflecting & Articulating

Personal and Professional Development through Work-placements Dr Olivia Swift, Lecturer in Anthropology, Goldsmiths Personal development and professional development are concepts with specific uses and histories. Although increasingly familiar in the context of higher education, it is hard to conceive of a time when the process of education has not involved some degree of personal and professional development: education invariably affects choices and experiences of adult working life and it contributes to self-identity, beliefs, confidence, skill-set and everything else that can come under the rubric of ‘personal development’. Personal development is amorphous, precisely because it is personal. What makes it a ‘thing’ is the framework implied by ‘development’. ‘Development’ refers to something that can be measured and managed and exists on a social, rather than individual level. Such is the inherent contradiction within ‘personal development’ – what is personal becomes the concern of institutions. The Dearing Report of 19971 is often cited as the point at which the remit of higher education in the UK formally expanded to include personal and professional development, all within the context of a closer alliance between the academy, economy and society. In 2012, the Wilson Report2 echoed Dearing by recommending that ‘every full-time, undergraduate student should have the opportunity to experience a structured, universityapproved internship during their period of study’.3 At Goldsmiths, we now offer work-placement modules to undergraduates in 14 (of 16) departments and to postgraduates in 12 (of 18) departments. Workplacements of just 10 days (or more) are embedded within academic modules that include seminars, tutorials and assessments, which encourage students to use their work placement to test and reflect upon theoretical, classroom learning (of their entire programme, not just this one module) and conversely, to use their academic insights to critically assess work placement practices and ideologies. Encouraging reflection and critical appraisal is inherent to these models, and this includes the self-reflection that underpins both personal and professional development: workplacement modules provide students with the opportunity to take stock of what they have been learning, how it relates to the outside world, and what this then means to them in terms of their 29

priorities for life after graduation. Crucially these modules also ensure students practise being able to articulate the outcomes of these reflective processes to potential employers. This is all facilitated in a number of ways. Modules are convened by both an academic, departmental staff member and the college’s Work Placements and Internships Manager (from Goldsmiths Careers Service), so that academic and career-development strands co-exist throughout. In an early introductory session, students take part in a number of ‘icebreaker’, psychological exercises that encourage them to reflect upon their personalities and values from the start. Throughout the module, students are expected to keep a journal of their time on placement – in some cases sharing entries with peers via the journal software, Mahara. Within modules’ taught components, time is provided for students to report on their progress and observations with peers and/or with the convenor, one-to-one, and the module’s final assessment includes a written portfolio and/or presentation which contains evaluation of how students’ impressions, attitudes, skills and goals change over the course of the module. During the course of conversations with staff and students involved in work-placement modules at Goldsmiths, it became clear that these modules are indeed contributing to students’ personal and professional development, in a number of ways. One staff member, for example, referred to the professionalism these modules instil: ‘The autonomy required of students is demanding. They have to learn to act professionally. It’s not like being at university where it’s all timetabled for them.’ Increasing confidence was reported by a number of students who had undertaken placements. A Politics student described, for example, how she was pushed outside of her ‘comfort zone’: ‘It broke the bubble of education – I learned how to learn in a different way. You see how the world doesn’t only revolve around you and that you have to be proactive, to make things happen and to see opportunities for learning.’

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GOLDSMITHS PERSPECTIVES Many students said their placement has helped them to think about the work they would like to do post graduation. For many, this involved moving beyond their expectations to gain a better understanding of their placement organisation. In a number of cases, students described their placements helping them rule out career avenues, which is an important step in the process of decision-making about the future. A Politics student described his placements altering his attitudes towards working in development, for example: ‘The one thing I’ve learned is that I don’t think development is for me! I thought perhaps that was one career that I would enjoy but looking into it, it just conflicts with some of the values that I have. I went there with an open mind just to find out how it all really works.’ Following most placements, students recognised becoming more knowledgeable about how systems and processes worked in their particular organisation and wider sector. Oftentimes, placements helped open up new avenues for the future, as this Visual Cultures student described: ‘This experience has made me reconsider what I want out of a future job. A good salary and working reasonable hours seem to be the least important factors. A scope for creativity and an on-going challenge are factors I now consider very important. I would like to find a job that is rewarding and provides a variety in day-to-day practice. From my placement I have been shown the satisfaction that comes from working on a project from start to finish or working towards an end goal and seeing its completion.’ Another aspect of ‘personal development’ that arose at Goldsmiths was the way in which placements provided insights into ‘worlds’ beyond students’ academic life and immediate placement, as this Politics student described: ‘It wasn’t just working with this particular development institute, you know, it was getting to know World Bank documents, DFID documents, ODI documents – understanding that whole world.’ A number of students also demonstrated how the concept of personal development can involve something more transformative. Educational Studies students said their placements taught them ‘to not be so judgmental’ and ‘to be more patient,

understanding and supportive’. A Visual Cultures student described, quite poetically, the play of emotions he experienced on placement at London Zoo: ‘The seemingly paradoxical growth of both caring and indecision, love and neutrality, was a hallmark of my experience in the zoo. It is very strange to feel emotionally richer, more deeply concerned, and more thoughtfully engaged whilst also feeling less hesitant to weigh in, less likely to advocate one cause over another and less likely to level a criticism. This is a general shift, which has certainly grown out of the experience of the zoo, but is now not particular to it. For fear of sounding silly, in this respect the experience of the zoo was quite a spiritually engaging experience. An Educational Studies student, who undertook her placement at a project helping excluded adults find places in higher education, provided a further example of a placement having a profound effect: At times, you know, I felt down, I was going through my own personal things. Being around people who had been through what I considered a lot more than I had – what I was going through. I found it really encouraging to see them being so positive, not dwelling on negativity. ... I think that’s now why I want to go into social work. ... I believe everyone can achieve in spite of what they’ve been through. But silly as it sounds, I didn’t realise that came under social work [until the placement].’ Taking responsibility, managing one’s time, professionalism, gaining confidence, a clearer sense of career choice, and a wider knowledge of how ‘other worlds work’ – these then are some of the ways in which Goldsmiths staff and undergraduates have described how they have developed as people, and how their skill-set and career plans have developed, as a result of work-placement modules. Personal and professional development, of course, overlap. Skills used at work, especially ‘soft’ skills, are of value in life more broadly. Career decisions are inseparable from one’s identity, personality and values. While work-experience is usually associated with professional development first and foremost, the Goldsmiths model of placements embedded within theoretical learning is one geared towards employability, certainly, but also towards producing graduates who are rounded and considered, with a great deal to contribute to the world beyond college.

Dearing (1997) The Dearing Report Higher Education in the learning society Available online: http://www.educationengland.org.uk/documents/ dearing1997/dearing1997.html 2 Wilson, T. (2012) A Review of Business–University Collaboration Available online: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/32383/12-610-wilson-review-business-university-collaboration.pdf 3 As above Pp40 1

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CHASE: the nuances of placements

for arts and humanities PhD researchers (and their supervisors and prospective employers) Dr Steven Colburn, CHASE DTP Placements and Partnerships Officer

CHASE is an AHRC funded Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) of nine universities, including Goldsmiths, and a number of external partners in the cultural sector. CHASE fosters a vibrant research environment by pooling resources and expertise, funding up to 75 PhD studentships each year, creating research networks and funding training and development opportunities, such as training programmes and placements, for arts and humanities PhD students. Two key priorities for CHASE have been to create spaces for traditionally lone scholars to work together and encourage students to explore the transferability of their skills and career paths beyond academia. Themes that are apparent in any recent review of HE or university research output you wish to reference. Here are a few notes I have made in my first 18 months as Placements and Partnerships Officer for CHASE. PhD students want to do placements A relief, but one which has defined the nature of my role. I have created a clear procedure for CHASE students and prospective employers wishing to propose placements. I work with each institution within CHASE to ensure that placements meet compliance procedures at the respective institution.

Placements so far have been student led. Students contact employers and negotiate projects. I maintain the relationships between CHASE and its current and prospective external partners but students are the driving force for individual placement projects. Supervisors want their students to do placements Supervisors are keen to encourage their supervisees to make the most of the CHASE placements offer. Supervisors have working relationships with institutions in the cultural sector and brokering placements for their PhD students at these organisations is a way of fostering these relationships. Employers want PhD students There are eleven AHRC funded DTPs and a number of AHRC supported independent research organisations (IROs) who are partnered with most DTPs. This has caused concerns about capacity but each organisation is working on policies to ensure fair access to placement opportunities for PhD students. Organisations outside of the IRO rubric can more easily discuss projects on an ad hoc basis. PhD students who want a placement will likely find one. It is a case of managing expectations (of all parties) and discerning whether the student is more interested in doing a placement or using a placement as a mechanism for entering an organisation.

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“PhD placements are, therefore, a useful allegory for the increasing career options available to PhD students and often the role of the institution is to support these students as they write their own CV.”

What is a placement? The distinctions between studying and work based learning can be nuanced. CHASE extends studentships for placements not generating material for the PhD thesis; already funded via the PhD studentship. There is a case that anything a student does during their PhD will contribute to their thesis in some way. The instrumental approach to defining placements could be challenged as PhD students redefine what a placement is; beyond the broad definition applied to taught students undertaking work based learning. The bespoke nature of PhD placements As above, PhD placements are difficult to categorise. Attempts we have made with partners to generate roles have had limited success. PhD students want to engage in the design and negotiation of their project. Employers are not always able to accommodate these projects and viewing PhD placements as a reliable ‘talent pipeline’ has been problematic thus far.

Career pathways for early career researchers are broadening The subtext is the growing number of PhDs; increasingly disproportionate to the number of faculty posts available. Equally, it has been interesting to speak to a number of CHASE PhD students ruling out a faculty career path in year one. And I have only spoken to one student who has insisted they are not thinking about their career beyond completing their thesis! Careers advice for PhD students Fortunately, the next step after finishing the PhD is not career determining. Researchers are increasingly shifting between the professional, cultural and academic sectors. An ‘alt-ac’ career move, post viva, does not rule out a faculty post at a later date and academics seem to be increasingly taking secondments or career changes into the cultural sector. PhD placements are, therefore, a useful allegory for the increasing career options available to PhD students and often the role of the institution is to support these students as they write their own CV.

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High Calibre Volunteers QProjects at Queen Mary

Charlotte Betts, Skills+ Developer, Goldsmiths Careers Service interviews Laura Beswick, QProjects Coordinator, Queen Mary, about how QProjects supports students in gaining work experience with local charities Could you provide a brief overview of QProjects? QProjects is an opportunity for students at Queen Mary University of London to gain work experience in local charities. The placements are organised by the Careers Service. They are advertised online and students are required to make an application. Once shortlisting has taken place, I conduct interviews with a representative from the charity and a suitable candidate is selected. The students receive feedback on their interview which is also a useful learning opportunity.

How can work experience benefit students personally and professionally? This is often their first taste of the world of work. It can be very useful for helping to secure a paid job and is great for interview practice. On their placement, students learn workplace skills, they grow in confidence and make connections. Sometimes this enables them to realise that they would like to work in the 3rd sector in the future and in some cases it may even lead on to a permanent job or volunteering position. A previous QProject participant said:

Placements are usually around 3 months and are about 1 day per week. The types of projects students may work on are varied but have previously included: trust fundraising, marketing or designing marketing strategies and leading workshops.

“A QProject is a minimal commitment in terms of the time it takes up, but it allows you to maximise your work experience during your degree. My QProject helped me to secure a permanent job with the Holocaust Memorial Trust”. Natasha Dillon, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, 2015.

How long has QProjects been running? Since 2012 and in 2014 we won the Guardian Award for best employability initiative and in 2015 one of our host organisations (Phoenix Education Trust) won the AGCAS Award for Careers Service Engagement at the 2015 TARGETjobs National Graduate Recruitment Awards. Who is eligible? All Queen Mary University of London students are eligible although it tends to be mainly undergraduates that take the placements and we particularly encourage 1st and 2nd years as it is a useful experience for them. How many work experience QProjects are typically completed by students over the course of a year? Over 50 students a year are placed with charities. Since 2012 we have worked with over 100 charities and probably tend to work with, on average, around 30 – 40 per year.

Do these projects connect to the students’ studies in any way? Yes, sometimes. Some are more general positions but others can be quite specific, for example, roles involving running workshops for those interested in pursuing education or health related placements such as a current psychology student who is working with Mind. How do these types of projects benefit the charities? The charities get high calibre volunteers to conduct useful projects which in some instances have brought in thousands of pounds for the organisation. Many of these students stay on in the future as volunteers or future employees.

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“This is often their first taste of the world of work. It can be very useful for helping to secure a paid job and is great for interview practice.”

Are there any challenges for the charities? We meet with them at the beginning and ensure that they understand the commitment of having an assigned placement student. Guiding them through the process and the extra investment they need to put in in terms of interviewing is worth it, as the students applying are generally very keen and committed. How do you work with charities to ensure you get the right type of projects? We work closely with the charities involved so that they understand the capacity of the placement and we provide guidance on the types of projects that are suitable. A memorandum of understanding is completed at the beginning of the process and both parties can refer back to this if there are any hiccups. Do students receive any training or support either from QProjects or the charities they work with? Students are asked to complete a short, noncredit bearing online module ‘Transitioning to the workplace’ before doing the placement. This involves online information and a quiz, and is based on real situations we uncovered through the first 100 placements and through a series of workshops. An agreement is signed at the beginning of the placement which invites the student to complete a regular journal to reflect on the placement and the learning they are gaining through the process. Although this is preferred it is not a formal requirement and is not checked at the end as it is more for personal development. After their QProject finishes they are invited back to speak with one of our Careers Consultants about their experience.

What types of challenges may students face with these projects? Entering the professional world of work and learning the protocols. Sometimes projects are complex and involve multi-tasking and juggling a number of aspects. How can undertaking a QProject impact on students’ futures? Many students credit their placement with having helped them to develop the confidence to go and get a job, especially those who have gone on to work in the 3rd sector. Can you think of an inspiring student story from QProjects that could be shared? Natasha Dillon completed a QProject with Holocaust Memorial Day Trust early in 2015 and went on to secure a permanent role as Team Assistant.

http://theprintnews.co.uk/2015/10/qprojects-qs-answered/

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Learning + Support + Experience = Employer-Ready Graduate

Sarah Flynn, Chair of ASET, the Work Based and Placement Learning Association The role of work based learning to students’ personal development has proven to be a vital part of the degree programme. ASET is the Work Based and Placement Learning Association, and is here to support all academic and professional staff working in the area of work experience and employability whether that is placements, work-based learning or internships. We recognise and champion the value of placements and work experience; we are firm believers in the essential part that work experience, in all its forms, has to play in the students’ personal and professional development. Via ‘real world’ experience students are able to apply their knowledge, skills and abilities to the working environment. These experiences develop essential skills such as communication, problem solving, team working, and the ability to work under pressure. Most importantly it tests their resilience, which is considered essential by employers and is hard to mimic in the study environment alone. Such skills are then transferred back into their studies, which ultimately enhances their grades and helps to raise their aspirations. Professional development is an essential part of the working environment and students gain a high level of awareness of the need to enhance their skills beyond their degree subject through work based

learning. They quickly learn which areas they excel in and which require further development. Once back in the classroom they are able to identify areas that they need to develop further in order to gain the best possible degree and then the graduate role of their choice. Employers recognise the value of these students which is reflected in the number of graduates who are recruited because of their academic standing and ability to ‘hit the ground running’. Whilst placements, work based learning and internships are important in their own right, the value of such activities is diminished and undermined if self-reflection is missing. In an age of blogs, vlogs and a rich plethora of social media, the opportunities available to learners to reflect are multitudinous. These opportunities are offered within the curriculum too, sometimes as part of a structured/semistructured piece of work connected with the work based learning taking place. ASET will offer in 2016 a new reflective practice workshop for those connected with placements/work based learning, designed to support practitioners in developing their knowledge and better prepare them to support their students to understand what they have learnt and how.

“Via ‘real world’ experience students are able to apply their knowledge, skills and abilities to the working environment. ...importantly it tests their resilience, which is considered essential by employers and is hard to mimic in the study environment alone. Such skills are then transferred back into their studies, which ultimately enhances their grades and helps to raise their aspirations.”

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About ASET ASET was established to advance the prevalence, effectiveness and quality of work based and placement learning in Higher Education and by promoting and publishing research into that system of education. Our aims are to provide strategic leadership and a national voice as a central agency and to champion the concept of work based and placement learning. We do this by: • Advise on best practice, providing training and staff development opportunities for the dissemination of good practice across the sector; • Offer informed and authoritative representation, advice and support to all professionals working in the field; • Provide a forum for groups and individuals to discuss and formulate policies; • Prepare, develop and publish information and research relating to work based and placement learning. In practice we do this through running workshops and conferences, publishing good practice guides and viewpoints, promoting and supporting research, facilitating discussion through online forums and dissemination through e-bulletins, and through working with other bodies to advocate on behalf of our members. We represent over 100 Higher Education Providers in the UK, and our communications reach nearly 2000 individual practitioners. We are a charity, with our Board of Trustees drawn from practitioners in UK Higher Education Institutions. Trustees are elected by the membership and give their time on a voluntary basis. For more information see www.asetonline.org

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Linking to Industry Employer Engagement at Goldsmiths

Fergus Gleeson, Employer Engagement Manager, Goldsmiths Careers Service Employer engagement has become an essential part of the modern Careers Service and Goldsmiths strives to develop meaningful relationships with a wide variety of external organisations. Typically, employer engagement serves to increase opportunities for students to access work-based learning, employer-led skills sessions and paid work in the form of internships, part-time and graduate recruitment. It also serves to provide external organisations with a rich resource of student and graduate talent. Goldsmiths is nationally and internationally known for its academic excellence in creative, cultural and social subjects and it is perhaps inevitable that this will influence the type of employers we engage with. However, as an institution, we are committed to working with organisations of all sizes and from all sectors. As our academic portfolio increases, with the introduction of our Economics programme for example, so must our employer network serve the differing needs of our student population. Practically, this means offering a flexible and comprehensive programme of events and services to external organisations ranging from start-ups to multinationals. The suite of services the Careers Service offers to employers is designed to suit the differing recruitment needs of employers and the range of graduate recruitment marketing budgets. A large proportion of businesses we work with are classed as SMEs, with substantially lower marketing budgets than larger companies who have higher graduate intakes and - subsequently - larger budgets. Smaller organisations also tend to work with fewer universities to fulfil their recruitment needs. The Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) reports that, on average, their members visit or work directly with 16.9 UK universities, with this figure increasing in relation to the number of graduates they recruit. “Those who recruited more than 500 graduates in 2013-2014 on average work with 41.3 universities compared with 9.1 amongst those that recruit just 1 – 25 graduates”.1 Our programme therefore needs to be affordable, flexible and attractive to employers looking to recruit or build relationships with universities. At the most basic level, the Careers Service gives employers the opportunity to raise awareness of 37

their organisation and recruitment opportunities with a promotional stand on-campus, usually in an area with high footfall. Often, this serves to give employers an idea of interest amongst students without a big cost implication and time commitment. We often find that for some companies, the next step is an on campus presentation where they discuss their opportunities in far more detail to a group of students that have already shown an interest in their organisation. Employers can book an on-campus presentation on a date of their choice to promote their opportunities, although this is usually during the Autumn and Spring terms when student attendance is highest. The Careers Service collects student feedback on these events and coordinates room bookings, marketing and refreshments on the employers’ behalf. Throughout the course of an academic year we host four major recruitment fairs which are ideal opportunities for organisations to meet with a large number of students during one afternoon. Our current programme consists of: • Volunteering Fair – October • Part-Time Jobs Fair - October • Teaching Fair – January • Summer Recruitment Fair – May The Careers Service is fortunate to have a student body that is very engaged with issues in the wider community and who are keen to make a difference. Taking place in late October, the Volunteering Fair is open to charities looking to recruit student volunteers on a flexible basis. Last year, almost 500 students attended, many of whom are now volunteering regularly with local charities. The Part-Time Jobs Fair attracts over 1000 students which means employers are able to choose the most ambitious and skilled students to join their team. In the past, employers have successfully recruited up to 25% of their workforce at this one event and the feedback from employers about our students is consistently positive. The ability to access a large number of motivated students with the relevant skill set sometimes results in them deciding to actively recruit on campus and even host their assessment centres at Goldsmiths.

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“Often, students want to get an insight into a particular industry and hear from professionals in that field.” Not all of our employer-led events involve recruitment or awareness raising of particular organsiations. Often, students want to get an insight into a particular industry and hear from professionals in that field. Throughout the academic year we host Industry Panels where four or five experts are invited to give students an insight into working in their particular sector; how they got started in their career, how they got to where they are now and what they learnt along the way. In addition, they are able to offer insights into what their role entails and the most rewarding or challenging aspects. Our current programme features panels focusing on Media, Museums and Galleries, Public Policy and Think Tanks, Charities and NGOs and Publishing. These events are fairly relaxed and students gain from hearing about each speaker’s individual experiences. After the panel members have spoken, there is a Q&A session with the students, followed by informal networking over drinks. While the focus of employers’ contribution to the panel isn’t specifically about promoting their organisation, they will have the added benefit of their profile being raised on campus. We also encourage organisations to get involved in delivering our skills sessions. The format and content of a skills session can vary, depending on the resources and experience businesses might have to offer. They tend to work best when delivered as dynamic, interactive learning experiences featuring games, tasks and practical case studies led by an employer and sometimes co-delivered with a member of the Careers Service team. The above events are core parts of our employer engagement programme; however, as a relatively small Careers Service we have the benefit of being quite responsive and flexible to the needs of both students and employers alike and can run bespoke or tailored events at quite short notice. Employer engagement is about developing and sustaining mutually beneficial relationships, and some of the most successful collaborations have developed from relatively small beginnings. Look Ahead came to Goldsmiths in 2013 with a pop-up banner stand aiming to recruit students for their Personal Support Assistant register. Fast forward two years and Look Ahead regard Goldsmiths as a crucial partner in 1

their high volume recruitment campaigns. Look Ahead are always looking for fresh talent to join our Personal Support Assistant (PSA) Register. We work with adults across London who need support to achieve their goals and live independently. The partnership with Goldsmiths started in early 2013; we were looking to take on a number of students with a background in psychology who were interested in working flexibly with customers with Mental Health issues. We give our PSAs the opportunity to choose their own hours of work which is ideal for busy students. Goldsmiths has helped us to identify students who share a passion with Look Ahead who can also benefit from the experience we offer. It was great to see commitment straight away from the students and how quickly word spread after our original visit. We ended up with around 30 high quality candidates and I was pleased to see all of them passing their assessments and impressing at interview. The relationship has proved so successful we are running our next Goldsmiths recruitment drive in November and will be following up with more in the New Year. I have been very impressed by how easy Goldsmiths made the recruitment process; all candidates were contacted on a regular basis and every stage of the process saw 100% attendance. Moving forward we will widen our net and open up positions to all students at Goldsmiths and I hope they enjoy their time working at Look Ahead. Max Barnard, Recruitment and PSA Manager Look Ahead Care and Support Looking to the future, our aim is to provide our diverse student population with as much access to relevant external organisations as possible, from pre-entry to PhD students. At Goldsmiths, our distinctive attitude to learning encourages students to explore ideas, challenge boundaries, investigate fresh ways of thinking, and stretch their minds intellectually and creatively, and it is these qualities which we feel make us an attractive partner for employers in London and beyond.

AGR (2015) Graduate Recruitment Survey Winter Review, Available online: http://www.agr.org.uk/surveys

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Helping Students Prepare for the Graduate Labour Market Samuel Gordon, Research Analyst, Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) The graduate labour market is constantly evolving and universities have a vital role to play in helping university students to make the most of it. Based on our annual surveys of graduate recruiters employers from 17 sectors and across the UK – here are some key messages that will help students in their professional development and their preparation for work. The first is to emphasise the variety of opportunities that students can take up. The UK is one of the few places in the world where you can carve out a career in a genuinely different field to that which you studied. 71% of employers do not require candidates to have done a set degree. Instead, they prioritise good grades, attitudes and work experience. For example, an engineering or history graduate can join the graduate programme of a law firm, a professional services firm or even take a medicine conversion course. Encourage students to look widely in terms of where they apply. A second is to emphasise the number of opportunities. In 2015, our members recruited 13.2% more graduates than the year before and with a total of over 24,000 vacancies. It is worth encouraging students to look outside their region too – according to other data by HESA, 43% of graduates move regions to work. Amongst AGR members, the top sectors for vacancies were the accounting, public, engineering and retail sectors with 59.8% of vacancies respectively. Vacancies at construction firms are also growing rapidly. A third form of support is to reach out to candidates from diverse backgrounds and remind them that employers appreciate and desire diversity. Around four-fifths (78.4%) of firms have a strategy to improve diversity in their workforce, with a sizeable share looking at disability and sexuality as well as gender and ethnicity. We have highlighted to our members that they should be engaging with more

female candidates, and 36.5% also have a strategy to improve social mobility, up from 24.4% in 2011. A fourth is to promote internships and placements to students. A quarter of graduate vacancies are now filled by candidates who were also interns at those companies. While an internship will not guarantee students a graduate job – they still need to succeed in the application process, and only 45% of interns go on to become graduates at that employer – it does help student chances and is also valuable work experience. We have challenged employers to improve the ratio of interns who become graduates, and this is improving. A fifth form of support is to offer training on the skills that students need to develop. In a pioneering piece of research last year, AGR compared skills that employers were not satisfied with, with the training that graduates were receiving at university. Large shares of students are now being trained on teamwork and communication skills, which is something to celebrate. However, the biggest gaps from an employer point of view were the more complex skills such as self-management/ assertiveness, negotiation, and commercial awareness. It is worth offering training in these areas as well. A final form of support is to prepare your students for the recruitment process itself. This is becoming increasingly sophisticated. For example, video interviewing is now being used by a third of employers, up from only 6% a short four years ago. 91.8% of employers use assessment centres, 71.3% use some form of psychometric tests, and the process from application to offer typically takes around 11 weeks. Providing practice with these types of tests and encouraging students to apply early is another way to help them get valuable experience.

The AGR is a national employer-led organisation representing the interests of the UK’s graduate employers and ensuring every employer’s success is maximised by full access to student talent.

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Student Perspective Work Placements

Archer Hill II, MA International Studies, Goldsmiths I undertook a work placement at the Oshun Partnership, a development consultancy, as part of my MA in International Studies. I helped out with a range of projects, from researching water development policy and sourcing funding, to policy analysis and stakeholder analysis. I loved the fact that no two days were the same. Work experience is everything and I didn’t have much. It’s great being able to study and simultaneously find out what I want to do with my degree.

In terms of what I gained from the placement, I became a lot more versatile and flexible. Since every day threw up something different, I had to be prepared to adapt to that. I also learnt how communication is everything. Learning how to communicate and network to yield work or information is not something you can learn in class. I also gained so much from the exposure to so many people from different sectors. I met people working in NGOs, in government and in the private sector, and learning more about their careers has helped me consolidate my sense of direction.

My studies have benefited because working in the sector I study has given me a completely different lens through which I can view it. I think I took a lot of things about the development sector for granted, and this placement has helped me look at things more critically. It has helped make me aware of intellectual complacency and how to avoid it. Work Placements give you something you are not going to get in the classroom. It’s always important to get a sense of the world outside, the world that you’re going into when you graduate. Even if you know you’re going to take an academic path, you need to have an understanding of the real-world context and application of what you study.

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Internships: a bridge to work Mark Chadwick, Events and Placements Assistant Internships can get a bad press. When many people hear the word internships, they automatically think of graduates slaving over a photocopier or coffee machine, working for free in the hope of getting that essential piece of experience that will land them their dream job. Whilst this image may have some credence in certain sectors, it is by no means the whole truth when it comes to internships. Paid, structured internships are one of the very best ways for students and recent graduates to make the transition into the workplace. For companies, internships are one of the very best ways to benefit from the talents and skills of the latest graduates whether on a shortterm project basis or as a chance to get to know them better before offering them a permanent role. Probably the best part of my job is catching up with interns and their companies and hearing what a fantastic experience they are all having. Within the structure offered by a paid internship, the intern is given genuinely useful and interesting tasks which add value to the work of the organisation. This sense that their work matters, and is valued by their company, is empowering. They produce better work for their organisation, and the exposure to more meaningful work gives them a better experience in terms of the skills they can develop, and in providing more information they can use to decide whether this job or sector is for them. The companies are thrilled to have the chance to make the most of the skills and experiences of some of our best graduates to help them with specific projects.

For all companies, but particularly SMEs, hiring a new or recent graduate is a big commitment. Paid internships offer a perfect way to get to know a graduate and what they have to offer before offering them a permanent position. By investing in the graduate as an intern, the company will have a new member of staff who already knows the organisation, is committed to it, and has a proven ability to deliver. Overall then, paid internships offer a win-win situation. The graduate is given a rewarding experience that will help them make good career decisions and access the jobs they want. Companies can make the most of working with a talented and motivated individual and gain the information they need to make good hiring decisions. This is why it is so sad to see so many companies, who could afford to pay their interns, advertising unpaid roles. This short-sighted mind-set prevents them from getting the most out of the experience. Unpaid internships lower the self-worth of the people undertaking them, they replace paid jobs, they harm social mobility since only the wealthy can afford to work for free, and they are fundamentally exploitative. But even if none of these arguments sway a company, they should at least consider the fact that when you invest in a person, and value their work by paying for it, they will work harder and better.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;companies are thrilled to have the chance to make the most of the skills and experiences of some of our best graduates to help them with specific projects.â&#x20AC;?

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Case Study Autumn is in her final year studying BA Media and Communications at Goldsmiths. She undertook a work placement at M&C Saatchi as part of her course. This placement helped her land a paid internship with the British Quality Foundation (BQF) through the Santander Universities SME Internship Scheme. Autumn was responsible for assisting the Marketing Manager in the development of the new website. Here she was able to bring and develop her knowledge of interactive media, in addition to picking up experience with google analytics, user experience, putting together briefs for designers, working with PR teams and branding. Autumn’s contribution was such that she was offered a permanent role just five weeks into her internship. Internships with Goldsmiths As participants in the Santander Universities SME Internship Scheme, we are able to offer organisations a match-funded subsidy of £1500

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towards the cost of a paid 12 week internship for one of our recent graduates or final year students. • To be eligible, your organisation must have less than 250 employees and a turnover less than £50m. • You must be willing to pay the intern through your payroll at least £3000 for the 12 weeks. We will reimburse you £1500. • The internships are open to final year students and those who have graduated from Goldsmiths within the last two years. • We run the scheme year-round to offer you greater flexibility. • We take care of advertising the role and collect the applications for you, leaving you free to focus on the task of determining the strongest candidate. • Places are limited so please get in touch early to avoid disappointment. We are also happy to help you advertise other paid roles to our students and graduates. Placements-internships@gold.ac.uk 020 7919 7631 @TalentGold

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Temp Agency Partnerships with Universities Rachael Blundell, QTemps Recruitment Manager, Queen Mary, UoL Gaining work experience whilst at university with a temporary job is a great way for students to earn extra money and be exposed to several different companies and industries. Temporary work can provide useful experience which can enhance students’ employability.

QTemps is a sister agency of the University of London Temp Agency so even students that aren’t from Queen Mary can register with them for roles across the University of London (including Goldsmiths, SOAS, Birkbeck, LBS and LSE etc.) and many other local companies.

Recently there has been a growing trend for temp agencies to partner and merge with universities to provide this service either from a franchise model (such as Unitemps or Spring) or as a department within the university for example The University of London Temp Agency. Such partnerships can save the university a lot of money compared to using high street agencies and can provide a comprehensive service to the student and hiring manager.

Case Study To date 16 of our candidates now have a permanent role in the University.

QTemps and University of London Temp Agency QTemps is a temp agency especially for Queen Mary students and graduates. Our roles are based within different departments within the University and SME’s located in East London. We are focussed on increasing the employability of our students and graduates rather than making a profit. QTemps is part of QRecruit which includes award winning QProjects (charity based voluntary project scheme) and QInterns (Internships for specific schools within Queen Mary) so the students can almost follow a pathway going through each scheme until they have enough experience to apply for a temporary role. We are part of the Careers & Enterprise team so we can signpost students and graduates to other services the department offers e.g. CV advice and practice interviews. To date we have placed over 500 students and graduates.

Many candidates have used their placement to get them their current position. “I would highly recommend applying for a placement with QTemps, lots of the opportunities are more flexible and better pay than you think, you are also paid weekly which helps a lot as a student. In addition they have lots of opportunities so when your placement ends, it is likely you can find something else quickly. QTemps allows you as a student to build up relevant workplace experience while studying, on attending interviews as a graduate, employers have been very impressed at the amount of work experience I gained whilst being a student. QTemps is a useful service whether you are in your first or final year and has been essential for me while at Queen Mary. It has kept me financially afloat and allowed me to be more qualified on graduating.” Christina Govier, QTemps candidate from 20132015

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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

Volunteering a message for Students

Lee Mendeloff, International Project Manager, SLV – Student & Graduate Placements Abroad In today’s competitive job market everyone needs a USP. Your unique selling point is the thing that separates yours from the rest of the CVs in the pile on a CEO’s desk. If you’ve got a Bachelors Degree with a grade of 2:1 or above, you’re in the majority of applicants. So what makes you a better candidate than everyone else? Why are you special? Of course there are a million answers to this question, but you can’t list them all in your personal statement. You need to stand out on paper before you ever get invited to an interview where you can shine in person. In our experience, nothing stands out like volunteering. In fact, to get a place on one of our volunteer teams in Sri Lanka, you have to have committed to your own community first. Volunteering is one thing that companies look for and that can put your CV in a different league to your competition. According to LinkedIn, “of the hiring managers surveyed, 20% said they gave a job based on a candidate’s volunteer work experience.” SLV was founded in 2010 by Psychology students and graduates, so we understand better than most how hard it can be to find experience that’s going to help you reach your future goals and how valuable that experience can be. Volunteering is always going to be a big commitment, especially volunteering abroad. You need plenty of determination, an ability to adapt to circumstances outside your comfort zone and the capacity to always have a smile to hand and make the best of challenging situations. Volunteering can be tough and is not always “fun.” The volunteers on our placements work hard running therapeutic activities in psychiatric facilities, working with individuals with special needs and

teaching English in the community. The facilities that need our help the most are under-funded and under-resourced, so we have to get creative with our approach. This kind of innovation is incredibly useful and you can take these skills with you into any profession you choose. It will certainly help you get a leg up on your competition when you start applying for jobs or for further education. We run a range of placements in Sri Lanka from Mental Health to Teaching to Performing Arts. Each placement is designed to give volunteers the opportunity to grow and develop their skills whilst working with service users who are of varying ages, abilities and from different socioeconomic backgrounds. This is why previous voluntary experience is so important to us when we recruit volunteers. When working with vulnerable individuals, it’s imperative that volunteers are as prepared as possible for any difficult or unexpected situations that may come up. We have a responsibility to the service users and it is crucial that the SLV team is always having a positive impact in the local community. Each and every volunteer brings unique experience and skills to the SLV team. This is largely due to the fact that every volunteer has unique past experiences. We’re looking for people who can bring enthusiasm, passion and dedication to everything they do. Sometimes a situation might be new or intense, but that’s when we want to see volunteers spring into action and adapt to the situation accordingly. These are skills that are as useful in the field in Sri Lanka as they are in a hospital, a classroom or in a boardroom anywhere in the world.

“You need plenty of determination, an ability to adapt to circumstances outside your comfort zone and the capacity to always have a smile to hand and make the best of challenging situations.” 44

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Reflections from a Museum Internship Anca Nitulescu, Goldsmiths, 3rd Year BA English, Department of English and Comparative Literature Having started to envisage a career in the Heritage sector whilst completing the Gold Award last academic year, I wished to develop my understanding of the industry with a focus on Heritage Education. In February last year I applied to join the Education volunteers team at The Charles Dickens Museum which I have been occasionally supporting as a Stewarding and Events volunteer since 2012. My Education volunteering role has provided me with significant hands-on experience working with children of diverse ages and abilities through delivering guided museum tours, leading interactive kitchen activities, and assisting with taught workshops and family activity days. A few months into my volunteering role I was keen to have more responsibilities, build practical office experience, and further familiarise myself with the inner workings of a learning department within a museum. As a result of my dedication to the role and having expressed an interest in applying for the Education internship, I was offered a place. As an intern, I have worked on various different projects such as developing self-guided resources for families, testing and modifying content for the Museum’s English as a Foreign Language trail, and assisting with the design process for a new suite of educational resources, to list just a few. The most memorable events I was involved in were the Museum’s bookbinding workshops at the Bloomsbury Festival in which approximately 70 families took part, as well as the Family Activity Day at October Half Term for which I devised my own crafts activity, Victorian scrapbooks. Through organizing and leading the activity day in the Education Officer’s absence, managing volunteers, and devising craft workshops linked with related themes, I have developed further key skills which have given me the confidence to work independently and to take on more responsibilities.

To me, working with school-children at the Charles Dickens Museum was most rewarding when employing storytelling and visual imagery as ways of teaching. For instance, as I was describing to them how Dickens, aged only 11, had to work in a blacking factory to support his family whilst his father was imprisoned for debt, I often noticed how touched the children were. My hope was to portray Dickens’s childhood in an inspiring way for children to pursue their own dreams, and to encourage them to expand their imagination and creativity through reading or writing, just as Dickens had. Knowing that I have managed to do so, would be my biggest achievement. On reflection, every project and event I was involved in, no matter how big or small, brought me a step closer to understanding both the Museum and the sector, as well as to learning more about myself in a professional work environment. I have learnt not to be shy about asking for more responsibilities because had I not done so, the Education Officer would have not offered me the internship. I have also learnt to respect everyone’s expertise and am grateful for having valuable support and guidance regarding pursuing a career in Heritage Education from fellow colleagues, staff members and other museum professionals I was introduced to during my internship. In addition, I have felt very much a part of the Museum team and have made some new friends. For all of these reasons, interning at The Charles Dickens Museum has been a fantastic experience which has opened up further opportunities for me in terms of networking, training, and expanding my work experience portfolio. My Education internship at the Charles Dickens Museum has surpassed my expectations and I would definitely recommend it as a great insight into Heritage Education.

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Showing the Way:

how Careers Consultants use guidance skills to help students take the next step Helen Kempster, Senior Careers Consultant, Goldsmiths Careers Service

Introduction One of the key pillars of Goldsmiths Careers Service’s offer to students and recent graduates is one-to-one career guidance, delivered by professionally qualified and experienced Careers Consultants. But what are the benefits of this approach, and how can it support particular students? What is career guidance? Very broadly, career guidance can be defined as “services and activities intended to assist individuals, of any age and at any point throughout their lives, to make educational, training and occupational choices and to manage their careers” .1 When working with individuals, this means adopting a client- or student-centred approach. Using a range of communication skills, and through the application of career guidance theories, we find ways to ask the right questions, and deal with the client in a holistic manner, in order to help them move towards the next step on their journey. Career guidance can therefore include elements of information, advice and coaching. How does guidance help? There is a large body of research evidence which shows that guidance has beneficial outcomes at the level of the individual. These outcomes often manifest themselves in one of three ways: human capital, social capital and supported transitions. Human capital refers to the knowledge, skills and abilities of an individual; guidance can encourage acquisition and development of these skills. Guidance can also increase an individual’s social capital by providing information about and access to networks and opportunities that they may not have otherwise been exposed to. Finally, career guidance which is offered at crucial transition points (such as moving into and out of higher education) has been shown to increase the chance of making a smooth transition.2

How does it work at Goldsmiths? At Goldsmiths, students have access to a range of one-to-one guidance interventions: • Quick Query – this 20-minute guidance appointment allows students to discuss any issue relating to career or skills development • CV/Application Check – also 20 minutes, these sessions are specifically for students who would like feedback on a CV, covering letter, application or personal statement • Practice Interview – these sessions, lasting 40 minutes, allow students or graduates to receive individualised interview coaching, tailored to them and the position they are being interviewed for • Career Discussion – only available on referral from a Quick Query, this longer guidance session allows for more in-depth discussion of relevant issues Students can book more than one appointment, subject to availability. Alumni of Goldsmiths who graduated within the last three years can also access these appointments through our Careers+ provision.

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What does guidance look like? Guidance can be many things, including helping the student or graduate to reflect on their skills, identify potential options, formulate strategies and make decisions. It can also be about helping them to remove barriers to taking their next step, or to view their issue in a different light. The process of career guidance involves making use of a range of skills, some of which relate to counselling skills, including active listening, questioning and summarising. The underlying principle is to give the student or graduate space to talk, and to identify what their needs are at that moment in time. Once the aims of a session are agreed, the student or graduate and Careers Consultant work together to explore relevant issues and come up with a range of options for moving forward. Those options are evaluated, and the student or graduate will then identify actions to be taken going forward. The emphasis at all stages is on empowering the student or graduate. Importantly, guidance is a confidential and impartial process, with the needs of the student or graduate firmly at the centre of everything we do. At Goldsmiths we collect regular feedback from our students, and some recent reflections on one-to-one guidance have included:

“Practical advice. Opportunity to ask even “stupid” questions.” “Very friendly approach, made me feel very comfortable.” “[Helped me to] think of options not previously considered.” The role of one-to-one guidance It’s clear that one-to-one guidance has tangible benefits for students and graduates. Alongside the rest of the Careers Service offer, and opportunities available in the wider institution, it gives individuals the personal skills and insights to manage their career. There is evidence that guidance in higher education “supports good career decision-making and effective transitions to the workplace, helping to ensure that graduates’ learning and skills are well used” .3 One-to-one guidance plays a role alongside other aspects of the Careers Service’s offer, including employer engagement, placements, skills development, enterprise and information provision. At Goldsmiths, all these aspects of the Careers Service team work closely together to ensure integrated provision that best serves the needs of students and recent graduates.

“It’s clear that one-to-one guidance has tangible benefits for students and graduates. Alongside the rest of the Careers Service offer, and opportunities available in the wider institution, it gives individuals the personal skills and insights to manage their career.” OECD (2004), Career Guidance: A handbook for policy makers, available at http://www.oecd.org/edu/innovation-education/34060761.pdf 2 Hooley, T. and Dodd, V. (2015), The Economic Benefits of Career Guidance, Careers England, available at https://cica.org.au/ wp-content/uploads/Careers-England-Research-Paper-The-Economic-Benefits-of-Career-Guidance-July-2015.pdf 3 Hooley, T. (2014). The Evidence Base on Lifelong Guidance. Jyväskylä, Finland: European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network (ELGPN) 1

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Student Perspectives In the academic year 2014 – 2015 Goldsmiths Careers Service reached record numbers of students through one-to-one guidance, departmental talks, employer-led events, fairs, skills, enterprise, HEAR and Gold Award events and workshops. The number of student visits to the services provided was over 7000 and numbers look set to continue increasing this year. Below are a few examples of feedback provided by students:

I am an MA student at Goldsmiths, and I would like to thank you for the amazing job you did putting together the part-time job fair. I already had 4 phone calls from various organizations/ companies, as well as 2 interviews this week. Thank you again and keep up the great work. Yasmin Mohamed, MA Gender, Media and Culture

I just wanted to say thanks again for organising the placement. Whatever the outcome of the written submissions, the experience itself was just incredibly significant and fruitful for me on a whole array of levels, and in a really unprecedented way!

I’ve been offered the position and had my first project meeting earlier today! I’ve used the Goldsmiths practice interview service twice now and found it very useful both times, largely because of how thoroughly the advisors prepare. Thank you so much for your help.

129 students responded to a survey conducted by the Careers Service between August 2014 and June 2015. The Survey showed that: 100% of respondents were satisfied by their 1-1 appointment. 98% would recommend our one-to-one service to a friend. 99% found that the 1-1 sessions helped them decide which next step(s) to take. 48

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The Power of Information Claire Coveney, Careers Information Assistant, Goldsmiths Careers Service ‘As a general rule, the most successful man in life is the man who has the best information.’ Benjamin Disraeli, former Prime Minister, 1804-1881 In a nutshell, the purpose of the Careers Information team is to identify, analyse and assess the suitability of information that we offer our students and graduates. In order to do this effectively we need to keep up to date with changes within the labour market and developments in online resources, which we then make sure is communicated effectively. Our role as Information Assistants is to diagnose the needs of our students and then advise accordingly. This can be by providing information on How to Write a CV, or how to get started in their chosen field, recommending and guiding them through a relevant website, to suggesting they attend one of the many events that the Careers Service puts on throughout the year. There is now so much information openly available on the Internet that it can be difficult making sense of it all, let alone work out what is legitimate and actually useful! We pinpoint what resources can be applicable to students’ bespoke needs, such as Careers Tagged, an online careers resource library that is available to universities within The Careers Group, or GoinGlobal, a website written by individuals from across the world who offer advice and opportunities for graduates who wish to work abroad (as well as for International students who are returning home after their studies). We also have numerous information sheets which can help our students understand specific sectors in the job market, and give them the information they need in order to find work in these areas in one easy-to-digest resource. These are researched and written by the Information team, sourcing the most up to date and expert information in higher education and careers. Collating these sheets ourselves allows us to refine the content for our students here at Goldsmiths. Topics are wide-ranging, from ‘Getting Started in Museums & Galleries’ and ‘Routes into Teaching’ through to ‘Getting Started in the Games Industry’; there are over 40 information sheets in total currently, all of which can be found on Learn.gold under the Careers Service homepage. The hope is to increase the number of information sheets in order 49

to correlate with the new subjects that the university has recently introduced. We work very closely with the rest of the Careers Service team to ensure that as much ground as possible is covered when it comes to what information we provide. Careers Consultants offer 1:1 appointments with students, therefore if a query is raised on numerous occasions, they can then suggest to us that we provide information on this particular topic. Likewise if we work with the Enterprise and Skills team or the Placements team on an event or workshop that they have organised, we can ascertain a lot from the feedback that they receive, or the discussions that were raised. It is because of this effective communication within our department, and the journey that the student can take when utilising our services, that the information that we provide is becoming increasingly bespoke to their needs. Our aim moving forward is to expand this process beyond the Careers Service by assigning each member of the Information team to an academic department. We will then be able to proactively discuss with tutors directly any issues, questions or areas of research that they feel we could be providing their students. This will help to provide a more joined-up service in which the Careers Service and academic departments are working together to help our students be more prepared for the world of work. One of the best elements of the job is conducting the information ‘Quick Queries’, the official term for that initial chat with the students when we ascertain how best we can help them. If the student is not aware of all of the services that we can offer them, it is incredibly rewarding seeing their relief when we explain that we have an information sheet on that very sector, or can guide them through a website on student jobs that they had no idea existed. Explaining that they can come back to the Careers Service again and again if they like, to meet with the CV Adviser, or to utilise all of the information sheets that we have available (even when they have graduated via Careers+), is obviously a very fulfilling and important part of what we do. Claire Coveney and the Information Team, Cal Brindley, Colin Baumgart-Osborn and Sophie Picard

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Can Self-confidence be Taught? Vanessa Freeman, Senior Careers Consultant, Goldsmiths Careers Service Can we teach people to be more confident? We want our students and graduates to become skilled at seizing opportunities and making their own luck but some feel more able to do this than others. True confidence is built around being able to assess your strengths and areas for development objectively and believing you have agency in your future. This is a key part of effective personal and professional development. The self-confidence workshop was requested by students on our Skills Award and combines a number of practical exercises within a theoretical framework. The group is encouraged to think beyond what we could call the superficial manifestation of ‘performing confidence’. Everyone completes questionnaires from the excellent Mind Tools website in order to measure their self-efficacy and how in control of their life they feel (locus of control). These are well-recognised components of something called core self-evaluation (how you really feel about yourself and your abilities). We cover how to develop this through direct experience or by observing others doing something well. We also look at how participants can use feedback effectively.

impact in a professionally intimidating situation. We look at body language and tone of voice. We then have a ‘Because you’re worth it!’ exercise where students spend a few minutes thinking about their three best achievements. They present these to a small group, applying the techniques. We have a range of students along to the workshop with different styles and levels of confidence. Because the workshop combines a variety of exercises and teaching methods there is something for everyone. What is wonderful is seeing everyone support each other. It’s one of my favourite workshops to run as a facilitator and as it is part of our Gold Award we get to see the students develop over the year. A new bank of resources including a dedicated section on Self-Confidence is now available for students on The Frame: Skills for Success on Learn. gold (requires login).

A healthy attitude to failure is encouraged. All participants examine their failures and successes and are encouraged to plan their next developmental challenges. This provides an opportunity to reflect on positive and negative experiences so far and work out how to move on. We borrow from positive psychology, looking at reframing techniques to turn negative thoughts into more neutral or positive viewpoints . If all this sounds too earnest we also provide some quick and dirty tips for when you need to make an

“A healthy attitude to failure is encouraged. All participants examine their failures and successes and are encouraged to plan their next developmental challenges.” 50

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Securing an Interview The role of a CV Adviser

Beth Guilding, CV Adviser, Goldsmiths Careers Service What is a CV Adviser? Although the clue is – to an extent - in the title, there is more to being a CV Adviser than simply reading through CVs and application forms. For one thing, given the range of students I see during appointments (throughout the Autumn term I saw approximately 500 students across 20 departments), all of whom are attempting to head into different jobs and sectors, it is essential that I have a good understanding of what prospective employers may be looking for in terms of skill-sets and previous work-experience. This has to be gleaned from on-the-job research – by discussing previous employment experiences with students, for example, as well as by keeping up to date with online forums and media reports regarding employment issues, and visits to employers. With all this in mind, I need to help students to ‘tailor’ their CVs to the specific job they are applying for, whilst teaching them how to use job descriptions and person specifications to fill out their applications so that they learn this skill for themselves.

Each appointment is, in this context, a new challenge. And, especially at peak times during the year, I can find myself reading through and providing feedback on sixteen or seventeen applications in one day. One moment I am providing advice on how to apply to be an assistant psychologist, the next I am reading a cover letter targeted at working in a media internship, and the next I am advising a performing arts student on how to present their agency headshot on their CV. Being a CV Adviser is, therefore, both a demanding and very interesting role; it allows me to meet students from every department and at every level of their career aspirations, which is a highly rewarding and privileged position to be in.

I just wanted to let you know that following the wonderful advice you provided regarding my CV I have been shortlisted to interview for five different jobs and I still have a few pending. I want to thank you for your excellent help which certainly seems to have paid off!

I came to see you a few times about my CV and cover letter. I had an interview a couple of weeks ago for the Goldman Sachs spring program and just wanted to let you know that I got it :) Many thanks for your advice and help! Wouldn’t have made it otherwise!

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Thank you for all your help with formatting my CV correctly. I feel much more confident that I will find a research position soon. In fact, I had an interview on Friday which went really well but there is another role that they think would be better for me so they have asked me to apply for that one. Fingers crossed I get another interview and a job offer!!

I just wanted to let you know that I GOT THE JOB as sales and marketing executive in an online advertising agency. I am very happy and I would like to thank you for your support and your piece of advice concerning CV and cover letters. You work very professionally and I immediately felt comfortable with you. You helped me work on my weaknesses allowing me to get this job. I would like to thank you again for your help, and I hope to see you again soon at the career service in the future. Common Issues Many students come to see me up to three or four times over a matter of weeks in order to improve their CVs and applications. Very often, in the initial consultation, I discuss common issues that are experienced when preparing documents for prospective employers: how to structure the CV, for example, as well as how to present documents in a professional manner. Other questions and issues that frequently arise have to do with writing skills and the correct use of language for formal documents. This is currently a hot topic, especially – but not exclusively - with students for whom English is not their native language, as it is very often the case that students have not sufficiently developed their ability to communicate, in writing, professionally and correctly (in terms of grammar, spelling and syntax). More recently, I have seen a surge in requests to provide feedback for online portfolios, which students in the creative industries are encouraged to develop in order to provide

employers with a website on which they can view the student’s work. This is an interesting task, as it means learning about the different online platforms students are using in order to create their websites, as well as providing feedback on the content, layout, and use of language. Overall, however, what most students need is reassurance that they are taking the right steps to getting themselves into their desired career or job. With all the talk in the media about employment statistics, as well as the (literally) thousands of websites providing contradictory advice on how to design the ‘best CV’, many students who come to see me are simply overwhelmed by the process of finding employment. In that sense, the best part of being a CV Adviser is when a student comes back to see me and tells me that they have been shortlisted for an interview or, better, that they have got the job!

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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

Global Online Career Development from your laptop

Laura Brammar, Senior Careers Consultant, The Careers Group, University of London Global online career development from your laptop Increasingly students and graduates are looking online for sources of careers support and careersrelated information. The Careers Group, University of London (the parent body of Goldsmiths Careers Service) have been involved in an award-winning project to improve the employability of students from across the world.

online careers learning.

MOOC? What’s that? The Enhance Your Career and Employability Skills MOOC was the world’s first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) aimed at teaching career management skills, rather than an academic discipline. It was designed by The Careers Group (TCG), University of London, on behalf of the University of London International Academy (UoLIA), and first delivered in the summer of 2014.

How did you build it? The project was a dynamic collaboration between The Careers Group and UoLIA, working closely with their MOOC platform partners, Coursera. Starting in November 2013, a team of 15 careers consultants, based at a range of University of London colleges including Goldsmiths, recorded over sixty short teaching videos, created downloadable worksheets, designed real-life learning activities and monitored the discussion forums over the duration of the course. We also collaborated with employers during the MOOC featuring five graduate recruiters’ perspectives on employability within course videos.

As the first English HE provider of MOOCs, UoLIA wanted to demonstrate their commitment to supporting the career ambitions of potential students around the world and also saw an opportunity to enhance the provision of careers support to their existing distance learners. TCG is committed to using innovative methods to deliver high-quality, sophisticated careers and employability services to HE students. We were keen to discover if it was possible to use a mass education medium to benefit a potentially huge cohort of learners, each with their own unique needs and circumstances. As the first of its kind, the demand for such online careers support was untested. The response was extraordinary, both in terms of the numbers (157,000 registrants, 89,000 active participants and over 20,000 discussion forum contributions) and the diversity of participants, with over 200 countries represented and participants ranging from age 13 to 85. This demonstrated a massive global appetite for

The response also demonstrated a strong desire by individuals, across the world, to form a virtual community where they could share their career stories, offer their professional perspectives and provide professional development support to each other. This was a particularly rewarding element of the project.

We identified a range of core employability themes which, according to the convention of previous MOOCs, we grouped into weekly teaching topics (https://www.coursera.org/course/career). We predicted that some people would want to start at Week 1 and work through the material in a linear fashion, but that others might want to start with topics of most immediate relevance to their individual situations. We, therefore, put pressure on ourselves to make the materials for all weeks available at launch rather than releasing them sequentially. We also designed backward and forward linkages within each week so that participants who started with Week 4, say, could be made aware of resources in other weeks that might help them to achieve their personal learning objectives.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

For many MOOCs the discussion forums are used to address technical questions about the platform and the assignments. We were keen to use them as a way of facilitating peer learning and mutual support. Indeed, unlike most MOOCs, we actively encouraged ‘plagiarism’ as we wanted our students to learn from and inspire each other. We built in prompts and mechanisms to encourage participants to discuss their reflections on the teaching, share the results of their follow-up activities and tell their own stories of career learning. In this way our discussion forums became a dynamic resource with 2,850 threads and 14,922 forum posts. How was it received? We were unsure how much we would be able to help such a diverse group of people with their individual career issues but, judging by the evaluation, we were more successful than we anticipated.

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“Yesterday I had an interview and could not recognize myself - so confident and assured of my skills, I think I made a great impression and even if I don’t get the job I am already proud of myself… The first two weeks have changed how I see myself as a person and professional.” “It’s kind of a relief to see so many people have similar experiences, similar ups and downs, needs and emotions in similar situations. In a way it is inspiring.“ However, it is not just the participants who have benefitted from the MOOC. We received many comments from careers professionals who had signed up to the course to enhance their own understanding or who were using the materials with their own clients.

Ninety-six per cent of participants ranked their overall MOOC experience as ‘excellent’ (41%), ‘very good’ (40%) or ‘good’ (15%), with 96% also saying they would recommend the course to a friend. More importantly, across all the six weeks 94% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that their confidence in undertaking fundamental career development activities had increased.

Indeed, so successful was the first iteration of the MOOC that in 2015 Enhance your Career and Employability Skills was offered again through the Coursera platform. As expected the number of participants was smaller this time (although still a healthy 82,000 registered with 46,000 active learners); however, the evaluation was even more positive than in 2014 with 98% of participants ranked their overall MOOC experience as ‘excellent’, ‘very good’ or ‘good’.

The discussion forums were littered with examples of participants describing the positive impact the MOOC had on them.

This success was acknowledged by our professional body, AGCAS, who awarded us an Excellence Award for use of Technology in 2015.

“I have been astounded by some of the insights gleaned from this course, for example I had no idea that being an expert was important to me. It is a common element within the themes of my life.”

What next for the MOOC? We are in discussions with Coursera at the moment and the hope is to offer the MOOC again in 2016 so watch this space!

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Careers with a Humanities or Social Sciences Degree Helen Kempster, Senior Careers Consultant, Goldsmiths Careers Service What are humanities and social sciences? There is no one definition of which disciplines fall into these categories, and this can vary by country and even by institution. Generally, the humanities are taken to include those disciplines that involve studying philosophy, literature, religion, art, music, history, and language i.e. things that humans have produced. Social sciences study society and how humans interact within it, this includes fields such as anthropology, economics, politics, psychology and sociology. What careers are associated with the humanities and social sciences? The humanities and social sciences cover a broad range of disciplines and therefore lead on to a vast range of career options. Some popular areas are covered below; however this is only a snapshot and there are many other opportunities open to humanities and social science graduates. Check out the ‘Options with your subject’ information on the Prospects website for further information (see ‘Useful resources’ below). TEACHING There is plenty of scope for career development as a teacher, sharing knowledge of a subject and watching students learn and develop. Graduates will need to undertake further training after their degree to qualify as a teacher, and it can be useful to gain some related work experience whilst studying for your degree. There are many financial incentives aimed at those entering the teaching profession. For example, English and history are currently considered priority subjects and attract more funding. Job roles in teaching and education include: Early years teacher, Education administrator, Educational psychologist, English as a foreign language teacher, Environmental education officer, Further Education lecturer, Higher Education lecturer, Learning mentor, Primary school teacher, Private music teacher,

Secondary school teacher, Special educational needs teacher CULTURAL SECTOR The UK is famed for its cultural heritage and this sector relies on graduate talent. This area can be of particular interest to theology and anthropology graduates and entry level roles can include administrative and junior curative positions in art galleries and museums or working for companies like the National Trust. However, this can be a competitive area; to increase the chances of success, relevant work experience and an interest in the subject matter are a must. Job roles in the cultural sector include: Archivist, Art handler, Arts administrator, Collections manager, Conservation worker, Curator, Education officer, Events manager, Exhibition design, Exhibition researcher POLITICS Many social sciences graduates go on to work in a career as a social researcher, reporting on key public interest stories like unemployment, housing and crime for the government, independent bodies or even the media, particularly national newspapers. Again this can be a competitive area and graduates need to be prepared to work from the bottom up. Job roles in politics include: Civil Service worker, Government social research officer, Intelligence analyst, Local government officer, Politician’s assistant NOT-FOR-PROFIT SECTOR Similar to roles for the government, not-for-profit agencies and charities often rely on researchers and archivers, looking for the types of skills developed during humanities and social science degrees. These include an analytical mind and strong research, reporting and communication skills, which graduates will need to highlight on their CV.

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Job roles in the not-for-profit sector include: Advice worker, Arts administrator, Charity fundraiser, Community arts worker, Community development worker, Community education officer, Information officer, International aid/development worker, Marketing executive, Public relations officer, Volunteer coordinator, Youth worker COUNSELLING AND SOCIAL SERVICES Many social sciences and humanities students put their research on people and society into practice by moving into social services or counselling. Community workers and advice staff often require analytical minds and strong reporting skills, with a large part of the job being the accurate writing of reports. It’s also necessary to undertake additional training in dealing with complex emotional and mental issues, which could lead to a very rewarding long-term career. Job roles in counselling and social services include: Counsellor, Social worker, Youth worker, Advice worker, Community development worker, Probation Officer. LAW The critical thinking required by a humanities or social sciences degree, alongside strong reporting and communications skills, are often closely matched to law careers, including legal secretaries. These transferable skills can allow graduates to construct convincing arguments and analyse lots of data, leading to successful careers in law firms. Further training is required to ensure you have the

requisite legal knowledge. Job roles in law include: Barrister, Barrister’s clerk, Chartered legal executive, Company secretary, Licensed conveyancer, Patent attorney, Solicitor, Tax adviser, Trade mark attorney Are there any other possibilities? Many graduate employers are not looking to employ graduates who have studied a particular subject. One of the most important factors for them are employability skills – the skills and experience graduates have developed from their studies and other experiences. Employability skills can include the following: Teamworking Problem-solving skills Time management Spoken and written communication Persuading, influencing and negotiating skills

Language skills Computing skills Numeracy Determination

Leadership skills

Assertiveness

Adaptability

Students on a humanities or social sciences degree will develop many of the above skills. They can also develop these skills through part-time work, work experience, volunteering, being part of clubs and societies and any other extra-curricular activities they take part in. Evidence from any of these activities can be used to demonstrate skills to employers.

Useful resources Prospects ‘Options with your subject’ - http://www.prospects.ac.uk/options_with_your_subject.htm - shows where different degree subjects could lead. Get into Teaching - http://www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching - information for those interested in becoming a teacher Creative Choices - http://ccskills.org.uk/careers - help and advice for those interested in working in the creative and cultural sector W4MP - http://www.w4mp.org/ - for those interested in working for an MP or in other politics-related settings Government Social Research Profession - https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/civil-service-governmentsocial-research-profession Prospects ‘Charities and voluntary work’ - http://www.prospects.ac.uk/charities_voluntary_sector.htm - overview of the charity and voluntary sector Skills for Care ‘Careers’ - http://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Care-careers/Care-careers.aspx - information on careers in social services British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy - http://www.bacp.co.uk/crs/Training/careersincounselling.php information on a career in counselling Law Careers - http://www.lawcareers.net/ - information on careers in law

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News from the Skills Team Charlotte Betts, Anthony Crowther, Dr Katarina Lezova and Joanie Magill, Skills Team, Goldsmiths Careers Service The last two issues of the publication looked at developments in Academic Skills and Co-Curricular Activities at Goldsmiths. Since publishing there have been a number of new developments and successes that the Goldsmiths Careers Service Skills Team share here. Enhancing Academic Skills Workshops The Enhancing Academic Skills Programme of Workshops (EAS) was piloted from October 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dec 2015 and is now a rolling programme each term at Goldsmiths. The programme is a crossdepartmental initiative, co-ordinated and delivered collaboratively by the Careers Service, CELAW, Inclusion and Learning Support and the Library. This successful inter-departmental collaboration has enabled a programme of core workshops to be designed and offered to all students to develop key academic skills and access an introduction to Higher Education level study. EAS consists of four core workshops covering: lectures and seminars, reading strategies, researching and referencing, and writing. These provide a broad foundation or introduction for students. The programme has been extremely well received with numbers exceeding expectations. The total attendance across all of the workshops in the first term of delivery was 226 with some students visiting more than one session. Register information shows that at least 121 individual students accessed the programme with 61% attending one workshop and over a third attending one or more workshops. It is of real interest that almost 70% of attendees were postgraduates including several MPhil/ PhD students and 19 out of the 20 Academic departments were represented. The pilot demonstrated a need for centrally provided academic skills provision and has shown that students are keen to access such an offering. The inter-departmental collaboration has been very successful and enabled a more joined-up approach between departments, allowing further links to be established to effectively signpost to other existing services provided. Academic Skills Certificate Another initiative introduced as part of The Frame 57

skills framework this academic year is the new Academic Skills Certificate. The Academic Skills Certificate has been designed by Goldsmiths Careers Service to recognise the learning gained through participation in the Enhancing Academic Skills series of workshops and other academic skills opportunities offered by various departments at Goldsmiths. To achieve the Certificate students are required to attend workshops, reflect on the learning gained and how they have put this learning into action in their own studies. Learners are able to submit written reflection, or evidence in other formats and the results have been illuminating. Some students chose to present examples of their work to demonstrate how they have applied their learning with before and after versions of essay plans or lecture notes, others submitted mind maps, Power Point presentations or detailed written reflection referring to clear action points they had made since attending workshops on areas including: making the most of lectures and seminars, research and referencing, essay planning and reading strategies. A number of students have already achieved the Certificate this year and many more are working towards completing before the summer break. Gold Award We are now half way through the Gold Award scheme! This year has been very busy as we have 70 students registered in comparison to last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 25. All are very talented coming from 18 departments. Last year we had students from 9 departments, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great news that more students are getting involved and it also demonstrates that the Award is a great personal and professional development scheme for any student at Goldsmiths. For the first time, this academic year we have opened it up also to our MA students and so far, the feedback has been very good.

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Slowly we are moving towards the final stage. Students will have their last 1-2-1 appointment in May and early June they will submit the Creative Element (they will reflect on one of their skills and attributes in a creative way), complete the final section of their Personal Development Record and deliver a Presentation – reflection on their Gold Award journey – in front of a panel. Finally, on 15 June we will have the Gold Award Ceremony to celebrate success and achievement of a great group of students!

undertake a research project into employers’ use of the HEAR. We will be combining our energies to talk to a range of employers, large and small across sectors to get a national picture of how the HEAR is viewed and could be used by employers. We are very excited to be part of the project as it will help us develop the HEAR at Goldsmiths. Based on the insights we gain from employers, we can make sure we provide the kinds of opportunities that will benefit our students both at university and when they graduate.

Gold Award student nominated for Student Volunteer of the Year http://www.gold.ac.uk/news/zoe-webber-nusvolunteer-/

We’ve also set up the Goldsmiths HEAR blog which provides current and prospective students with an insight into the wider skills agenda – the kinds of activities and opportunities that students have the opportunity to get involved in at Goldsmiths and gain recognition for on their HEAR.

Former Gold Award achiever Zoe Webber’s commitment to helping her peers improve their mental health has been recognised by the National Union of Students’ annual Student Volunteer of the Year awards. Knowing about Zoe’s great work through the Gold Award, the Careers Service put her forward for this annual award. Zoe is President of RE:mind Mental Health Society, a Students’ Union society and is the co-founder of the Dedicated Listeners project, a non-judgemental peer-support listening service for Goldsmiths students. We were delighted when she was one of five UK students shortlisted by judges out of nearly 100 entrants. Dr Katarina Lezova, Gold Award Coordinator, Goldsmiths Careers Service, says: “Working with Zoe while she was doing the Gold Award I was impressed by the time and effort she dedicated to improving the mental health and wellbeing of others. Through encouraging people to talk about mental health her volunteering has clearly had a considerable impact on the wellbeing of other students. She fully deserves to be among the final five for the Student Volunteer of the Year Award…” HEAR Goldsmiths has joined the with the Centre for Recording Achievement and Sheffield, Ulster, Coventry, York St John and Derby universities to

Goldsmiths Innovation Awards For the second year in a row along with colleagues in ICCE we ran a successful competition to identify individuals, groups of students and recent graduates with exciting and innovative ideas that can make a difference. We had an increase in entries and received 60 applications. Shortlisted applicants were invited to pitch to an expert panel and 7 student-led projects and businesses each received a share of the £10,000 prize fund to help get their ideas off the ground or move them further forward. The Innovation Awards are a great way of motivating and encouraging the students we engage in our student enterprise activities to develop their ideas further. We have had almost 100 one-to-one and group meetings with students specifically about their ideas and projects so far in 2015/16, and we have been supporting some of these students to enter external competitions such as the Santander Entrepreneurship Awards and the Deutsche Bank Awards for Creative Enterprise. Skills Team Charlotte Betts, Skills Developer, Anthony Crowther, Student Enterprise & Skills Manager, Dr Katarina Lezova, Gold Award Co-ordinator and Joanie Magill, HEAR Co-ordinator 58

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Career Guidance for Prospective Students Helen Kempster, Senior Careers Consultant, Goldsmiths Careers Service Introduction Since September 2012, schools in England and Wales have had a statutory duty to secure independent career guidance for all pupils, which now applies to those in Years 8-13 (approximately 12-18 years old). This followed the abolishment of the former Connexions services in 2011, which used to provide career guidance, and the withdrawal of any associated funding. This has led to inconsistent provision across schools, and has left some young people without access to effective information, advice and guidance to help them plan their careers.1 In addition, higher education institutions are responding to the fair access agenda, which aims to ensure that all potential students have access to higher education, regardless of socio-economic background, gender, ethnicity or any other factors. Institutions which decide to charge higher tuition fees are required to produce an Access Agreement, monitored by the Office for Fair Access, which sets out how they will use the additional fee income to widen participation. Pre-Entry Careers Consultant One of the ways in which Goldsmiths, University of London has responded to the fair access agenda is to appoint a Pre-Entry Careers Consultant with a specific remit to provide careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) to prospective students, with a particular focus on those from under-represented groups. The aims of the role are: • To work with staff across the campus to deliver effective careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) to prospective students and their parents. • To help prospective students to acquire the skills necessary to make an informed choice when selecting university study.

Supporting prospective students I was appointed to the role of Pre-Entry Careers Consultant in April 2013 on a 0.4 basis, and since then have been working on developing various aspects of the work as detailed below. • Delivery of CEIAG to prospective students, a total of 1,716 students over 65 sessions between January 2014 and August 2015. This has ranged from sessions exploring career values with Year 6 pupils (ages 10-11) to bespoke sessions with Year 12 (ages 16-17) who are in the process of applying to university. • Delivery of one-to-one career guidance to a small number of young people. These are usually identified by the school or college as needing extra support, or are undertaking work experience at Goldsmiths. • Production of resources to support the delivery of CEIAG, including a series of pre-entry information sheets which outline possible future career paths by academic subject. These sheets are available to view at http://www.gold.ac.uk/careers/students/ interested-in-goldsmiths/. • Managing the Careers Service presence at recruitment activities such as Open Days and Applicant Days. • Training other staff across the university to help them when working with prospective students. This has included Admissions staff and Student Ambassadors. • Taking part in the Goldsmiths Teachers’ and Advisers’ Working Group. We organise an annual Teachers’ and Advisers’ Conference, usually in July each year, and produce a regular magazine called Gold Network, the archive of which can be viewed at http://www.gold.ac.uk/schools-and-colleges/ goldnetwork/.

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Collaboration A key, and enjoyable, part of the Pre-Entry Careers Consultant role has been collaboration with colleagues and departments across the university, including Student Recruitment and Outreach, Admissions, the wider Student Recruitment and Engagement team and academic staff. This collaboration ensures that the offering remains relevant and fits in with the strategic priorities of the university as a whole. The wider sector Goldsmiths is the first college of the University of London to have a post dedicated to Pre-Entry career guidance. However, across the UK there are a small number of other higher education institutions who have also invested in this area. I have shared my practice in this area with colleagues in other institutions through AGCAS (the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services). Future developments I have developed a range of materials to support CEIAG for prospective students, and am hoping to create some open-access online learning resources, so that a wider audience can be reached. I also hope to continue to engage more schools and colleges and develop activities and programmes to support their careers offer.

Ofsted (2013), Going in the right direction?: Careers guidance in schools from September 2012, available at https://www. gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/ file/413171/Going_in_the_right_direction.pdf 1

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Goldsmiths Careers Service Team Colin Baumgart-Osborn, Receptionist Cal Brindley, Careers Information Assistant Charlotte Betts, Santander Skills+ Developer Mark Chadwick, Events and Placements Assistant Claire Coveney, Careers Information Assistant Anthony Crowther, Student Enterprise and Skills Manager Vanessa Freeman, Senior Careers Consultant Fergus Gleeson, Employer Engagement Manager Beth Guilding, CV Adviser Helen Kempster, Senior Careers Consultant Eva Kiss, Careers Consultant Katarina Lezova, Gold Award Coordinator Joanie Magill, HEAR Coordinator Alison McGregor, Work Placements and Internships Manager Sophie Picard, Careers Information and Administration Manager Sue Young, Head of Goldsmiths Careers Service

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